1. An Ethernet cable is used to directly connect two network devices.

2. Materials: network cable, 2 RJ45 jacks, cable pliers

3. Instructions:

• Cut wire to desired length


• Strip blue tubingUntwist and straighten colored wires


• Place colors in correct order: light orange, dark orange, light green, dark blue, light blue, dark green, light brown, dark brown


• Cut wires evenly (keep in order)


• Hold jack with clip down, place wires inside (copper must be meeting copper)


• Make sure wires are in correct order and in the right slot.


• Clamp it down.


• Repeat process on other end of cable.

4. To test, place one end of the cable into a cable modular, and the other end into a second modular. If the lights turn green, the cable works. If the lights have a mixture of green and red, the cable does not work.

5. Building an Ethernet cable is relatively simple, but it is extremely easy to mess up. The colored wires must be in the correct order, and they easily get twisted. Sometimes, the tips of the wires do not reach the copper in the jack. I had to redo mine at least 5 times before it worked. Now that I know what to do, I would make sure that the wires are completely straight and even before placing them into the jack.