I'm looking to install two home LANs. For the hard-wired portion, what brand / style of crimpers and rj-45 connectors seems to work the best? I'll be going through walls, so wall plates will also be used. Thanks LT
tools for wired side?
Jan 18, 2005
4 Replies
Ideal Telemaster Ratchet crimper. About $40.
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model without the ratchet will work, but for a few dollars more, the ratchet will prevent flakey crimps. Avoid buying any crimpers where you can't see the ends of the wires.
I kinda like the cheapo Unicom wiring products.
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plates:
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(boxes):
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Be careful about mixing vendors of CAT5 jacks and wall plates as different manufacturers are sufficiently different to cause problems.
Good tips, thanks. Is it really necessary to spend $80 for a crimper though? Aren't there crimp-less connectors? Thanks again. LT
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The model without the ratchet will work, but for a few dollars more,
For what you are doing - just go get a cheap crimpers and a decent line tester from your local computer store.
For the wall jacks - there are crimperless solutions (see Leviton stuff at Home Depot) - but you need a punch down tool. Again - for the amount of work you are doing - a basic punch down tool will suffice.
Spend your money on a decent line tester. You would be amazed how often wires get crossed, or not connected correctly.
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> The model without the ratchet will work, but for a few dollars more,
The wall jack connectors require a 110 type push-on tool, not a crimper. The RJ-45 plugs require a crimper. There's no way to do the plugs without a crimper. However, the jacks can be done with a small screwdriver if you're careful. However, my experience is that using a screwdriver is a really bad idea if you're clumsy, tired, sleepy, have eye problems, and are in a hurry. Buy the tools (including a loopback continuity tester such as:
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build your own:
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