Lesson:
Basic Skills Lab For Remote Training,
Do It Yourself
Level: Novice
Objectives:
From this lesson you should learn:
- Where to
purchase basic cabling tools and components
- How to
perform basic UTP cabling installation processes:
striping cable, terminating plugs and jacks
- How to build
a patchcord or link and test its connections
Prerequisite
Before taking this course, you must first take the Premises
Cabling online course at Fiber U and get your Fiber
U Certificate of Completion.
Introduction
This is a basic skills lab for cabling novices
covering UTP cable preparation, termination and testing.
You will be directed to watch some videos, read some web
pages and perform some hands-on exercises.
The hands-on exercises are based on readily available
components and tools. You can purchase the tools and
components you need online inexpensively and do the
exercises yourself and/or as part of an online class. The
lesson will give detailed directions based on the tools
and components listed below.
The Lesson
Steps
- Obtain
tools from school or purchase online
- Follow
exercises below
- If part of
an online course, you may be asked to demo what you
learned to your instructor on videoconference
- You may be
asked to return the finished lessons and tools to
school
Acquiring
Tools And Components
This lesson uses the basic cabling tools and components
shown below. These tools and components are readily
available online at reasonable prices. The total cost of
tools and components if purchased from Amazon or eBay
should be ~ $50-60. If you are purchasing for yourself,
the search terms for Amazon, eBay, etc. are given as well
as approximate prices. If
you are part of a class with an FOA approved school, they
may send you tools or advise you to purchase them
yourself.
UTP Cat 5e cable stripper
Crimper for RJ-45 and all modular 8 pin plugs
Punchdown tool for modular jacks
Tools
(with online search terms if purchasing online)
UTP Cable Crimp Tool for RJ-45 or Cat 5 plugs
Cable Stripper
110 Punchdown Tool
(~$10)
You can
purchase a kit with most tools, a wiremapper and bag of
plugs for ~$15-20.
Cat 5e Cable
Cat 5e plugs (L) and jacks (R)
Components
(with online search terms)
- UTP Cabling,
Cat 5, Cat 5e or Cat 6 (Cat 5e cable, ~$15-20 per 100
feeet)
- UTP
Patchcords, ~1-2m, 2 each (Cat 5 patchcord, ~$1-3
each, often come in packs of multiple cables)
- Cat 5 Plugs,
10 or more, (Cat 5 plugs, ~$10 for 50-100, may be
supplied in tool kit)
- Cat 5 Jacks
,
10 or more, (Cat 5 Jacks. ~$10-12 for pack
of 10)
WireMapper
- Cat
5 Cable Tester (Cat 5 or RJ-45 Cable Tester, ~$10 or
may come in kit with tools)
Safety
glasses
Additional Equipment Required
- Safety
Glasses (hardware or drugstore, ~$5)
- Read
information on safety below before beginning any
exercises.
Lessons and Exercises
The following lessons and exercises are included in
this course.
- Safety -
Read information below before beginning any exercises.
- UTP cable
construction, functions of the twists in pairs
- Stripping
cable
- Separating
pairs, examining twists
- Terminating
cables with plugs
- Terminating
cables with jacks
- Testing
connections with a wiremapper
For each exercise you complete, fill in a scorecard to
document your results. Download
Scorecards (PDF).
When you complete all exercises, you can get a Fiber
U Certificate of Completion.
Safety:
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Hi,
I'm Lennie's Uncle Ted. I've been working with
copper cables for many years. I'll be your guide
for this course.
Please
Note: This is not the usual online course
- it is intended to guide you as you learn
some of the basic skills used in copper
cabling. It involves using actual tools
and components in a realistic manner. Some
of the processes here can be hazardous,
like working with sharp scraps of wire.
Always
wear safety glasses when doing any of
these exercises and dispose of all
scraps immediately and properly.
Familiarize
yourself with these safety procedures and
follow them all the time.
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These
guidelines are strictly the opinion of the FOA
provided for educational purposes and the reader
is expected to use them as a basis for learning.
The FOA assumes no liability for the use of any
of this material.
Do not work with fiber without safety glasses
and a proper work area that is easy to clean up.
Avoid accidents by exercising a little caution. Dispose
of all scraps immediately and properly. Put them in
a properly marked paper cup or other container for
disposal. Do not drop them on the floor where they will
stick in carpets or shoes and be carried elsewhere. Do not
eat anywhere near the work area.
Clean up after your exercises carefully.
Lessons and
Exercises
Click on the links for each exercise. Download the Scorecards
to keep records of your completion of each exercise.
1. UTP
Cable
2. Terminating
UTP Cable with modular 8-pin plugs
3. Terminating
UTP Cable with modular 8-pin jacks
4. Testing
- wiremapping patchcords and links
Coming soon!
When you complete all exercises, you can get a Fiber U
Certificate of Completion.
If
you have watched all the videos, used the loss simulator
and successfully completed all the hands-on exercises
required you may take this Fiber U Certificate of
Completion exam.
If you are taking this course yourself, the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam cost $20.
If you are taking
this course with an instructor from an FOA Approved
school, they will provide the link for you to take the
exam.
This information is
provided by The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. as a
benefit to those interested in teaching, designing,
manufacturing, selling, installing or using fiber optic
communications systems or networks. It is intended to be
used as an overview and/or basic guidelines and in no
way should be considered to be complete or
comprehensive. These guidelines are strictly the opinion
of the FOA and the reader is expected to use them as a
basis for learning, as a reference and for creating
their own documentation, project specifications, etc.
Those working with fiber optics in the classroom,
laboratory or field should follow all safety rules
carefully. The FOA assumes no liability for the use of
any of this material.
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