5.1 Cabling the LAN  
  5.1.5 UTP implementation  
EIA/TIA specifies an RJ-45 connector for UTP cable. The letters RJ stand for registered jack, and the number 45 refers to a specific wiring sequence. The RJ-45 transparent end connector shows eight colored wires. Four of the wires carry the voltage and are considered “tip” (T1 through T4). The other four wires are grounded and are called “ring” (R1 through R4). Tip and ring are terms that originated in the early days of the telephone. Today, these terms refer to the positive and the negative wire in a pair. The wires in the first pair in a cable or a connector are designated as T1 and R1. The second pair is T2 and R2, and so on.

The RJ-45 connector is the male component, crimped on the end of the cable. When looking at the male connector from the front, the pin locations are numbered 8 on the left down to 1 on the right as seen in Figure .

The jack is the female component in a network device, wall outlet, or patch panel as seen in Figure . Figure shows the punch-down connections at the back of the jack where the Ethernet UTP cable connects.

For electricity to run between the connector and the jack, the order of the wires must follow EIA/TIA-T568-A or T568-B standards, as shown in Figure . Identify the correct EIA/TIA category of cable to use for a connecting device by determining what standard is being used by the jack on the network device. In addition to identifying the correct EIA/TIA category of cable, determine whether to use a straight-through cable or a crossover cable.

If the two RJ-45 connectors of a cable are held side by side in the same orientation, the colored wires will be seen in each. If the order of the colored wires is the same at each end, then the cable is straight-through as seen in Figure .

With crossover, the RJ-45 connectors on both ends show that some of the wires on one side of the cable are crossed to a different pin on the other side of the cable. Figure shows that pins 1 and 2 on one connector connect respectively to pins 3 and 6 on the other.

Figure shows the guidelines for what type of cable to use when interconnecting Cisco devices.

Use straight-through cables for the following cabling:

  • Switch to router
  • Switch to PC or server
  • Hub to PC or server

Use crossover cables for the following cabling:

  • Switch to switch
  • Switch to hub
  • Hub to hub
  • Router to router
  • PC to PC
  • Router to PC

Figure illustrates how a variety of cable types may be required in a given network. The category of UTP cable required is based on the type of Ethernet that is chosen.

 

Lab Activity

Lab Exercise: RJ-45 Jack Punch Down

This lab is to learn the correct process for terminating or punching down an RJ-45 jack and  to learn the correct procedure for installing the jack in a wall plate

   
 

Interactive Media Activity

PhotoZoom: Straight-Through Cable

In this PhotoZoom, the student will view a straight-through cable.

   
 

Interactive Media Activity

PhotoZoom: Crossover Cable

In this PhotoZoom, the student will view a crossover cable.

   
 

Web Links

Unshielded Twisted Pair

http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/ 0,,sid7_gci214167,00.html