Computers

EZ-RJ45 Crimp Tool

Efficient Ethernet cabling

I have been working in IT networking for 12 years, and I avoided making cables for the first 11. Since I bought the EZ-RJ45 a year ago, I now look forward to it. There are eight wires to connect with UTP cables, and it is important to get the wires in the same order at both ends; otherwise, your computer could be listening for signal on conductor 1 but the signal is actually on conductor 8. With most standard RJ45 crimps you have to cut the wires to about 3/8 inch long and stuff them in the crimp, hoping they stay in the correct order. Since the wires have to lay next to each other in a particular order, that 3/8 inch means you have very little to hang on to, so the wires almost always get mixed up and you have to try again.

What’s great about the EZ-RJ45 is that the crimps allow the wires to pass all the way through them and stick out the front. That means you can cut the wires as long as you like and the wires protruding from the front of plug are easy to inspect to make sure they are in the correct order before crimping. The EZ-RJ45 crimps work in the three other crimping tools I have (2 different versions of the Ideal Telemaster, and 1 cheap NoName); but the EZ-RJ45 crimper also has an extra blade that cuts the wires flush with the front of the plug when you crimp it. With the other crimpers you would have to take the additional step of cutting the wires after crimping the plug. With normal connectors I end up wasting a third to half of my crimps. With the EZ-RJ45 I have no waste, and the crimps are right every time.

-- David McGregor 07/12/07

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