Cat5e Patch Cables

Whether you are setting up your home network or a professional installer who is setting up an office network you will find that you are going to need some CAT5e patch cables unless all of the equipment you are working with is running the newer Gigabit 1,000 Base-T or 10GbaseT networking equipment. While it is quite possible to go out and buy these cables precut it can prove expensive to shop locally and you may not be able to get the lengths you need, instead you have to settle for the "standard" precut lengths that may or may not fit your need.

Often these premade CAT5e patch cables are either too short and will not reach where you need to go or leave you with a lot of extra cabling wrapped up or laying loose on the floor. It is possible to make your own cables, but it does take a certain amount of know-how and the right tools to do the job properly. The biggest mistake most people make is trying to do the job with the wrong tools, which in the end leads to lack of good connectivity and frustration. If you are trying to crimp the connector onto the ends of your CAT5e patch cables using the crimping tool that was designed to be used on phone lines you are never going to have a working cable as the phone wires are much smaller as are the connectors. In order to do the job properly, you must have a crimping tool that is made specifically for RJ-45 connectors or all you will end up with is broken connectors that do not work right if at all. You can buy CAT5e patch cables in rolls of varying lengths of up to 1,000 feet. If you have any left over when you are done with your project, you can save it in case you ever have a problem with the cables you are installing now or pass the extra along to someone you know who is building a network. The only other tool you need besides the proper crimper is the correct stripper for the job.

If you try to do this with a pair of side cutters or a pocket knife you will never get a working cable. You also need to be careful not to untwist the wires to much as this can cause crosstalk and noise in your network. Most people have stepped up to CAT5e patch cables as the enhanced standards allow for faster communication speeds and less noise and crosstalk than the original CAT5 cables did. CAT5e standards were introduced to work network systems that were running equipment up to 1,000 BASE-T and while it the cable itself does not allow for longer runs, do enhance many other aspects over the old CAT5 cables. If you are installing a network and do not want to have to deal with making up your own cables you can turn to JEM Electronics who can custom make any length of CAT5e patch cables you might need and then ship them to your office location or to the site where you are working. They guarantee superior quality and the ability to match all or your needs.