Cat6a... Cables not labeled!!

[Andeh1]

Finished our new build (ish...) and finally looking at the external cameras.

Challenge being we have wired for 10 possible external camera/WiFi hot-spot options around the house. It's an odd angled bungalow / garage hence so many potential sites for cameras.

Challenge being our muppet of an electrician didn't label any of it. Made worse by each location have 2 x cables poking out the wall.

Before I go through the painful task of terminating everything and trying to mix and match, is there a sensible alternative to quickly identify cables end to end?

Thanks

[james6546]

You can buy really cheap testers that you put batteries in and then connect the other end to see if it lights up.

But don’t they all want to be connected together anyway?

[ARHarh]

Where the wires are poking out of the wall. pick a colour of core in each cable, strip them back and twist 2 wires of the same colour together, head back to the other end and after stripping back all the cables you will be able to do a continuity check to find the pairs for each location. This will then mean you only need to determine which of a pair of cable your camera is connected to.

[Mr E]

james6546 said:

You can buy really cheap testers that you put batteries in and then connect the other end to see if it lights up.

But don’t they all want to be connected together anyway?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-network-cable-tester/93219

You’ll need a friend.


But, if they all terminate in the same place, just buy a big switch and plug them all in?

[skilly1]

Mr E said:

james6546 said:

You can buy really cheap testers that you put batteries in and then connect the other end to see if it lights up.

But don’t they all want to be connected together anyway?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-network-cable-tester/93219

You’ll need a friend.


But, if they all terminate in the same place, just buy a big switch and plug them all in?

I believe they’re not terminated, that’s the issue.

[dave123456]

I had the same. And they terminated in the loft. It was hard work…

[Mr E]

skilly1 said:

I believe they’re not terminated, that’s the issue.

Ah. Yes.
I should have read the post.

Pick a colour and apply 5v? Measure at the other end?

[Arrivalist]

It looks like terminating the camera points you want and then every other end is your only option by the sound of things.

Your electrician needs a kick up the backside for his (non) labelling skills.

Best of luck!

[Murph7355]

Assuming it wasn't you ( ) get whoever did it back to label it up.

Alternatively terminate all of them and buy a tester

[nyt]

This style of connector makes termination a lot easier

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VCE-Connector-Through-Eth...

[Arrivalist]

nyt said:

This style of connector makes termination a lot easier

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VCE-Connector-Through-Eth...

Very nifty.

[Andeh1]

Bugger!

OK thanks all... I was dreaming on some clip on cable one end and use a magic sens9to detect at the other end.

Bt the time I've stripped wires, crimped them both ends and learnt how to use a multi meter.. I'm half way through effort wise.

Terminating them all inside and plugging them all in on the ones I want to use outside seems the only option then!

Thanks all the same.


And as for the electrician? This is actually a success job compared to the utterly moronic and deceitful bullst he pulled on the rest of the job.

[NorthDave]

You can use a tone generator to quickly and easily do this. If the cables are shielded then be sure to put the tone down the shield to make your life easy.

Network Cable Tester Cable Finder Tone Generator Probe Tracer with RJ11 Plug&Alligator Clips, Wire Tracker Network Tester Kit to Test Circuit Continuity for Network, Telephone Line, Coaxial https://amzn.eu/d/02rSEnhM

[Andeh1]

Ah result! Yes they are shielded. So do I just clip both Croc clips to the insulation foil and poke the cables in my network box to find the one I need?

[NorthDave]

I'd do positive on the shield and use an inner cable for the negative (although you can probably get away without it).
Then use the wand where all the cables are and it should be obvious which one you have identified.

[Mr E]

I’d solder some croc clips to a AA and break out the multimeter.

[Mr Pointy]

Surely you have to terminate & test them all anyway so just identify them at that point?

[dhutch]

ARHarh said:

Where the wires are poking out of the wall. pick a colour of core in each cable, strip them back and twist 2 wires of the same colour together, head back to the other end and after stripping back all the cables you will be able to do a continuity check to find the pairs for each location. This will then mean you only need to determine which of a pair of cable your camera is connected to.

This.

[Brother D]

nyt said:

This style of connector makes termination a lot easier

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VCE-Connector-Through-Eth...

I been using these for a couple of years now. Just make sure you buy a decent RJ45 tool - the cheap ebay ones are awful at cutting the wires flush with the end.

[Andeh1]

NorthDave said:

I'd do positive on the shield and use an inner cable for the negative (although you can probably get away without it).
Then use the wand where all the cables are and it should be obvious which one you have identified.

So I'd need to strip the Cat6a down, positive (red) into the foil and then negative (black) clipped to say the blue strand.... Then in my network cable listen for the beep from the wand next it to the correct cable?