How do I crimp an unshielded RJ45 connector onto Cat 5?
Crimping an RJ45 connector onto Cat 5 is a fairly straight forward task, assuming you have the proper tools. Keep in mind that baluns require either the EIA/TIA 568A or 568B crimp pattern, which are the industry standards for networking. First, strip a portion of the insulation about 3/4″ to expose the four twisted pairs. Next, untwist the wires and fan them out so that they match either EIA/TIA 568A or 568B pattern. Evenly trim the wires to about 1/2″. Most RJ45 crimp tools feature a built-in wire trimmer. Insert the trimmed wires into the RJ45 connector so that each wire is in its individual slot. Verify each wire is completely inserted. Finally, insert the RJ45 connector into the crimp tool and squeeze firmly. Repeat the above steps on the other end of the Cat 5 cable and verify pinout is identical on each end.
