Thank you for your comment! Normally, we don't take these measurements in the field. Instead, we refer to the specification sheet ("spec" sheet) for the cable. The spec sheet is available for download from the Web page for each cable on the trueCABLE Web site. Most other cable manufacturers make specification sheets available for their products, as well. On the spec sheet, look for a value for "Jacket Diameter" and for "Conductor Insulation Diameter." These parameters, along with the conductor wire gauge, provide the information about the cable necessary to determine the proper fitment of the connector. Correspondingly, each connector also has a spec sheet that gives the ranges of wire gauge, insulation diameter, and jacket diameter that they have been engineered to fit. If you do have to measure your cable in the field, the best way to do this is by using a digital caliper. Be careful since the caliper has the ability to compress the jacket or insulation, producing an incorrect measurement. The best way to avoid this is by gently measuring the diameter several times in different places until a consistent result is achieved. We hope this helps!
Gab a piece of paper, pen, pencil. With calipers, digital or not, measure by just making contact. Write it down. Do this 6 times or more. Math out the average of 6 readings. Total readings, add-up each one, divided by 6
@@billjackson8956 Hello and thanks for that tip Bill. Of course, if you buy trueCABLE brand cable and accessories you won't have to worry about that! We document everything. :)
What is the sequence of colors layout, from left to right, of the wires when you are straightening them out and inserting them in the RJ45? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello! Well, from left to right will depend upon whether you are looking at the plug from the front or rear or the top/bottom. I am wiring to the T568B color code, which means looking downward at the bottom (nonlatch side) of the plug, with the front of the plug pointing to the right, it starts at the top with W-Orange, Orange, W-Green, Blue, W-Blue, Green, W-Brown, and Brown at the bottom. W= white, striped pair. Please see www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/t568a-vs-t568b for detailed information.
Hello. I suspect you tried "dry fitting" the connector. The connector has to be terminated before it fits into any port since the golden contacts are still raised (not terminated).
You have some great videos…. Any benefit using a shielded end on unshielded cable?? We are thinking that the metal internal ground end would be more robust than a 100% plastic one. Thanks
Hello CJ. Thanks for the compliment and question. There is no benefit to using shielded RJ45 8P8C plugs on unshielded Ethernet over the normal unshielded ones. If you do opt to use shielded plugs then it is very important you get the cable to plug fitment correct. Although the cable jacket (overall cable thickness) of the unshielded cable might fit well inside the shielded plug, shielded plugs often have insulated conductor holes that are far too large for unshielded cable and this can lead to bad connections.
Is it ok to use Shielded plugs on UTP cable? Because it is for identification and aesthetics. I also wonder if it gives no benefits other than Aesthetic
Hello! Technically speaking it won't cause a problem to use shielded hardware on unshielded Ethernet. That said, it is bad practice since someone may assume the cable is shielded when it is not. I recommend you don't do it since it yields no tangible benefits and can lead to a great deal of frustration. Shielded 8P8C (aka RJ45) plugs often use larger holes for the typically thicker insulated conductors for inside shielded Ethernet -- and this poses significant issues with finding a shielded plug that will fit your cable in the first place. Pick one that is too big, and you won't be transmitting data reliably or at all.
@@trueCABLE so, even it's a bit bad idea while there's no problem at all using shielded plugs for aesthetics or durability, it does gives protection as the cables will be installed inside of walls Shielded rj45 passthrough with 23 AWG would be ok for UTP with solid Copper cable with 23awg
@@sikuwaturon Hello! Essentially, and in an ideal world, you are correct. That said, the world is far from ideal. 23AWG is not the number you need to be most concerned with. Instead, you need to be concerned with the insulated conductor diameter, which is the combined thickness of the 23AWG copper conductor + plastic coating. That plastic coating is different from cable to cable type and from manufacturer to manufacturer. You need to be sure the insulated conductor diameter of the conductors the cable is using matches the fitment range of the RJ45 plug. My experience is that while possible to accomplish, it is by no means going to be easy to find a match unless you get lucky.
Does it make any difference on quality/performance or cause unnecessary noise etc if you use shielded connectors on a un-shielded cable? I have a new bag of shielded connectors but the cable is cat5e unshielded.
Hi Jerry! This is a great question. If you use shielded connectors on an unshielded cable, it will work just fine. However, in the future, the presence of the shielded connectors will falsely suggest that the cable is shielded, too. For that reason, it is usually considered to be bad form. We hope this helps!
Thank you for your insightful questions! We'd love to provide you with more in-depth information on topics like these. Check out our Cable Academy, where we delve into similar subjects. Our blog covers content that aligns perfectly with your questions. Explore it here: www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/solid-vs-stranded-ethernet-cable
I accidentally bought shielded cat6 cable, but my keystone connectors are plastic. I’ve heard not grounding shielded cable can lead to a bad day, but shipping that roll back will cost a lot. Will this cause harm? Can I ground the shielding some other way?
Hello Timothy! I hate to bring bad news, but yes indeed you should use shielded hardware when using shielded bulk Ethernet cable. Shielded keystones and/or patch panels with shielded Cat6 patch cables is the correct way to go since the cable shield needs to be bonded to ground. To do otherwise puts your shielded cable into the position of possibly acting as an antenna as opposed to draining off excess EMI/RFI. Please let us know if you have further questions!
@@trueCABLE Thanks for the reply. I have another question please. About 200-300 ft into the Cablematters shielded Cat6 1000 ft roll, the drain wire is completely missing. Is this normal? I was able to bend the foil back and use that to crimp the head, but it seems odd that the wire would be gone. I tried cutting 10 feet further and the line is not there either. I’ve already ran 4 or 5 drops no problem.
Technically, no there would not be an issue. That said, FITMENT might be a problem as most shielded plugs are up-sized to accommodate for larger and thicker shielded Ethernet cable, which also tend to have thicker insulated copper conductors. The shielded plug may be too loose for the unshielded cable and cause shorts/bad connections or unreliable connections. It comes down to fully researching the plug fitment range and the specifications on the cable itself. They have to match up, and Category is not the metric that matters.
I just rewired my entire network from CAT5e to CAT6. I didn't realize until I finished that I used 24AWG CAT5e/6 RJ45 on CAT6 23AWG wiring. I had no fitment issues at all, but I'm concerned that I may not get true CAT6 performance now... I'm upgrading my switch to 2.5 gig, and now I am wondering if I have to re-terminate every cable with 23AWG connectors?
Hello! I answered this in your previous comment. You are good to go. 8P8C modular plugs (aka RJ45s) don't actually have a Category. If the fitment is good, that is what you are worried about with RJ45s.
@@trueCABLE Thanks! I weas kind of reaching out all over the place and you are the only channel that has answered me, twice now! Much appreciated. You've got yourself a new subscriber.
Is it safest then to just buy the wire, crimping tool, and RJ45 terminations from the same brand/company? Also, I saw that your site writes "Never attempt to create an Ethernet patch cable by using hand crimped RJ45 plugs on both ends when using solid copper Ethernet. Buy factory pre-terminated patch cords for this purpose." Could you explain why you issue this warning? Thanks.
Hello! Generally, yes, that is the safest bet. It is even better to make sure the company in question has test fitted all their products and then confirmed performance. trueCABLE does this, but not all resellers or manufacturers go through this step.
Excellent! I have an RJ45 connector that I tried to terminate with an Ethernet cable, but... the crimping tool couldn't terminate it I don't know why. Maybe it's another type of connector that I'm using. Could you please help me to figure this out, Sr.? Is there a way for me to send you a couple of pics that I took of the connector I just mentioned? Greetings from Mexico!
Hello Alejandro! RJ45 connectors can be an epic pain due to FITMENT. When picking the correct fitting RJ45 8P8C plug for a particular cable, you need to know all about the cable jacket OD and insulated conductor diameter of the Ethernet cable. Then, for the RJ45 plug, you need to know what fitment range it will accept. That is how you match them. You can visit our Cable Academy on our website that provides detail around this, and I suggest you read "Selecting the Correct RJ45 Connector" and also watch the embedded video too. As for providing technical assistance with cable and terminations that we do not make or sell, I cannot directly assist due to liability reasons.
@@trueCABLE I'm watching your 'Selecting the correct connector' video, and the RJ45 I mentioned is like the one on the top right of the screen at the beginning of that video; shielded, and its interior where the cables fit in is not 8-contact in line, but it's like if it has a 4-contact row up and another 4-contact row down. I don't have a clue how to terminate that. By the way, the Ethernet cable was cat 5 (AWG 26), and maybe that's the problem? Trying to fit that cable into a cat 6 connector maybe? Greetings!
Hello! Thanks for your comment. This video was focused on selecting the correct 8P8C connector based upon fitment, which is the most critical criteria. We have other videos that address the differences between Category cables found here in this channel, plus on our Cable Academy here: www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/
This is high quality and informative content. Bravo!
Thank you!
Exactly
Excellent, detailed explanations. You're a tremendous resource. Thank You!
Thanks for your kind words! Be sure to check out our Cable Academy on our website for more than 100 written blogs and YT hosted videos.
Thank You! Very well made and precise info is appreciated. The objective was met and was easy to understand. I like
K.I.S.S. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Bill! We intend to keep putting out high-quality content.
Thanks for the info. I wish you went into detail on how you actually measure outer diameters of the cables themselves.
Thank you for your comment! Normally, we don't take these measurements in the field. Instead, we refer to the specification sheet ("spec" sheet) for the cable. The spec sheet is available for download from the Web page for each cable on the trueCABLE Web site. Most other cable manufacturers make specification sheets available for their products, as well. On the spec sheet, look for a value for "Jacket Diameter" and for "Conductor Insulation Diameter." These parameters, along with the conductor wire gauge, provide the information about the cable necessary to determine the proper fitment of the connector. Correspondingly, each connector also has a spec sheet that gives the ranges of wire gauge, insulation diameter, and jacket diameter that they have been engineered to fit.
If you do have to measure your cable in the field, the best way to do this is by using a digital caliper. Be careful since the caliper has the ability to compress the jacket or insulation, producing an incorrect measurement. The best way to avoid this is by gently measuring the diameter several times in different places until a consistent result is achieved. We hope this helps!
Gab a piece of paper, pen, pencil. With calipers, digital or not, measure by just making contact. Write it down. Do this 6 times or more. Math out the average of 6 readings. Total readings, add-up each one, divided by 6
@@billjackson8956 Hello and thanks for that tip Bill. Of course, if you buy trueCABLE brand cable and accessories you won't have to worry about that! We document everything. :)
Does Armoured cat6 cable termination with unshielded RJ45 connector is possible??
What is the sequence of colors layout, from left to right, of the wires when you are straightening them out and inserting them in the RJ45? Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello! Well, from left to right will depend upon whether you are looking at the plug from the front or rear or the top/bottom. I am wiring to the T568B color code, which means looking downward at the bottom (nonlatch side) of the plug, with the front of the plug pointing to the right, it starts at the top with W-Orange, Orange, W-Green, Blue, W-Blue, Green, W-Brown, and Brown at the bottom. W= white, striped pair. Please see www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/t568a-vs-t568b for detailed information.
Thanks again Don for the great and super helpful tutorials and tips!
Glad you like them!
I brought the pass through RJ45 connector for cat6 cable but the connector doesn't fit in smart tv ethernet pot .what went wrong ?
Hello. I suspect you tried "dry fitting" the connector. The connector has to be terminated before it fits into any port since the golden contacts are still raised (not terminated).
This video is incredible. Thank you!
We're glad it helps you! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for learning
We are always here to help!
Thank you.
Thanks TrueCable 🙂
Glad you enjoyed!
You have some great videos…. Any benefit using a shielded end on unshielded cable?? We are thinking that the metal internal ground end would be more robust than a 100% plastic one. Thanks
Hello CJ. Thanks for the compliment and question. There is no benefit to using shielded RJ45 8P8C plugs on unshielded Ethernet over the normal unshielded ones. If you do opt to use shielded plugs then it is very important you get the cable to plug fitment correct. Although the cable jacket (overall cable thickness) of the unshielded cable might fit well inside the shielded plug, shielded plugs often have insulated conductor holes that are far too large for unshielded cable and this can lead to bad connections.
Is it ok to use Shielded plugs on UTP cable? Because it is for identification and aesthetics. I also wonder if it gives no benefits other than Aesthetic
Hello! Technically speaking it won't cause a problem to use shielded hardware on unshielded Ethernet. That said, it is bad practice since someone may assume the cable is shielded when it is not. I recommend you don't do it since it yields no tangible benefits and can lead to a great deal of frustration. Shielded 8P8C (aka RJ45) plugs often use larger holes for the typically thicker insulated conductors for inside shielded Ethernet -- and this poses significant issues with finding a shielded plug that will fit your cable in the first place. Pick one that is too big, and you won't be transmitting data reliably or at all.
@@trueCABLE so, even it's a bit bad idea while there's no problem at all using shielded plugs for aesthetics or durability, it does gives protection as the cables will be installed inside of walls
Shielded rj45 passthrough with 23 AWG would be ok for UTP with solid Copper cable with 23awg
@@sikuwaturon Hello! Essentially, and in an ideal world, you are correct. That said, the world is far from ideal. 23AWG is not the number you need to be most concerned with. Instead, you need to be concerned with the insulated conductor diameter, which is the combined thickness of the 23AWG copper conductor + plastic coating. That plastic coating is different from cable to cable type and from manufacturer to manufacturer. You need to be sure the insulated conductor diameter of the conductors the cable is using matches the fitment range of the RJ45 plug. My experience is that while possible to accomplish, it is by no means going to be easy to find a match unless you get lucky.
AWESOME LESSON :)
Thanks! 😃
Does it make any difference on quality/performance or cause unnecessary noise etc if you use shielded connectors on a un-shielded cable?
I have a new bag of shielded connectors but the cable is cat5e unshielded.
Hi Jerry! This is a great question. If you use shielded connectors on an unshielded cable, it will work just fine. However, in the future, the presence of the shielded connectors will falsely suggest that the cable is shielded, too. For that reason, it is usually considered to be bad form. We hope this helps!
Stranded vs solid core cables?
Thank you for your insightful questions! We'd love to provide you with more in-depth information on topics like these. Check out our Cable Academy, where we delve into similar subjects. Our blog covers content that aligns perfectly with your questions. Explore it here: www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/solid-vs-stranded-ethernet-cable
I accidentally bought shielded cat6 cable, but my keystone connectors are plastic. I’ve heard not grounding shielded cable can lead to a bad day, but shipping that roll back will cost a lot. Will this cause harm? Can I ground the shielding some other way?
Hello Timothy! I hate to bring bad news, but yes indeed you should use shielded hardware when using shielded bulk Ethernet cable. Shielded keystones and/or patch panels with shielded Cat6 patch cables is the correct way to go since the cable shield needs to be bonded to ground. To do otherwise puts your shielded cable into the position of possibly acting as an antenna as opposed to draining off excess EMI/RFI. Please let us know if you have further questions!
@@trueCABLE Thanks for the reply. I have another question please. About 200-300 ft into the Cablematters shielded Cat6 1000 ft roll, the drain wire is completely missing. Is this normal? I was able to bend the foil back and use that to crimp the head, but it seems odd that the wire would be gone. I tried cutting 10 feet further and the line is not there either. I’ve already ran 4 or 5 drops no problem.
Great video! Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Can there be an issue if you use a shielded terminal with an unshielded cable?
Technically, no there would not be an issue. That said, FITMENT might be a problem as most shielded plugs are up-sized to accommodate for larger and thicker shielded Ethernet cable, which also tend to have thicker insulated copper conductors. The shielded plug may be too loose for the unshielded cable and cause shorts/bad connections or unreliable connections. It comes down to fully researching the plug fitment range and the specifications on the cable itself. They have to match up, and Category is not the metric that matters.
Do you do shopping outside US
Unfortunately, we do not ship outside of the United States.
OK
It's difficult to get this type of rj45 to buy in my country.
I just rewired my entire network from CAT5e to CAT6. I didn't realize until I finished that I used 24AWG CAT5e/6 RJ45 on CAT6 23AWG wiring. I had no fitment issues at all, but I'm concerned that I may not get true CAT6 performance now... I'm upgrading my switch to 2.5 gig, and now I am wondering if I have to re-terminate every cable with 23AWG connectors?
Hello! I answered this in your previous comment. You are good to go. 8P8C modular plugs (aka RJ45s) don't actually have a Category. If the fitment is good, that is what you are worried about with RJ45s.
@@trueCABLE Thanks! I weas kind of reaching out all over the place and you are the only channel that has answered me, twice now! Much appreciated. You've got yourself a new subscriber.
@@bkilpatr100 That's what we are here for, glad we could help out. Excited to have you joining us!
Is it safest then to just buy the wire, crimping tool, and RJ45 terminations from the same brand/company?
Also, I saw that your site writes "Never attempt to create an Ethernet patch cable by using hand crimped RJ45 plugs on both ends when using solid copper Ethernet. Buy factory pre-terminated patch cords for this purpose."
Could you explain why you issue this warning? Thanks.
Hello! Generally, yes, that is the safest bet. It is even better to make sure the company in question has test fitted all their products and then confirmed performance. trueCABLE does this, but not all resellers or manufacturers go through this step.
Excellent!
I have an RJ45 connector that I tried to terminate with an Ethernet cable, but... the crimping tool couldn't terminate it I don't know why. Maybe it's another type of connector that I'm using. Could you please help me to figure this out, Sr.? Is there a way for me to send you a couple of pics that I took of the connector I just mentioned?
Greetings from Mexico!
Hello Alejandro! RJ45 connectors can be an epic pain due to FITMENT. When picking the correct fitting RJ45 8P8C plug for a particular cable, you need to know all about the cable jacket OD and insulated conductor diameter of the Ethernet cable. Then, for the RJ45 plug, you need to know what fitment range it will accept. That is how you match them. You can visit our Cable Academy on our website that provides detail around this, and I suggest you read "Selecting the Correct RJ45 Connector" and also watch the embedded video too. As for providing technical assistance with cable and terminations that we do not make or sell, I cannot directly assist due to liability reasons.
@@trueCABLE I'll check that you just mentioned. Thanks!
@@trueCABLE I'm watching your 'Selecting the correct connector' video, and the RJ45 I mentioned is like the one on the top right of the screen at the beginning of that video; shielded, and its interior where the cables fit in is not 8-contact in line, but it's like if it has a 4-contact row up and another 4-contact row down. I don't have a clue how to terminate that. By the way, the Ethernet cable was cat 5 (AWG 26), and maybe that's the problem? Trying to fit that cable into a cat 6 connector maybe?
Greetings!
well, you didn't say what the actual difference is between the cables.
Hello! Thanks for your comment. This video was focused on selecting the correct 8P8C connector based upon fitment, which is the most critical criteria.
We have other videos that address the differences between Category cables found here in this channel, plus on our Cable Academy here: www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/