PUNCHING DOWN CAT 6 OR ATTACHING AN RJ-45 CONNECTOR

[mstrlucky74]

I was told it isd a lot long to attached a modular plug/rj45 connector to a cat 6 cable than it is to puch it down on jack. Seems that way but how much longer is it? Thanks.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I have never done CAT 6, but I don't see much difference in the time it takes to do those tasks with CAT 5.

 

[mstrlucky74]

I have never done CAT 6, but I don't see much difference in the time it takes to do those tasks with CAT 5.

Yes I think the time would be about the same for either Cat5 or Cat6. Thanks.

 

[hurk27]

Well it depends on how good your eyes are, I have no problems punching down the wires to a cat5 jack but when trying to sort the wires and get them straight to line up to go into the plug before crimping it becomes a challenge, it seems like there is one pair that wants to trade places in the little holes they go into:rant:

Also there is no standard for the jacks, I have grown accustom to the Leviton cat5 jacks but have had to use the Q-Com ones and wired 3 or 4 jacks before I realized they put the colors in different places from the Leviton:rant:

The P&S system is a joke as there com panels are all jacks with no punch downs and I refuse to install these as I can do the punch downs much faster then putting on the plug ends.

Maybe its just me and my eyes but I much rather punch down then install the end plugs.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Wayne,
Do you use the plugs with the little black plastic tray that slides on the wires before you insert them into the plug? The tray minimizes that problem, but you still have to watch as it does not completely eliminate it.

 

[GoldDigger]

The P&S system is a joke as there com panels are all jacks with no punch downs and I refuse to install these as I can do the punch downs much faster then putting on the plug ends.

Maybe its just me and my eyes but I much rather punch down then install the end plugs.

When using CAT 6 for high speed digital signaling, the impedance and balance conditions on the wires become critical, just as in coaxial cable for high frequencies. A good job of terminating to a properly designed punch block will maintain the necessary spacing and alignment, but it can also easily be done badly. Requiring a plug on the end of the CAT 5 or 6 forces you to keep the wires properly aligned and avoids any chance for unequal lengths, loops, etc.

Maybe more to the point, the maker of a panel which has only jacks does not have to worry about having the punchdowns done properly to maintain the rated signaling speed of the panel.

 

[hbiss]

You shouldn't be crimping plugs on cables unless it's absolutely necessary. Not only does it absolutely take more time, you will probably screw up at least one out of four causing you to cut it off, discard it and start over. Now what does that do for your time? Jacks are much easier and pretty much foolproof since they are labeled with the colors. And, if you use one of the quality manufacturers like Leviton who also makes a handheld tool for their jacks that will punch down and cut off all the tails in one squeeze of your hand, jack wiring should only take seconds. If you do manage to screw up the wiring just pull it off and re-do it. Jacks are reuseable.

Between the jack or patch panel and the device the port is connected to, always use factory made patch cords, NEVER make your own.

-Hal

 

[hbiss]

When using CAT 6 for high speed digital signaling, the impedance and balance conditions on the wires become critical, just as in coaxial cable for high frequencies. A good job of terminating to a properly designed punch block will maintain the necessary spacing and alignment, but it can also easily be done badly. Requiring a plug on the end of the CAT 5 or 6 forces you to keep the wires properly aligned and avoids any chance for unequal lengths, loops, etc.

Maybe more to the point, the maker of a panel which has only jacks does not have to worry about having the punchdowns done properly to maintain the rated signaling speed of the panel.

No. If that's your problem then you need to learn how to terminate a cable on a jack or the 110s on the back of a patch panel.

Again, you want to avoid as much as possible pressing plugs on cables. Nothing but trouble.

-Hal

 

[don_resqcapt19]

You shouldn't be crimping plugs on cables unless it's absolutely necessary. Not only does it absolutely take more time, you will probably screw up at least one out of four causing you to cut it off, discard it and start over. Now what does that do for your time? Jacks are much easier and pretty much foolproof since they are labeled with the colors. And, if you use one of the quality manufacturers like Leviton who also makes a handheld tool for their jacks that will punch down and cut off all the tails in one squeeze of your hand, jack wiring should only take seconds. If you do manage to screw up the wiring just pull it off and re-do it. Jacks are reuseable.

Between the jack or patch panel and the device the port is connected to, always use factory made patch cords, NEVER make your own.

-Hal

Why would you screw up that many? It does not seem that difficult for me...maybe one out of 30 that I have to redo. A lot of what we do is for industrial conrol panels, and there the space is at such a preimum that we go directly to the device with the cable that whe have pulled from the other control panels.
We don't do enough jacks to use the tool that does all of the wires at the same time and I agree that it would be much quicker than a plug if you did that. Punching them down with a standard punch down tool is slower and about the same as putting a plug on the cable for me.

 

[stevebea]

I was told it isd a lot long to attached a modular plug/rj45 connector to a cat 6 cable than it is to puch it down on jack. Seems that way but how much longer is it? Thanks.

I can do three punchdowns in the time it takes me to do one Cat.6 RJ45 modular plug and I can do two Cat.5 modular plugs in the time it takes me to do one Cat.6 modular plug but then again.... I dont do it every day.

 

[hbiss]

Why would you screw up that many? It does not seem that difficult for me...maybe one out of 30 that I have to redo.

I agree- if you are "on a roll" doing lots of them at one time. The first few are always the worst ones then you get the hang of it. Your application would fall into the "no other way" I suppose. But unfortunately there are those who think plugs are normally acceptable and it is usually those same people who aren't proficient at it.

Another point is that all plugs are not the same. There are ones for solid wire, stranded wire, flat outer jacket and round outer jacket. If you use a plug for stranded wire with solid or vice versa it will become intermittant. I see problems from that all the time.

-Hal

 

[hurk27]

Wayne,
Do you use the plugs with the little black plastic tray that slides on the wires before you insert them into the plug? The tray minimizes that problem, but you still have to watch as it does not completely eliminate it.

I'm not sure what your talking about, I have a little orange tray that came with a bag of Ideal 45 ends that the only purpose I could find for it was it has two places (hole shaped to plug in the plug into) to hold the plug one for the RJ-45 and one for an RJ-11, I found it cumbersome and never tried to use it again, The tool I use is an Ideal hand crimp that will crimp 45's to 11's as well as two sets of cutters to trim the wires straight across before putting them into the plug but after you arrange the colors.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I'm not sure what your talking about, I have a little orange tray that came with a bag of Ideal 45 ends that the only purpose I could find for it was it has two places (hole shaped to plug in the plug into) to hold the plug one for the RJ-45 and one for an RJ-11, I found it cumbersome and never tried to use it again, The tool I use is an Ideal hand crimp that will crimp 45's to 11's as well as two sets of cutters to trim the wires straight across before putting them into the plug but after you arrange the colors.

We use a Tyco/Amp plug. It comes with a little black plastic tray (they call it a "load bar") that has slots for the eight wires. You slide it onto the wire and then insert the tray and wire into the plug and crimp it.

 

[Fulthrotl]

I'm not sure what your talking about, I have a little orange tray that came with a bag of Ideal 45 ends that the only purpose I could find for it was it has two places (hole shaped to plug in the plug into) to hold the plug one for the RJ-45 and one for an RJ-11, I found it cumbersome and never tried to use it again, The tool I use is an Ideal hand crimp that will crimp 45's to 11's as well as two sets of cutters to trim the wires straight across before putting them into the plug but after you arrange the colors.

if memory serves..... a certified cat 5 (and cat 6) data cable can not be terminated in a RJ-45 plug at either end.
has to be to a jack, for field installs.

i've made RJ-45 direct connections in control panels for a bunch of reasons, space being the first one....
but it's a PITA, like packing a marshmallow into a piggy bank. you have to get all the little wires nice
and straight in the correct order, and short enough that the jacket gets crimped by the jack....

i've not seen the wire formers.... i just end up using my fingers.

now, something i'm doing at this time, i'm pulling a bunch of cat 6 cables during rough in.
what i'm gonna do, is punch down the 6e jack at the wall box, coil up the 2' of cable, put
it in a ziplock bag and zip it shut to keep the jack clean and dust free, and put it in the
4SD box....

now, the trick is... how do you keep it from getting trashed by the drywallers and their
roto zips?

i've bought 1,000 4" square bar coasters, with radiused corners. put one in the
box, and put the ring on..... got the double weight ones.....

then, on trim out, reach in with the needlenose, pull out the bar coaster, snap the
jack into a modular plate, and you are done.

i'm using them in all my boxes to keep the evil rotozip and mud out of my boxes.

for an extra $20 i can have my bizness logo put on them for a classier touch.....
and i'm half temped to, 'cause it'll spin my general contractor over the edge....

sort of like monogrammed paper towels in the porta potty....

 

[Smart $]

We use a Tyco/Amp plug. It comes with a little black plastic tray (they call it a "load bar") that has slots for the eight wires. You slide it onto the wire and then insert the tray and wire into the plug and crimp it.

Your link doesn't work for me.

This one does:

http://www.te.com/commerce/Document...pdfEnglishENG_SS_114-6053_B.pdf5-558530-2

 

[hbiss]

if memory serves..... a certified cat 5 (and cat 6) data cable can not be terminated in a RJ-45 plug at either end.
has to be to a jack, for field installs.

i've made RJ-45 direct connections in control panels for a bunch of reasons, space being the first one....
but it's a PITA, like packing a marshmallow into a piggy bank. you have to get all the little wires nice
and straight in the correct order, and short enough that the jacket gets crimped by the jack....

i've not seen the wire formers.... i just end up using my fingers.

now, something i'm doing at this time, i'm pulling a bunch of cat 6 cables during rough in.
what i'm gonna do, is punch down the 6e jack at the wall box, coil up the 2' of cable, put
it in a ziplock bag and zip it shut to keep the jack clean and dust free, and put it in the
4SD box....

now, the trick is... how do you keep it from getting trashed by the drywallers and their
roto zips?

i've bought 1,000 4" square bar coasters, with radiused corners. put one in the
box, and put the ring on..... got the double weight ones.....

then, on trim out, reach in with the needlenose, pull out the bar coaster, snap the
jack into a modular plate, and you are done.

i'm using them in all my boxes to keep the evil rotozip and mud out of my boxes.

for an extra $20 i can have my bizness logo put on them for a classier touch.....
and i'm half temped to, 'cause it'll spin my general contractor over the edge....

sort of like monogrammed paper towels in the porta potty....

I like that. I won't install the jacks until trim-out though. I suppose if you want to certify and be done with it your method is a good one.


Since I'm not installing the jacks I don't have to worry about dust and paint but the Roto-Zips are still going to get me. What I do is leave about a foot of cable coiled loosely in the bay above the ring then just take a tail down off of the coil and ty-rap it to the ring. That way if the tail gets hacked up no problem. On trim-out just pull on the tail (or if the tail is gone stick a fish tape up with a hook to grab the coil) and the rest of the cable uncoils and you have a fresh length of cable to work with.

-Hal

 

[Fulthrotl]

I like that. I won't install the jacks until trim-out though. I suppose if you want to certify and be done with it your method is a good one.


Since I'm not installing the jacks I don't have to worry about dust and paint but the Roto-Zips are still going to get me. What I do is leave about a foot of cable coiled loosely in the bay above the ring then just take a tail down off of the coil and ty-rap it to the ring. That way if the tail gets hacked up no problem. On trim-out just pull on the tail (or if the tail is gone stick a fish tape up with a hook to grab the coil) and the rest of the cable uncoils and you have a fresh length of cable to work with.

-Hal

all my data conduits are in the slab... i pulled part of yesterday, and an hour and a half today,
it's actually going pretty good, about 1500' an hour till i ran out of cat 6.... tagging as i go,
so i don't have to tone later... but i cheated and blew in string before the pour, so i just tie on
fresh string, and pull thru, hang 3 cables onto the string and pull it in, along with a courtesy
string.

as soon as i'm pulled out with data and power and have rough walls, i'm gonna start making
up jacks.... give me something to do while the sheetrockers get around to finishing the walls.

 

[Cow]

How much of the LV work do you do Fulthrottl? Do you terminate everything on a patch panel at the other end?

We'll sometimes pull the cable but not terminate the jacks, although I have done it on a couple of occasions when the customer didn't want to pay someone else to do it. I kind of like it, it's nice having variety...

 

[Fulthrotl]

How much of the LV work do you do Fulthrottl? Do you terminate everything on a patch panel at the other end?

We'll sometimes pull the cable but not terminate the jacks, although I have done it on a couple of occasions when the customer didn't want to pay someone else to do it. I kind of like it, it's nice having variety...

not as much as i'd like, to be honest. cat 6 works turns out very profitably for me...
about all i do is put it into modular jacks at both ends, snap them into patch panels.
you can punch down onto modular stuff, but i've gotten to like leviton 6e stuff,
with the fluke punch down tool. i have a gigabit certifier that isn't all that fast,
but it's paid for...

first stuff i ever did was token ring in the late 1980's.... back then the shop i was
working for put in a dedicated circuit and a drop for $1,000 a position... we were
doing bank of america's, and each branch was about 30~40 drops, and two weeks
work for me and two guys. if the shop had gotten the contract, it would have been
a good lick of work... every branch on this half of the country.... $85M project.

i'd do nothing but data cables if i had an unlimited supply of the work to do.