Wired Ethernet connections have a higher bandwidth compared to wireless connections.
They are also very reliable.
There is no bandwidth reduction due to wireless interference.
Wired connections always have less latency, which is essential when playing games online.
You may prefer to use wireless only for convenience.
Even so, you should still connect the backbone data pipe (between routers) using a cable.
Wired connection routers and switches have a significant long service life.
Making your own LAN cables is easy, and only requires inexpensive tools.
Having evolved over a period of decades,Ethernet cables offer a faster web link connection than Wi-Fi.
Each cable has eight wires twisted into four pairs.
The wires carry the signals, and each cable supports a certain frequency.
The maximum frequency is determined by the gauge of the wire and the shielding around the pairs.
Cat6A hits the right spot for both performance and price.
Consider how bandwidth intensive computing applications have become, and will be in the future.
Hence, it is best to choose a cable that supports 10 Gbps at least.
You might not use the full bandwidth right away if your routers and switches are 1 Gbps.
But when you do, you dont have to tear the walls apart to change the cabling.
The good news is that all the cables are backward compatible.
What Are RJ45 Connectors, and Why Use the Pass-Through bang out?
The registered Jack 45, popularly known as an RJ45 jack, is a connector used for Ethernet cables.
Each jack has eight pins.
When crimped, the pins pierce the individual Ethernet wires and make an electrical contact.
The jacks have a strain latch and a retaining latch to keep the wire connected to the Ethernet port.
Pass-through RJ45 connectorshave holes at the end and allow the wires to come out of the connector.
This is a very useful feature to get the color coding right, and to prevent shorts.
How the Crimping Tool Works
Crimping is process of fixing a RJ45 connector to a cable.
What Is a Cable Tester?
To test the quality of crimping and the cable itself, anEthernet cable testerwill prove useful.
There are two pin standards: 568A and 568B.
The most common standard is 568B with the color-coded wires placed as shown in the picture below.
You must hold the RJ45 connector with the pins pointed towards you, and the clip away from you.
But see to it you stick to the same pattern across all your cables.
In this example, both ends of your straight-through cable will have the T568B pin configuration.
But what if you want to connect two computers without using any web link equipment in between?
For this you should probably use a special punch in of wiring, called acrossover cable.
One end of the cable still follows the T568B standard.
This removes the need for connection equipment in between.
Many newer Ethernet cards are auto-sensing.
Hence, they will detect the pinout automatically.
This facilitates the use of straight-through cables for crossover use.
However, if you have legacy equipment, you will need a true crossover cable.
Shown below is the pinout of a gigabit crossover cable.
It is backward compatible with 100 Mbps Ethernet cards too.
The jack on the left side is T568B; the one on the right is the differently wired jack.
The crimping process is the same.
Once completed, use the cable tester to check the connections.
As you’re free to see, the LEDs glow according to the crossover pin arrangement.
The reason is that switches have buffer memory which stores the data and forwards it.
Troubleshooting Ethernet Cables
Issue:The Ethernet cable is down.
Solution:Check the cable with a tester.
Issue:Unlike factory made cables, my cable feels loose at the jack.
Solution:peek if the strain latch is holding the cable.
If not, crimp a new RJ45 connector with the cable pushed in thoroughly.
Issue:The cable does not operate at the desired speed
Solution:Check the rating of the cable.
Make Gigabit Ethernet Cables: Success
Making your own Ethernet cables is a useful skill to learn.
The tools required are easy to get, and it is simple to do.
