Repairing a broken cable

[fs483]

Hi,

Let's say you had a very long network cable (Cat5e) already installed and someone cut the cable. How would you go about fixing this cable :

1- resolder the broken ends together (I wouldn't)
2- replace the cable (can't do because of the cost associated in bring in a lift to reach the ceiling)
3- terminate with two female Rj-45 jacks where the cable is broken and use a short patch cable between the two Rj-45 jacks. (I prefer)
4- install a modular box and attach the ends of the cables onto the screws (like the ones installed onto the baseboards of homes for additional telephone jacks) . (I don't like because the wires are screwed to the posts).
5- use electrical tape !
6- do nothing.

What are the consequences for solution 3. I would be using good quality jacks (the ones supplied by Nordx/CDT) and a prefabricated patch cable. Does the ethernet standard or NEC explain what to do in this situation. Have you already had a similar situation ?

anthony

 

[executone]

A quick fix is to use scotchlocks or beanies to splice cable together, but you really should replace cable. It is not recomended to splice any cable if it can be avoided.

Good Luck!!

 

[vaoldschl]

If you have access to the location of the break couldn't you use the cable itself as a string to pull in a new cable? This would solve the lift problem.

If that won't work I agree with executone; you shouldn't splice the cable.

If you have no choice but to splice then I suggest you terminate one side of the cut cable on a CAT5e jack and the other side of the cable to a CAT5 rated RJ-45 modular plug. This cuts down on failure points outlined in your option 3.

 

[fonedude]

A block splice on a 66 or 110 block would work as long as you have enough cable to do it. Untwist the cable as minimally as possible though.

 

[rpearson]

From a standards stand point,EIA\TIA recommends re-installing the cable.If your pathway or cable run is not efficiently accessible,at last resort,use a cheat method like a Jack - Patchcable - Jack splice.Ive seen these work fine.The thing about using beanies,dolphins,scotch locks or any other quick splice is that there not cat5 compliant.The jacks and patch cables are.FYI:With a Ethernet run exceeding 328ft(you mentioned the run was long),plus a splice you may have problems running at 100 mibs full.Later...

 

[daronwilson]

There really is no technically correct way to do this, you are pretty much going to have to cheat. Based on that, here is my preferred order of methods:

1. Cat5e modular plug on one wire, Cat5e modular jack on the other, plug the two together.

2. Cat5e compliant 110 type block (space premitting) and splice them carefully, minimum untwist on the wires.

3. I've sucessfully scotchloke'd them together, they passed the test at 100 MHz with my scanner, but it is not easy to maintain the twist and long cable runs will probably not meet compliance.

It happens, sooner or later, you have to cheat. Best way is of course to rewire, but in the interim you can certainly get by with the first two.

Good Luck! It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com

 

[fs483]

Ok thanks all, good to know. Actually the question was a hypothetical one. It hasn't happened to me yet but last week I had to be creative on extending one run. In the place I work, the manager needed to add a POS in the warehouse for scanning products received from the trucks. The employees had a lot of trouble scanning all the palets during the christmas season (over 20 skids three times a week) from one terminal. The manager didn't want to call in the cabler and add a new run, the costs would be very high (must be done during the night, 40 foot ceilings, needed to add a new patch panel...). I however managed to find an unused network jack but it wasn't close enough to the new location of the terminal. I could either extend this jack by splicing a wire to it or use a 50 foot patch cable. I chose to use the patch cable. Since the warehouse is a pretty rought environment I don't know how long the patch cable will last. If the warehouse guys ever damage the plug or the patch cable, I'll have to replace the whole cable since the patch cable connects directly into the POS terminal. By extending the existing cable, I could of put in a jack and reduce the necessity of replacing the whole cable, just replace the short patch cable. Anyways, I'll go back during the week and add some plastic cable conduits to shield the exposed parts of the cable.

 

[executone]

Why did you not just put in a two or 4 port hub at the location? It would be cheaper than running a cable.

Good Luck!!

 

[fs483]

Each POS system must be connected individually to a different port on the Remote asynchronus nodes (RAN) which is SCSI connected to a IBM server running Unix. A hub won't work unfortunately. We are still running on old AIX servers.

anthony

 

[executone]

So you must be using a digi-board (or simular product)of the Unix for the POS terminals. I still have a couple of machines like that.

Sounds good, and Good Luck!!

 

[fs483]

I'm not familiar with digi-board. All I know is that the POS terminals are ascii IBM 3151 with a keyboard plugged in the front. The connection from the rear is a DB-25(with 8 pins) to Rj-45. On the RAN, it's a RJ-45 socket with 15 or so ports. Each RAN is daisy chained and connected to the server IBM B50. Then that server is connected to a cisco router and then it's connected via T1 to our head office on the other side of the country litteraly (I'm in Montreal and the head office is in Vancouver).

So far so good, my manager hasn't called me on my day off yet so I guess it's still up.

see ya
anthony

 

[executone]

The Ran is simular to the Digiboard. Digiboards have 16 ports and you can daisy chain them for more ports. They hook to the server using a SCSI interface card. Very simular products, just different manufacturers.

 

[skip555]

one other thought ,If the POS dosnt require all 4 pair you might be able to split one 4 pair rj45 into two 2 pair rj45 running at 10mbs rather than 100.

we do this somtimes eiter as a tmporary thing, or if the end users can get by with the 10mbs connection

 

[fs483]

I don't know if all four pairs are used ! By doing so, it would require me to do a few modifications at the patch panel which I want to avoid. The cable guys might get confused when they come and upgrade the system and I doubt the IT guys would like that too.

anthony

 

[skip555]

actually you can buy adapters , they look like a phone splitter that will split a 4 pair 100mbs rj45 into two 2 pair 10mbs connections.
you are correct in that you would have to do it on both ends

 

[fs483]

Anyways, everythings seems to be working fine (no calls yet). The wiring was working fine sunday when I made the connections. I'm going to go back friday and see if anything has changed. I'll also install the wire protectors to avoid having the wiring damaged.

 

[shipwright]

I know you can get a CAT 5 connector which accepts an RJ45 plug in both ends, so you would term an RJ45 plug to both ends of the cut cable and plug them into the connector.It looks similar to a telephones satin cord extender that you buy at any comms shop or any dollar shop.

 

[fs483]

Shipwring,

I've used those couplers before and had mixed success. The one I have at home (maybe it's busted) only works when I push (physically) on both ends of the cable going into the adaptor. The cables click well into the coupler and the link light is on but no data passes. I used this coupler when I was using my laptop in the kitchen where I didn't have any network connections. It was a pain using the coupler, I had no choice, my cable wasn't long enough. Having the cable run on the floor was hazardous. I ended up installing network connectors (wall plates) in every room... except the washrooms but I did leave some cable in the wall. Maybe some day a company will build a "smart" toilet that will need a network hookup...

Who knows...
anthony

 

[skip555]

anthony
I have a couple of them and they work just fine I have one I use with my seimans stm 8 cable tester it lets me put the remote on the end of the patch cord and test end to end .

I have one extending the patch cord that I use all the time running to my laptop in the tv family room

you must have just had a bad one .

 

[fs483]

Mines come from Belkin network products. I normally use their patch cables and they work fine but like I said maybe it's only my coupler that's defective ! General rule of thumb, I don't like daisy chaining extensions (like power cables, power bars...). I rather buy a longer one. I'll use two extensions temporarely but not as a permanent thing.

anthony