RJ45 Cat5e cables - male one one end, female (keystone) on other

What you should do, is visualize the conductors passing through the connectors. Do they match up?

Yes, you follow the standard wiring.

I'd recommend against that. Spend the $100 on a patch-panel for the basement, and terminate your cable into that. A couple years down the road, you won't have to be redoing the ends, because solid crimps that flex (ie. into a switch) just don't hold up for years and years.

Its all straight-through.

Don't do that. Either get a patch panel or, if you don't have too many cables, more keystone jacks, and then use patch cables to connect to the switch.

-Larry Jones

He's just jealous because I accomplish so much more than he does. -- Calvin

We don't use male RJ-45 connectors on solid conductor cable, we punch down this cable to a patch panel. If a patch panel is too expensive, then install a 4 0r 6 port faceplate and use keystone jacks. Then use patch cords from the panel to the switch.

Crimping on RJ-45s to solid conductor cable is unreliable and considered unprofessional. And you end up with a poorly labeled mess.

Just a follow-up on how the wiring project went.

I decided to take the advice of the knowledgeable folks here, and terminated both ends of all Cat5e UTP solid core with keystones; I didn't have enough (6) to really necessitate a patch panel. I then used short patch cables to connect to the switch. All of the lines tested out on the first try, and she's up and running. The only casualty was about 2 lbs of water weight that came out as sweat as I ran lines to & from the very hot attic.

Thanks to all who offered their advice on my project.

I was thinking of doing the same thing at home, skipping the patch panel mostly to not have the additional cost. However, since everyone seems to think that the RJ45 to keystone isn't a good idea, I'll go ahead and get a patch panel.

The one question I have is, is there a preferred cable to use for this setup? I'm going with Cat5e, but am not sure about solid, UTP, shielded, plenum, etc. Any information would be most appreciated.

Cheers.

------------------------------------- Wats>> I'm going to be doing a Cat5e wiring project in my home. I plan >> on

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You can build a small patch-panel equivalent very inexpensively with a double-gange electrical box (cut out back) with two

Solid (to make punchdowns work), non-plenum (cheaper and fine for residential use in most places). UTP is fine, shielded is overkill unless you do a lot of arc welding.

-- Robert

Plenum is more expensive, because it produces less toxic smoke when it is burned. Named after air handling plenum spaces that is common above suspended ceiling offices. Harder to work with.

Solid works better with punchdown terminations, and is less expensive. this is what most folks use in the walls.

Shielded is useful if you are in a RFI rich environment. Arc welders, radio transmission towers, thermoelectric welders and so on.

--Dale

A common misconception. Plenum rating has to do with *visible* smoke and flame spreading properties, not toxicity. See:

-Larry Jones

I don't think math is a science, I think it's a religion. -- Calvin