Need to make a 65' CAT5 extention & have questios
 

I need to make a 65' CAT 5 cable (to connect from a wall outlet to a computer) and need to know the following:

1: What is the difference in quality of the various brands?

2: Are there any issues to consider when putting jacks on either end?

3: I've seen CAT 5 cables that are reverse orde @ the other end, what's this for?

4: I was considering purchasing the needed cable & connectors from Home Depot. Anyone ever use the products they sell?

Any other info, suggestions welcome & appreciated!

Sonic

Re: Need to make a 65' CAT5 extention & have questios
 

the only difference Ive ever had, is avoid the flat cable

not specific issues about putting the ends on

reverse order.. crossover cable.. used if your hub doesnt have a built in crossover

You will spend a decent amount of money on a good crimping device. Make sure to get a good one. If this isn't something you feel you'll need in the future, you may want to consider purchasing a pre-made cable, or going to a place that'll custom-make a cat-5 cable to the length you desire.

yep... i just picked up a new crimping tool the other day, and we spent $100 on it

cheaper to buy premade cables, then it would be to buy the tools to make your own

Rule #3 of DVDTalk: never doubt the Twikoff; Never second-guess the Twikoff.

Yea, I've gotta agree with this. Unless you are going to make cables regularly, just go to a local dealer and buy it with the connectors or order it online.

BTW... you know where this goes, right? ;)

I have bulk cables and ends and a $40 crimper. No problem making the cables except for two things. You have to know the wiring diagram for each end and they don't just reverse for a crossover. And no more than about 1/4" of each of the twisted pairs can be untwisted to go into the ends according to CAT5 spec. That makes it a somewhat difficult manual operation and I've seen cables not work that violated that rule.

Wow... I usually untwist at least 1/2" and I have never heard of this. Interesting...

the twisting acts as shielding, so the less untwisted the better

Thanks for the replies!

Sounds like I should get a pre-made cable!

Where can I get a 65-70' CAT 5 cable on-line for the 'best' price?

Looks like .5" of untwisted is ok.

Do Maintain the twists of the pairs all the way to the point of termination, or no more than 0.5" (one half inch) untwisted
Do Run all cables in a "Star" configuration. That is to say that they all emanate from, and are "homerun" to, one central location, known as the wiring hub. Visualize a wagon wheel, all of the spokes, start from on central point, known as the hub of the wheel.
Do Keep all cable runs to a maximum of 295 feet (for each run).
Do Not Skin off more than 1" of jacket when terminating
Do Make gradual bends of the cable, where necessary. No sharper than a 1" radius. (about the roundness of a half-dollar)
Do Not Allow the cable to be sharply bent, or kinked, at any time. This can cause permanent damage to the cables' interior.
Do Dress the cables neatly with cable ties. Use low to moderate pressure.
Do Not Over tighten cable ties. We recommend Hook and Loop (Velcro) cable ties for commercial installations.
Do Cross-connect cables (where necessary), using cat 5 rated punch blocks and components.
Do Not Splice or bridge category-5 cable at any point. There should never be multiple appearances of category 5 cable.
Do Use low to moderate force when pulling cable.
Do Not Use excessive force when pulling cable.
Do Use cable pulling lubricant for cable runs that may otherwise require great force to install. (You will be amazed at what a difference the cable lubricant will make)
Do Not Use oil, or any other lubricant, not specifically designed for cable pulling. Oil, or other lubricants, can infiltrate the cable, causing damage to the insulation.
Do Keep cat 5 cables as far away as possible from potential sources of EMI (electrical cables, transformers, light fixtures, etc.) as possible
Do Not Tie cables to electrical conduits, or lay cables on electrical fixtures.
Do Install proper cable supports, spaced no more than 5 feet apart.
Do Not Install cable that is supported by the ceiling tiles (this is unsafe, and is a violation of the building codes).
Do Always label every termination point. Use a unique number for each cable segment. The idea here, is to make moves, adds, changes, and troubleshooting as simple as possible.
Do Always test every installed segment with a cable tester. "Toning" alone, is not an acceptable test.
Do Always install jacks in such a way as to prevent dust and other contaminants from settling on the contacts. The contacts (pins) of the jack should face up on flush mounted plates, or left, right, or down (never up) on surface mount boxes.
Do Always leave extra slack on the cables, neatly coiled up in the ceiling or nearest concealed place. It is recommended that you leave at least 5 feet at the work outlet side, and 10 feet at the patch panel (wiring hub) side.
Do Not Never install cables "taught" in the ceiling, or elsewhere. A good installation should have the cables loose, but never sagging.
Do Always use grommets to protect the cable where passing through metal studs or anything that can possibly cause damage to them.
Do Choose either 568A or 568B wiring standard, before you begin your project. Wire all jacks and patch panels for the same wiring scheme (A or B).
Do Not Mix 568A and 568B wiring on the same installation.
Do Not Use staples on category-5 cable that crimp the cable tightly. The common T-18 and T-25 cable staples are not recommended for category 5 cable.
Do Always obey all local, and national, fire and building codes. Be sure to "firestop" all cables that penetrate a firewall. Use plenum rated cable where it is mandated.

Pricescan comes up with these, which may or may not actually be the best.

http://www.pricescan.com/items/item110619.asp

Belkin 75FT CAT 5 Patch Cable (Gray)

PCU Direct Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 Yes $5.95 $14.71

2buystore Direct from Vendor
09/24/01 Yes See Site $14.84

BestPrices.com Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 27 $7.80 $14.97

Valuemedia Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 Active See Site $15.40

Titan Logic Systems Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 Yes See Site $15.44

Provantage Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 29 See Site $15.94

buy.com Direct from Vendor
09/27/01 Yes $5.45 $22.17

also make sure it you use the right color code