Cat5 Cabling expert required.

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I've currently been wiring up my house with Cat5e, as I'm fed up of wireless networking just not simply working correctly.

Now I've got:
305m (or feet can't remember) of 4 pair, solid core UTP Cat5e cable.
RJ45 Cat 5e Unshielded network connectors (For use on stranded twisted pair.
Some coloured boots
Some Crimpers and strippers.

Now I've got the wires in the correct place and I've crimped the conectors on, but when I connected everything to the central switch I don't get a connection.

Do you think it's because I've bought connectors for stranded cable, rather than solid core cable? I've tried forcing the crimps as hard as possible.

Hopefully its due to the connectors, because then all I'll have to do is buy and put on the correct ones on.

Or could it be something else?

Thanks for reading.
 
On short runs the different connectors don't usually make a difference (in my experience). I have tried putting the wrong ones on a long length of cable (10s of metres rather than <5m), and I got no link light.

Could well be the problem.
 
Can I ask that you built a straight through cable and you matched the ends up with same layout?

Orange White | Orange | Green White | Blue | Blue White | Green | Brown White | Brown
 
I've run 2 cables, one approximately 15 metres and the other 30 metres.

I wired them up as straight cables using the configuration you mentioned. I really hope it is the connectors at fault otherwise I'll have wasted my time.
 
I've run 2 cables, one approximately 15 metres and the other 30 metres.

I wired them up as straight cables using the configuration you mentioned. I really hope it is the connectors at fault otherwise I'll have wasted my time.

As Philly said, get a cable tester if you can. On the other hand do you have images you could take of what connectors you have?
 
Quick question: are you using a patch panel by any chance?

PC's > Patch Panel > Switch

or are you just doing PC's > Switch

Cheers!

Or on the other hand is the OP using Ethernet sockets or just using standard cable ethernet connecters... I forgot about asking this.
 
I'm not using a patch panel, each pc is wired to the switch with only 1 run of cable each, there are no ethernet wall sockets involved either.

Hope that helps
 
Get no lights, not even a blink.

It says on the packet of connector for use with stranded, twisted pair. The cable I'm using is solid core twisted pair.
 
Get no lights, not even a blink.

It says on the packet of connector for use with stranded, twisted pair. The cable I'm using is solid core twisted pair.

Solid Core Cable RJ45 Connectors. I would be tempted to buy a pack of them and try them. It seems everything else is fine except your ends.
 
For the lengths that you are talking about, those connectors are fine, typical convention is to use solid core for the core backbone links and stranded for the patch cables. But I have used solid core throughout my house with no problems.

Link lights indicate physical connectivity (layer 1)
Keep each cable run under 100mt to be on the safe side
check the ends, correct colour sequence (as above) and that you can see the copper wire is in contact with the copper connectors and as near to the top/end of the connector as you can when looking at the RJ45 from the top (same angle as pic 2)
Pic 4 looks alright but it is hard to tell from a photo

Try making a short cable from your PC to router to test
a) you are making the cables correctly (pay attention to pins 1,2,3,6 as they carry the signal)
b) Its not a problem with shorts in the cable

Also keep the run away from any large power emitting device as that can play havoc with networks..
 
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Right you should have got twisted wire if you didn't want to use a wall mounting and just use a network connector its too unreliable as you found out

You want a modular connector and a wal mounting and then use the network termintors with twisted from the wall to the pc/switch/router
 
Intriguing..
Why?
If anything, solid core is better quality, but it shouldn't stop him getting a connection especially going from a PC to a switch...
 
this may be a silly question, but are your wires even making contact with the copper contacts on the RJ45 connectors? on picture HPIM1039.JPG it looks like each wire has the plastic jacket on all the way to the end, and i know that with the connectors ive used in my house, they had to be stripped back a little way so that the actual wire core makes contact with the copper on the connector.
 
this may be a silly question, but are your wires even making contact with the copper contacts on the RJ45 connectors? on picture HPIM1039.JPG it looks like each wire has the plastic jacket on all the way to the end, and i know that with the connectors ive used in my house, they had to be stripped back a little way so that the actual wire core makes contact with the copper on the connector.

The idea of the RJ45 connectors is that you crimp them, when crimped the copper pins cut into the individual wires, you should not strip casing off the individual wires.

Top the OP, make sure you squeeze the crimping tool really, really hard, to ensure that the pins are cutting into the wires. :)

InvG
 
If you look at this photo, you will see the actual cable is not stripped back (dont need to be) but goes all the way to the front of the RJ45.

RJ45.GIF
 
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