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Terminating CAT6a

E

Eiolon

Gawd
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
928
I need to re-terminate some CAT6a cabling. All I was given was these molex connectors and guides to use:

http://sentinelconn.com/pdf/111S08080063L34.pdf

I am having a huge issue getting the wires to line up in the holes of the molex connectors. Are there any better connectors/guides out there that will make my life easier? I saw someone on a Youtube video using one that flipped open and you could line it all up and close it but can't seem to find them on the web to buy.
 
Eiolon said:
I am having a huge issue getting the wires to line up in the holes of the molex connectors. Are there any better connectors/guides out there that will make my life easier? I saw someone on a Youtube video using one that flipped open and you could line it all up and close it but can't seem to find them on the web to buy.
Click to expand...

You don't need those flip open things...they're for children or something.

I ran many an Ethernet cable for my university to pay for my education (it paid pretty well and was convenient). Putting the ends on is actually fairly easy once you figure it out. First things first, I've always had luck stripping a little farther back to give myself a bit of extra length, and then cutting them down to the right length once I had them all lined up. I always just pinch the wires between my finger and thumb right where they go into the wrapping. Then, with my other hand, I'd untwist the pairs, arrange the wires into the desired layout, and pinch them flat. I bend them in a circle a couple times and then wiggle them from side to side until they were willing to stay flat and cut them to length. If you keep good pressure on them with the hand that's holding them by the cable, they should stay where you want them, and you can put the connector on and crimp it.
 
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You really shouldn't be crimping ends on. Either use premade patch cables or use punch down ends with shorter premade patch cables.
 
/usr/home said:
You really shouldn't be crimping ends on. Either use premade patch cables or use punch down ends with shorter premade patch cables.
Click to expand...

...And yes, if given a choice, you'd want to punch down the cable into a patch panel and use really shorter cables between the panel and the device or something similar.
 
The runs are going from data closet to data closet and plug into 10GE switches on each end. The problem is we overshot the distance estimation (because we didn't know the actual distance) and had the cabling cut to its maximum length allowed. That length was too long for us to get 10Gbit speeds so we need to cut back on it.

My only experience with this was 15 years ago doing CAT5 which was so easy since it was just a straight line the wires had to slide into. This one is staggered.
 
RocketTech said:
What length on 6a did not allow 10GbE?
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None, but there is a certification standard which also requires the ends to be properly terminated per the specification. AND YES there is a difference between cat5e, cat6 and cat6a end terminations.

cat5e has no certification for 10Gbe
cat6 has certification for 10Gbe up to 45 meters
cat6a has certification for 10Gbe up to 100 meters or 330 feet


There are members on this forum that run 10gbe over cat5e, but cat5e is not certified to work at 10Gbe. Your experience will vary based on quality of cable, environmental factors and equipment at the end points.
 
RocketTech said:
Read the post, OP stated

CAT5e will run 10GbE to 45 meters. Thanks for the wrong and irrelevant information though.
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No wrong information was provided. I was very clear on the differences between working and certified.

:rolleyes: IEEE, who wrote the 10Gbe standard, does not certify cat5e for 10Gbe.

But feel free to not believe me or 10Gbe standard, specifically the ISO/IEC 11801 amendment 2 or ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 and the guidelines in ISO TR 24750 or TIA-155-A.

There are many things in IT that work but are bad ideas or placed into the category of farthest removed from best practice.

Exhibit A: http://www.retailhellunderground.com/.a/6a00e54f10a098883401901dd05a4b970b-500wi
 
Mackintire, we keep going over the same ground again and again. I'm the first to say there is a difference between 'will work' and best practices/standards. IEEE does not certify installations at all- they only adopt and publish standards.
IEEE802.3an specifies 4-twisted pair cable tested to 500MHz or greater meets the standard for 10GbE to 45 meters. CAT5e is tested to 550MHz or higher, making it standards compliant for 45 meter 10GbE segments (solid wire only).
If you choose not to use CAT5e for 10GbE, more power to you. No one is saying you can't. If you want to read the whole thread and realize CAT5e was never brought-up until you provided incorrect and irrelevant information, you'll see you only confused the issue.

I will agree that you should test and qualify/certify every cable installation. Certification comes from testing the installed cabling to an auditable standard with auditable equipment. IEEE does not certify installations- you'll need to hire an installer or to purchase your own cable certification unit.
 
RocketTech said:
CAT5e is tested to 550MHz or higher, making it standards compliant for 45 meter 10GbE segments (solid wire only).
Click to expand...

Nope. The cable spec for cat5e is 100mhz. Period. You might find cat 5e cables that the manufacturers claim they are tested at 550 MHz, but since this is not covered by the spec, you have to take their word on it and trust their test methods. Completely standards compliant cat5e cables need not come anywhere close to handling 10Gig.
 
Dogs said:
Nope. The cable spec for cat5e is 100mhz. Period. You might find cat 5e cables that the manufacturers claim they are tested at 550 MHz, but since this is not covered by the spec, you have to take their word on it and trust their test methods. Completely standards compliant cat5e cables need not come anywhere close to handling 10Gig.
Click to expand...

IEEE may beg to differ with you. Are you saying there is no trust involved in claims of UL testing and CAT6 /6A compliance?

If you use quality cable, adhere to standards, and qualify/certify, like I have been saying all along, you will be fine. If you use crappy cable, adhere to standards and don't qualify/certify, will it work? Probably not. If you use top-shelf cable, adhere to standards, and don't qualify/certify, will it work? Who knows? You can't choose to follow only parts of the standard and say that guarantees a certain outcome. If you are installing and terminating cabling and not qualifying/certifying, you don't know what you have.

Following standards and then testing the final product is what guarantees the application. And yes, <500MHz CAT5e cable is recognized by 802.3an.

This topic has been debated ad nauseum. The simple solution is not to use CAT5e for 10GbE if you don't want to.
 
RocketTech said:
IEEE may beg to differ with you. Are you saying there is no trust involved in claims of UL testing and CAT6 /6A compliance?
Click to expand...

First IEEE does not define the UTP standards.

Second UL test to defined standards. The defined standard for Cat5e is 100Mhz.

http://www.ul.com/global/documents/...ctrical/newsletters/W&CMG_April2007_Final.pdf

Anything above that you are taking the vendor at their word and published data sheets for that vendor's cable. Many consumer vendors claim 350Mhz knowing full well the purchaser doesn't have the ability to verify. Most commercial vendors that have to worry about people with proper the proper tools will guarantee 250Mhz or less.


Third I asked you where this magical 550Mhz Cat5e cable could be located and didn't get an answer. I really would like to know where you've found this.
 
RocketTech said:
IEEE may beg to differ with you.
Click to expand...

May? You mean doesn't. Read the IEEE specs and learn what you're talking about if you'd like to give any sort of useful advice on this to anybody. Because right now you're just spreading things that aren't true at all.
 
RocketTech said:
IEEE may beg to differ with you. Are you saying there is no trust involved in claims of UL testing and CAT6 /6A compliance?

If you use quality cable, adhere to standards, and qualify/certify, like I have been saying all along, you will be fine. If you use crappy cable, adhere to standards and don't qualify/certify, will it work? Probably not. If you use top-shelf cable, adhere to standards, and don't qualify/certify, will it work? Who knows? You can't choose to follow only parts of the standard and say that guarantees a certain outcome. If you are installing and terminating cabling and not qualifying/certifying, you don't know what you have.

Following standards and then testing the final product is what guarantees the application. And yes, <500MHz CAT5e cable is recognized by 802.3an.

This topic has been debated ad nauseum. The simple solution is not to use CAT5e for 10GbE if you don't want to.
Click to expand...

<Thread hyjack

I have vast experience with UL. Those (B*stards) are only motivated by human safety (based on the assumption that the device WILL fail) and cash revenue. I enjoy working with UL as I do with an IRS auditor.

CE, NEC NEMA and IEEE all have good reasons to exist. UL on the other hand is a bane to the US public, manufacturers and tax payers.

End Hyjack >
 
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