give you the run down. Below you will find with pictures, the steps needed to teach you how to make a cat 5 cable.
Click here for step by step info with pictures for building network cables.
Being able to build your own network cable is a good skill to learn. Your xBox uses what is basically a typical network
cable. Your computers at home of course can all be connected on one network via your Cat 5 or Cat 6 network cable.
Even terminating your new phone cables is similar to building a network cable (although the cable used for phone lines
is typically silver satin, opposed to the CAT 5 or CAT 6 used for network cables). Building a network cable for the first time
can take 20-30 minutes. However, with practice a typical cat 5 network cable can be built in as little as 2-3 minutes. As
mentioned in the guide, the most difficult part of building your network cable is actually inserting the cat 5 conductors into
the RJ-45. Once you've got that mastered, you'll be building network cables in nothing flat!
Dollar for Dollar, it is more cost effective to purchase pre built network cables though. Our Category 5 Enhanced (CAT 5E)
and Category 6 network cables are each 100% tested for guaranteed results every time. On custom cable builds, we also
test 100% of the cables that come through our production facility. No cable leaves our doors without being tested.
- Click the pictures below to automatically go that item in the store.
- OR click the type of cable from the list below for help on building it.
- Or Read on for information the differences between CAT 5E and CAT 6.
recommended to have the best available setup.
#2. CAT 5e cable handles up to 1,000 Mb/s, whereas CAT 6 cable can handle up to 10,000 Mb/s. A common example used
is the transmission of real time HDTV signals which require 1,600 Mb/s. CAT 6 cable can easily handle this load, whereas
the use of CAT 5e cable in this type of cable would result in some quality loss.
#3. Size. CAT 5E cable conductors are #24 AWG, compared to a #23 AWG used on CAT 6 cable.
#4. Mhz. CAT 6 Cable is now tested to 250Mhz, compared to CAT 5e cable at only 100Mhz. You should achieve half the loss
of a CAT 5e cable with a CAT 6 cable.
#5. Distance. CAT5e cable is typically limited in use to about 100 meters at 100Mhz. Whereas CAT 6 is rated for 250Mhz up
to a distance of 550-1000 meters. This of course will vary by source and the use of correct CAT 6 rated parts.
#6. Price. CAT 6 cable runs double CAT 5e cable usually. The connectors are often 300% more. It is a worthwhile
investment for most home networks, but the CAT 5e does offer a substantial savings for anyone looking for a more
economical home network setup.
There of course are other differences, such as type of connector, twists, and even the actual construction of the cable. For
instance, CAT 6 cabling often has a plastic spline in the middle (although currently manufacturers are able to achieve CAT
6 without it) where as CAT 5e does not. This spline can make the termination more difficult on CAT 6 cables, but also helps
to achieve a higher test rating.
