Hacker News Reader

Comment by michael1999 | Hacker News Reader

michael1999

How do you re-terminate stranded cable? I struggle to terminate solid-core in less that 5 minutes.

What do you mean stranded? If you mean standard ethernet cable, it's 8 solid wires. Putting a keystone block takes about 1-2 minutes (with a tool). I spend more time figuring out which wire goes where than the actual retermination.

Stranded as in each wire being made up of smaller wires.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire#Stranded

These are typical in pre-capped wires. While they allow more flexibility of the wire, their ends are hard (if not impossible) to change.

I've never seen stranded wire in an ethernet cable, but I see it's a thing. I occasionally turn my male-male ethernet into male-female with a keystone block and never see stranded.

I dabble in electronics and I eliminate stranded wire whenever I find it. Some people love it but I find it really inconvenient.

Stranded ones are very common in patch cables.

Solid Ethernet cabling should generally only be used on permanent building cable that never move. Stranded should be used on patch cables and cables that get moved around. Beyond being more difficult to handle, regular movement will break solid copper, often leading to intermittent connectivity.

Cable bought on long spools to install permanently is usually solid, while patch cables are usually stranded. Most of the time, you'll end up buying pre-terminated stranded cable, and all the cable you terminate yourself will be solid.

Does it even matter if the cable is solid or stranded? When you put on that new RJ45 connector the cables go into the connector with the insulation on.

I tried and failed three times. Gave up, and pulled solid cable. TIL that some rj45 connectors have multiple teeth, and interlock.

patch cable wire is stranded. the clip here is meant for use on patch cables and has nothing to do with keystones

Not much to it. Every individual wire is wrapped up, and stays that way. You just need the stranded cable caps with teeth that pierce through the individual wire wrapping when you crimp down on them. Keystones are a pain tho, nobody seems to make them for stranded cable. But you can terminate the cable coming out the wall with a standard cap, and shove a connector where a keystone would go in the socket.

All those things I learned after accidentally buying tons of stranded cable for re-wiring my house :)

The trick is the jack, you need the plug for stranded cable. and don't try to use stranded plugs on solid core, as I found out the hard way it is nothing but pain.

It's quite a process, apparently. Amusingly, their "all-in-one" tool doesn't do it all.

https://www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/how-to-termina...

OH MY! Pass-through RJ45... Why havent I seen these before. Arghhh. Im going to have to order some now.

Yeah, I thought "what kind of newfangled abomination is this" earlier this year, grumbling it was all that was available at Home Depot at that moment. Pleasantly surprised upon using one though, what a great time saver.

Easier than you think but one of those things easier to show than do. Muscle memory skill.

You have to use an RJ-45 for stranded cable, not solid.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com