Crimping RJ-45 connectors onto CAT-5 cable can be frustrating to administrators. Upgrade to CAT-6 cable, and simple frustration can turn into feelings of defeat.

Having recently installed more CAT-6 cable than I care to think about, I've found some techniques to make the process of installing RJ-45 connectors easier.

Lesson one: Not all RJ-45 connectors are created equally. One reason why CAT-6 cable is much harder to work with than CAT-5 cable is that CAT-6 is quite a bit thicker. So it's hard to get RJ-45 connectors intended for CAT-5 cable to attach properly to CAT-6 cable. When you're shopping for RJ-45 connectors, make sure the ones you buy are suitable for CAT-6. The picture below shows a CAT-5 and a CAT-6 connector the CAT-6 connector is the darker one).

Once you remove the outer cover, you'll see that some of the pairs of wire are twisted together (hence the name twisted-pair cable).

RJ-45 connectors intended for use with CAT-6 cable are larger than their CAT-5 counterparts. But even with the correct types of connectors, working with CAT-6 cable can be tough. Still, you can make the process easier. Begin by stripping the outer covering from the end of the cable. Remove about an inch of covering. Eventually you'll have to cut down the amount of exposed cable, but the process of installing the RJ-45 connector will be easier if you have plenty of exposed cable to work with (but not too much).