Patch cable from hell

[super20g]

Ok, so I keep making patch cables that dont work and I dont understand why. I have one ran and it works fine... but if i unplug it from this crappy netgear switch i have and plug in the new cable i made, it locks up the computer(running xp). It freezes the mouse and every 5 seconds it will unfreeze for a second... The ethernet cable is about 50 ft long, I have made 2 different ones with the same results??? I just dont understand.. It shows its connected when i connect it, but it wont let me map a drive... Any help is much appreciated.. never had this problem before. thanks, brad

[YeOldeStonecat]

Primary reason I walk away from any job I'm working on...where I encounter any home made network cables. I tell the client I'll come back with my professional wiring guy to rewire the job, or have the client have a professional wire the job, or if it's just some loose run cable...replace it with a reputable brand factory made cable.

Save yourself the aggravation....spend a couple of bucks on a factory made and tested cable....a good brand, not some budget stuff out of some bargain catalog, else you'll be in the same boat.

Link lights are by no means any way of knowing that a cable is good. You need professional testing equipment, such as Flukes.

[super20g]

Well, last week i tested it with a fluke and all was good... except it didnt work.. And today I used a patch cord tester and everything was a-ok, no crosses or anything, but it still didnt work so I cut the ends back off and re-did them and now its working fine. I used a different set of crimpers so that might have been the prob. Never had a cable when plugged in cause the computer to freeze like that, the cpu monitor showed crazy stuff happening, it bounced from 100% usage to 2% and back and forth... and then another time it showed "connected" "disconnected" back and forth...

oh, btw, my work is the biggest bunch of half assers and corner cutters you'll ever meet, thats why they have me interning for them for slave labor doing all this crap.

Thanks for the advice yeoldestonecat, i'll make sure when i setup a "real" network in the future that I urge them to buy good pre-fabbed cables cat5

[JeffL]

I've never had trouble with my own cables.

[The Dude]

Originally posted by super20g
Well, last week i tested it with a fluke and all was good... except it didnt work.. And today I used a patch cord tester and everything was a-ok, no crosses or anything, but it still didnt work so I cut the ends back off and re-did them and now its working fine. I used a different set of crimpers so that might have been the prob. Never had a cable when plugged in cause the computer to freeze like that, the cpu monitor showed crazy stuff happening, it bounced from 100% usage to 2% and back and forth... and then another time it showed "connected" "disconnected" back and forth...

oh, btw, my work is the biggest bunch of half assers and corner cutters you'll ever meet, thats why they have me interning for them for slave labor doing all this crap.

Thanks for the advice yeoldestonecat, i'll make sure when i setup a "real" network in the future that I urge them to buy good pre-fabbed cables cat5

Did you keep the twisted pairs together? The two TX wires must be one twisted pair and the two RX wires must be a twisted pair. I only ask because one pair splits, tx 1and 2, but rx is 3 and 6. Just matching all the colors end for end doesn't always work, especially on long runs. If you already know all of this please forgive my ramblings.

[super20g]

No, I didnt know that, so thanks for the info. I was under the assumption that color doesnt matter, or only matters if your trying to create a standard to follow.

[The Dude]

Originally posted by super20g
No, I didnt know that, so thanks for the info. I was under the assumption that color doesnt matter, or only matters if your trying to create a standard to follow.

I was an installation tech for quite a few years, communications equipment mostly. I got used to terminating 25, 50 and 100 pair cables by color code. I tried to make up some network cables using the same method and met up with the same results you did, intermittent or didn't work at all. That's when I learned how to do it correctly. Even though you only use four pins I put all the wires in to make the connection stronger. I just make sure to match up the ones that count and make sure the wires are paired correctly.

[The_Lurker]

the standard you want to use when doing network cables is T-568b

http://www.mcc.cc.mt.us/webpages/academics/electronics_program_files/T568Cable.htm

use google to find more on this.

good luck

[JeffL]

or 568A if your network is designed around that.