Installing and Using a RJ 45 Cable

The RJ-45 cable uses an ethernet connection to connect technology devices such as computers, printers and DSL. You will need to identify the RJ-45 cable in order to connect it to a connector or a jack. These cables have a crimped plug at one end. The crimped plug has eight flat conductors that plug into a socket in order to make an electrical connection that will power the devices.

Measuring the Cable Wire

Select the length of cable you will need. If you are going to install the cables in the wall, you will need a cable long enough to reach from the inside through the room as necessary. Be sure to include enough cable length for slack.

Stripping the Cable Wire

Use wire strippers to take off about one and half inches of the sleeve from the cable wire. Do not cut through the colored wires inside the cable sleeve. With the sleeve removed from the cable wires, you should now be able to see a number of different colored wires.

Organizing the Wires

Separate the wires in pairs by color. There should be eight different colors of wire. Lay out the cable wires in the proper order from left to right. At the furthest left position should be the white orange wire. Next should be the orange one, followed by the white green one. After that you will need to place the blue wire and then the white blue wire. The green wire should come next, followed by the white brown one. Finally, at the furthest right, should be the brown wire. The properly aligned wires should be smoothed out to make them lay flat. Use the wire strippers to clip about a quarter of an inch off of each of the wire ends.

Connecting the RJ 45 Connector

Take out an RJ-45 end with the clip facing downward. Carefully insert the smoothed and clipped cable wires into the tip of the RJ-45 end. Make sure that all of the wire ends are properly secured and that they are still in their proper positions. Use wire crimpers to secure the cable in the proper slot. Carefully squeeze the handle for about 5 seconds. Release the handle and then hold it down again for another 5 seconds so that cable will be sealed. 

Installing RJ-45 into Keystone Jacks

If you are installing in-wall jacks, you will need to create a place in the wall where the jack can go. This will require putting a hole into a wall in the room. If you rent your property, be sure you have permission from the owner. Place a keystone jack into the wall plate. Secure the jack to the wall plate. Add the cable wires to the keystone jack. The order of the wires must match the order of the cable wires exactly. If they do not match exactly, it will not function properly. Put the wires into the jack. Use a cable tester to be sure your cables are working properly.