Using an Ethernet crimp, often referring to an Ethernet crimping tool, is the final step in attaching an RJ45 connector to an Ethernet cable, making it ready for network use. This process securely fastens the connector to the cable, establishing electrical contact between the wires and the connector's pins.
An Ethernet crimping tool is essential for terminating Ethernet cables correctly. It allows you to compress an RJ45 connector onto a prepared Ethernet cable, ensuring a stable and functional network connection.
Here’s a breakdown of the process, focusing on how and when you use the crimping tool:
Preparing the Ethernet Cable
Before using the crimp tool, you need to prepare the cable:
- Strip the Jacket: Use the stripping blade on your crimping tool (or a dedicated cable stripper) to carefully remove about 1 inch of the outer jacket from the Ethernet cable without cutting the inner wires.
- Untwist and Straighten Wires: Untwist the eight small wires inside the cable and straighten them out.
- Arrange the Wires: Arrange the wires according to either the T568A or T568B standard. These are the two common wiring schemes for Ethernet cables. Ensure the wires are straight and flat.
- Trim the Wires: Use the cutting blade on your crimping tool to trim the ends of the wires straight, ensuring they are all the same length. You want just enough exposed wire to reach the end of the RJ45 connector when inserted.
Inserting Wires into the Connector
With the wires prepared and ordered according to the standard, gently push them straight into the clear RJ45 connector. Ensure each wire slides into its correct channel and that the cable jacket enters slightly into the connector body for strain relief. Look through the connector to verify that each wire reaches the front end and is in the correct sequence.
Using the Ethernet Crimping Tool
This is where the "Ethernet crimp" tool performs its primary function:
- Place the connector into the Ethernet crimping tool's crimping cavity and squeeze the handle of the crimping tool to crimp the connector, making contact between wires and contact pins.
Specifically:
- Locate the RJ45 crimping slot on your tool (it should match the size of the connector).
- Insert the RJ45 connector, with the prepared cable and wires inside, firmly into this slot. Make sure it is seated correctly.
- Squeeze the handles of the crimping tool together firmly and completely. You should feel resistance as the tool pushes the connector pins down into the wires, securing the connector to the cable jacket and making electrical contact.
- A good-quality crimping tool features an excellent ratcheting mechanism, which ensures you apply enough pressure for a proper crimp and prevents the handle from releasing until the crimp is complete.
- Release the handles and remove the crimped connector from the tool.
Checking the Crimp
Inspect the connector. The pins should be pressed down firmly into the wires, and the cable jacket should be secured under the strain relief tab at the back of the connector.
For best results, especially when making multiple cables, use an Ethernet cable tester to verify that all connections are correct and that the cable is functional before deployment.
Using the crimping tool correctly ensures a reliable physical and electrical connection, which is crucial for network performance.
