What Would a Pro Have Done?

[dvarapala 0]

I was installing an IP cam into an outdoor enclosure the other day using direct burial cat5e. Normally I would crimp an RJ-45 connector onto the end of the cable and plug it into the back of the camera, but this direct burial cable was much thicker than the standard stuff and despite several attempts I couldn't crimp the connector on successfully. I ended up punching down the Ethernet cable to a keystone RJ-45 jack that I happened to have handy, and then made up a 3" patch cord to run between that and the jack on the camera. Kludgy, but it works, and it's all hidden inside the camera housing.

 

I'm wondering, however, if there is a more elegant solution? What would you pro installers have done?

[ssmith10pn 0]

A: I always punch down both ends of the cable. I let machines build patch cables.

 

That way I can certify that as a "Channel"

In BICSI terms a channel consists of a segment of cable punched down at both ends and certified. A patch cable at each end not over 5 meters and the whole channel combined not over 100 meters.

[jeromephone 6]

agree

[dvarapala 0]

A: I always punch down both ends of the cable. I let machines build patch cables.

 

All right, but what do you usually punch down to on the camera end when the camera has an RJ-45 jack instead of a punchdown block? A keystone jack, as I did, or something else?

[ssmith10pn 0]

Yes a Keystone jack. I try not to ever do field terminations of RJ45s unless I have no choice.

 

I punch down a keystone jack and use a factory terminated patch cable from the jack to the camera.

[NotoriousBRK 0]

Yes a Keystone jack. I try not to ever do field terminations of RJ45s unless I have no choice.

 

I punch down a keystone jack and use a factory terminated patch cable from the jack to the camera.

 

This is by FAR the best and most professional approach. I stopped collecting all the "but I'm a pro and have been doing this for years" hack RJ-45s I've cut off and replaced with keystone jacks to fix cables that couldn't perform to spec.

[ssmith10pn 0]

Amen.

 

And now Panduit has come out with some stuff that doesn't require a punch down tool and you could teach a monkey to do it.

[Numb-nuts 1]

Amen.

 

And now Panduit has come out with some stuff that doesn't require a punch down tool and you could teach a monkey to do it.

 

[Numb-nuts 1]

What's wrong with terminating the Cat5 with a RJ45? If you have difficulty doing this that's okay, as there are some that are easy to fit. Using a patch lead with a punchdown terminal is not ideal as they uses stranded conductors usually and these are not suitable for use with punch-down terminals. You should be using solid core Cat5. however I prepare the camera on the ground and fit a 1M length of Cat5 with a RJ45 and the other end is run to a junction box next to the camera with one of these Cat5 junction boxes inside. That way I am not fiddling with RJ45 plugs whilst up a ladder, they can all be terminated on the ground in comfort.

 

Happy Christmas all!

[Soundy 1]

I've actually had MORE problems with keystones than with simply terminating the wire myself (including a particular toolless keystone design that let the ends of the wires touch, thus feeding full PoE power into the camera's data pins, frying the camera).

 

If I do need to use a keystone in a housing, I'll just use a pre-made 12"-or-so patch cable from there to the camera. At the head end, I'll usually try to bring everything into a patchbay, although that's not always the optimal solution either.

 

Personally, I don't find it difficult at all to terminate with an RJ45 plug... YMMV. I suppose if you can't remember your T-568x color codes, it's handy to have the keystones as they usually have the colors marked on the terminals.

 

There are plug/tool systems that make it easier:

 

 

(Combined with a special crimper that has a cutting blade to chop the ends off... and obviously this sample doesn't follow any T-568x spec!)

[Soundy 1]

Using a patch lead with a punchdown terminal is not ideal as they uses stranded conductors usually and these are not suitable for use with punch-down terminals. You should be using solid core Cat5.

 

I think that's what we're talking about: terminating solid-core bulk wire into a keystone jack...

 

 

...then using a ready-made patch cable between that and the camera

[ssmith10pn 0]

I've actually had MORE problems with keystones than with simply terminating the wire myself (including a particular toolless keystone design that let the ends of the wires touch, thus feeding full PoE power into the camera's data pins, frying the camera).

 

If I do need to use a keystone in a housing, I'll just use a pre-made 12"-or-so patch cable from there to the camera. At the head end, I'll usually try to bring everything into a patchbay, although that's not always the optimal solution either.

 

Personally, I don't find it difficult at all to terminate with an RJ45 plug... YMMV. I suppose if you can't remember your T-568x color codes, it's handy to have the keystones as they usually have the colors marked on the terminals.

 

There are plug/tool systems that make it easier:

 

 

(Combined with a special crimper that has a cutting blade to chop the ends off... and obviously this sample doesn't follow any T-568x spec!)

 

I have used some of those that the wire goes all the way through the jack and then gets cut off in the crimping process. Problem is certain types of network ports have metal in the back and those cut wires will short out.

 

 

I have no problem making RJ45 terminations but they are not the proper way to certify a channel under 568 standards. Horizontal cabling standards require solid cable as the permanent link with stranded patch cables at each end factory terminated and certified.

 

fortunately or unfortunately I came from the communication cabling industry so I was required to do things the right way.

[dmiller9 0]

I've actually had MORE problems with keystones than with simply terminating the wire myself (including a particular toolless keystone design that let the ends of the wires touch, thus feeding full PoE power into the camera's data pins, frying the camera).

 

If I do need to use a keystone in a housing, I'll just use a pre-made 12"-or-so patch cable from there to the camera. At the head end, I'll usually try to bring everything into a patchbay, although that's not always the optimal solution either.

 

Personally, I don't find it difficult at all to terminate with an RJ45 plug... YMMV. I suppose if you can't remember your T-568x color codes, it's handy to have the keystones as they usually have the colors marked on the terminals.

 

There are plug/tool systems that make it easier:

 

 

(Combined with a special crimper that has a cutting blade to chop the ends off... and obviously this sample doesn't follow any T-568x spec!)

 

I have found more problems with the feed though RJ-45 plugs then the regular plugs. I never use them however a couple I have had to go to a couple of jobs to troubleshoot cameras where they were used only to find that they have shorted out and blown ports on POE switches. Definitely should not be used if you are planning on powering the camera with POE.

[Soundy 1]

I avoid them as well, but I don't have the appropriate crimper and the few times I've used one because it's all I had, I've had to trim the ends with a knife. Then again, I have no problem putting the regular RJ45s together.

[Numb-nuts 1]

You are right, those EZ-RJ45s are easy to install and any cheap RJ45 tool will crimp them and the ends can be removed with a flush side cutters or a craft knife. Weight that against the cost of the special crimper and the ease of getting the connectors right its worth it for a small scale user. For a larger scale user such as a professional, it would be an added cost that cannot be justified when regular RJ45s and the crimpers are SO cheap.

 

I have to admit to having struggled with RJ45s at first but I am now just about at the stage where I can terminate with them and be fairly confident that testing will pass the connector. I lost count of the RJ45s I wasted trying to learn to terminate with these plugs. I now use a method I saw on youtube, I have named the method the 'flower method' as the technician prepares the conductors by arranging them like the petals of a flower, before arranging them to insert into a crimp plug.

 

Old habits dye hard and I like the idea of an access point in a junction box adjacent to the camera housing, using an IDC junction gives that access. As I've said a thousand times before, there are a million ways to skin a cat. Poor Cat!

[jeromephone 6]

We do a lot of Panduit terminations and they are a lot better than punching down a keystone jack, less punching holes in your hand bad punchdown blades etc. Panduit and others make a weatherprooof jack housing. I have to come down on the side of not making your own patch cords. factory made are just too cheap to fool with them.

[rory 0]

I would have just hired jeromephone to deal with it, so I could get on with other work

[NotoriousBRK 0]

Personally, I don't find it difficult at all to terminate with an RJ45 plug... YMMV. I suppose if you can't remember your T-568x color codes, it's handy to have the keystones as they usually have the colors marked on the terminals.

 

I can terminate an RJ-45 plug that'll pass any test in about 30 seconds. It's not that it's a *problem* for me to do them, but it IS bad form. Your backbone cable should be solid-core, which is intended to be secured properly and not moved/flexed. An RJ-45 plug on the end of a solid-core cable violates this concept (even though I realize it is hardly ever likely to be moved/flexed after install). But the other issue is that most people don't realize that RJ-45 ends are not "universal", there are different ones for solid and stranded cables, and even across different brands of cable they don't all work 100% reliably.

 

This is sort of the equivalent to some of the hack 110V wiring we've all probably come across. There is more to doing it right than just making a good electrical connection. You want the termination to be clean, neat, serviceable, and also conforming to standard best practices. Field-crimped RJ-45's are generally none of the above.

 

JMHO.

[ssmith10pn 0]

Personally, I don't find it difficult at all to terminate with an RJ45 plug... YMMV. I suppose if you can't remember your T-568x color codes, it's handy to have the keystones as they usually have the colors marked on the terminals.

 

I can terminate an RJ-45 plug that'll pass any test in about 30 seconds. It's not that it's a *problem* for me to do them, but it IS bad form. Your backbone cable should be solid-core, which is intended to be secured properly and not moved/flexed. An RJ-45 plug on the end of a solid-core cable violates this concept (even though I realize it is hardly ever likely to be moved/flexed after install). But the other issue is that most people don't realize that RJ-45 ends are not "universal", there are different ones for solid and stranded cables, and even across different brands of cable they don't all work 100% reliably.

 

This is sort of the equivalent to some of the hack 110V wiring we've all probably come across. There is more to doing it right than just making a good electrical connection. You want the termination to be clean, neat, serviceable, and also conforming to standard best practices. Field-crimped RJ-45's are generally none of the above.

 

JMHO.

 

Very well said.

[Numb-nuts 1]

I wouldn't trust my life to my RJ45s just yet and they take me considerably longer than yours do.

I need a lot more practice by the sound of it? I will buy a cheap bag of 100 and use my Cat5 scaps to practice.

My CCTV test meter has a built in Cat5 tester so testing will be no probs and I have a crimp tool that is adequate.

 

I have to be honest though I don't do much IP work just yet so mostly I would use RJ45s to plug into Baluns of one sort

or another. Video, power and data baluns or VGA extenders mostly. It's all good practice.

[ssmith10pn 0]

 

[SportPlumber 0]

Just curious what do you do if a shielded RJ45 is required? (UBNT Stuff)

[SportPlumber 0]

 

I can terminate an RJ-45 plug that'll pass any test in about 30 seconds. It's not that it's a *problem* for me to do them, but it IS bad form. Your backbone cable should be solid-core, which is intended to be secured properly and not moved/flexed.

 

JMHO.

 

Is the reason for the backbone being solid core simply for a punch block connection?

 

Also noticed that in the picture provided the panduit style block will in fact flex as it is not secured physically. Or am I missing something?

 

Thanks

[NotoriousBRK 0]

 

I can terminate an RJ-45 plug that'll pass any test in about 30 seconds. It's not that it's a *problem* for me to do them, but it IS bad form. Your backbone cable should be solid-core, which is intended to be secured properly and not moved/flexed.

 

JMHO.

 

Is the reason for the backbone being solid core simply for a punch block connection?

 

No, solid-core cabling also has less attenuation than stranded. It's been quite a while (10 years or so?) since I was heavily involved in all of the intricacies of full-on cabline best practices... Stranded cable is not rated for a full 100M run (as I recall), and the jacket is usually less durable because it's designed to be more flexible. It will also sag more and would require more support than solid cable bundles.

 

Then we're also back to the bit about it not being a good idea to field-crimp RJ-45s...

[NotoriousBRK 0]

I wouldn't trust my life to my RJ45s just yet and they take me considerably longer than yours do.

I need a lot more practice by the sound of it? I will buy a cheap bag of 100 and use my Cat5 scaps to practice.

 

I wouldn't spend that much time and effort practicing something that you probably shouldn't be doing in the first place...