How to wire Ethernet Cables

How to wire your own ethernet cables and connectors.

What You Need:

Required:

Ethernet Cable - bulk Category (Cat) 5, 5e, 6, 6a or higher ethernet cable

Wire Cutters - to cut and strip the ethernet cable if necessary
For Patch Cables:
8P8C Modular Connector Plugs ("RJ45")
Modular Connector Crimper ("RJ45")
For Fixed Wiring:
8P8C Modular Connector Jacks ("RJ45")
110 Punch Down Tool

Recommended:

Wire Stripper
Cable Tester

About the Cable:

You can find bulk supplies of ethernet cable at many computer stores or most electrical or home
centers. You want UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) ethernet cable of at least Category 5 (Cat 5).
Cat 5 is required for basic 10/100 functionality, you will want Cat 5e for gigabit (1000BaseT)
operation and Cat 6 or higher gives you a measure of future proofing. You can also use STP
(Shielded Twisted Pair) for extra resistance to external interference but I won't cover shielded
connectors. Bulk ethernet cable comes in many types, there are 2 basic categories, solid and
braided stranded cable. Stranded ethernet cable tends to work better in patch applications for
desktop use. It is more flexible and resilient than solid ethernet cable and easier to work with, but
really meant for shorter lengths. Solid ethernet cable is meant for longer runs in a fixed position.
Plenum rated ethernet cable must be used whenever the cable travels through an air circulation
space. For example, above a false ceiling or below a raised floor. It may be difficult or impossible
to tell from the package or labelling what type of ethernet cable it is, so peal out an end and
investigate.

Here is what the internals of the ethernet cable look like:

Internal Cable Structure and Color Coding

Inside the ethernet cable, there are 8 color coded wires. These wires are twisted into 4 pairs of
wires, each pair has a common color theme. One wire in the pair being a solid or primarily solid
colored wire and the other being a primarily white wire with a colored stripe (Sometimes ethernet
cables won't have any color on the striped wire, the only way to tell which is which is to check
which wire it is twisted around). Examples of the naming schemes used are: Orange
(alternatively Orange/White) for the solid colored wire and White/Orange for the striped cable.
The twists are extremely important. They are there to counteract noise and interference. It is
important to wire according to a standard to get proper performance from the ethernet cable.
The TIA/EIA-568-A specifies two wiring standards for an 8-position modular connector such as
RJ45. The two wiring standards, T568A and T568B vary only in the arrangement of the colored
pairs. Tom writes to say "...sources suggest using T568A cabling since T568B is the AT&T
standard, but the US Government specifies T568A since it matches USOC cabling for pairs 1 & 2,
which allows it to work for 1/2 line phones...". Your choice might be determined by the need to
match existing wiring, jacks or personal preference, but you should maintain consistency. I've
shown both below for straight through cabling and just T568B for crossover cabling.

About Modular Connect or Plugs and Jacks:

The 8P8C modular connectors for Ethernet are often called RJ45 due to their physical
ressemblance. The plug is an 8-position modular connector that looks like a large phone plug.
There are a couple variations available. The primary variation you need to pay attention to is
whether the connector is intended for braided or solid wire. For braided/stranded wires, the
connector has sharp pointed contacts that actually pierce the wire. For solid wires, the connector
has fingers which cut through the insulation and make contact with the wire by grasping it from
both sides. The connector is the weak point in an ethernet cable, choosing the wrong one will
often cause grief later. If you just walk into a computer store, it's nearly impossible to tell what
type of plug it is. You may be able to determine what type it is by crimping one without a cable.

Modular connector jacks come in a variety styles intended for several different mounting options.
The choice is one of requirements and preference. Jacks are designed to work only with solid
ethernet cable. Most jacks come labeled with color coded wiring diagrams for either T568A,
T568B or both. Make sure you end up with the correct one.

Here is a wiring diagram and pin out:

Modular Connector Plug and Jack Pin Out

Ethernet Cable Pin Outs:

There are two basic ethernet cable pin outs. A straight through ethernet cable, which is used to
connect to a hub or switch, and a crossover ethernet cable used to operate in a peer-to-peer
fashion without a hub/switch. Generally all fixed wiring should be run as straight through. Some
ethernet interfaces can cross and un-cross a cable automatically as needed, a handy feature.

Standard, Straight-Through Wiring Diagram(both ends are the same):

Wire Color Wire Diagram 10Base-T Signal

RJ45 Pin # 1000Base-T Signal
(T568A) (T568A) 100Base-TX Signal
 1 White/Green Transmit+ BI_DA+

2 Green Transmit- BI_DA-

3 White/Orange Receive+ BI_DB+

4 Blue Unused BI_DC+

5 White/Blue Unused BI_DC-

6 Orange Receive- BI_DB-

7 White/Brown Unused BI_DD+

8 Brown Unused BI_DD-

Straight-Through Ethernet Cable Pin Out for T568A

Wire Color Wire Diagram 10Base-T Signal

RJ45 Pin # 1000Base-T Signal
(T568B) (T568B) 100Base-TX Signal
1 White/Orange Transmit+ BI_DA+

2 Orange Transmit- BI_DA-

3 White/Green Receive+ BI_DB+

4 Blue Unused BI_DC+

5 White/Blue Unused BI_DC-

6 Green Receive- BI_DB-

7 White/Brown Unused BI_DD+

8 Brown Unused BI_DD-

Straight-Through Ethernet Cable Pin Out for T568B

Crossover Cable Wiring Diagram(T568B):

RJ45 Pin # (END Diagram End RJ45 Pin # (END Diagram End
Wire Color Wire Color
1) #1 2) #2
1 White/Orange 1 White/Green

2 Orange 2 Green

3 White/Green 3 White/Orange

4 Blue 4 White/Brown

5 White/Blue 5 Brown

6 Green 6 Orange

7 White/Brown 7 Blue

8 Brown 8 White/Blue

Crossover Ethernet Cable Pin Outs

+Note: The crossover ethernet cable layout is suitable for 1000Base-T operation, all 4 pairs are
crossed.

How to wire Ethernet Patch Cables:

1. Strip off about 2 inches of the ethernet cable sheath.

 2. Untwist the pairs - don't untwist them beyond what you have exposed, the more untwisted
cable you have the worse the problems you can run into.
3. Align the colored wires according to the wiring diagrams above.
4. Trim all the wires to the same length, about 1/2" to 3/4" left exposed from the sheath.
5. Insert the wires into the RJ45 plug - make sure each wire is fully inserted to the front of the
RJ45 plug and in the correct order. The sheath of the ethernet cable should extend into the
plug by about 1/2" and will be held in place by the crimp.
6. Crimp the RJ45 plug with the crimper tool.
7. Verify the wires ended up the right order and that the wires extend to the front of the RJ45
plug and make good contact with the metal contacts in the RJ45 plug
8. Cut the ethernet cable to length - make sure it is more than long enough for your needs.
9. Repeat the above steps for the second RJ45 plug.

How to wire fixed Ethernet Cables:

1. Run the full length of ethernet cable in place, from endpoint to endpoint, making sure to
leave excess.
2. At one end, cut the wire to length leaving enough length to work, but not too much excess.
3. Strip off about 2 inches of the ethernet cable sheath.
4. Align each of the colored wires according to the layout of the jack.
5. Use the punch down tool to insert each wire into the jack.
6. Repeat the above steps for the second RJ45 jack.

If an ethernet cable tester is available, use it to verify the proper connectivity of the cable. That
should be it, if your ethernet cable doesn't turn out, look closely at each end and see if you can
find the problem. Often a wire ended up in the wrong place or one of the wires is making no
contact or poor contact. Also double check the color coding to verify it is correct. If you see a
mistake or problem, cut the end off and start again. A ethernet cable tester is invaluable at
identifying and highlighting these issues.

When sizing ethernet cables remember that an end to end connection should not extend more
than 100m (~328ft). Try to minimize the ethernet cable length, the longer the cable becomes, the
more it may affect performance. This is usually noticeable as a gradual decrease in speed and
increase in latency.

Notes:

Power over Ethernet (PoE):

Power over Ethernet has been implemented in many variations before IEEE standardized 802.3af.
IEEE 802.3af specifies the ability to supply an endpoint device with 48V DC at up 350mA or
approximatlely 16.8W. IEEE 802.3at updates the PoE standard to supply up to 600mA or
approximately 28.8W, it is often known as PoE+. The device must be capable of receiving power
on either the data pairs [Mode A] (often called phantom power) or the unused pairs in 100Base-
TX [Mode B]. PoE can be used with any ethernet configuration, including 10Base-T, 100Base-TX
or 1000Base-T. Power is only supplied when a valid PoE endpoint is detected by using a low
voltage probe to look for the PoE signature on the endpoint. PoE power is typically supplied in
one of two ways, either the host ethernet switch provides the power, or a "midspan" device is
plugged in between the switch and endpoints and supplies the power. No special cabling is
required.

Wire Color Wire Diagram 10Base-T Signal

RJ45 Pin # PoE
(T568A) (T568A) 100Base-TX Signal
 1 White/Green Transmit+ Mode A +

2 Green Transmit- Mode A +

3 White/Orange Receive+ Mode A -

4 Blue Unused Mode B +

5 White/Blue Unused Mode B +

6 Orange Receive- Mode A -

7 White/Brown Unused Mode B -

8 Brown Unused Mode B -

Power over Ethernet Power Delivery

Protocol Details:

Protocol Standard Symbol Encoding Symbol Rate (Mbaud) Data Encoding

10Base-T IEEE 802.3i Manchester 10 None

100Base-
IEEE 802.3u MLT-3 125 4B5B
TX

1000Base-T IEEE 802.3ab 4D-PAM5 125 None

2.5GBase-T IEEE 802.3bz DSQ128 (2D-PAM16) 200 LDPC(1723,2048), 64B/65B, CRC8

5GBase-T IEEE 802.3bz DSQ128 (2D-PAM16) 400 LDPC(1723,2048), 64B/65B, CRC8

10GBase-T IEEE 802.3an DSQ128 (2D-PAM16) 800 LDPC(1723,2048), 64B/65B, CRC8

25GBase-T IEEE 802.3bq DSQ128 (2D-PAM16) 2000 LDPC(1723,2048), 64B/65B, CRC8

40GBase-T IEEE 802.3bq DSQ128 (2D-PAM16) 3200 LDPC(1723,2048), 64B/65B, CRC8

Data Bits per Pairs per Pairs Nyquist Frequency Minimum Cable
Protocol
Symbol Channel Used Bandwidth (MHz) Category
10Base-T 1 1 2 10 3

100Base-
4/5 1 2 62.5 5
TX

1000Base-
T
2 4 4 62.5 5e (5) 1

2.5GBase-
T
3.125 4 4 100 5e2

5GBase-T 3.125 4 4 200 6 (5e) 2

10GBase-
T
3.125 4 4 400 6a (6) 3

25GBase-
T
3.125 4 4 1000 84

40GBase-
T
3.125 4 4 1600 84

Data Rate = Symbol Rate x Data Bits per Symbol x Pairs per Channel
The combination of the Symbol Encoding and Data Encoding determines how many Data Bits per
Symbol there are.
1. Designed to work on most Cat 5 ethernet cable, Cat 5e specifications ensure 1000Base-T
operation.
2. Although designed for Cat 5e/6, not all cabling will be usable at the full range, especially for
5GBase-T on Cat 5e.
3. Reduced range when used with Cat 6 (55m), Cat 6a supports the full 100m range. Some Cat 5e
may support operation at reduced distance.
4. 30m range.

Cable Category Details:

Cable Category Rated Nyquist Frequency Bandwidth (MHz) Common Uses

1 None Telephone Wiring

2 1 Telephone Wiring

3 16 Telephone Wiring, 10Base-T

4 20 Token-Ring, 10Base-T

5 100 100Base-TX, 10Base-T

5e 100 1000Base-T, 100Base-TX

6 250 1000Base-T, 100Base-TX

6a 500 10GBase-T

71 600 >10GBase-T

7a1 1000 >10GBase-T

8 2000 25GBase-T, 40GBase-T

Increasing category levels are backward compatible.

Manufacturers will often test and certify their ethernet cable well beyond the standards.
1. Category 7/7a cabling does not use RJ45 connectors.

Related Reading Material

Get IEEE 802 - Ethernet Standards

Charles Spurgeon's Ethernet Website
Network Connection Speeds Reference
Fiber Optic Connector Reference
Ethernet: The Definitive Guide
Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols (2nd Edition)
The All-New Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology
TCP/IP Illustrated
TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1 - The Protocols
TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 2 - The Implementation
TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 3 - TCP for Transactions, HTTP, NNTP, and the UNIX
Domain Protocols
UNIX Network Programming
UNIX Network Programming, Volume 1: The Sockets Networking API
UNIX Network Programming, Volume 2: Interprocess Communications
Created By: Steven Nikkel (steven_nikkel@ertyu.org)
This webpage and others materials ar e Copyright © 1997-2018 Ste ven Nikkel, All Rights Reser ved
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Last Changed: September 27, 2016

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