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DIY: Premium Sleeved Ethernet Cable

post #1 of 26
9/15/11 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 


The step by step process to make your own premium ethernet cables.

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post #2 of 26
9/15/11 at 8:24pm
Really?
You are not twisting your own pairs are you?
What does the sleeve do besides look good?
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post #3 of 26
9/16/11 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 11001011 View Post

What does the sleeve do besides look good?

From the OP:
"I know there is no benefit to doing this, but I wanted all my cables to match."

To each their own...
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post #4 of 26
9/16/11 at 7:21am
That braided cover looks very nice. Hiding the cables completely might be nicer - 'cleanest' install, IMO.

(Completely unrelated to this post, just thinking out loud: )
But that would be cool to DIY a jumper ethernet cable, to make it 'better' than the TIA/EIA spec. Might tighten up the midrange 1s and 0s, and 'open up' the floor.
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post #5 of 26
9/16/11 at 8:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neurorad View Post

...Might tighten up the midrange 1s and 0s, and 'open up' the floor.

Exactly! Whenever I look in the debugger, my 1's are always lacking that fine serif that I'd like to see. And I feel that my 0's could be a little fatter or rounder.

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post #6 of 26
9/16/11 at 9:05am
Nice job, looks stock, looking forward to how u did it.
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post #7 of 26
9/16/11 at 4:27pm
That's awesome!
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post #8 of 26
9/18/11 at 8:29am
Quote:


looking forward to how u did it.

1) Take an off the shelf ethernet cable
2) shove it through some "snakeskin"
3) post online.
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post #9 of 26
9/18/11 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SAM64 View Post

1) Take an off the shelf ethernet cable
2) shove it through some "snakeskin"
3) post online.

Wow, that explains it all - NOT!

Exactly how to u "shove" when most cables' strain relief are "welded" or if u find one that's loose, again how do you "shove" using what tools, without messing the snakeskin or the strain relief.

Try again, now at ground level, step-by-step pictures 'coz me dumb.
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post #10 of 26
9/19/11 at 8:09am
Quote:
'coz me dumb.
...you said it.
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post #11 of 26
9/19/11 at 7:31pm
Thread Starter 
The Cat 5e + braided sleeving is to large to just "shove" through the cable boot. I have been busy with work and school but I will post more soon. It is not that complicated, but it will improve the 1s and 0's they will go from this:

1

to this:

1
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post #12 of 26
9/19/11 at 8:47pm
hehe
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post #13 of 26
10/7/11 at 6:34pm
Thread Starter 
The step by step process to make your own premium ethernet cables.



Gather the Tools and Parts


Tools:
  • RJ45 Crimp Tool
  • Wire Stripper
  • RJ45 Tester
  • Scissors
  • Lighter

Parts:
  • Desired length of Cat 5e cable
  • Desired length of 1/4in braided sleeving
  • 2 RJ45 crimp connectors
  • 2 RJ45 boots
  • Scotch tape

Measure out the Cat5e Cable


This step is as easy as it sounds, simply measure out the Cat5e cable to the length you desire. If you are measuring a custom length in order to connect two components, make sure to leave room for errors. Cut the cable to length.


Apply the braided sleeve


Again, very easy, simply slide the braided sleeving over the ethernet cable. Make sure you slide the sleeving on the entire length and leave an inch or so off each end. Cut the sleeving with the scissors and use the lighter to slightly melt each end in order to prevent fraying.

Trim The Ethernet Cable Sheath



Using the wire stripper cut the sheath off of the cable about 2 inches or so from the end of the wires. Be careful not to nick the wires in the process. It is important to leave at least 2 inches so you have room to slide the sleeve and still crimp the connector.


Tape Down the Braided Sleeve



Slide the braided sleeve just past the point where the sheath begins. Use the scotch tape to secure the end of the braid to the actual wires so it will not slide when you slip the boot on. If you melted the sleeving too much you may need to trim it and melt it less so as to not cause bumps.

Slide the Boot Back Over the Taped Section of the Sleeve

Slide the boot on the cable small end first. Make sure to gently slide it past the portion of the braided sleeve that is taped and on to the thick, sheath covered part of the cable.

Crimp the Connnector
  • You don't need to strip any of the wires. Just spread the wires apart, un-twist them down to the sheath and put them in the order they'll go in the connector.
  • Straighten each of the wires and pull them together so they're flat and in the right order.
  • Cut the wires across the tips so that they are flat across the end. Use a smaller wire cutter so that each wire will stay in the right shape. (If they get distorted, they might not fit into the connector very well)
  • Slide them into the plug until the ends of the wires are touching the far end of the connector. You might want to compare the end to a pre-made cable to double check everything before crimping. The picture below shows one way to align the individual strands, but as long as they are the same on both side it will not matter.(If you want a crossover cable it will, you will need to google the correct layout)


  • Insert the connector and wire into your crimping tool. Crimp the connector and use plenty of force to get solid connections.



Slide the boot


Simply slide the boot up to cover the connector and the area of exposed cable and you are done!






Enjoy!
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post #14 of 26
10/8/11 at 5:09am

Nice job scoyne! Never seen those boots before, pretty cool! A much-needed “accessory.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to crimp on RJ-45 connectors with the leads cut super short so that the cable jacket could fit up under the end of the connector. What a pain!


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt



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post #15 of 26
10/10/11 at 8:19am
The EZRJ45 crimper and connectors make it even easier. The conductors pass through the male connector, and are trimmed at the time of the compression - crimper has a blade that trims neatly. You slide the connector over the conductors until the jacket slides inside of the connector.
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post #16 of 26
10/10/11 at 10:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne A. Pflughaupt View Post


Nice job scoyne! Never seen those boots before, pretty cool! A much-needed accessory. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to crimp on RJ-45 connectors with the leads cut super short so that the cable jacket could fit up under the end of the connector. What a pain!


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




It definitely takes practice, but you should keep the jacket within the connector when crimped - unlike what the OP did.

Whenever I have to make a cable one of the things I do is strip an extra few inches off. Put the cables in order and while squeezing them at the jacket under my thumb, twist the far ends together and then cut it to size (this keeps the trimmed cables long and bunched together for easy cleanup!) Then slide on the crimp.
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post #17 of 26
10/10/11 at 1:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by video321 View Post

It definitely takes practice, but you should keep the jacket within the connector when crimped - unlike what the OP did.
.

Agreed, this is the preferred method, however, with the addition of the sleeve I needed the extra area without the sheath in order to get the boot on. The boot would not slide more then a mm or 2 over the sheath covered portion of the cable. I am going to get some techflex and see if the thinnner sleeves allows for the boot the slode further.
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post #18 of 26
10/11/11 at 10:00am
That's a very nice looking black strain relief boot.

Here is a video showing the Platinum Tools EZRJ45 cimper, MUCH easier than a conventional crimper.

Shorter version


Longer version
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post #19 of 26
10/11/11 at 11:11am
Very nice.

But after hooking another dozen of so, u will wonder why u spent so much time.

The only cabling I remain awed about was when I walked into this high end store, they must have like a Mark Levison, 200LB power amp on the floor, hooked to what I remember water-hose thick cables 0000 or something, beautifully gold plated, not for the mere mortals.
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post #20 of 26
10/11/11 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBobb View Post

Very nice.

But after hooking another dozen of so, u will wonder why u spent so much time.

LOL true, my "network" only has 2 so it wasn't to bad, I would really only bother for the cables in a home theater rack.
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post #21 of 26
10/11/11 at 11:38am
Speaking of mere mortals, read some of the comments:

Amazon is selling Penis Mightiers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B000I...cr_electronics
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post #22 of 26
10/11/11 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
The EZ system does look nice, its a little more expensive and might be best for someone making lots of cables.

Just ordered some clean cut (no-fray) techflex from ebay, (furryletters sells great sleeving) hopefully the rigidity of the techflex fixes the bulge and the clean cut properties keep the weave looking tight.
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post #23 of 26
10/15/11 at 10:43am
Thread Starter 
I made an ethernet cable and a CATV cable using non-fray braided sleeving, it looks neater and the sleeving fits tighter. The pictures are posted at the bottom post # 13.
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post #24 of 26
10/17/12 at 10:33am
is this a good kit to get?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10509&cs_id=1050905&p_id=7056&seq=1&format=2#description
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post #25 of 26
10/18/12 at 11:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by video321 View Post

It definitely takes practice, but you should keep the jacket within the connector when crimped - unlike what the OP did..

This is really important point. If you don't catch the jacket inside the connector, you are relying on the copper to hold the tension in your cable. Adding the strain-relief boot increases the tension in the cable at the connector (it acts as a lever, trading torsion for tension) This makes for a very brittle cable, especially if any of the pairs got nicked when stripping the jacket.

The method Video321 describes is much better. Strip 1" of jacket, arrange the pairs, then trim down to 3/8" exposed and add the connector. Make sure the jacket extends past the pinch point inside the back of the connector.
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post #26 of 26
11/17/12 at 11:58am
Eh, is anyone's time worth so little as to bother doing this just for looks?

Me, I'd rather design the setup so I don't ever see the cables, rather than fixate on whether they've got a pretty looking, but largely useless, braided cover on them. Or just buy 'em ready-made.
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