Constant Cat5 Cable disconnects

R

Rod Bishop

Member
I have been using a homemade Cat5 ethernet cable for two years from the router to the PC in the den. It suddenly stopped working.
I have a Ethernet build kit to cut and build ethernet cables as I need them, but so far I've only need this one cable run of about 80'. Thinking the ethernet connectors may have become loose or disconnected I replaced the at both ends, but the PC cannot pick up the router. I replaced the router yesterday with a new one, but still no internet on thee PC.
I connected my laptop to the ethernet cable and still no internet so it's not a PC or laptop problem. So I replaced the cable ends again, but still no connect.
So I replaced the Cat5 cable with a Cat 6 ethernet cable today and placed new connector at the ends and still no internet through the ethernet cable.
The CAt5 and the Cat6 is a solid copper wire if that makes a difference.
THere is no store here in South Louisiana that carries the Cable Kit and connectors. BestBuy said none in stock.

Today I ordered another ethernet cable build kit that comes with tester for the cable.

Is there something I missed? So far I've used 8 ethernet connectors with no advancement.

Any Ideas till my new kit comes in?
 
You really need the tester when making your own cables. Can you connect anything wireless to the router? If wireless works then it's something with the Lan ports or cable.
 
Both cat5 and Cat6 cables are new from the factorys box. It's got to be the connectors or the crimpers or both. Whats the difference for in the A or B ethernet cable guide and the Crossover layout?
My uses are home system only.
 
The new standard is t568b started in 2002, the old standard was the t568a started in 1995. To make a crossover cable, one end is t568b and the other end is T568a.

http://www.incentre.net/tech-support/other-support/ethernet-cable-color-coding-diagram/

A crossover cable was basically needed for 2 computers to communicate between each other. Was used a lot for ICS (Internet Connection Sharing).

Are you able to connect to the internet using wireless? Lets make sure the modem isn't the problem.
 
Yes, wireless on the PC works on the PC, but I connected a laptop to the ethernet cable at the PC and it failed to connect also.
I think it's the ethernet connectors or the crimpers, but I would think after trying 8 different connectors from the same sourse I would get two to work properly.
 
Not necessarily, it's possible that either the wires aren't pushed up far enough into the connector to make contact with the pins in the connector or you have crossed pairs. I make cables too and sometimes it takes me a couple tries to get both ends correct.
 
John, what's name of the tool you can use to check your cat cable connections.
I tried to query at Newegg but no luck.

Thanks
 
What kind of crimper and jacks are you using? Cheap eBay chinese garbage? I have a few of those along with this turd sandwich spool of cat5e and it makes flaky connections at best:

s-l1600.jpg
 
I just checked the cable box that I used to make the ethernet cable and it says Cat5e. That cable was had been in place under the house for only two years, and the box also says it's indoor/outdoor Cat5e.
The cable I replaced it with a few days ago, I thought was CAT6 wire, is just Cat5 in a blue jacket.

I stripped off a foot of each cable and compared them and they both look alike, except in the blue Cat5 cable, the orange/white wire has more twist per inch than the other wires, twice the twist. Kinda like the twist in the picture above except in mine only the O/W has a tighter wrap.

If I could have found a premade 100' ethernet cable from a store I would have picked it up fast.

When my new plug making kit arrives I'll post the results.
 
You have to use cat 6 connectors for that cable as well. The wire is actually thicker then cat 5.
 
I got it!

I just crimped the 8th set of ethernet connectors one end at a time, and I tried everytime following a crimp to check the network and I finally got service.

I finally got two good connectors to crimp properly out of a bag of 25. I used the last four connectors from the old bag and I still have 13 connectors left in the second bag.

These things can be a pain in the A$$. I do have another connectors kit ordered from online in the USA but they probably came form China too.

Either way, "She who must be obayed" is happy again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these two can hold their own.

Thanks for letting me bend a few ears here, that helped me to keep going.
 
Just make sure you get a tester to test the cable or you will go crazy trying to figure out what is wrong. They save a lot of time and headache.
 
johnb35 said:
Just make sure you get a tester to test the cable or you will go crazy trying to figure out what is wrong. They save a lot of time and headache.
Click to expand...
What kind do you have? Most ones that test more than a wire map are super pricey for what you get, I usually use the TDR on my Cisco switch to test pairs and similar.
 
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