Tag: CAT6A

Can a Cat6 connector work on a Cat5e cable?

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Cat6 Connector Cat5e Cable

If you’ve been running Ethernet cable or making patch cables for any length of time, you now have an assortment of RJ45 connectors and cable types representing the evolution of your network. You may be tempted to use what you have on hand to do your work, mixing and matching a bit. Visions haunt you of hunting through the cable jungle only to find that it was one of your cables that came loose, cable from connector, or even worse — looks just fine, but really isn’t making reliable contact. But is that just unnecessary worry?

It Just Might (Reliably) Work!

If you’re using Cat5e cable and all you have is newer Cat6 connectors, you may be all right. Generally, connectors may be backwards compatible with cable from older standards, but the reverse is not true — if you’re pulling Cat6 cable, time to update your Cat5e and older connector collection! There are some things to consider in proving that you’re using a workable combination of cable and connector, including a simple friction pull-test, cable and connector measurements, conductor fit and contact quality. There’s also the question of whether you’re already playing the odds with your cable quality.

Does It Hold Securely?

This is a simple test that determines whether the diameter of the cable is in the range which works with the Cat6 connector. This test ensures that the primary latch takes the strain of cable pull, rather than the conductors. Some Cat5e cables won’t be big enough for the latch to grab.

  1. Cut a 4 inch piece of cable
  2. Insert it into the connector
  3. Crimp the connector
  4. Tug and test the strain relief from the crimped cable

Do the Numbers Match?

Cat6 connectors are designed to accommodate much larger cable diameters than Cat5e, so most cables should fit — but check the numbers. For example, Cat6 EZ-RJ45 connectors from Platinum Tools use 0.275 inches as a maximum cable OD, which is plenty for a typical 0.205 diameter Cat5e cable. For these EZ-RJ45 connectors, individual insulated conductors must also be 0.041 inches or less to fit through the connector. Cat6 connectors are designed for 24 and 23 AWG conductor wire sizes, and less can be problematic. Most 24 AWG Cat5e cable should measure up, but depending on the source it sometimes it doesn’t, as mentioned below.

Will the Connections Work?

Conductor size determines whether the connection is going to be reliable or not. Although Cat6 solid conductor cables usually contain 23 AWG wire, Cat5e cables with 24 AWG conductors should seat and connect properly in the Cat6 connector. Conductors on the small side which worked for Cat5e may float or shift in the connector channels. This can cause problems ranging from an obvious open circuit to failure during certification. Ongoing issues from unreliable and incomplete surface contact may also occur.

Where Did You Get That Cable?

The volume of cable that installations use can tempt the use of questionable cable, often unknowingly. Purchasing can find a great price that appears to meet specs, but fails in the field. Cable such as “offshore deals” (some have other, more colorful names for it) can have marginal performance and quality. Marginal wire sizes, in particular, can produce intermittent or failed conductivity in Cat6 connectors, and PoE heat problems.

Once you do your homework, using those spools of Cat5e cable with new Cat6 connectors is a pretty safe way to keep moving forward with your network installations. Remember to check that the strain relief is from crimping the cable jacket, protecting the conductors, and that your conductors are seating securely in their channels for reliable connections at any speed, and in any rated conditions!

cat6a flex connector termination guide

The Flex Connector: Specs met, wiring problems solved

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Flex Connector

There’s a new, flexible way to wire Ethernet. Cable sizes, high data rates, punchdown problems and bend radii are giving us copper headaches when we’re doing custom IT jobs or large-scale wiring. The Flex Connector looks like something we’d imagine, ready to solve headaches easily and let us go full steam ahead with our wiring, even in awkward locations.

The Flex Connector solves:

  • Limited tool selection needed — no crimp tool required!
  • Fast termination — set it up, close it and go
  • Terminate new larger cable O.D. sizes easily.

Does the Job, Meets the Standards 106230 Cat6A Flex Connector, Shielded

The Cat6A Flex Connector is not just a new RJ45 connector: it’s a completely redesigned connector, using new technologies like flexible circuit board material to do its job correctly and still meet standards such as EIA/TIA-568-C.2 and TIA 1096-A like a champ.

Since the Flex Connector meets so many needs, it’s certified for many different applications. From ESS to plenum, factory floor to office environment, it’s ready to do the right job with a secure connection.

Solves Appearance Problems, Too

Cables sprout straight out from wall plates, creating unsightly cable routing, trip hazards, and the risk of furniture bumping and damaging the entire assembly. With 90 degree turns cables drop directly from wall connections, clinging to the wall and staying discreetly out of the way.

Desktop devices from PCs to routers and peripheral equipment don’t have to be placed to leave room for cable bends. Devices can be nearly flush with the wall as the cable drops away at 90 degrees, dressed and routed cleanly and professionally. It’s not just for Cat6A; any RJ45 connection can use a Flex Connector RJ45!

106220 Cat6A Flex Connector, Non-ShieldedSpecialized Applications

Rated for Electronic Safety and Security applications, Cat6A Flex Connectors make it easy to connect IP cameras, access control devices, and other network hardware that requires a direct, sometimes awkward connection rather than a wall plate and jumper which can create security and reliability issues. Running Ethernet to AV controls in the wall, carrying long-haul HDMI to projection systems, or wiring a broadcast studio, it meets the physical connection needs and handles up to 10 Gig data traffic with ease.

Snaking up a conduit to connect to an IP camera, the Flex Connector makes direct connections with authority. It’s plenum rated, so it’s also excellent for routing to access points and other devices distributed throughout a building. With easy 45 and 90 degree turns, you can avoid damaging tight radius bends and the stress they put on both cable and connector.

Flex Connector

Simple Termination

Strip-organize-terminate is an easy way to remember the steps for adding a Flex Connector to your quality cable. There’s not much more to it: organize to the wiring code after stripping, terminate without a tool, and test. Faster and more reliable termination, plus more flexibility!

Get Informed; Start Solving Problems

Putting any new product into play requires verification that it’s suitable for the job, and gaining some knowledge of how to use it. For the first, check out this white paper: it covers questions and concerns, and gives lots of good news about all the problems you can solve with the Cat 6A Flex Connector.

To put the Cat6A Flex Connector connectors into practice, this datasheet shows the short and sweet process for terminating with the Flex Connector: it’s easy to do but still good to be confident that you’re following an established procedure. Download, check them out, and start thinking of all the applications you’ll be using Flex Connectors for right away.

Cat6a Flex Connector White Paper

How to terminate CAT6A connectors in the field

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How to terminate cat6a connectors in the fieldCAT6A is a whole different animal. It’s attractive for high performance video and audio applications including broadcast television studios, server rooms, and other demanding tasks. It also contains more protection against interference and signal leakage. Using higher speed data rates, up to 10 Gig now, means you’re even further into radio frequencies.  As frequencies increase, demands placed on cable impedance, shielding, grounding, and termination increase as well. When you push the data rate, you’ll see the effects of any termination issues, even if the connections look good. Since the cable types and termination kits have changed to CAT6A and above, it’s important to revisit how you do termination in the field.

Summary

The larger and more difficult Cat6A cables to work with require a specific connector design to accommodate the cable jacket size. These Cat6A cables are designed to process data at high speeds and thus need to be resistant to RF. To do this the cables must be heavily shielded and large cable jackets must be used. Standard connectors will simply not fit these larger cables so specialty connectors and crimp tools must be used instead.

Steps

Start with clean hands, cable, parts, tools to avoid electrical irregularities in the finished product

  1. Put a boot on the cable for later use

    Put a boot on the cable for later use

  2. Strip the cable jacket about 2 inches, cut foil (if present) to 1/4″ and pull back over jacket
  3. Separate the twisted pairs and drain wire; ensure that there were no kinks in any of them

    Separate the twisted pairs and drain wire; ensure that there were no kinks in any of them

  4. Separate and arrange pairs for desired wiring standard, then cut across all wires

    Push wire bar onto all wires, to 3/16" from jacket, then cut wires flush with wire bar

  5. Push wire bar onto all wires, to 3/16″ from jacket, then cut wires flush with wire bar

    Push wire bar onto all wires, to 3/16" from jacket, then cut wires flush with wire bar

  6. Carefully reshape the cable jacket using lineman’s pliers or similar for easier insertion

    Carefully reshape the cable jacket using lineman's pliers or similar for easier insertion

  7. Insert prepped cable into the connector until copper conductors are seated at front of connector housing

    Insert prepped cable into the connector until copper conductors are seated at front of connector housing

  8. Insert connector into Tele-TitanXg  crimp tool and terminate;  Note: 10 gig connectors are not compatible with standard modular plug crimp tools.

    Insert connector into Tele-TitanXg crimp tool and terminate; Note: 10 gig connectors are not compatible with standard modular plug crimp tools.

  9. Roll drain wire into coil using needle nose pliers or similar

    Roll drain wire into coil using needle nose pliers or similar

  10. Put drain wire coil and foil if present under external ground tab, press tabs down with flat blade screwdriver or similar to hold in place

    Put drain wire coil and foil if present under external ground tab, press tabs down with flat blade screwdriver or similar to hold in plac

  11. Crimp external ground tab to cable, rotating large then small cavities of crimp tool

    Crimp external ground tab to cable, rotating large then small cavities of crimp tool

  12. Finish by pulling boot over connector

    Finish by pulling boot over connector

Cautions

Remember, the big issue with CAT6A is increased sensitivity to RF issues, from interference to proper termination and grounding. CAT6A is rated for long-haul 10 Gig data, up to 100 meters, which allows the opportunity to develop performance problems if not properly installed and terminated. Prevention of cabling problems starts with careful termination.

Visual Inspection

Ensure that the external ground tabs are not deforming the cable excessively or biting into the wires, and make sure that all contacts are uniformly seated. If there are signs of dirt, water, oil or other materials, consider cleaning or re-terminating to avoid difficult to identify performance problems later.

Electrical Testing

With high performance cables, it’s important not to “test into success” using test equipment to correct errors. When you carefully build high quality terminations, you create your own success and should have very few problems. Use testers rated for full speed data, and check the cable for electrical characteristics, data rate performance, and possibly simulated network traffic. Test the cable installed if possible, not coiled, as characteristics will be different.

Easy Kit to Use

The Platinum Tools 10 Gig Termination Kit contains the tools and connectors to bring you up to date with CAT6A termination quickly and easily. Designed to work together, they help make reliable connections easily even for demanding high-speed applications with larger, new technology cables.

10gig termination kit