Update: thank you all for your detailed and kind input! I finally tried crimping on an 8P8C connector onto an Ethernet cable. I failed. Miserably. But at least I finally learned what’s actually happening - or what’s supposed to happen: the teeth of the connector actually puncture the individual wires in order to make contact with the conductors inside. Sic. But omg is it a game of patience. 🤣

I actually just want to shorten one that I’m already using. 😊

  • kboos1@lemmy.world
    5·
    6 days ago

    There’s probably some ICT guys out there that have a better way of doing it and can do it faster since they do it more often.

    First pick the color pattern you need, you can Google it, I don’t think it matters much anymore but there’s A, B, and A/B.

    I don’t use the cripple tool to strip because I’m more comfortable with electrical stippers. I score the the outer jacket to get to the string, then pull the string back about a two inches. Then cut the wire off where I scored the jacket and cut the excess jacket off.

    Untwist the individual wires. Now depending on the the type of connector you purchased will determine the next step. If you got the push through connectors then you are a savage and you should be ashamed of yourself. If you got the traditional connectors then arrange the colors on the pattern you chose. Take something hard and round, I use my stripper handle to pull the wire across the handle while kind of shaking the wire to straighten out the strands. Edit - Arrange the wire as tightly as possible in the pattern you chose. Then cut the wire at about half inch (maybe a little less) from the jacket as straight as possible, if the wire was pulled tight and straight the strands should stay in place.

    Pay attention to your color pattern and if the chart you used is looking from the top or underneath the connector, most charts should be from under the connector. Slide the strands through the connector and make sure they all fit into the proper channels of the connector and slide all of the way to the of the connector.

    If you’re left handed then this part kind of sucks because 99% are made for right handed people. If everything lines up then push the connector into the cripple tool with jostling the wires and connect too much. Squeeze the cripple tool and then repeat for the other end.

    Put a rj45 continuity tester on the cable to make sure you have cripped it properly and you’re done.