What is the Connector for a Network Cable Called? • Procedure for crimping

What does an Ethernet cable look like?

Ethernet cables are similar to telephone cables, but they are larger and have more wires.

Both cables have the same shape and connector, but the Ethernet cable has eight wires and a larger connector, while the telephone connector has only four wires. Ethernet cables come in a variety of colors, but telephone cables are usually grey/black.

Of course, Ethernet cables connect to Ethernet ports, which, again, are larger than phone cable ports. The Ethernet port on the computer is accessible through the network card on the motherboard.

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to a number of criteria, otherwise a bad wire will cause a weak signal and constant loss of communication. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!

twisted pair connector

To create reliable connections, connectors from the RJ series are used. This short abbreviation stands for Registered Jack. This translates to "registered connector". It was first created by Bell in 1975 with the goal of bringing the connectors used to a common denominator.

The entire series of these connectors is in one way or another related to connecting to networks. For example, a four-wire RJ9 is used to connect the handset to the device.

Used as a twisted-pair connector, RJ-45, by the way, is divided into two types - standard RJ-45 and RJ-45S. The first is used to create local networks, and the second is used to connect modems.

In fact, the term RJ-45, which has taken root in Russia, is called so erroneously because it is similar in appearance to RJ-45S, which uses four wires. However, the name is firmly attached to the local network connector, so this abbreviation will also be used in this article.

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

PoE technology, an abbreviation for Power on Ethernet, was created in order to provide power to network equipment without the use of additional cables, providing reference voltage transmission over twisted pair cables. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!

RJ45 or 8P8C connector

If you've dealt with computer networks before, you've no doubt heard that both the terms RJ45 and 8P8C are used interchangeably. However, let's find out why such a contrast arose in the first place.

History of the RJ45 connector

Let's start with the RJ45 connector. This term is now most widely used to refer to Ethernet cable connections.

RJ is translated and stands for “registered jack”. The RJ connector was originally developed as part of a standardized telecommunications network interface for connection in telephone networks.

RJ connectors were developed as a significantly smaller and cheaper replacement for older telephone methods of installing wire cords or bulky plugs.

With the advent of computer networks, a new but very similar connector was developed for data transmission: 8P8C.

Connector 8P8C

In the 8P8C (8Position8Contact) connector, each plug has eight holes for wires, which are spaced approximately 1 mm apart. The individual cores of the twisted pair cable are inserted into these holes to connect to the connector.

In the RJ45 Ethernet connector, the inserted wires are crimped. There are 8P8C connectors where the contact of the cores is carried out differently.

Due to its popularity and maximum distribution, the RJ45 connector has become the formal designation for any eight-position/pin 8P8C modular connector used in computer networks (Ethernet). Therefore, this plug is often called the rj45 8p8c connector.

The formal differences between 8P8C and RJ45 connectors are shown in the following diagram:

As you can see in the photo, these connectors are not fully compatible with each other. 8P8C connectors can be connected to RJ45 sockets, but the reverse is (formally) not possible.

So what the industry calls RJ45 connectors are actually 8P8C modular connectors. They are sold as rj45 8p8c connector.

Today, almost all electronic equipment using 8P8C connectors will use the term RJ45 in their documentation, which is technically incorrect, but everyone understands. This misuse of terminology is widespread in the industry and is unlikely to change anytime soon.

There's really no reason to worry. However, when purchasing a connector, look for the formally correct marking “RJ45 (8P8C)” to avoid confusion or disputes.

Crimping techniques

Each twisted pair cable has four colors. The pair has a conductor filled with a solid color and mixed with white. The palette is as follows - white-orange and orange, white-green and green, white-blue and blue, white-brown and brown.

Depending on the device connection parameters, different color options are used. That is, at one end of the cable there should be one pattern, at the other - another, or the same one, as will be shown below.

For example, when connecting a computer and a hub, the following color markings must be observed:

1. White-orange - white-orange.
2. Orange is orange.
3. White-green - white-green.
4. Blue - blue.
5. White-blue - white-blue.
6. Green is green.
7. White-brown - white-brown.
8. Brown - brown.

That is, color to color. And if you need to connect two computers or hubs, a special color scheme is used, which is commonly called “cross”:

As you can see, many colors have only slightly changed their location. The brown and blue pairs remained in their places, but the orange and green pairs changed.

By the way, many modern devices have learned to determine the placement of pairs automatically, which is undoubtedly convenient when creating large networks.

Cable interference protection

• chemical (from moisture, gas, ultraviolet radiation);
• mechanical (external influence factors - impacts, bends, twisting);
• shielding (from internal and external radiation from technical means of information processing).

Power is the root cause of the appearance of electrical signals operating in electrical networks. Shielding helps neutralize and reduce the influence of external electromagnetic fields on the Internet cable.

• FTP - isolated. They have a single signal suppressor;
• F2TP – double protection cord with a thin metal sheet;
• S/FTP. The insulated cores are protected, the surface covering is copper weaving;
• STP – individual conductors, the entire cable;
• U/STP. Each individual wire is covered with a thin sheet of metal;
• SF/UTP. There is a double coating of copper braid and metallic paper.

For home connections, in most cases, a four-pin UTP template is used. It is unshielded and susceptible to all kinds of energy emissions operating in electrical and magnetic networks. The most secure is FTP, which resists changes in the state of the electromagnetic field of artificial origin.

RJ-45 twisted pair connector: description, characteristics and types

A network cable used to switch connections between a computer and network equipment is crimped in two ways: straight and cross, which differ in the pressing of the cores in the connector.

Expert opinion

Viktor Pavlovich Strebizh, lighting and electrical expert

Any questions ask me, I will help!

Practically, all owners of existing communication channels with the world computer system use unshielded twisted pair UTP of the fifth category. If there is something you don’t understand, write to me!

General information

Very often there is a need to wire a home network of devices with Internet access. Solving the problem is very simple, since you need to purchase a router, configure it and connect all devices to it. In this case, cable crimping is necessary. There are two ways out of this situation: seek help from a specialist or perform the crimping yourself. Crimping a network cable is inexpensive, but in some cases it can be unprofitable, since you need to adjust and wait for a specialist to arrive.

In some cases, for convenience, you need to use your home network, since it is not very convenient to run with a flash drive from one computer to another and download your favorite show or movie. To do this, you need to know how to properly crimp a twisted pair with 8 cores.

Types of twisted pair

Twisted pair is a special cable consisting of a certain number of copper wires in a sheath, and they are twisted together in a certain way. The wires are twisted in a certain way in order to eliminate their influence on each other. Twisted pair cable is used for data transmission. The network cable is connected to devices through special connectors using connectors.

An Ethernet cable can be with or without protection. The protective sheath is made of aluminum foil or sheath (braid). Protection can be of two types: general and pairwise. General protection applies to the entire cable, and pairwise protection only to each pair. The network cable can be divided into several types:

1. UTP.
2. FTP.
3. STP.
4. S/FTP.
5. S/STP.
6. SF/UTP.

Types of network cables marked UTP (unshielded) or FTP (common foil shield) can be used indoors. If you need to lay communications outdoors, you should use an SF/UTP cable. If the Internet wire is laid together with an electrical cable, it is necessary to use STP or S/STP, which provides protection for each pair and a double screen (length more than 100 m). The S/FTP cable (each pair and the cable itself is shielded) is designed for use in environments with high noise levels.

Each core of an Ethernet cable can consist of one (single-core) or many (multi-core) conductors. Single-core wires bend poorly, but have improved characteristics that affect the signal transmission distance. They crimp better, are fixed and practically do not bend. A network cable, the cores of which consist of one conductor, is used to connect Internet outlets.

Twisted pair wires, the wires of which contain many conductors, bend well, but have high attenuation during signal transmission. It is difficult to crimp it because you can cut through the insulation. It is difficult to insert into the connector and is used in cases where flexibility is important (from an Internet outlet to a personal computer).

Category and containment

The twisted pair category is very important. To connect to the Internet or conduct communications for a computer network, you should use a category of at least CAT5. In exceptional cases, CAT6 and CAT6a are suitable. Category designations are embossed on the shell. There are a total of 7 types of categories for twisted pair:

1. I - 1 pair (bandwidth 0.1 MHz): used in telephone communications.
2. II - 2 (1 MHz): networks with data transfer rates up to 4 Mbit/s.
3. III - 4 (16 MHz): 10 and 100 Mbit/s.
4. IV - 4 (20 MHz): up to 16 Mbit/s.
5. V - 4 (100 MHz): 100 Mbit/s (2 pairs are used).
6. Ve - 4 (125 MHz): 100 Mbit/s (2 pairs) and 1 Gbit/s (4 pairs).
7. VI - 4 (250 MHz): from 1 to 10 Gbit/s.
8. VII - 4 (600 MHz): shielded up to 10 Gbit/s.

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Twisted pair also differs in the shape and color of the shell. The common type of power cord is gray sheath. The orange (bright red) color of the sheath indicates that the power cord does not support combustion. The latter type of wire makes sense to use in areas prone to fire. In addition, twisted pairs are flat and round. They do not differ in technical characteristics.

The Ethernet cable consists of 2 (4 wires) or 4 (wires) pairs. At speeds up to 100 Mbit/s, 2 pairs can be used. If the data transfer rate is in the range from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps), then all 8 wires (pairs) should be used. When designing your home network or connecting to the Internet, you should take these features into account. It is better to stretch 4 pairs at once, since if the information transmission speed increases above 100 Mbit/s, you will have to re-tighten the cable.

Connection to the connector

It is used when replacing a failed special item for connecting to a provider’s wire, connecting a personal computer to a router with a twisted pair cable, connecting two computers on a local network. Represents the fastening of special disconnectors at the ends of the cord.

A network cable used to switch connections between a computer and network equipment is crimped in two ways: straight and cross, which differ in the pressing of the cores in the connector.

Computer-to-computer (cross-cross) is used to connect similar devices: computer-to-computer, router-to-router, TV-to-computer. Named for the cross arrangement of the connector cores. One end is crimped with a direct connection, the other with a modified sequence.

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Installation diagrams and connection methods

Connecting a telephone socket is much easier than its electrical counterpart

But a process that involves working with low, but still voltage, requires accuracy and caution

The connection diagram for a telephone socket is quite simple and involves connecting the two ends of the telephone wire to the corresponding contacts in the socket

When installing a telephone socket, you can use one of two installation methods:

• open - involves installation in an overhead manner;
• closed - in which the telephone line is hidden inside the wall.

When choosing a laying method, they are guided by the design of the walls, the service conditions of the communication line and the pretentiousness of the design of the room itself. Surface-mounted sockets do not look very aesthetically pleasing, but they are ideal for speed of maintenance: in a matter of minutes they can be removed from the support and the integrity of the contacts can be assessed.

The open method can be carried out without mounting it on the wall at all, by placing the device on the floor, and hiding the cable leading to it under the baseboard

To protect exposed wires from mechanical damage, decorative plastic cable channels are used. They are found on sale in the form of wall structures and floor skirting boards. It is convenient to monitor the condition of the wire in them through one- or two-sided snap panels.

For closed installation, KSPV cable is most often used. The single core of this cable is made of copper wire, and the outer sheath is made of polyethylene, painted white.

The telephone line is also laid using the TRP distribution cable. It has a dividing base. The core of this single-pair wire is also made of copper and insulated with polyethylene.

For ease of use and harmonious combination with the design, telephone sockets are not installed separately in the wall, but are included in the socket block

To decorate the connection points and make them less noticeable to prying eyes, the devices are placed behind TV screens and monitors, and are also built behind the façade of wall-mounted furniture.

A separate line should be highlighted for sockets built into the baseboard. The main thing is to choose models whose front panel fits tightly to the surface of the baseboard. Otherwise, over time, it will begin to move away from the base, exposing unsightly seams.