[CS-FSLUG] Ethernet Testing

[Tim Young]

There are plenty of cat5/cat6 couplers out there.  If you have a lot 
of wire that is untwisted, I would do that.

Technically, the best practice is to have your wire end in a "wall 
jack" that is permanently mounted on the wall.  You do not need to 
chop holes in your wall, but can use "surface mount" things.

The "issue" is that there are two main types of wire.  There is 
"solid core" wire, which is stiff, and usually what you buy in 
spools.  Solid core is cheaper, but breaks if you keep bending it in 
the same spot.  So it is not very good to use in locations that have 
any movement.

The other type of cable is "stranded", which is much more flexible. 
Most "patch cables" are made out of stranded wire (or at least, they 
are supposed to be).

So, for "permanent" runs, you use the cheaper but more fragile solid 
core wire to the wall, and then use the more-expensive but more 
durable patch-cable to go from the wall to the other end.

When you have the opportunity to do it, you should make the change. 
The most likely place for your wire to break will be next to the 
cable-end, or where the cable comes out of the wall/floor.  That is 
where the most "bending" occurs.  If it happens at the end, it is not 
too much effort to add another end.  But if it happens at the wall, 
it is probably "game-over" for your wire.

That all said, many people have successfully used solid-core wires 
for years and years.

There is usually a balance between being cheap and wise, and what 
that balance is for you is for you to decide.  Sometimes $12 for 
plugs and surface-mount boxes is a lot harder to come by, and other 
times that amount of money is not a problem at all.

     - Tim Young

On 9/5/2012 10:39 AM, Timothy Butler wrote:
> Would it be worth trying to retwist the cable? I hate to cut so 
> much off -- and then I'll need to couple the cable to a short cable 
> to get it to the switch... I'm really puzzled why they stripped and 
> untwisted so much of the cable. I guess I can just cut it... Thanks 
> for your help! Blessings, Tim