Good work, John Scanlan.
We are spending more time and resources on building installation training so please provide us feedback and suggestions for further work here.
Terminating cables properly is critical to network performance, but it can be a tricky task with multiple steps. Fortunately, this task is easy to manage and get right when the proper tools, connectors, and methods are understood.
In this guide, we teach the key points of network cable termination, including:
Plus, we include 4 video demonstrations on stripping cable jackets, terminating RJ45 mod tips, terminating CAT 6 network cable to a keystone jack and patch panel termination.
This is part of our ongoing series of installation guides including:
Direct Connect Vs. Jack And Patch Vs. MPTL
Before any discussion of terminating cables, users should decide whether cables will be terminated with a modular plug directly into the camera (direct connect), or if a jack will be installed with a short patch cable to the camera or other device (jack and patch) or if MPTL will be used. Very simply explained as jack and patch at the head end and direct attach at the endpoint. These are illustrated below:
Direct connect is most common in IP cameras, but installers should be aware that not all users prefer this method. Some bid specs may require a jack to be installed, as well. Additionally, cables are rarely terminated to plugs at the switch/NVR end but are instead typically terminated to a patch panel to more easily facilitate labeling and moves and changes.
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Good work, John Scanlan.
We are spending more time and resources on building installation training so please provide us feedback and suggestions for further work here.
I saw this post on social media, and it was compelling enough for me to swing by and check it out - Looks like a really nice little resource!
I personal love seeing these types of quick/concise/to-the-point guides!
Look into the new Belden REVConnect products. These work really well and are much faster to install.
Looking at my pricing the REVConnect is about 55 cents more than a traditional connector. You buy the core and then put on whatever color modular jack or direct connect jack you want. So for 55 cents more but labor probably cut in half this make perfect sense. Especially like most integrators we aren't termination hundreds of cable a day usually.
Shannon - thanks for sharing. Is the REVconnect crimper required? It looks like that may be another $100 or so per van/tech.
Yes it is required and that is an average cost but the labor savings it provides in say a years time more than pays for that. I know where I work we often get caught up in how much something might cost but never consider will this save labor costs or even as simple as four or five people discussing whether to charge a customer for a $50 part when you spent $200 in labor discussing said part.
I would also suggest if an Integrator were to switch over to this system make sure and get ahold of the local Belden rep. They may give you some of the crimpers if you buy enough and I'm not talking a thousand dollar order either.
I like the EZ RJ45 type, conductors passed through end of connector and cut when terminated:
I am a big fan of those. It eliminates the problem of stripping too much or not enough of the cable jacket and ensures that each of the wires are cut to length.
Just ensure that the proper crimper is used. Seeing a tech use a standard crimper on those connectors, then try to flush cut the conductors afterwards will make my eye twitch.
The last job I went out on these almost 75% had to be re-terminated and they even had the correct crimper. Grrrr. Profit gone!
Because at the end of the connector where the wire was sticking out the cut wasn't clean and we RJ45 couldn't make a solid connection in the jacks. Could have been user error but I have run into this several times over the years.
Their cutting blade was probably dull, for best results change blade often. Buy extra blades.
Or just don't use the EZ system. I tried the system a long time ago when I was first getting into this. It seemed to make it faster, but then I simply got faster using the traditional way and didn't need to look at the end or worry about dull blades. I still use the correct crimper as I like the crimper. I just don't use the EZ connectors.
Ideally you don't use RJ45 connectors and instead use biscuits and patch cables as a standard. To me just using RJ45 connectors is being cheap and lazy.
Yeah, sorry, I should have linked the crimpers as well:
https://www.platinumtools.com/products/crimpers/ez-rj45-crimpers/
GEM also has same type (I think less costly) and connectors as well:
http://www.gemelec.com/
For those not familiar, this is an EZ-RJ45:
Brian recently posted this discussion where others stated that they are helpful for those with poor eyesight.
Mostly I’m impressed the cables are in the right place. It’s surprising when you see a manufacturer example of an item and it’s either mounted poorly (recently as a vandal dome on a wall with rain) or some other inconsistency!
I've made fun of techs for using these in the past, because it just seems so lazy and I wasn't convinced that the convenience wasn't worth the added cost of the connectors.
Then I used it myself.
Now I'm sold.
I started using the EZ-RJ45 because I have some nerve damage causing me numbness and pain in my hands. It would start halfway through an installation and I would barely be able to finish. The tool really helped me spend less time working on the connectors and nearly eliminated the pain and numbness.
I think it is a great tool.
It's sealed pretty well, that's what makes it a viable product.
Wow, this is very handy John, thanks for the effort.
Well this article is embarrassing, you're incorrectly showing CAT 6 components as CAT 6A.
Can you point out where? The only reference to 6A is in the modular plug section, and those images are taken from manufacturers who list those exact components as 6A.
There are three types of RJ45 modular plugs. One made for solid conductor cable, one made for stranded conductor cable, and one that's designed for either. Using the wrong one will cause issues at some point.
Thanks Randy - It has to do with the shape of the conductors in the RJ45. Shown below the stranded conductor has two teeth and the solid conductor has three teeth:
Correct. Typically, one will be cheaper than the other. So purchasing departments may purchasing the wrong one based upon price, then if techs don't know what to look for, the wrong connector gets installed. Typically the issue doesn't surface on the initial install, but after a cable gets plugged and unplugged the conductor gets loose.
One system you don't mention is the keystone patch panel. I haven't punched a panel in over a year. The problem I have is when you don't fill the entire patch panel and need to add cables to the patch panel in the future. I find that using a keystone patch panel avoids the potential of knocking the existing punched cables and causing them not to work. In a tight rack, this can happen.
Many make their own keystone system for time savings. I like the Dynacom KwiJack system that uses their KwikTool. It works well and is relatively inexpensive. For the keystone panel, I just get the ones from PI as they work well and are inexpensive.
For shielded panels, I used the ones from Dynacom.
I looked into the Belden system and got a demo of it, but I believe it costs more than 55 cents over what I use currently. They make the KwikJack work with 5e, 6, and 6a UTP keystone jacks. I may look at the Belden system again at some point.
Kyle - thanks, great comment. We have a keystone patch panel here on our test network. Below is a picture of it for others that are not familiar:
We are using it for the all of the reasons you mentioned, and because our test network changes so frequently.
The termination is similar to other keystone jacks so demonstrating it would be redundant, but I will add this to the keystone jack use section.
Unrelated to this thread, what are the servers in blue below? Just out of interest?
We have a bunch of SFF machines / NUCs that we use for testing. The first one you highlighted is our "utility" server. It runs a bunch of non-vms services for us; PRTG, time server, disk cloning software, and several other services. The other machines are running Avigilon, Genetec, Milestone, Exacq, NxWitness,, other VMSes we use for testing.
Just to expand on John's comment: The NUC is a small form factor PC marketed by Intel (it stands for Next Unit of Computing) which we have found works a lot better than other small form factors we've tried. It's more flexible in processor, memory, and storage selection.
For example, all of ours are running quad core i7s, 16GB RAM, an m.2 SSD for the OS, and then a 1TB drive for video storage. Older models we tried were all focused on being super low power, but were much weaker, only supported a single drive, 4GB of RAM, etc. We've been pretty happy with them in this configuration. Sean has a rack of them for VMS testing, as well.
I use NUC's quite a bit for the network I manage. How well do they perform with a Milestone server on it? What are the specs? How many cameras do you think you could run?
I'm sure this tip are well known, but I'll share these illustrative pics anyway as the method was extremely useful against 'creative youngsters' that pulled the RJ45 from few WAP's over and over again some years ago, but after this cut they never been pulled so easily again.
U7 - thanks. Is this an access point in a school that students were disconnecting? I am assuming that APs are mounted on the ceiling, are they not? If so, how were they disconnecting them?
It looks like after cutting the RJ45 release tab they would need to carry a tweaker to disconnect it.
Correct, school and stupid low place to mount WAP and way to easy for students to releasing the RJ45 (until I cut off the releaser).
Thanks for sharing that. There are also RJ45 locks that can help with this.
I have some issues with the wiring standards.
ANSI-TIA recommend A
Telecommunications Outlet
Each 4 pair horizontal cable shall be terminated on an 8 position modular
jack. The outlet shall meet the interface requirements of IEC 60603-7. The
standard pin configuration is T568A, and T568B is provided to accommodate
other 8 pin configurations
Additionally, A provides backwards compatibility for USOC 1 and 2 pair wiring schemes where as B only provides 1 pair.
B only exists because of AT&Ts old wiring scheme, however the cable twist rates were designed around A and as such it is the superior standard.
Installers should be installing A in greenfield sites and only reverting to B (if needed or spec'd) for the above reasons rather than the other way around. I know B is very common in the US but it's almost non existent in AU/NZ because AS/NZS 3080 prefers A
With all that said, in the end, no one will see any adverse affects no matter which standard you choose, but I feel it's helpful to enlighten people on A vs B and why A is better.
Hello, For our connections directly on camera we use FM45 from R&M.
Sometimes, we have small problems with size of this connector
Regards, Serge
Thank you Serge. For clarity, below is an image of an FM45
Similar to the Compression Gland Connector demonstrated in the report it is advertised as tool-less. This really means crimper-less (or specialty tool-less). The installer will still need a jacket stripper and either electrician scissors or diagonal cut pliers to flush cut the wires.
The problem Serge faces is that the body of the FM45 is so large compared to an RJ45 that it does not work with all cameras, or may be more difficult to connect to some cameras.