I've made my share of Ethernet cables, and my opinion that it varies on ease depending on cables and tools that you have. But to be sure, this is not easy the first time you do it, and you are likely to mess up many times initially.
If you only need a few cables and they are set distances that you can buy, you are better off buying them. Typically purchased cables are more reliable than cables hand made because people screw up (stating the obvious). Most of the time, this screw up, involves (assuming the cable works) not forcing the entire cable far enough inside the connector so that the individual cables are prone to yanking out over time and becoming flaky, with certain wires only making contact some of the time. The most common problems other then the above when making your own cables are: 1. not getting the cables in the right order. You can tell this before you crimp if your carefull 2. not pushing the individual wires of cable to the ends of the connector when crimping. 3. not having the individual wires at equal lengths or close to it. 4. cutting any of the individual wires. all of the above can mess you up. In general it's much easier just to purchase the cable for a few $'s more, unless you need a really long cable that you have to custom make. It sounds like your missing some basic tools (like a cable tester). That can only make this tougher, but it's still possible. Mike --- McCallum Malcolm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > My mileage was the same,made 5, everyone worked, > suggest you get > someone to watch what you are doing. > > Mac > On 23/01/2006, at 11:52 PM, Gordon Wragg wrote: > > > For a different story - I borrowed a professional > crimping tool, > > made 4 cables plus one cross over no problems and > all still working > > fine 2 years later. All up cost < $20. > > > > > > On 23/01/2006, at 11:38 PM, Peter Bull wrote: > > > >> Hi all, > >> Silly me, I thought a good way to pass the time > over Christmas/New > >> Year would be to make up 3 CAT5 ethernet cables > so that my partner > >> (on a PC) and I (using an eMac and occasional PC) > could use the > >> net at the same time through a newly purchased 4 > port DSL modem. > >> So I purchased 15 metres of cable and a packet of > RJ45 connectors, > >> borrowed a crimping tool and wiring diagram and > set to work. > >> After using 10 connectors (3 cables equals 6 > connectors : - > >> (((( ) and not having one cable that worked, I > got on the net for > >> some tips. > >> The consistent tip from several sites was "Buy > them ready made". > >> And I can vouch for that. > >> There doesn't seem to be a way of testing whether > the cables will > >> work without crimping the connector. Then if the > cable does not > >> work you chop off the connector because you can't > undo the > >> crimping (accompanied by much swearing) and > start again. There > >> are 8 little wires that need to go into the right > spot on the > >> connector, and if one of them is in the wrong > place it doesn't work. > >> So the moral of the story is buy your CAT 5 or 6 > cables already > >> made up. > >> Thanks to Zytec in Bunbury for supplying cables > at a very good > >> price and with quick delivery. > >> Peter Bull > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> > >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > >> Archives - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > >> Guidelines - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > >> Unsubscribe - > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> > >> WAMUG is powered by Stalker CommuniGatePro > > > > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > > Archives - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > > Guidelines - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > > Unsubscribe - > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > WAMUG is powered by Stalker CommuniGatePro > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Unsubscribe - > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > WAMUG is powered by Stalker CommuniGatePro > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
