Terminating Cat6a Cable query

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AKT

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#270623 18-May-2020 22:26

Hi,

I’m hoping for a quick answer to this query, although I appreciate it’s more complex than I’d like it to be! I have wired our old home with Cat6a and have a 24 port switch to terminate it all into. My question relates to terminating the cable.

1. 568A or 568B or does it not matter? I have googled and found opinions that could go either way.

2. Is a regular RJ45 fine, or do you need a specific type for the ‘earth’ wire? Any tips on where to get them/ which ones? I have a crimp tool already but the prices seem to vary wildly on cablesdirect and I don’t really know what the differences are. Any pointers? I need around 30-50.

I have 1GB broadband and getting 10G is not really on the cards for now, the 6a was the same price as 6 so went for it as future-proofing more than necessity.

Thanks

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#2485988 18-May-2020 22:54

1. Does not matter which standard you pick. Just remember that both ends of the cable termination need to be same standard.

2. If you buy CAT6A specific keystone or field termination plug then it comes with shielding tape for the earth wire. I recently went through this exercise on a new build with a just over 40 CAT7A cable runs and bought the Cable Matters keystone and field termination plugs from Amazon late last year before COVID-19 was a thing along with their termination tool which made the job so much easier. These have now gone up in price since COVID-19 and you are looking at almost $10 for just one keystone/field termination plug.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074HH9RHW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A1AMUYYA3CT6HJ&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074HHWNVN/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1AMUYYA3CT6HJ&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Crimp-Shielded-Keystone/dp/B074HG3VW3/ref=pd_bxgy_img_3/131-2822851-9625059?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B074HG3VW3&pd_rd_r=67c00f2a-085d-4e41-b31d-514c8611e2de&pd_rd_w=MxW5R&pd_rd_wg=T7p3z&pf_rd_p=7a6bc5c0-cfeb-4154-b2f9-fb32e87e9c63&pf_rd_r=2A190N9M3T2WDWVTN07F&psc=1&refRID=2A190N9M3T2WDWVTN07F

Do whatever you want to do man.

Zeon

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#2486004 18-May-2020 23:44

In Cat6A there is no "earth wire" AFAIK. The shielding of the cable should be connected to earth and (at least in the Dynamix cat6a cable) there is a non-insulated wire inside the cable which is against the shielding and would be used.

I don't think switches are connected to earth so you will need somewhere to do this, typically on a patch panel - cat6A patch panels should connect to shielding on the cable and then have an earth connection. I suppose you could also do this at the outlet and grab the earth from a nearby power point but don't think this is the "official way".

I used CableMatters cat6a patch panels and keystones and they are easy enough to work with. The cat6a keystones from cable matters don't require a crimper.

If you need I can upload some photos of the CableMatters patch panels with the earth connected.

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nztim

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#2486031 19-May-2020 06:40

I have wired with 'A" wiring (starting with green/white) in my 22 years in the IT industry but there is no right or wrong way as long as your entire network is consistent

the whole A and B wiring concept came about when you had to "cross over" the green and orange pairs between devices when there was no switch involved (or hub in those days)

Now days most devices will auto negotiate so if you wired one end A and one end B it will still work..... but that is not good practice :)

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

sbiddle

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#2486061 19-May-2020 08:35

If you have purchased shielded cable you need to ensure you are using shielded RJ45 keystone jacks at both ends, and that the frame and all hardware is appropriately earthed.

Using shielded cable that isn't earthed correctly can theoretically introduce significant issues, and shielded cable is something that IMHO should really only be used if there is a genuine need for it.

Jase2985

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#2486088 19-May-2020 09:34

Anyone got a Platinumtools 10G Termination Kit or similar i could borrow in a few weeks time? Im in auckland.

AKT

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#2486276 19-May-2020 12:40

sbiddle:

If you have purchased shielded cable you need to ensure you are using shielded RJ45 keystone jacks at both ends, and that the frame and all hardware is appropriately earthed.

Using shielded cable that isn't earthed correctly can theoretically introduce significant issues, and shielded cable is something that IMHO should really only be used if there is a genuine need for it.

I bought DYNAMIX 305m Cat6A Blue S/FTP Cable Roll, 500MHz, 23AWGx4P PVC Jacket from a recommendation on a different thread so I need shielded Keystone/RJ45 jacks then. Any pointers on where to get them? Like I said in the OP there seems to be a wild difference in price for not much percievable difference in the products ($1-2 per jack to $17 per jack) I may of course be missing something.

Thanks to the other posters too for helping clarify 568a/b

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dolsen

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#2486368 19-May-2020 14:49

As others have said, not much difference between 568A and 568B for std network use. I wired my network (against NZ standards) as 568B. The reason for that is, some hdmi over Cat6 devices I have seen have a different distance limitation between the two standards. I don't have a link, but, it was something like 50M for 568A and 60M for 568B. Presumably, that difference is as a result of more critical signals being sent over pairs with a higher twist rate.

Zeon

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#2486369 19-May-2020 14:50

AKT:

sbiddle:

If you have purchased shielded cable you need to ensure you are using shielded RJ45 keystone jacks at both ends, and that the frame and all hardware is appropriately earthed.

Using shielded cable that isn't earthed correctly can theoretically introduce significant issues, and shielded cable is something that IMHO should really only be used if there is a genuine need for it.

I bought DYNAMIX 305m Cat6A Blue S/FTP Cable Roll, 500MHz, 23AWGx4P PVC Jacket from a recommendation on a different thread so I need shielded Keystone/RJ45 jacks then. Any pointers on where to get them? Like I said in the OP there seems to be a wild difference in price for not much percievable difference in the products ($1-2 per jack to $17 per jack) I may of course be missing something.

Thanks to the other posters too for helping clarify 568a/b

A

I used these keystones:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLVAJCK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this patch panel:

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Rackmount-Wallmount-Shielded/dp/B00AQL46TY/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=cable+matters+cat6a&qid=1589856582&s=electronics&sr=1-5

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chevrolux

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#2486377 19-May-2020 15:04

dolsen:

As others have said, not much difference between 568A and 568B for std network use. I wired my network (against NZ standards) as 568B. The reason for that is, some hdmi over Cat6 devices I have seen have a different distance limitation between the two standards. I don't have a link, but, it was something like 50M for 568A and 60M for 568B. Presumably, that difference is as a result of more critical signals being sent over pairs with a higher twist rate.

The only difference between 568A and B are where the orange/green pairs are. The supported speed/length etc has nothing to do with the wiring standard, but rather the link standard like Class D, E or Ea etc

Paging @cyril7

cyril7

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#2486500 19-May-2020 17:45

Hi as Sam said a and b just swap green and orange pairs, your signals are colour blind so don't care.

And before someone says, ah but by mixing the pairs may advantage or disadvantage the situation due to different twist rates between pairs, but the answer is which is right or wrong as each manufacturer applies twist rates differently to pairs and often different per batch, so it's random too.

So sorry hdmi better on a or b, nah, maybe this cable, but no guarantee the next, its a lottery

Cyril

AKT

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#2486504 19-May-2020 17:50

I may be missing something here but do you need a patch panel? Can you not terminate everything with RJ45 and put it into the switch directly?

A

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cyril7

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#2486508 19-May-2020 18:03

Hi that's not very professional and prone to poor mechanical performance a patch panel is the correct solution.

Cyril

Zeon

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#2486514 19-May-2020 18:15

cyril7: Hi that's not very professional and prone to poor mechanical performance a patch panel is the correct solution.

Cyril

How would you earth without a patch panel? It would have to be most likely at the keystone if you have a plug nearby.... You would need to rig something up.

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dolsen

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#2486585 19-May-2020 18:54

cyril7: Hi as Sam said a and b just swap green and orange pairs, your signals are colour blind so don't care.

And before someone says, ah but by mixing the pairs may advantage or disadvantage the situation due to different twist rates between pairs, but the answer is which is right or wrong as each manufacturer applies twist rates differently to pairs and often different per batch, so it's random too.

So sorry hdmi better on a or b, nah, maybe this cable, but no guarantee the next, its a lottery

Cyril

Interesting. I always thought that the twist rates were part of the standard, and therefore, there could be some optimum pair for particular signals to reduce cross-talk, so, there could be a physical reason as to why the manufactures recommendations made sense.

Looking here, that does not seem to be the case. "As for twist rate, it simply says under Section 4.3.3.2 Pair Assembly: " The pair twist lengths shall be chosen to ensure compliance with the transmission requirements of this Standard." In other words, it's left to manufacturers to innovate. It is NOT specified."

Therefore, statements like this

"This product was designed for use with CAT-6a (Augmented CAT-6)
cabling that is terminated according to the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568B specification. CAT5e and CAT-6 cable can be used but distance ratings will be shortened. ANSI/
TIA/EIA-568A termination can be used but may cause marginal distance loss" (emphasis added) - https://www.gefen.com/sites/default/files/_/Downloads/discontinued-extenders/gtv-hdmi1.3-cat6.pdf

And the product that I can no longer find, that had a table with less range using the 568A standard, does not seem to be based in repeatable standards.

Using a crossover cable at both ends would have had the same effect anyway.

cyril7

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#2486596 19-May-2020 19:13

Hi, exactly, re twist rates, essentially there is a a range pairs must fit within, other than that, its what you find.

Cyril

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