Introduction: How to Make Your Own Ethernet Cable

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Sometimes the little plastic break on the RJ45 connector and the Ethernet cable will not hold in the network port any more.

In stead of buying a new one, you can fix it yourself by following the steps in this instructable..

I will show you how to make a straight and cross over cables.

The straight cables are used to connect your Desktop PC or laptop to the router or hub. The Cross over cables are less used, but they can connect two computers together without the need for a hub or a router.

Step 1: What You Need to Make the Cable

You will need:

An Ethernet cable cut to the length you like, you can use CAT5 or CAT6

Two RJ45 connectors

A crimper tool

something to cut with, an X-acto, cable cutter or even a scissors

Step 2: Prepare the Cables

The space inside the Ethernet cable is cramped.

There are 4 pairs of wires and each pair is twisted together, so the first thing you need to do is to remove a good inch from the blue jacket and unwind the cables.

Usually the colors are:

  1. White Orange (WO)
  2. Orange (O)
  3. White Blue (WB)
  4. Blue (B)
  5. White Green (WG)
  6. Green (G)
  7. White Brown (WBr)
  8. Brown (Br)

Step 3: Crimp the RJ-45

Everyone has his own way to align the wires, but I like to use my fingers.

Hold the wires between your index finger and your thumb and using your second hand, pull on the wires.

Once you are satisfied that the wires are straight, use the cable cutter and cut the wires keeping only half an inch and make sure you cut them straight.

How to arrange the wires?:

To make a straight cable, both ends of the Ethernet cable should be identical.

Here is what I was taught in school and I still use it today, from left to right:

  1. WO
  2. O
  3. WG
  4. B
  5. WB
  6. G
  7. WBr
  8. Br

Crimp both ends using the layout above and you can use this cable to connect your desktop to a router

To make a cross cable, you'll have to remember the 1-3/2-6 rule.

So one end of the Ethernet cable should be crimped in the sequence I mentioned above but the other end should be:

  1. WG
  2. G
  3. WO
  4. B
  5. WB
  6. O
  7. WBr
  8. Br

The WO and the WG switch places 1-3

The O and the G switch places 2-6

The cable that was in position 1(WO) moves to 3, the cable that was in position 3(WG) moves to 1, the cable that was in position 2(O) moves to 6 and the cable that was in position 6(G) moves to 2

Slide the RJ45 connector over the wires make sure that part of the blue jacket is well inside the RJ45 head. When sliding the RJ45 Connector, make sure that pin number one is to your left (see picture for the position of pin 1).

Put the RJ45 connector in the crimper and press hard, the shape will change a bit, the blue jacket will be trapped within the RJ-45, and the copper connectors will protrude from the RJ45.

You should test the Ethernet cable now, if you have a cable tester, good, I have a tester from the stone age as you can see but it works fine. Other wise you will know right away if it works when you use it on the PC and router.