Just wanted to say thanks Keith for taking the time to include the tool mention. I've been considering an RJ45 crimper to fix a broken clip and wasn't sure what to get. It just seems like such a useful skill to save otherwise good cable. Plus now you can make custom cable length to avoid some mess and optimize throughput for longer runs with excess. Cheers!
Health and Peace, Elaina Jones Nov 17, 2024, 00:57 by [email protected]: > On Fri, Nov 15, 2024 at 02:57:46PM -0800, American Citizen wrote: > ... > >> Here's the problem, after about 200 plugs/unplugs into the coupler, >> the plastic tab wears out, the cable no longer stays in the coupler >> and I am forced to buy another brand new ethernet cable. >> >> Has anyone found a better coupler that doesn't wear out the ethernet >> cable RJ45 plug? >> > > The clips on RJ45 plugs break eventually, even when > plugging into an end device instead of a coupler. > Sadly, the coupler isn't the problem, but inherent > in the standardized mis-design of RJ-45 clips. > > ----- > > One quick (but slightly spendy, how much is your time > worth?) way to deal with this is to repair the cable > with an add-on RJClip: > > https://amazon.com/RJCLIP-Connector-Solution-Assorted-Colours/dp/B0793GWR77 > (I've purchased these assortments twice, use them often) > > or perhaps: > > https://www.amazon.com/Construct-Pro-RJ-45-Repair-Cat5e/dp/B072J8RC6N > > (I haven't tried these, they look even more brittle > than the original failure-prone RJ-45 plugs) > > ----- > > The "tidy" way to repair a plug is to cut off the plastic > cable end and crimp on a replacement "wire pass through" > plug. I'm fond of the Klein Tools VDV226-110 Modular > data cable crimper: > > https://www.amazon.com/Pass-Thru-Reliable-Klein-Tools-VDV226-110/dp/B076MGPQZQ > > Amazon also sells many less expensive knockoffs, but > the Klein does a quality job. If someone else buys a > knockoff tool for half the price, I imagine others on > this list will be interested in how it works ... even > if you connect to non-Linux systems with it :-) > > For clumsy me, the TRICK is to strip an extra inch of wire, > then straighten the wires by drawing them repeatedly > through two fingers, then arranging the wires in parallel > using either the T568B or T568A wire order illustrated on > the side of the tool. Which order? I don't remember; > look at the clipless plug that you just cut off. > > After lining up the 8 wires, you slide them THROUGH a > new PASS-THROUGH data plug (Klein Tools VDV826-703) so > they stick out an inch or two from the "business end" > of the RJ45 plug. The wires are trimmed and the > connector crimped with the same tool motion. > > Arranged correctly, you will minimize the space between > the back of the plug and the "twirls" of the wire pairs > (and the plastic spacer between them). Probably not > important until you try to push 40 Gbps Cat8 through > your cable. You can't do that with inline couplers. > > If I repaired plugs often, professionally, I expect I > could learn to fix 50 to 100 plugs per hour with the > Klein tool and passthrough plugs. In "real" life, > I am a klutz, so it takes me about 5 minutes to find > the materials and tools, replace a plug, replace it > again because I goofed up the wire order, then shelve > the kit where I can find them next time. Or find > the kit so I can write about tools on the PLUG list. > > ----- > > The Klein tool also crimps 6 wire RJ11 plugs, which are > often used for telephones. Since those are used for > analog voice, we should discuss THOSE on PLUG-TALK. > Heh. :-) > > Keith L. > -- > Keith Lofstrom [email protected] >
