In the previous article, we learned how to "make" cables with male plugs (RJ45). However, there is one unbreakable rule in structured cabling: Cables buried inside walls are NEVER terminated in male plugs.
When the UTP cable comes out of the wall in your living room or bedroom, the correct, professional way is to terminate it in a female socket, which we call a Keystone Jack. This little socket then "snaps" into the switch's plastic frame on the wall.
Let's see why Keystones are the only right choice, what tools you need, and how to read the "encrypted" colored stickers on the side of them.
The logic is simple: Cables (such as Cat6a) that go into walls are solid and rigid. They are made to carry a signal over long distances, but they break easily if you constantly bend them. If you pulled the cable out of the wall and plugged it into a male plug to connect to your laptop, the constant movement would break the copper within a few months.
With the socket (Keystone), the hard cable stays stationary and secure inside the wall. You, to connect your device, use a small, flexible, ready-made patch cord, which if it breaks, you just throw it away and get another one for 2 euros!
When you get your hands on a Keystone Jack, you will notice that on its sides there are some small colored stickers (Orange, Green, etc.) and two markings: "A" and "B".
These are the two global termination standards (T568A and T568B). Their difference lies solely in where the green and orange pair are placed.
There are two plug technologies on the market:
Here you just run the wires through the correct holes in the plastic cover. When you close the lid with your fingers (or a pair of pliers), the pressure itself takes over to "pin" the wires to the metal contacts (IDC). They are ideal for DIYers and beginners.
It's the choice of professionals (and usually more reliable over time). To connect them, you need a special tool called a Punch-down tool or Krone tool.
If you chose a professional Keystone type 110/Krone, follow these steps:
Connecting a network socket is actually easier than making a male plug, as long as you have the right tool and don't mix up the A and B stickers. Choosing quality Keystones (of the same class as your cable, eg Cat6a) guarantees that the contacts will not oxidize and your network speed will remain "pinned" at maximum for decades.
Next Step: We've learned how to plug in, but how exactly does the wire get there? In traditional telephony, electricians connected the socket in the living room to the bedroom. In data networks, this is disastrous!
We continue with the rule that separates the proper installers from the amateurs: Star Wiring vs. Daisy Chain: Because in data networks we never branch from socket to socket (like in telephone).
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