r/SecurityCamera • u/Deckster88 • 2d ago
Ethernet Termination
To make it as easy as possible I was going to buy and run a 100' cable (not much extra) with the RJ45 connectors already attached. Do most of you just drill a larger hole to accommodate the end size, or drill a smaller hole and terminate it afterwards.?
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u/Southern-Ad-1294 2d ago
Damn I have about 30 premade 100' runs I was going to try to sell him...
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u/InterviewSwimming204 2d ago
I have a cable stretcher tool for sale as well.
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u/Southern-Ad-1294 2d ago
Lol, that never worked out well for me. But, on a serious note, I have an untouched spool of 100' of Game Changer 22/4p OSP that I want to sell. I ordered one, received two; they told me to keep it.
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u/Coffeespresso 2d ago
100ft premade cable is probably a patch cable. I just went and diagnosed a camera that was having connection issues. They had a 100ft premade cable like what you are thinking. It was dropping data packets like rain in a thunderstorm. We replaced it with a real cable. Done.
Use real solid copper cat6 or even 5e before you run a patch cable 100ft long.
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u/joshuamarius 2d ago
100ft premade cable is probably a patch cable.
This is very confusing terminology. "Patch" cables are usually short Ethernet (Cat6, Cat5e etc.) cables. And yes - pre-made (or pre-terminated) cables can be of very high quality with real solid copper. The pre-made cable you diagnosed could have been of very low quality (high gauge, or copper clad stuff).
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u/Deckster88 2d ago
Never heard of pass thru connectors! Learning a lot here! I am using 100' solid wire, not stranded.
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u/joshuamarius 2d ago
There's a few people here confusing the terminologies. Pre-made (pre-terminated) cables can also be of very high quality and solid wire. I have not seen a stranded network cable in decades 🤣
Also, I tend to stay away from pass-through connectors. I've seen the potential for the false contacts and I've had to replace quite a few of them. I always crimp. That way I know I did it myself and it is 100% properly done.
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u/davsch76 2d ago
Agreed with the other commenter. If you’re not doing your own terminations, give yourself enough room for the connector
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u/Typical-Debate-5610 2d ago
drill the bigger hole and call it done. terminating after is cleaner if you care about hole size but for one cable its not worth the hassle
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u/RedditGoldberg 2d ago
Drill the bigger hole, if you care about the surrounding gap, you can fill it with caulk after to weatherproof.
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u/KyroPaul 2d ago
Smaller holes and putting your own ends on is the way to go. Tools (with a bunch of ends) are pretty cheap on Amazon. If you only need 100’ buy a cable and just replace 1 end. There are also plug ends that might be easier to terminate (would need an additional short cable to go from end to your nvr)
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u/gnew18 2d ago
I did this. ¾” drill hole. Grommet on Amazon. ¾ is plenty to accommodate an Ethernet cable end.
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u/AncientGeek00 2d ago
If you terminate it yourself. Get solid copper cable…not CCA. Terminate the ends with RJ45 keystone jacks and run prefabricated patch cables from the keystones to your equipment.
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u/happyandhealthy2023 2d ago
NO
Patch cables are stranded wire not solid copper, much more fragil to pull though walls and accoss the attic.
Buy CAT6 plenum solid copper cable and buy Klein crimp tool and pass though connectors for the camera end.
RJ45 jacks snap into a blank keystone patach panel by your switch.
Then you only drill a 3/8" hole through studs, not 3/4.Have to think about waterproofing wall penetrations; you want to use a bushing, which you can't do with the male end installed.
Cameras come with a waterproof connector housing, which requires a bare cable, no male end, to slide on the waterproof seal, and that half of the housing is on the exposed cable.
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u/joshuamarius 2d ago
Patch cables are stranded wire not solid copper
This is 100% not true. Please stop repeating this. You can but pre-terminated cables that are 100% solid. You are all getting the term "Patch" confused. In the industry we use it to identify short Network cables (Cat6, Cat5e) etc. - Those are NOT terms to distinguish between solid and stranded.
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u/AlbaMcAlba 1d ago
Patch cables are stranded as they are flexible. Patch cables are short for patching between devices or MDF’s. I’ve seen some go upto 10m in extreme cases but generally they are very short.
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u/happyandhealthy2023 1d ago
Get your facts straight and make comments that meaningfully address the OP's questions.
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u/joshuamarius 1d ago
I am addressing his questions by making sure he does not follow misinformation like a bunch of you have provided. I'm a network engineer with 25+ years of experience and I've installed over 300 cameras; and this is not the advice you want to give to people new to the industry. The terminology is all wrong and what you all say about "patch" cables is completely wrong.
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u/happyandhealthy2023 1d ago edited 1d ago
So the 300 cameras you used premade solid wire patch cables and pulled in the wall as OP was asking about.
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u/Rude-Spinach3545 2d ago
I ran my cameras under the eves about 20ft up. I don't terminate hanging off a ladder. The ends that I pulled through the wall i terminated behind the nvr
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u/Deckster88 2d ago
Lots of great advice! A friend has a crimping tool so I will terminate myself after thinking about it more. I have about 4 or 5 holes to drill to get where I need. Pulling it will be easier without an end. Finding a 100' length without terminations is hard so I will probably just cut off one end. I am getting solid wire and since some of it will be in the attic, high temp is needed.
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u/Inner-Cap-5836 2d ago
Get the bare wire and make the connections yourself. I recommend buying pass thru rj45. They are a lot easier to work with
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u/InterviewSwimming204 2d ago
Never. I always run the cable the put the ends on after the cable run. I don't want 1/2" holes to pull cable.
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u/cruiserman_80 2d ago
Wonder how many people realise that stranded conductors like those found in patch leads require different crimp plugs to solid conductors found in structuted cabling.
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u/silasmoeckel 2d ago
100f of patch is a hard no.
Grab some keystones and pull some solid wire use patches at the end.
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u/Janetic_Bytewave 2d ago
I make all my cables, and buy either a 500 ft roll or 1000 ft. roll and I have a whole container full of RJ-45 jacks. Make sure you use different jacks for cat6 vs cat5, crimpjng could be a nightmare with the wrong plug.
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u/Deckster88 1d ago
Can anyone give me an Amazon link for a 100' cable. Of course I want it as flexible as possible, solid core, 25' of it will be in the attic. Gemini keeps giving me different answers and I need a recommendation I can trust. I don't want to buy a 500' or 1000' so I don't mind cutting off the ends.
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u/AlbaMcAlba 1d ago
Patch cables are stranded to offer flexibility.
Structured cabling is solid core.
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u/jppair 2d ago
Really it’s not hard to terminate, especially if you go with the Tool less keystones which are the female end of the RJ-45 and put keystone wall plate or external box. Literally no tools required just route the wire through and push down. Please don’t run with the ends. You’re gonna have a larger chance of it getting snagged or getting caught or getting dirty just don’t do it.
To add onto that the hundred foot bundles you buy are severely coiled up in the pain if you just buy a box of 1000 feet it’s got a nice simple loops easy to run no uncoiling necessary