The grounding drain wire is for locations with high EMI, like factories with lots of motors. It grounds the shielding in the cable. It's debatable if it's even needed in most consumer applications. Mine isn't properly grounded and I've never had a problem with it.
It is helpful if you carefully straighten out the wires by running each one through your fingers until all trace of the twists are gone. Lay the wires in the correct order side by side and hold between thumb and finger, then slide them into the connector in one movement. As others have said, the "braid wire" should be arranged so that it is crimped to make contact with the metal case, in order to maintain the screening. As it is, you have nullified the screening which may lead to problems with interfering signals affecting reception in some circumstance. It was a waste of time getting screened connectors if you don't actually connect them to ground!
A good approach is to use conductive copper mesh tape to contact the RJ45 connector. You can wrap the ground wire a few revs around the cable jacket and apply the conductive tape so it is under the connector clamp.
notice for the people that will follow this solution: thar braided wire is used for the shielded connector, so cut it in a way that it touches the metal shield of the connector. the best way is to fold it backwards and then after crimped the connector, solder the wire to the shield of the connector. some connectors have a shield protrusion that also acts as a tension relief for the cable. you can coil the wire to that protrusion and finish it with a heat shrink tube. a shielded connector that is not connected to that braided wire is the same as an unshielded connector and will risk your starlink to electrical damage from static or other sources
THANKS, just happen to have found your video. Yes… I have Starlink and use in my fifth wheel. As you stated, I have been doing the cable routing when I setting the slides. Have been waiting to found a workable solution. FOUND IT. What a GREAT video, to the point with zero BS. Have just purchased the tools and will try my luck next time at at my trailer.
The camera work was great, especially noteworthy given this is your only video. I don't even have an RV... or Starlink for that matter, but this was still enjoyable to watch.
If you ever want to use your Starlink with a different router & just use the Starlink router as a satellite receiver, you should wire your RJ45 cable to Starlink's standard configuration which involves swapping pins 3 & 6, the solid Green & Green White wires over. If you make such a cable, clearly mark both ends Starlink ONLY. Doing the correct Starlink wiring now could save you a lot of future hassle.
Very elegant and clean. My biggest interest in Starlink projects like this is really about getting it running on DC. We tend to turn our inverter off at night. (We *do* have 400ah LiON and about 700w of solar, but turning the inverter off really saves power overnight.) Thanks for your awesome video!
@@michaelkronenberg6675 Well, converting to DC also has the advantage of not having to RUN the router. For many, the router is key. When you're a tech nerd like me, well, you *might* have your own router and running two is redundant! Heh! Now if only they could make a DC (and low voltage) air conditioner, life would be golden!
Very nicely done. Looks great. Your descriptions and attention to detail were very nice. I truly appreciate you doing this for us. It is the best one I have seen for this installation. I will be using your tips and parts, along with another guy's flagpole and install tips to install my Starlink connection. Thank you so much.
Hi John. Thanks for that! I too am going to use a 20 Ft. telescoping flag pole from Harbor Freight and a top adaptor from Etsy (www.etsy.com/listing/1245272073/adapter-for-square-starlink-to-harbor?click_key=aa512f253aea83b00587aaca42e7b3ff25450363%3A1245272073&click_sum=4adc4258&ref=hp_rv-1&frs=1) Cheers!
Found myself fascinated and tittering all the way through. I’m considering buying starlink here in the UK. You should do videos for RUclips. You’re good at it. Love your voice.
It appears that the orange inner plate of the smart plug is already set up for a keystone or punch down block for cat6. It would be a lot easier to punch down a block and use the provided plate. That would completely eliminate the need for the quick connect. Route your external cat6 to the antenna downward in the smart plug and cut a notch. Then you could close your smart plug completely and keep it waterproof. At least it appears there is enough room. Anyway it looks cool and im about to try it using the described method.
I wish this video had existed before I cut my starlink cable - this would have given me a lot more confidence! Excellently done, thank you! The only thing I would add is that the outer foil of the cable should be pulled back but not cut (turn it inside out and smooth it along the rest of the cable) and left on until the cable is crimped - that maintains the cable shielding all the way through the connections to the router. I also fold back the bare metal wire as well. After crimping the cable then I trim off the excess foil and wire.
@@michaelkronenberg6675 I'm no expert on EMI or electrical grounding or anything, but it seems unlikely to affect performance in a typical mild weather day. Thunderstorms are common causes of EFI (I don't mean direct lightning strikes, just the air during a storm) - maybe if you do a lot of camping in lots of thunderstormy weather it'd be worth redoing the connection. My own setup isn't fully grounded all the way through, and I'm taking a "wait and see" approach. So far so good, but I live in California where there's no weather to speak of.
The only way it would matter if you folded the foil back would be if the connections are in fact shielded to allow the ground continuity. Looking at what he has linked, it is not shielded so there is no way to ensure continuity. I'm in the process of doing this and the tough part is finding something to get through the RV exterior that is truly shielded. I have a 3rd product, a panel mount bulkhead made by InstallerParts (CAT6 RJ45 Shielded panel mount bulkhead) coming today, however despite most things being advertised as shielded, they typically are not. Shielded basically means it has a continuous ground all the way through that ultimately terminates at ground (chassis/battery negative in an RV - The Starlink power supply does this I read, however I have not tested it. You can test it by using a meter and checking for continuity between the RJ45 input/output and 3rd prong of power cord. If it does not do it, then you need to hit chassis ground, and your cheapest route is a patch panel. Again, I'm still working on mine, so feel free to comment back and I can provide details when I'm done if you care. It will be another week or two unless all of the parts I get are truly shielded and I don't run into any kinks. Also, a note to Michael Kronenberg . Your production is great. Crazy that this is your first video. Very well done and I think you have a knack for RUclips, I think you go for it. Although it does look like you're a high end producer or director, so perhaps you have your hands full. ;)
The only way it would matter if you folded the foil back would be if the connections are in fact shielded to allow the ground continuity. Looking at what he has linked, it is not shielded so there is no way to ensure continuity. I'm in the process of doing this and the tough part is finding something to get through the RV exterior that is truly shielded. I have a 3rd product, a panel mount bulkhead made by InstallerParts (CAT6 RJ45 Shielded panel mount bulkhead) coming today, however despite most things being advertised as shielded, they typically are not. Shielded basically means it has a continuous ground all the way through that ultimately terminates at ground (chassis/battery negative in an RV - The Starlink power supply does this I read, however I have not tested it. You can test it by using a meter and checking for continuity between the RJ45 input/output and 3rd prong of power cord. If it does not do it, then you need to hit chassis ground, and your cheapest route is a patch panel. Again, I'm still working on mine, so feel free to comment back and I can provide details when I'm done if you care. It will be another week or two unless all of the parts I get are truly shielded and I don't run into any kinks. Also, a note to@@michaelkronenberg6675, your production is great. Very well done and I think you have a knack for RUclips, I say you do more! Although you might be a high-end producer or director, so perhaps you have your hands full with other film endeavors.
Update: there is in fact continuity between the network cable and the starlink power cord ground. You will likely get better performance and certainly be safer by maintaining the shielding. As mentioned, I'm still working on that on my end but expect to resolve it in the next week or so
Straighten the wires into a flat fan between your fingers and slide them in together, one smooth action. You don't want the wires crossing under the RJ45 crimp outside of the cable jacket (it looks like they may be) since it can damage them. Typing while I watch and wondering if you figure out that you forgot the rubber compression grommet on the Dishy side. Added in edit: Ah, the grommet is slit to allow later installation. Fantastic post! Thank you! :)
This was the most painful way of (incorrectly) terminating shielded cat 6 cable I’ve ever seen. 😬😖 The small braided wire that was clipped off at the beginning is part of the grounding/shielding, and is supposed to make contact with the metal shielding in the RJ45 connector. The cam lock/twist lock weatherproof RJ45 is very useful and interesting though. 👍
I get what you're saying but this guy is obviously not a professional cable installer and is just providing an option for others in his category. Granted there is a faster and possibly better way to make this connector but like I said, he's not a pro. He had a need and did his research and is providing a solution for a growing community of people using Starlink with RV's and other mobile applications. I would have used some heat shrink and maybe some gorilla glue to seal the openings in the RV but that's me.Maybe get a friend with a 3d printer to make a custom plate too? Also I'd have run the cable through the wall near that power outlet just to make a cleaner install. Overall, nice job!
Yes, I agree. Great solution, but yes, don't clip off the ground. 😬 If I may suggest, here's a better way to use a passthrough: ruclips.net/user/shortsSQrgbe4B6co?feature=share
Your planning, methodology and workmanship are very good, but this task seems daunting to me. If, by the time I take the RV out for an extended trip and there are still no manufactured kits available, I may undertake this if I can work up the nerve to do so. Thanks for an excellent video.
yu are a swell guy. i was blown away by your 'one-off' video. i will order it all and have somebody install that smart plug on my 2023 Ram PRomaster THOR Scope 18M. I also did buy the $500 hard case / Starlink antenna base setup as well. I will keep them both. thanks much.
Thank you for doing this. I’m going to do this same thing next weekend in my fifth wheel. I’ll use a slightly different port but everything else will be the same.
Thank you for this video. I followed your directions. However, I did not cut the ground wire as that is not recommended by folks who work with shielded CAT6 wire. Their recommendation is to use shielded RJ45 connectors and ground that wire, which I did, and followed the industry standard RJ45 568B wiring color sequence. The results worked well (no change in latency or spotty connection due to splicing the Starlink cable). So far, so good.
Great to hear it went well for you too. Yea, now that I know about the ground wire, I would do the same and fold it back under the connectors. Next time I will if I end up redoing the cable. So far it is working.
Why not just use a keystone RJ45 feed through in there, those are an industry standard system? Seems logical than going though all this trouble of having to do this modification. You could have dual Enet one for input and one out if you wanted to put an external device or switch outside for whatever reason.
The best solution is to do a flat roof mount for your antenna and convert your Starlink to run off 12 Volt power. You can use any router you want and have that too run off 12V and use PoE to power your antenna.
Not to be mean, but the wiring order for both A and B connection standard is printed right on the Klien crimping tool. Not that impressive at all. Painful to watch these terminations. Espeicilly watching him cut the shield drain in the beginning.
@@jconforti Yes, there were issues. I haven't crimped in 20 years and had no idea wiring order was on the tool. How convenient! I think my comment was for a person who doesn't do this for a living. My first crimp in 1997 was total crap lol
Michael, you did a great job. I learned a lot of it and thanks for the time you took to make this video. Greetings from Germany and a happy new year to you and your beloved 🕊️☮️🌞🍀👍
The extra stranded wire is not starlink specific. It is in all cat6 shielded cables. It is a ground not to prevent lightning strikes but rather electrical and magnetic interference. Sure it will work without it but in really electronically and magnetically noisy environments, it is necessary to transmit a clean signal. There are much easier ways to cut and crimp a new connector to that cable for those of you hoping to do the same job. Like in this video. ruclips.net/video/UxbPWwh7dqs/видео.html
Hi Jim. Thanks for that. I used the 90-degree because of the interior wall cavity space. The horizontal version puts too much stress on the cable (since I had to drop the cable down from the top) and may not fit.
@@michaelkronenberg6675 Thanks much for the reply. I have a conventional fiberglass RV and I'm drilling through into a cabinet. So a 90° wouldn't work for me. It's nice to have different options.
I believe the horizontal jack part # listed just above is incorrect. From DigiKey I purchased this part and the plug part# Michael Kronenberg listed in his video comments and they didn't fit. The horizontal jack part was smaller than the plug. I spent several hours studying the manufacture's data from the DigiKey website and believe the correct horizontal (or 180 degree part as they call it) jack is RDP-5SPFFH-TCU7001. The Difference is the 1st 3 letters: RCP vs RDP.
Wrong wiring order, as in Dishy specifications but as u wired up both plugs the same it still works BUT never use any other cable. The screen wire or braid as u called it should not have been cut all the way down cos it suppose have been connected to the metal shell of the RJ45 plug, hence the term "SHIELDED CABLE". Usually when lining up the wires, u untwist them all the way to the sheath and line them up straight b4 putting them into the pass thru plug..... i have made hundreds of rj45 connections with cat5e cable and we never has the luxury of passthru connectors.... so we had to trim the wires to about 12mm and then insert in in the rj45 plug keeping to the wiring spec specified. Sheilded cable is used to stop outside interference's from other sources and connecting the screen ensures that.
I. I would of used the hole saw to cut the exterior hole as well and I would of put Painters tape on the exterior & interior before drilling less chance of scratching the interior & exterior.
Very kind of you to comment. Thanks. It was fun to try my hand at making a video for RUclips since I have all the equipment to make videos for my wife's business.
Unnecessary. Untwist a pair. Grab one of the wires at the base between knuckle of your index finger and thumb. Pull wire to the end while applying pressure. Wires will be straight. Wash rinse repeat.
I've seen different comments about this. I just went ahead and just cut it without bending it back and securing it under the metal part of the connector that gets crimped onto the end of the cable. The thing is, it worked the way I did it. But who knows, if the dish gets hit with a lightning strike and my trailer explodes, well that would be bad for me!
Does anyone know if you can keep the TV and Satellite connections and still add a Starlink connector all in one SmartPlug. Would need to make a custom plate. Just wondering if there is enough room on the SmartPlug surface to have all three in case you want to plug into a cable provider or satellite provider while still having your Starlink internet connection. I guess you could always just add a second SmartPlug to the RV. Thoughts please.
Thanks for sharing. Why drill a new hole for the smartplug? Why not use the existing coax hole for the smartplug that is generally found by where you plug in for shore power?
@@michaelkronenberg6675 I wonder if you could use the existing coax cable to fish the starlink cable to the interior. We don’t use the coax cable anyway. Do you know how the nuts and bolts guy did it? He didn’t mention that in video.
I was just wondering about the cable on the outside. It appears that the cable connects horizontally and then the cable turns downward creating a constant downward pull on the connector. I once had a situation with the same cable (for a different purpose) and that constant downward pull eventually, after two years broke the connection.
Watch carefully at about 19:12 and you will see how the wire is supported internally with a plastic sleeve and a rubber piece on the end that all gets locked into place. Also, the cam-lock that twist-locks into the jack is very strong as well. I don't think there will be any issues like that with this cam-lock fitting.
Great video, very detailed but I have a question: How did you fish the cable from the smartplug port to the point under the table? I don't think you showed that. Running wires through the inside is my biggest issue. Thanks
It was a very short distance so I just cut apart a coat-hanger and taped the cord to it and pulled it through the wall cavity. I did have to pull out a bit of insulation but I stuffed back in once the cable was through. Hope that helps.
Hi Michael Very m😮ch appreciated your video. Well done. I’ve read through all the comments and maybe I’ve missed it, but could you please tell me where you bought the black Ethernet connector from please?
The image shown on this site (www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/amphenol-ltw/rdp-5spffv-tcu7001/7619909) shows the internal 90-degree ethernet on the right that is inside the wall. On the left is the part that extends outside through the SmartPlug housing.
Why did you need to drill the 1 inch hole for if you already have the modified connector? Nicely done on the modified connector, I hoe you you don't mind if I copy off your idea.
Hi Arturo. You are more than welcome to copy my approach. I'm glad you found it helpful. As far as the 1-inch hole goes, I had to modify the SmartPlug with a piece of plastic from an old OtterBox cell phone case and drill the 1-inch hole into that in order to put the 90-degree RJ45 jack into it. SmartPlug has a single coaxial one that you could take coax out and drill a 1-inch hole into it for the jack. That way you don't have to "jerry-rig" your own custom plate. I hope that helps.
Very Nice! Sometimes it's very simple! That otterbox plastic was perfect. Any thin plastic would work I would guess. Starlink is still in development still pretty new. Cable cutters are going to want this solution. I recently Demolitioned everything that was old technology and unused off of my DP roof to upgrade to a Victron solar system. One of those Items was the old Dish Network Dish thing. Nobody still pays for that crap programming do they? I don't Bye Bye...Broadband? Absolutely. Starlink is the future. All I really watch IS RUclipsrs like yourself. The channels that have been taken hostage by advertisers dumping sponsorships I don't support. But Everyday folks looking to make a few bucks with viewership I like to watch.
Thanks for the comment. The thing is, this was just a "one-off" with no intention of generating any $. RUclips is now putting up stupid ads that people have to click past to watch. I get nothing. That's RUclips for 'ya!
There does not seem to be anything unique about the order of the StarLink wires. They appear to be standard Ethernet and as long as you put them in the same order into the RJ45 connectors, Voila, everything works!
Nice try but Starlink doesn't support a spliced wire and Cat6/ethernet connection as I've come to learn now that I ran cable to my outside cable jack ( no hole cutting) ( Airstream Globetrotter) and so ultimately though I can run Starlink, it is slowed and has multiple interruptions at times. Back to the drawing board.
It isn't that hard to wire an RJ-45, instead of trying to insert them one at a time you just straighten the wires and get them aligned the way you want then slide them all in at once. I found several videos that show how to and it would take less than 5 minutes. With a pass thru you can confirm the color codes after the connector is on for the first time and it's nothing to re-do if one of them slips out of place.
Does the Starlink not use a standard Cat6 Ethernet cable? So you could find a short extension for inside and use the whole long cable on the outside, without cutting it?
Not tech savvy. The problem i'm having is ordering pars for the installation. All have been successfully found except for Cat5 90-degree jack and Cat5 external locking plug. The email address was not complete and when I went to the site I could not find the desired products. Possible to get a little help?
Great video. WiFi routers like to be higher rather than lower for better distance. I had a freind that had hers on the floor of her condo in the livingroom. Sitting on the couch across the room , the signal was low. I put it on a chair and the signal went to full bars. Thanks for this opyion.
Good tip! In my case, I will mostly be sitting right above it with my laptop. Glad you found it useful. I am actually shocked at how many people have viewed this.
Wowser, are you very lucky you missed that horizontal rib. That would have cost thousands to have the skin repaired, had you punched the hole 2" lower. Very close call, but nice job otherwise.
At 7:49, _“Be sure to put this on before you put the connector on”_ is the _Murphy's Law corollary._ : - ) At 23:20, you said, _“Wish me luck.”_ My friends have learned to say _“Wish me skill.”_
What a mess. Why not just coil your wire up and run one end out of a hole in your RV wall, then Silicon Seal the wire into the hole. No wires get cut. I mean, Dish TV does this with their instillations. I know you mean well.
Good video, I'll be doing the smart plug and a variant of this. Only advice I can give, I'm a computer guy that has pulled hundreds of thousands of feet of cable and terminated them, flatten the twisted pairs after you separate them and get them in the right order then push them all in side by side all the way down to the edge of the rubber coating you cut off. You made it harder on yourself than it needed to be. ruclips.net/user/shortskxTI0L6M3YQ
I believe that braided wire/cable is just there as a structural member to keep the cable from being stretched from someone pulling on it too hard. Stretching the cable beyond a certain point could break some of the internal wires. In most CAT5 cables I have cut open, a polyester looking string is used instead of metal cable, but same idea. As long as it still runs to each end of the cable and is anchored by the connectors on each end it will do its job. Worst case, just don't use the cable as a rope swing and it will probably be fine.
For Outdoor & shield rated stuff, the metal cabling provides a ground, so best not to snip it off, it's supposed to be wrapped back then wrapped around the legs of the cable tabs. Anyone else considering doing this, I recommend not using the starlink router, instead using a 48v PoE injector/power source so you're not converting dc to ac to dc. Also, eliminate as much of the cable as possible, the shorter the cable, ,the less the loss and power usage. I saw a video from another creator that does exactly this, as well as making a permanent mount for their dishy and can even use it whilst driving as they don't have to stow the dishy. ruclips.net/video/gRSnTMrUPrQ/видео.html This might give you all some extra ideas, or mix and match 'em.
“Other people might tell you this little metal wire is important, and not to cut it, but I did” You mean the ground? 🤦🏻♂️ Why are 90% of RUclips videos of people showing you “how to” do something done by idiots that are doing it for the first time and actually don’t have a clue? “That’s why it takes 20 minutes to do one end” 🤣🤣 I sometimes do 60-100 jacks in a single day, can you imagine how long that would take??
Folks, this isn't that hard. Find your family IT friend ask them to help you craft a solution. I'm saying this as an IT Professional with 20 years of system and network experience. You also do not need a 50 dollar crimper, you can get any 10-15 dollar one on Amazon.
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The wire you cut is a grounding cable for the shielded connection, it should be making contact with the metal piece of the shielded cat6 cable end
Important for POE I suppose. This cable powers the dish motor?
@@fightswithspirits915 And the phased array antenna. With no path to earth, an electrical shock can blow equipment.
The grounding drain wire is for locations with high EMI, like factories with lots of motors. It grounds the shielding in the cable. It's debatable if it's even needed in most consumer applications. Mine isn't properly grounded and I've never had a problem with it.
I'm impressed you had the balls to cut holes in your Airstream !!! Great video and well presented. Thanks.
It is helpful if you carefully straighten out the wires by running each one through your fingers until all trace of the twists are gone. Lay the wires in the correct order side by side and hold between thumb and finger, then slide them into the connector in one movement. As others have said, the "braid wire" should be arranged so that it is crimped to make contact with the metal case, in order to maintain the screening. As it is, you have nullified the screening which may lead to problems with interfering signals affecting reception in some circumstance. It was a waste of time getting screened connectors if you don't actually connect them to ground!
A good approach is to use conductive copper mesh tape to contact the RJ45 connector. You can wrap the ground wire a few revs around the cable jacket and apply the conductive tape so it is under the connector clamp.
notice for the people that will follow this solution: thar braided wire is used for the shielded connector, so cut it in a way that it touches the metal shield of the connector. the best way is to fold it backwards and then after crimped the connector, solder the wire to the shield of the connector. some connectors have a shield protrusion that also acts as a tension relief for the cable. you can coil the wire to that protrusion and finish it with a heat shrink tube. a shielded connector that is not connected to that braided wire is the same as an unshielded connector and will risk your starlink to electrical damage from static or other sources
THANKS, just happen to have found your video. Yes… I have Starlink and use in my fifth wheel. As you stated, I have been doing the cable routing when I setting the slides.
Have been waiting to found a workable solution. FOUND IT. What a GREAT video, to the point with zero BS. Have just purchased the tools and will try my luck next time at at my trailer.
The camera work was great, especially noteworthy given this is your only video. I don't even have an RV... or Starlink for that matter, but this was still enjoyable to watch.
Wow, thanks!
If you ever want to use your Starlink with a different router & just use the Starlink router as a satellite receiver, you should wire your RJ45 cable to Starlink's standard configuration which involves swapping pins 3 & 6, the solid Green & Green White wires over. If you make such a cable, clearly mark both ends Starlink ONLY. Doing the correct Starlink wiring now could save you a lot of future hassle.
Very cool 👌... You'd think Starlink engineers would be all over this kinda thing ages ago... same with 12V DC conversion.
Very elegant and clean. My biggest interest in Starlink projects like this is really about getting it running on DC. We tend to turn our inverter off at night. (We *do* have 400ah LiON and about 700w of solar, but turning the inverter off really saves power overnight.) Thanks for your awesome video!
Thanks for that! I actually travel with an external 2200 watt power bank so I don’t need to use my inverter either.
@@michaelkronenberg6675 Well, converting to DC also has the advantage of not having to RUN the router. For many, the router is key. When you're a tech nerd like me, well, you *might* have your own router and running two is redundant! Heh! Now if only they could make a DC (and low voltage) air conditioner, life would be golden!
Very nicely done. Looks great. Your descriptions and attention to detail were very nice. I truly appreciate you doing this for us. It is the best one I have seen for this installation. I will be using your tips and parts, along with another guy's flagpole and install tips to install my Starlink connection. Thank you so much.
Hi John. Thanks for that! I too am going to use a 20 Ft. telescoping flag pole from Harbor Freight and a top adaptor from Etsy (www.etsy.com/listing/1245272073/adapter-for-square-starlink-to-harbor?click_key=aa512f253aea83b00587aaca42e7b3ff25450363%3A1245272073&click_sum=4adc4258&ref=hp_rv-1&frs=1) Cheers!
Thank😊 you for doing this for everyone. Really appreciated.
Found myself fascinated and tittering all the way through. I’m considering buying starlink here in the UK. You should do videos for RUclips. You’re good at it. Love your voice.
It appears that the orange inner plate of the smart plug is already set up for a keystone or punch down block for cat6. It would be a lot easier to punch down a block and use the provided plate. That would completely eliminate the need for the quick connect. Route your external cat6 to the antenna downward in the smart plug and cut a notch. Then you could close your smart plug completely and keep it waterproof. At least it appears there is enough room. Anyway it looks cool and im about to try it using the described method.
I wish this video had existed before I cut my starlink cable - this would have given me a lot more confidence! Excellently done, thank you!
The only thing I would add is that the outer foil of the cable should be pulled back but not cut (turn it inside out and smooth it along the rest of the cable) and left on until the cable is crimped - that maintains the cable shielding all the way through the connections to the router. I also fold back the bare metal wire as well. After crimping the cable then I trim off the excess foil and wire.
Thanks for that! I’m clearly new and was making it up as I went and didn’t know what to do with the foil. Do you think it will affect performance?
@@michaelkronenberg6675 I'm no expert on EMI or electrical grounding or anything, but it seems unlikely to affect performance in a typical mild weather day. Thunderstorms are common causes of EFI (I don't mean direct lightning strikes, just the air during a storm) - maybe if you do a lot of camping in lots of thunderstormy weather it'd be worth redoing the connection. My own setup isn't fully grounded all the way through, and I'm taking a "wait and see" approach. So far so good, but I live in California where there's no weather to speak of.
The only way it would matter if you folded the foil back would be if the connections are in fact shielded to allow the ground continuity. Looking at what he has linked, it is not shielded so there is no way to ensure continuity.
I'm in the process of doing this and the tough part is finding something to get through the RV exterior that is truly shielded. I have a 3rd product, a panel mount bulkhead made by InstallerParts (CAT6 RJ45 Shielded panel mount bulkhead) coming today, however despite most things being advertised as shielded, they typically are not. Shielded basically means it has a continuous ground all the way through that ultimately terminates at ground (chassis/battery negative in an RV - The Starlink power supply does this I read, however I have not tested it. You can test it by using a meter and checking for continuity between the RJ45 input/output and 3rd prong of power cord. If it does not do it, then you need to hit chassis ground, and your cheapest route is a patch panel.
Again, I'm still working on mine, so feel free to comment back and I can provide details when I'm done if you care. It will be another week or two unless all of the parts I get are truly shielded and I don't run into any kinks.
Also, a note to Michael Kronenberg . Your production is great. Crazy that this is your first video. Very well done and I think you have a knack for RUclips, I think you go for it. Although it does look like you're a high end producer or director, so perhaps you have your hands full. ;)
The only way it would matter if you folded the foil back would be if the connections are in fact shielded to allow the ground continuity. Looking at what he has linked, it is not shielded so there is no way to ensure continuity.
I'm in the process of doing this and the tough part is finding something to get through the RV exterior that is truly shielded. I have a 3rd product, a panel mount bulkhead made by InstallerParts (CAT6 RJ45 Shielded panel mount bulkhead) coming today, however despite most things being advertised as shielded, they typically are not. Shielded basically means it has a continuous ground all the way through that ultimately terminates at ground (chassis/battery negative in an RV - The Starlink power supply does this I read, however I have not tested it. You can test it by using a meter and checking for continuity between the RJ45 input/output and 3rd prong of power cord. If it does not do it, then you need to hit chassis ground, and your cheapest route is a patch panel.
Again, I'm still working on mine, so feel free to comment back and I can provide details when I'm done if you care. It will be another week or two unless all of the parts I get are truly shielded and I don't run into any kinks.
Also, a note to@@michaelkronenberg6675, your production is great. Very well done and I think you have a knack for RUclips, I say you do more! Although you might be a high-end producer or director, so perhaps you have your hands full with other film endeavors.
Update: there is in fact continuity between the network cable and the starlink power cord ground. You will likely get better performance and certainly be safer by maintaining the shielding. As mentioned, I'm still working on that on my end but expect to resolve it in the next week or so
Straighten the wires into a flat fan between your fingers and slide them in together, one smooth action. You don't want the wires crossing under the RJ45 crimp outside of the cable jacket (it looks like they may be) since it can damage them. Typing while I watch and wondering if you figure out that you forgot the rubber compression grommet on the Dishy side. Added in edit: Ah, the grommet is slit to allow later installation. Fantastic post! Thank you! :)
This was the most painful way of (incorrectly) terminating shielded cat 6 cable I’ve ever seen. 😬😖
The small braided wire that was clipped off at the beginning is part of the grounding/shielding, and is supposed to make contact with the metal shielding in the RJ45 connector.
The cam lock/twist lock weatherproof RJ45 is very useful and interesting though. 👍
I get what you're saying but this guy is obviously not a professional cable installer and is just providing an option for others in his category. Granted there is a faster and possibly better way to make this connector but like I said, he's not a pro. He had a need and did his research and is providing a solution for a growing community of people using Starlink with RV's and other mobile applications. I would have used some heat shrink and maybe some gorilla glue to seal the openings in the RV but that's me.Maybe get a friend with a 3d printer to make a custom plate too? Also I'd have run the cable through the wall near that power outlet just to make a cleaner install. Overall, nice job!
@@stevek9844 Great job of justifying people who do not know what they are doing posting videos and jeopardizing their Starlink equipment.
You can make recommendations for improvements without the side commentary. The guy is just trying to help.
Yes, I agree. Great solution, but yes, don't clip off the ground. 😬 If I may suggest, here's a better way to use a passthrough: ruclips.net/user/shortsSQrgbe4B6co?feature=share
Ok so I wasn't the only one pulling my hair out watching that.
Watching from Western Australia. Very neat solution, looks like it came from the manufacturer that way.
Your planning, methodology and workmanship are very good, but this task seems daunting to me. If, by the time I take the RV out for an extended trip and there are still no manufactured kits available, I may undertake this if I can work up the nerve to do so. Thanks for an excellent video.
Thanks for that! The guy (Ronnie Dennis) from whom I got the inspiration from may have put together a kit by now.
Brilliant video! The Otterbox case was gold!!!
yu are a swell guy. i was blown away by your 'one-off' video. i will order it all and have somebody install that smart plug on my 2023 Ram PRomaster THOR Scope 18M. I also did buy the $500 hard case / Starlink antenna base setup as well. I will keep them both. thanks much.
Thank you for doing this. I’m going to do this same thing next weekend in my fifth wheel. I’ll use a slightly different port but everything else will be the same.
many thanks for this movie, I learned plenty. Startlink is coming up in the Netherlands now.
Thank you for this video. I followed your directions. However, I did not cut the ground wire as that is not recommended by folks who work with shielded CAT6 wire. Their recommendation is to use shielded RJ45 connectors and ground that wire, which I did, and followed the industry standard RJ45 568B wiring color sequence. The results worked well (no change in latency or spotty connection due to splicing the Starlink cable). So far, so good.
Great to hear it went well for you too. Yea, now that I know about the ground wire, I would do the same and fold it back under the connectors. Next time I will if I end up redoing the cable. So far it is working.
Great tutorial, clear and concise with good video angle. You should do more project videos. Happy to subscribe and keen to see your next one.
Why not just use a keystone RJ45 feed through in there, those are an industry standard system? Seems logical than going though all this trouble of having to do this modification. You could have dual Enet one for input and one out if you wanted to put an external device or switch outside for whatever reason.
Those connectors would not provide weather protection. They are for indoor use only, usually inside equipment.
The best solution is to do a flat roof mount for your antenna and convert your Starlink to run off 12 Volt power. You can use any router you want and have that too run off 12V and use PoE to power your antenna.
Very impressed you knew about the wiring order and even provided the specs!
Not to be mean, but the wiring order for both A and B connection standard is printed right on the Klien crimping tool. Not that impressive at all. Painful to watch these terminations. Espeicilly watching him cut the shield drain in the beginning.
@@jconforti Yes, there were issues. I haven't crimped in 20 years and had no idea wiring order was on the tool. How convenient! I think my comment was for a person who doesn't do this for a living. My first crimp in 1997 was total crap lol
Michael, you did a great job. I learned a lot of it and thanks for the time you took to make this video. Greetings from Germany and a happy new year to you and your beloved 🕊️☮️🌞🍀👍
Hi Maik. Thanks for your comment. Very kind of you.
Thanks for this detailed demonstation - had been looking at the Smartplug ports and was thinking about doing the same on my Sprinter
I'm glad you found my approach useful!
The extra stranded wire is not starlink specific. It is in all cat6 shielded cables. It is a ground not to prevent lightning strikes but rather electrical and magnetic interference. Sure it will work without it but in really electronically and magnetically noisy environments, it is necessary to transmit a clean signal. There are much easier ways to cut and crimp a new connector to that cable for those of you hoping to do the same job. Like in this video.
ruclips.net/video/UxbPWwh7dqs/видео.html
We just bought the smart plug with the rj45 connector. No other modification needed.
Is SmartPlug now making one? Send me a link?
Link?
You need to look up twisted pairs, grounding, and shielding.
Great video thank you for taking the time to put this together.
If you want a horizontal jack instead of a 90° jack, the digikey part number is RCP-5SPFFH-TCU7001 (The "H" in the part number is for Horizontal).
Hi Jim. Thanks for that. I used the 90-degree because of the interior wall cavity space. The horizontal version puts too much stress on the cable (since I had to drop the cable down from the top) and may not fit.
@@michaelkronenberg6675 Thanks much for the reply. I have a conventional fiberglass RV and I'm drilling through into a cabinet. So a 90° wouldn't work for me. It's nice to have different options.
I believe the horizontal jack part # listed just above is incorrect. From DigiKey I purchased this part and the plug part# Michael Kronenberg listed in his video comments and they didn't fit. The horizontal jack part was smaller than the plug. I spent several hours studying the manufacture's data from the DigiKey website and believe the correct horizontal (or 180 degree part as they call it) jack is RDP-5SPFFH-TCU7001. The Difference is the 1st 3 letters: RCP vs RDP.
Keep hitting the MORE in the description below. I just checked and I have to hit it twice.
One of the best how-to videos I have seen on this subject, a
Thanks so much, IanB VK3IJB
Great job! I like this method. Looking to purchase my dish next year!
I'm glad you found my efforts and approach useful. It was a fun exercise in doing a RUclips video.
Wow fantastic! Thanks for the great detailed info
Great instructional video! Thank you!
Wrong wiring order, as in Dishy specifications but as u wired up both plugs the same it still works BUT never use any other cable. The screen wire or braid as u called it should not have been cut all the way down cos it suppose have been connected to the metal shell of the RJ45 plug, hence the term "SHIELDED CABLE". Usually when lining up the wires, u untwist them all the way to the sheath and line them up straight b4 putting them into the pass thru plug..... i have made hundreds of rj45 connections with cat5e cable and we never has the luxury of passthru connectors.... so we had to trim the wires to about 12mm and then insert in in the rj45 plug keeping to the wiring spec specified. Sheilded cable is used to stop outside interference's from other sources and connecting the screen ensures that.
This is a standard cat 6 connection there are plenty of videos on techniques to terminate these a little easier
I. I would of used the hole saw to cut the exterior hole as well and I would of put Painters tape on the exterior & interior before drilling less chance of scratching the interior & exterior.
very very nicely executed!
Very kind of you to comment. Thanks. It was fun to try my hand at making a video for RUclips since I have all the equipment to make videos for my wife's business.
It will be much easier to thread the wires if you run them over the shaft of a screw driver to straighten them out
Unnecessary. Untwist a pair. Grab one of the wires at the base between knuckle of your index finger and thumb. Pull wire to the end while applying pressure. Wires will be straight. Wash rinse repeat.
You need to buy a RotoZip or a jig saw with a metal cutting blade. It’s far easier, and easier to be neat.
Don’t you need that small ground wire you cut off?
I've seen different comments about this. I just went ahead and just cut it without bending it back and securing it under the metal part of the connector that gets crimped onto the end of the cable. The thing is, it worked the way I did it. But who knows, if the dish gets hit with a lightning strike and my trailer explodes, well that would be bad for me!
Does anyone know if you can keep the TV and Satellite connections and still add a Starlink connector all in one SmartPlug. Would need to make a custom plate. Just wondering if there is enough room on the SmartPlug surface to have all three in case you want to plug into a cable provider or satellite provider while still having your Starlink internet connection. I guess you could always just add a second SmartPlug to the RV.
Thoughts please.
Thanks for sharing. Why drill a new hole for the smartplug? Why not use the existing coax hole for the smartplug that is generally found by where you plug in for shore power?
Too much trouble to run Starlink cable from existing coax plug to where I wanted to keep the router.
@@michaelkronenberg6675 I wonder if you could use the existing coax cable to fish the starlink cable to the interior. We don’t use the coax cable anyway. Do you know how the nuts and bolts guy did it? He didn’t mention that in video.
I initially was going to do that but running the Starlink cable from that plug to where I wanted the router to stay was going to be more of a hassle.
I was just wondering about the cable on the outside. It appears that the cable connects horizontally and then the cable turns downward creating a constant downward pull on the connector. I once had a situation with the same cable (for a different purpose) and that constant downward pull eventually, after two years broke the connection.
Watch carefully at about 19:12 and you will see how the wire is supported internally with a plastic sleeve and a rubber piece on the end that all gets locked into place. Also, the cam-lock that twist-locks into the jack is very strong as well. I don't think there will be any issues like that with this cam-lock fitting.
great video,very infortmative
Great video, very detailed but I have a question: How did you fish the cable from the smartplug port to the point under the table? I don't think you showed that. Running wires through the inside is my biggest issue. Thanks
It was a very short distance so I just cut apart a coat-hanger and taped the cord to it and pulled it through the wall cavity. I did have to pull out a bit of insulation but I stuffed back in once the cable was through. Hope that helps.
Hi Michael
Very m😮ch appreciated your video. Well done. I’ve read through all the comments and maybe I’ve missed it, but could you please tell me where you bought the black Ethernet connector from please?
The image shown on this site (www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/amphenol-ltw/rdp-5spffv-tcu7001/7619909) shows the internal 90-degree ethernet on the right that is inside the wall. On the left is the part that extends outside through the SmartPlug housing.
Thank you Michael. I appreciate you sending the link and will follow through. Best wishes
Peter
Why did you need to drill the 1 inch hole for if you already have the modified connector? Nicely done on the modified connector, I hoe you you don't mind if I copy off your idea.
Hi Arturo. You are more than welcome to copy my approach. I'm glad you found it helpful. As far as the 1-inch hole goes, I had to modify the SmartPlug with a piece of plastic from an old OtterBox cell phone case and drill the 1-inch hole into that in order to put the 90-degree RJ45 jack into it. SmartPlug has a single coaxial one that you could take coax out and drill a 1-inch hole into it for the jack. That way you don't have to "jerry-rig" your own custom plate. I hope that helps.
Very Nice! Sometimes it's very simple! That otterbox plastic was perfect. Any thin plastic would work I would guess. Starlink is still in development still pretty new. Cable cutters are going to want this solution. I recently Demolitioned everything that was old technology and unused off of my DP roof to upgrade to a Victron solar system. One of those Items was the old Dish Network Dish thing. Nobody still pays for that crap programming do they? I don't Bye Bye...Broadband? Absolutely. Starlink is the future. All I really watch IS RUclipsrs like yourself. The channels that have been taken hostage by advertisers dumping sponsorships I don't support. But Everyday folks looking to make a few bucks with viewership I like to watch.
Thanks for the comment. The thing is, this was just a "one-off" with no intention of generating any $. RUclips is now putting up stupid ads that people have to click past to watch. I get nothing. That's RUclips for 'ya!
Thank you for sharing this with us. I may have missed this, did you have to make up the ends in a unique to Starlink color order? TIA
There does not seem to be anything unique about the order of the StarLink wires. They appear to be standard Ethernet and as long as you put them in the same order into the RJ45 connectors, Voila, everything works!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Thank you for the sharing, I’ve been searching for the daring soul to cut into their Airstream. What sheet metal screws did you use
I just used some stainless steel screws from the local hardware store
Do you have a list of the sites and maybe part #s you used? Maybe I don't see it... Excellent job!
I put all in the description.
Got it. Thank you!
Nice try but Starlink doesn't support a spliced wire and Cat6/ethernet connection as I've come to learn now that I ran cable to my outside cable jack ( no hole cutting) ( Airstream Globetrotter) and so ultimately though I can run Starlink, it is slowed and has multiple interruptions at times. Back to the drawing board.
Not sure what is going on. Mine has worked perfectly as I installed it.
It isn't that hard to wire an RJ-45, instead of trying to insert them one at a time you just straighten the wires and get them aligned the way you want then slide them all in at once. I found several videos that show how to and it would take less than 5 minutes. With a pass thru you can confirm the color codes after the connector is on for the first time and it's nothing to re-do if one of them slips out of place.
Does the Starlink not use a standard Cat6 Ethernet cable? So you could find a short extension for inside and use the whole long cable on the outside, without cutting it?
I wish. Unfortunately not. Inside connects to the Starlink router with its own special plug at both ends.
See Video by Everlanders DIY Starlink Flat Mount. He goes over the RJ connection which eliminates the specialized Starlink router connector.
Why did you add a 90 degree jack?
Not tech savvy. The problem i'm having is ordering pars for the installation. All have been successfully found except for Cat5 90-degree jack and Cat5 external locking plug. The email address was not complete and when I went to the site I could not find the desired products. Possible to get a little help?
Here you go:
Cat5 90-degree jack:
www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/amphenol-ltw/rdp-5spffv-tcu7001/7619909
Cat5 external locking plug:
www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/amphenol-ltw/rdp-00bmms-tlm7001/5253137
Great video. WiFi routers like to be higher rather than lower for better distance. I had a freind that had hers on the floor of her condo in the livingroom. Sitting on the couch across the room , the signal was low. I put it on a chair and the signal went to full bars. Thanks for this opyion.
Good tip! In my case, I will mostly be sitting right above it with my laptop. Glad you found it useful. I am actually shocked at how many people have viewed this.
Nice job. 🦅😎🇺🇸👍
If that plug doesn’t click into the jack how is it making good contact?
It gets pulled in tight with the twisting of the cam-lock.
30 min video?! Ain't nobody got time for that 😂
Wowser, are you very lucky you missed that horizontal rib. That would have cost thousands to have the skin repaired, had you punched the hole 2" lower. Very close call, but nice job otherwise.
No links in here. Anyone got them?
Instead of a straight one?
Because of the interior wall cavity would not allow a straight one.
this is "crying out" for a 3 d printed part.
At 7:49, _“Be sure to put this on before you put the connector on”_ is the _Murphy's Law corollary._ : - )
At 23:20, you said, _“Wish me luck.”_ My friends have learned to say _“Wish me skill.”_
What a mess. Why not just coil your wire up and run one end out of a hole in your RV wall, then Silicon Seal the wire into the hole. No wires get cut. I mean, Dish TV does this with their instillations. I know you mean well.
Good video, I'll be doing the smart plug and a variant of this. Only advice I can give, I'm a computer guy that has pulled hundreds of thousands of feet of cable and terminated them, flatten the twisted pairs after you separate them and get them in the right order then push them all in side by side all the way down to the edge of the rubber coating you cut off. You made it harder on yourself than it needed to be. ruclips.net/user/shortskxTI0L6M3YQ
How much $$ to pay you to build me one ?
Sorry. I just don’t have time.
I believe that braided wire/cable is just there as a structural member to keep the cable from being stretched from someone pulling on it too hard. Stretching the cable beyond a certain point could break some of the internal wires. In most CAT5 cables I have cut open, a polyester looking string is used instead of metal cable, but same idea. As long as it still runs to each end of the cable and is anchored by the connectors on each end it will do its job. Worst case, just don't use the cable as a rope swing and it will probably be fine.
Hey thanks for that. I won’t worry now. And no rope swinging !
For Outdoor & shield rated stuff, the metal cabling provides a ground, so best not to snip it off, it's supposed to be wrapped back then wrapped around the legs of the cable tabs.
Anyone else considering doing this, I recommend not using the starlink router, instead using a 48v PoE injector/power source so you're not converting dc to ac to dc.
Also, eliminate as much of the cable as possible, the shorter the cable, ,the less the loss and power usage.
I saw a video from another creator that does exactly this, as well as making a permanent mount for their dishy and can even use it whilst driving as they don't have to stow the dishy.
ruclips.net/video/gRSnTMrUPrQ/видео.html
This might give you all some extra ideas, or mix and match 'em.
A solid walk-through of properly terminating a Cat6 shielded cable.
ruclips.net/video/GzWXMCFm-AU/видео.html
“Other people might tell you this little metal wire is important, and not to cut it, but I did” You mean the ground? 🤦🏻♂️
Why are 90% of RUclips videos of people showing you “how to” do something done by idiots that are doing it for the first time and actually don’t have a clue?
“That’s why it takes 20 minutes to do one end” 🤣🤣 I sometimes do 60-100 jacks in a single day, can you imagine how long that would take??
Yep, I guess it's a Ground wire, yet it works fine.
Folks, this isn't that hard. Find your family IT friend ask them to help you craft a solution. I'm saying this as an IT Professional with 20 years of system and network experience. You also do not need a 50 dollar crimper, you can get any 10-15 dollar one on Amazon.
well it's 7:32 pm bedtime.i am after all 73,party time is over 🥱