If you know you have a big networking job ahead of you, you can save a lot of money by making your own patch cables. You can make your own by taking CAT-5 cable, cutting the right length, and attaching an RJ-45 connector at each end. This process is rather easy — I can barely change a light bulb, but I’ve been making my own cable connectors for years. To make your own patch cables, you need cable, RJ-45 connectors, a wire stripper, and a crimper to seat the connection properly.
You can buy bulk cable inexpensively — a 300-foot roll of cable costs about the same as two 50-foot patch cables. If you buy a larger roll of bulk cable, the price per foot is even lower (sell what you don’t use to a neighbor who is installing a home network).
The RJ-45 connectors cost a few pennies each, but you’ll probably have to buy at least a 20-pack — I’ve never seen them sold individually. Buying a crimper should set you back less than $100, and a wire stripper costs a few dollars.
Of course, you can make the investment you of these supplies pay off by offering to install cabled networks for your friends and neighbors.
To make a patch cable, follow these steps:
1. Cut the length of cable you need. Don’t forget to account for climbing up or down walls, running along baseboards, and allowing slack.
2. Use the stripper to remove about half an inch of insulation from the end of the cable.
3. Push the wires into the holes on the RJ-45 connector.
You’ll find they slide in easily.
4. Position the crimper where the wires meet the connector, and press firmly. Most crimpers come with instructions, including illustrations, to explain exactly how to crimp the connector. Most crimpers can handle a variety of connector sizes (for example, your crimper can also probably make regular telephone wire connectors, called RJ-11 connectors), so make sure you use the position marked for RJ-45 connectors.
5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for the other end of the cable.
