OK... so why am not able to make a patch cable that works!

[Flightrider]

OK....I know some of you guys who do this everyday are thinking... "Oh Geezzz".... And do really feel stupid since there is obviously something I'm missing here.

I'm trying to make up patch cables to run my DIY HIXvision 7608 DVR & /8 HIX IP cam system. I'm using Cat 6 23/4 solid cable bought at good old Home Depot; along with EZ-RJ45 connectors from Platinum Tools and their EZ-RJPRO HD crimp tool. I'm assuming I can make patch cables to run 40 to 100 ft in length for the various runs. The EZ-RJ45's are nice because you can feed the 4 pairs through the connector and verify colors before crimping. This seems to be a fairly well built, solid tool and my connections look great. I'm crimping both ends; then checking them with a Sperry TT64202 cable tester. Four pairs of two; all flashing green on the tester.

Problem is some of the cables aren't working when connected to the NVR. I've tried re-doing the ends on two cables with no success. All of these btw are POE ports. Seems like shorter cable lengths do seem to work. Can't figure out if this is just a coincidence or I'm missing something.

Are you guys making Patch cables this long? I thought Cat 6 was good for over 300 ft -- here I can't get a 80 ft cable to work! Or are you all doing boxes and punch down connectors on both ends, then short patch cables?

Am I just lame of what?

Dave

 

[DaveP]

Not all RJ45 connectors (plugs) are equal..

Solid cable 'should' (but sometimes you can get away with it) be used with connectors that are designed for the job..(3 prongs cut into each conductor, instead of the normal 2) giving a _ - _ shape

For solid ... terminate the ends with a Keystone Jack socket or equivalent, and then use a flexible patch cable to connect to the device.

Am I just lame of what?

Nope... its a learning curve, where you learn that solid aint for making patch leads

 

[fenderman]

Are you using their cat6 connectors?
Also what brand of cable are you using?

 

[Flightrider]

Hey Fenderman,

Thanks once again for your input. I'm using Platinum tools' EZ-RJ45 connectors, made for their tool. Not sure about the band cable (I'm not at home right now).

What brand / type of RJ45's are made for the solid cable? (i.e. have 3 prongs instead of 2).... At least in my defense, it is a little confusing because somewhere on the web, I'd read that you should SOLID strand for these cables. However, you're not the only one who expressed the multi strand recommendation though. Bottom line, something's not working and I need consistency .

Expensive mistake....Now that I've spent $148 for 1000 feet of Cat 6 solid core, I've got to try to make this work! (I don't have a wife, but I do have a conscious!)

Thanks again for your teaching the "grasshopper" the basics!

Dave

 

[fenderman]

@Flightrider I think you confused my post with davep.

You did make right choice..for long runs like yours, you should be using SOLID copper cable not stranded. If you are using cat6 you should use the cat6 connectors http://www.platinumtools.com/products/100010.php not the cat5 connectors...
Also make sure the cable you purchased is copper and not copper clad aluminium or CCA. The connectors I linked to work with both stranded and solid cable....you dont have to terminate to a keystone like davep mentioned, that is more expensive, more time consuming, bulky (i dont even know how you would do it on the camera side without creating a mess) and creates an extra point of attenuation that will be an issue in very long runs.

 

[fmflex]

Hi Flightrider

I've recently been using the Platinum EZ-RJ45 connectors for CAT6 without any issues. A point no one has mentioned is possibly the potential of crosstalk being the cause of the issue. How much cable are you leaving untwisted in the RJ45 connector? Don't quote me on it as I'll need to look it up to verify but I'm pretty sure with CAT6 you're only allowed a maximum of less than 3mm of untwisted cables as your cable throughput will begin to drop off otherwise. That's less than 1/8". If you have access to someone who has an ethernet analyser it may provide more detailed information on how your connections are.

 

[fenderman]

I highly doubt crosstalk is the issue. I always untwist more than 3mm ...I think what you are referring to may be some technical requirement for max throughput on cat6..this should not effect the camera connections at all.

 

[fenderman]

Another thing to consider: are your crimping the cable with the proper spec? You cannot just match up the colors in any order you choose.

 

[DaveP]

you dont have to terminate to a keystone like davep mentioned,

Which of course is 100% correct, but in my defence (again, lol) I did say... "Solid cable 'should' (but sometimes you can get away with it) be used with connectors that are designed for the job.."

So offered a method (albeit at a premium) that gave an alternative that was not reliant on the connector type and could save a lot of hair pulling.

However.. once your sure that the connections are ok, then its time to wonder about the cable it self,

 

[Lebeter]

Flight, while i didn't read in detail all of the replies, what I would do is test the cable with your cable tester. Next connect a laptop or something to it. If you can pull an IP address and it tests fine, but the camera doesn't, it is likely just too far with enough voltage drop to not work for the camera. Cat5/6 is typically capable of sending a reliable signal 300 ft. but that does not apply to POE where you have significant voltage drop. I could only get a dahua 3200s about 45-75 ft with a netgear POE switch if i recall before i had to shorten the cable a little. I later put in another switch, but the Dahua 4300s and the 1100's drew less wattage and I was able to get them on cables extended further. I didn't test their max length, just as far as I needed to get them into the yard. You may be running into this limitation so until you figure that out don't keep re-crimping new ends on until you know the cable is actually bad. be careful when running the cable and do not let it bind, it could be pinched somewhere and possibly break.

 

[bp2008]

It is not likely, but if you are running the cable near electric cables that could be causing noise on the line.

I build with Ubiquiti Toughcable and Ubiquiti toughcable connectors and an ez-rjpro hd crimper and all is fine for long runs except when I get wires mixed up. This is having at least half an inch of untwisted wires at each end, and not even running the shielding all the way into the connector.

 

[Flightrider]

UPDATE.... Colors matter! Embarrassed to say I had assumed as long as pairs were connected, and I had the same combination at both ends... well...I didn't need any stickin' T568B colors, since I'm just running this across my own hanger / barn. Well, apparently specs have a purpose! I had switched connectors to the Platinum EZ RJ45's and while short lengths worked, I still could not get an 80 ft length to work. The camera worked fine on a purchased patch cable, but I need several. I was pretty discouraged this evening until I read fenderman' comment above "you cannot just match up the colors in any order" a few minutes ago. Went back out to the garage, put two more connectors on IAW T568B and presto, I got video. I'm assuming the crossing of the wires and arrangement in the T568B scheme reduces or prevents cross talk. Whatever it does, it works and I feel like I slept at the Holiday Inn Express last night!

The Grasshopper has been humbled again! Thanks Gentlemen for indulging my ignorance.

Dave

 

[fenderman]

Hey, Glad you got it working..dont beat yourself up..its a common mistake

 

[bp2008]

That could explain it. Standard network cables don't organize the wires the intuitive way, where you'd have the wires from each pair next to each other in the rj45. As it happens the standard wiring scheme puts one of the pairs on pins 3 and 6. So normal ethernet uses pins 1,2,3,6 (two pairs) for data, but with your cable perhaps it was using 1 pair and then half of 2 more pairs.

 

[DaveP]

I'm assuming the crossing of the wires and arrangement in the T568B scheme reduces or prevents cross talk.

Never assume, lol

In practice there's no difference between wiring standard A or B, you can use either (but remember to stick to one of them as your normal method, cos they were invented by clever peeps)

So why make two darn standards when you only need one you may ask.... the answer is simples, if you wire one end as A and other as B... it makes a cross over cable.

 

[fenderman]

Never assume, lol

In practice there's no difference between wiring standard A or B, you can use either (but remember to stick to one of them as your normal method, cos they were invented by clever peeps)

So why make two darn standards when you only need one you may ask.... the answer is simples, if you wire one end as A and other as B... it makes a cross over cable.

OP was referring to using the standard vs just randomly choosing the order of the wires (matching that random order on the other end)...not using A vs B...Since B is the accepted standard for new networks that is what should be used.
The bottom line is there is a reason for the standard, it wast chosen randomly.

 

[DaveP]

Hi fenderman... happy Xmas.

OP was referring to using the standard vs just randomly

I knew that ... hence my "cos they were invented by clever peeps"