Where to buy cables?

K

kevinzak

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
370
Is there any online store that I can order CAT5E cables from that won't rape me on shipping if I need various lengths? Newegg wants like $17 to ship me 6 cables. Or would I be better off learning how to make my own?
 
it's better to learn how to do your own, rewarding, and hey you can eventually sell wires to your friends
 
Yeah, that won't be an issue for a while. I'm in high school still, and not many friends share this particular interest :p

In that case, can someone suggest the best/cheapest place to buy bulk unterminated cable as well as RJ-45 plugs/loadbars? This is a home thing, not a job, so I need to keep cost down. If it's over $50 I'm gonna just have to buy precut cables for this one and buy bulk this summer.
 
leSLIe said:
it's better to learn how to do your own, rewarding, and hey you can eventually sell wires to your friends
Click to expand...

Learning to learn is fine, and reccomended. But learning, and then making all your own patch cables is not a good idea. To many possible issues. Always buy bulk pre-made patch cables from somewhere like Monoprice.
 
criccio said:
Learning to learn is fine, and reccomended. But learning, and then making all your own patch cables is not a good idea. To many possible issues. Always buy bulk pre-made patch cables from somewhere like Monoprice.
Click to expand...

if you just want to setup your home network i guess it´s fine
 
Probably.. But if you have issues, you know where to look first. :p
 
Bah! Damn you all for showing me this website! I only needed like 6 cables but prices were so low I ordered like 40. :p
 
I'm surprised everyone hasn't heard of monoprice by now. :)
 
pccables.com

they have everything. HDMI, Cat5e, VGA, DVI... you name it!
 
kevinzak said:
Is there any online store that I can order CAT5E cables from that won't rape me on shipping if I need various lengths? Newegg wants like $17 to ship me 6 cables. Or would I be better off learning how to make my own?
Click to expand...

Call up Infinity Cable in Carson, CA. Their website sucks...but they have everything, are very knowledgeable, and will help you. They carry all things networking wire may concern. Their prices are very good. The quality is very good and the shipping is reasonable, quick, and accurate.
 
whats wrong with making your own network cables? i love the fact i can cut off an end and switch it to crossover if i need to... and just the fact all my cables are made to correct lengths, so no mess or clutter.

the key to making good patch cables is to buy good end connectors. dont get that bulk pack from china... use something with a name like ideal and things get a lot more reliable.
 
spacetrader said:
whats wrong with making your own network cables? i love the fact i can cut off an end and switch it to crossover if i need to... and just the fact all my cables are made to correct lengths, so no mess or clutter.

the key to making good patch cables is to buy good end connectors. dont get that bulk pack from china... use something with a name like ideal and things get a lot more reliable.
Click to expand...

I just don't see the need for making my own patch cords. It's just a waste of time for me really. I can order a bunch of color coded patch cords to the correct length and have faith in that they're built properly, and not worry about did I untwist too much, did a wire get crossed in the end, etc etc. Plus when you equate time to being money, its much quicker for me to just order, than to terminate all the ends myself.

1 or 2 cables here or there, sure. 100+ cables for a project, yeah I'm ordering them.

I guess it's just how much time=money comes into play. Or just personal preference.
 
DMoshington said:
Buy a networking kit from.. say geeks.com and build them yourself. It's empowering.
(I do not work for geeks.com)

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=RJ-45-CONN-50&cat=NET
50 pack of ends

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SS35407-TEST&cat=NET
Tester and crimp tool


http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CT-CAT5E-1000-6U&cat=CBL
1000' spool, 100 ends, tester, crimper.
Click to expand...

Don't do this if you can help it. To much margin for error. Talk to any IT person..
 
making cables if your doing this for a business is a waste of time. if its for your house sure, but if your a consultant lot easier in the end to pick up a couple 3ft, 7ft,14ft cables and keep em in the card. charge the client hte same price bestbuy charges and ur good to go.
 
;) the gold tip makes a difference!

sad thing is we usually forget to bill out for the small patch cables =(
 
spacetrader said:
whats wrong with making your own network cables? i love the fact i can cut off an end and switch it to crossover if i need to... and just the fact all my cables are made to correct lengths, so no mess or clutter.
Click to expand...

I still make them in a pinch, sometimes if I'm bored enough I'll make 8" ones for patch panel to switch. But.....it's time consuming, even with practice and when you can whip out craploads of them faster than most others..it's still time consuming. At over $125 dollars an hour, I can do more important things for the time my clients are paying me.

And I don't trust anyone elses home made cables...any network I'm in charge of...when I see home made cables...I rip them out and toss them. Experience has proven over the many years..home made cables = hours of scratching your head troubleshooting some network issue.

You don't need crossover cables anymore....unless you're running ancient equipment..everything is auto MDI-X these days.
 
marley1 said:
monoprice
Click to expand...

valve1138 said:
monoprice.com
Click to expand...

Captain Colonoscopy said:
monoprice.com is the shizzle. Cables2Go is pretty good, too.
Click to expand...

matrix563 said:
guess which one i'm gonna say ;)
Click to expand...

DooLocsta said:
1 more for monoprice.com, the cables are high quality and not terribly expensive.
Click to expand...

magnetik said:
I'm surprised everyone hasn't heard of monoprice by now. :)
Click to expand...

jeffmoss26 said:
monoprice even beats my datacom suppliers on patch cords :)
Click to expand...

valve1138 said:
Welcome to the monoprice addiction. :p
Click to expand...

Adakos said:
that's the problem with monoprice. You end up buying a lot more than you need. But you can always use a spare, or 39. :)
Click to expand...

I like monoprice:)

Ordered from them a few times. Shipping is fast.
 
www.deepsurplus.com for all your networking wires, we buy all our patch cables/panels (well some of the patch panels, others i get from newegg), even our relay racks we buy from them
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top