How To: Terminate a Shielded Cat6/6A External Ground Pass Through RJ45 Connector

Bar none, one of the most challenging Ethernet cable terminations in the world is the shielded Cat6 or Cat6A RJ45 connector. The challenges include getting thick shielded cable to fit inside the RJ45 connector and bonding the cable shield to the metal housing. Not a trivial task!

Luckily, you have Don who is here to make it all completely stress-free for you!

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Video Time Codes:
[0:11-1:19] - Pass Through RJ45 Features
[1:19-3:05] - Stripping Wire and Peeling Shield
[3:05-5:00] - Removing Spline, Untwisting & Straightening Wires
[5:00-5:28] - Prepping Plug
[5:28-6:51] - Proper Wire Sequence & Flush Cut
[6:51-7:35] - Attaching RJ45
[7:35-8:45] - Ovalization & Finishing Attachment
[8:45-9:45] - Termination
[9:45-12:00] - Crimping RJ45 & Double Checking Work

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[NotFromConcentrate]

Not just a good Cat6 crimping tutorial, but a FANTASTIC tutorial period. Wonderfully done. I bought the tool just because I liked the video so much.

[stephenwatler]

Professionally executed and very well explained.

[JamesFluhler]

dont cut your wires straight across prior to plug insertion, cut them at an angle and it helps guide them into the plug in the correct order.

[bartowl]

Best guide on the entire YouTube. Thanks.

[plandl]

Great video, stress that you make sure no debris is hanging on after the tool crimps and cut. Debris can give you false negatives upon tests..

[spcan]

This video was immediately helpful for using these products.

[michaelcostello]

Thank you. This was the first video i found on grounding a STP cable and it was very good

[AM-dnlk]

Fantastic tutorial. You are a very good communicator.

[sealstech]

1: It’s a pain but strip the jacket back farther than normal passthrus. It will help getting started since the feed ramps are at the last 1/8 inch of a 1” deep connector.
2: cut the wires at a very slight angle to assist as well.
3: Support your wires with your off hand while crimping and tug lightly pulling the wire tighter into the connector. That crimping bar can eject the jacket back and mess up the crimp. Don’t rely on it. Also the conductors can fold over and shear instead of slice and can cause shorts on the outside of the connector if not cut perfectly flush. This was shown in your video when OW dangled. It wasn’t a clean cut, you said it was okay when it isn’t.
4: absolutely wrap the grounding messenger around the collar base twice then around the foil for 1/4” or 3 turns. Crimp the collar over the foil and wire. Trim foil past collar. I’m not sure if there was a model change but my remaining true cable pass thru connectors do not have metal on the inside of the connector. The foil being so close to the pins would block noise on the conductors but will do nothing for making a continuous ground link from the metal tabs on the inside of the port that touch the outside of the connector to the inner foil and to the other side. The messenger also adds rigidity to the connector if you wrap the collar first. Pressure goes to the collar instead of pins. The crimp will slide on the slick true cable cat6a. These things are expensive, harden your connections and maintain continuity if you’re actually concerned about static (ESD).
The rest of the tutorial is great and the unshielded video was good but with the same complaints of crimping style.

[xxxtaxevasion]

I did have one question. How do you ground the keystone end? Or do you even have to? On one end Im using a rj45 jack and a keystone on the other. I am running it underground to a shed. I thought I knew what i was doing util it came to the drain wire.

[KisameSempai]

you don't need a rj45 boot/cap for this type of connector?

[DonatelaAdmin]

what is the name of the tool used to cut the spline? is it wire stripper?

[iguanamanaz]

Apologies for what I'm sure is a basic question. I'm running some of your CAT6 shielded cable (F/UTP) from POE cameras to an NVR. Where does the actual grounding take place? Is it when this metal RJ45 connector brings the foil shielding into the NVR and eventually into the wall socket the NVR is powered by? If not, how is it grounded? If I understand correctly, the shielding in the shielded cable is useless if it's not grounded and I may as well use unshielded cable in the first place. Any assistance is appreciated.

[michaelsasso]

Great teaching video. Can you advise when it’s necessary to fold back the drain wire versus snipping it odd at the jacket edge? I see some other Tech’s keep just enough to have it crimped underneath the metal tabs. Thanks.

[majdq]

Are passthrough cables just as good as non passthrough cables? Do the open ends create any extra interference or crosstalk when you start going to Cat 6a or higher cable. I have seen passthrough shielded rj45 plugs being sold to even Cat 7 sized cable. I always worry that with the open ends it might be causing some issues at the higher frequencies. Would be great to Fluke test a passthrough vs non passthrough termination at Cat 6, Cat6a and Cat7.

[GGgoldspear]

Hi.thanks for the tutorial. But I have a question I hope you can answer. Tks.
The arrangement of the 8 wires, Left to Right, are the same, in both the connectors. I use this long cable from the router to the wall socket, the faceplate which has "female-female" at the back and front. That is the standard cable is fixed to the "IN" at the back of the socket, and on the front of the face plate, a shorter cable can be connected when needed to say, a laptop. Now my question is the long cable has the 8 wires arranged as 1 to 8, LEFT to Right. But than on the faceplate wouldnt it have to be reversed, 8 to 1?...if so...e.g ROUTER>>LONG CABLE>>FACEPLATE, BACK, FEMALE. Now if a short cable ethernet connection is needed. And connected to the wall socket, would the connector not be connected as 8 to 1. Or RIGHT to LEFT??... Would the faceplate be giving the wrong connection to the connected gadget. Via a shorter cable to, in this case the laptop. OR IS THE Faceplate has internally switched.Lto R. can anyone help me figure this out pls. Tks.

[reyworksteam]

Great video!
Quick question though! I should be looking to use a shielded pair cable for installing a cable within a wall, terminating it to a RJ45 wall plate right? Looking to do this for an office space

[phuch]

If the transmission loss of cat6 cable is low, what is the cause? can you help me how to fix it?

[johnsarson]

Good video. Just finished literally
100 + cat6a shielded Plenum plugs. Near ends crosstalk was a problem on a couple. My side of course. I was told I need at least one twist on each color which made it slightly difficult. My foil only went as far or a little past first window on plug. Is that why I had crosstalk? Or is it because I didn't have enough twist.? I re-did the failed ones and put like 2 twist on each pair. Foil was in same spot on plug and it passed.
Thanks for the feed back.!!

[JerryAey]

I am trying to make my satellite dish cable longer. Both ends are special, poe.... No other place has them. So I I have to reuse those. So, when connecting those separate splits on both ends, how do the drain wires connect back? Do I connect both again to provide a complete circuit? Or leave the end close to the dish off and ground the other end to the house ground? Or??