| 
So how do you use baluns?
It's easy, simply place compatible baluns at each end of your
cable run.
The only difficulty you might have is crimping RJ45 connectors
on the Cat 5. To bypass this, some baluns feature screw terminals
or spring tension connectors which allow you to connect the individual
pairs inside the Cat 5 cable. Since Cat 5 features 4 pairs per
cable, you could hypothetically run four baluns on a single cable.
If your balun features an RJ45 terminal, you might need to isolate
the individual pairs in the Cat 5 and crimp on an RJ45 connector.
How do I expose the individual pairs in Cat 5 cabling?
There is no single method when exposing the four individual pairs
in twisted pair cabling, such as Cat 5 and Cat 6; however, it
does help to have a cable stripping tool designed to strip the
cableCat 5 Cabling Pairs Exposed jacket/insulation.
Begin by stripping back the cable's outer jacket/insulation about
an inch (or more depending on whether multiple baluns will be
connected to the pairs of a single cable) so that the internal
wires are exposed. Be careful not to cut the internal wires when
stripping the insulation/jacket. Eight twisted wires and a string
should now be visible; the string is unnecessary and may be removed.
These eight wires, which when combined form four pairs, connect
directly to the baluns. Typical protocol pairs similar colors;
the important thing is to verify the same color-coded pairs are
used on each end.
How do I crimp an unshielded RJ45 connector onto Cat
5?
Crimping an RJ45 connector onto Cat 5 is a fairly straight forward
task, assuming you have the proper tools. Keep in mind that baluns
require either the EIA/TIA 568A or 568B crimp pattern, which are
the industry standards for networking.
First, strip a portion of the insulation about 3/4" to expose
the four twisted pairs. Next, untwist the wires and fan them out
so that they match either EIA/TIA 568A or 568B pattern. Evenly
trim the wires to about 1/2". Most RJ45 crimp tools feature
a built-in wire trimmer. Insert the trimmed wires into the RJ45
connector so that each wire is in its individual slot. Verify
each wire is completely inserted. Finally, insert the RJ45 connector
into the crimp tool and squeeze firmly.
Repeat the above steps on the other end of the Cat 5 cable and
verify pinout is identical on each end.
|
