Construction
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| Step 1: Selecting the Right Cable |
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| Once you've decided to install UTP cable of a particular grade, you can consider some of the other optional cable features available. The average computer store will probably have Category 5 cables in a few different lengths and possibly in a few different colors. These should work fine on a basic network, but there are other options as well, which you will probably be able to get only from a catalog or online retailer. |
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| Step 2: Stranded UTP Cables |
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| Most of the prefabricated UTP cables found in stores are stranded, meaning that the copper conductor within each wire is composed of multiple strands wound together. This construction provides good flexibility, enabling you to bend the cable around corners easily, but it is also more prone to attenuation (signal weakening). Stranded Category 5 cables are typically available in lengths up to 20 or 30 feet, and you should not count on spanning longer distances with them effectively. |
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| Step 3: Solid UTP Cables |
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| In solid cables, the conductor within each wire is a solid piece of copper, rather than multiple strands. Solid conductors provide greater resistance to attenuation and these cables can therefore span longer distances. However, the cables are also much less flexible than stranded ones, and the conductors can conceivably break if flexed repeatedly. You can bend a solid cable around a corner, but you should be careful to secure it in place so that it cannot be moved after the installation. |
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| Step 4: Choosing Connector Hoods |
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| Prefabricated UTP cables are often available at several price points for cables of the same length and construction, and one of the features affecting the price is the way that the connectors are secured to the ends of the cable. Basic cables typically have the RJ45 connectors attached with no protective covering, while more expensive cables have rubber boots molded around the connector and the end of the cable. The boots protect the connectors while pulling the cable through walls. |
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| Step 5: Plenum Cables |
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| When installing cable in an office building, fire codes often dictate that cables running through the air spaces in the building's walls (called plenums) must have an outer sheath made from a material that does not emit toxic gases when it burns. The PVC sheathing used on most cables does emit these gases, so there is a separate grade of cable, called plenum cables, that have sheathing made of a safer material. Plenum cables are less flexible and more expensive, but if local codes require it, use them. |
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| Step 6: Connector Pinouts |
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| Most UTP cables are wired straight through, meaning that each pin in one connector is wired to the same pin in the other connector, but there are two different standards that define which color wire should be connected to which pin. The 568A and 568B standards differ only in that the green and orange wire pairs are reversed. There is no functional difference in choosing one standard over the other, but when installing bulk cable, you should choose one standard and stick to it, even for your patch cables. |
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| Step 7: Crossover Cables |
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| Most prefabricated cables are wired straight through, but you can also purchase cables in which the transmit pins on each connector are wired to the receive pins on the other connector. This is called a crossover cable, and it enables you to create a two-node UTP network by connecting two computers without a hub. |
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| Step 8: Cable Colors |
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| Prefabricated UTP cables are often available in a variety of colors. It may seem silly to be concerned about the color of your cables, but when you are installing a network in a home or office with exposed cables, using the color that most closely matches your walls can help them to be more inconspicuous. |
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