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Ethernet CAT 5 UTP Cabling
Ethernet CAT 5 UTP Cabling
There are two wiring standards for these cables, called T-568A and T-568B. They differ only in pin assignments, not in uses of the various colors. The illustration above shows both standards.
Straight-Through v. Crossover
In general, the patch cords that you use with your Ethernet connections are "straight-through," which means that pin 1 of the plug on one end is connected to pin 1 of the plug on the other end (for either standard). The only time you cross connections in 10BaseT is when you connect two Ethernet devices directly together without a hub or connect two hubs together. Then you need a "Crossover" patch cable, which crosses the transmit and receive pairs. An easy way remember how
to make a Crossover cable is to wire one end with the T-568A standard and the other with the T568B standard. It is a good idea to use a distinctive cable color for crossover patch cords.
Note: A punch-down tool is generally used to install wire onto a wall jack. The wall jack is normally color-coded. Place un-stripped wire on the clip and press down with punch-down tool. The tool automatically puts wire in place and trims off the excess.
Strict adherence to EIA/TIA 568 installation standards is essential to successful transmission at 100 Mbps over CAT 5 UTP. Because a less-than-perfect installation will probably transport 10 Mbps traffic without problem, noncompliant installations may not surface until upgrades to 100 Mbps network architectures are attempted. Among the most common installation mistakes are the following:
Untwisting the UTP wire more than the maximum 13 mm (1/2 inch) to secure the UTP to wall plates or punch down blocks. Exceeding the maximum bend radius specified for UTP. Overbending the wire can cause cross-talk between stretched pairs of wire. Bundling the groups of UTP together too tightly with cable ties. Excessively pinching the UTP together can increase cross-talk between pairs.