How to Wire Ethernet Cables

Ethernet cables need to be wired to connect devices in either a straight connection or crossover connection. Each of these is used for a different purpose. Before you can wire Ethernet cables you need to understand their structure. For this you need to buy bulk supplies of Ethernet cables of at least cat 5. Cat 6 and above Ethernet cables will future proof your wiring if you have the needed funds for these.

Basic Structure

An Ethernet cable will have eight wires that are color coded. Two of the wires are paired together to form a set and are twisted. The twisting helps reduce interference and noise during data transmission. Each pair will have one wire of a solid color – green, blue, orange, and brown – and a white or white with color stripe wire. The color stripe on the white wire will be the same as the color on the solid wire, or it might just be pure white.

Modular Connector Plugs and Jacks

When wiring Ethernet cables, you can either patch them or have fixed wire Ethernet cables. In either case you will need 8P8C modular connector plugs and RJ45 jacks. These are used to connect the two Ethernet cables together.

Ethernet Straight through Pin Outs

When an Ethernet cable is wired in the straight through pin out format the color coded wires are retained in the same position when connecting with another Ethernet cable using a connector. The straight through pin out is used when connecting the Ethernet cable to a hub or switch.

Crossover Pin Outs

Another way in which Ethernet cables can be wired is called the crossover pin out. This format is used when connecting two peer to peer devices directly without a hub or central switch. In such cases, the color coded wires are attached in a specific order to ensure that the signals are appropriately transferred.

For this if the RJ45 pin one has a white orange wire the corresponding pin in the second RJ45 should have white green wire. The second pin pair should be orange and green, respectively, while the third pin should have white green and white orange. Pin four should have blue and white brown and pin five white blue and brown. Similarly, all the eight wires are crossed.

For this you need to strip two inches of the cover of the Ethernet cable and untwist the exposed wires. You need to take care that only the exposed wires are untwisted as the twisting is an essential feature of the cable. Now align the cables according to the pairs mentioned and trim them to the same length so that only half an inch of each wire is exposed.

The wires should be inserted into the RJ45 plug in the correct order and the sheath of the cable should also be inserted to be held in place by the crimp. The process has to be repeated with the second RJ45 plug and the second Ethernet cable. As long as the wires are aligned in the order specified, the crossover or straight through wiring should be effective.