Help with RJ45 Network Connector

[MrAl]

Hi Len and Miguel,


Len:
Oh yeah, i can order a couple of those with my next parts order and go from there.
This sounds like a good idea because it fits in with one of my other ideas too which
involves something else which actually needs RJ45-8 connectors too. This is
most likely the way i will proceed now because it fits two bills in one order.

Miguel:
Not a bad idea! That (or something like it) would definitely secure that thing in place
with some real guts behind it too. It would never pull out again. Heck, i wouldnt
mind doing something like that with my other connectors too that almost never
need pulling out but once in four years might.
I took that idea to another level (lower, but workable) and took a tie wrap and
tie wrapped the cable wire body just after the connector to another cable which
is secured well into the PC rear panel and immediately adjacent. The other
cable now holds the bad connector in place good enough for now.
Well, actually i used a twist tie not a tie wrap, but you get the idea.
The more permanent will be Len's idea perhaps coupled with your new idea for
the ultimate in unplugability

Now that i think about it i wonder why they make that important of a cable with
such dinky end tabs that can break off so easy like that. They should probably
have screw in end connectors like the VGA ones do so they cant pull out easy
and last longer.

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Little update:

The twist tie worked for a while, but even that allows a movement of slightly more than about 1/16 of an inch,
which allows the connector to 'just' unplug, just enough to disconnect!
I went with the backup toothpick ( ) wedged in where the clip usually resides.
Seems to be working fine now and takes a bit of force to pull out without removing the
toothpick first.

As soon as i order some more parts from Jameco i'll pick up a few connectors to fix this thing right.
They have the jacks with two on one board which would make a nice coupler.

[frhrwa]

Mr. Al.. send me your cable, I'll put a new end on it for you.. I have all of the tools for doing it.. made cables for a long long time.. Data Support group at CenturyTel ... if you can plug a temp cable in so you have your internet, while you send this "special" cable out long enough to get an end put on it.. ? wayne

[MrAl]

Hello,

Well that's very generous of you and i appreciate it. I'll have to think about if i can 'part' with this
cable for a while.
Where are you in USA?

[frhrwa]

I'm over in the Pacific Northwest.. eastern Washington.. I have RJ45 cables, I can lend you one to get by on if you'd like until yours is returned.. email me if you want me to send you a cable.. frhrwa(at)embarqmail.com

[frhrwa]

otherwise, there is another option.. get an RJ45 Jack, put the wires into the jack, and just plug another short RJ-45 cable into it... then its just an extension cord..

[Lenp]

Al,

Maybe I missed something, but, what is so special about this cable that is causing you great reluctance to replace it? 'Standard' network cables are inexpensive and widely available?

Len

[MrAl]

Hi Len,


Yes, and i have another cable, but this one has something built into it that the others dont have.
Alternately, i would have to cut another cable and rewire the 'something' into the new cable,
but that's not easy to do either.

[philba]

Like I said earlier, it doesn't take much to replace the rj45 connector. I would think a $15 tool would be worth buying to fix this irreplaceable cable.

[frhrwa]

ok.. we give, what is the "something"?..

[Lenp]

Come on Al, at least tell us, is it one of these..

A custom designed 10,000x speed enhancer
A p0rn filter
A p0rn finder
A smart spam rejector
or......
(Sorry, I just couldn't help myself)
Len

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Ha ha, you guys crack me up, and being a lover of comedy myself, i do
appreciate the humor in the matter at hand. Thanks for that

philba:
Maybe you are right, i should break down and get one, but i didnt know
they could be had for only 15 dollars. Then again, i hardly need this
tool so maybe there is a way to do one using a more common tool? I
ask this because i have used a common tool (small screwdriver) to
successfully attach new standard phone line plugs to phone line cords
and they have worked for years. The trick is to be able to hold the
end in place while the little tabs are depressed one at a time to
crimp onto the individual wires.

Len:
A hardward p0rn finder? Ha ha, now that is funny. For people that
are really in a big hurry


All:
The device is something i cooked up myself to increase security and i
am very sorry but i cant talk about it too much because the more that
is known about security devices the less effective they are.

[Lenp]

Al,
I know your security design scheme! I found it out years ago.
Because you're being so secretive, I'll going to spill the beans.

If the wires are all shorted, the data can't get in or out.
Now that's a real hardware security devce!

I'm on a roll, but no more, I promise!

Len

[MrAl]

Hi Len,


Oh yeah, interesting idea there.
The only reason i dont want to talk about it is because the more 'hackers' find out what
you have done the easier it is for them to break into your system. It's a shame but
there is no other way. Sometimes it takes a while for them to learn about a given
security feature, but as soon as they know how it works the sooner they can break in.

A good example is with those capchas. Originally, a hacker would come to the site and
say to themselves, "hey, what the heck is this?". Once they learn what it is and how
it works, then can investigate different ways to hack it. With limited or better yet *no*
knowledge about what it is or how it works, they can not even begin the investigation
process and so at worst they are delayed significantly from breaking the code.

Another little example: a house alarm that goes off when someone enters the house.
If you go around telling everyone that you have one the would be thief may inquire
using sneakie methods about where it is located and what model it is. They then
can possibly figure out how to disarm it.
If you never tell anyone, the only way the thief will find out is AFTER they have
entered and the alarm went off and possibly taken their picture, and then it is
too late. Worse case, they wont take the chance in the first place unless they
learn about what security you may or may not have.

I dont think anyone will figure this one out, and i will be upgrading it from time to
time to make it even better in the future.

BTW, back to the original subject about the plug being damaged:
Originally it wasnt too bad, it would stay in. But later a few weeks into it it
started pulling out from time to time without even pulling on it...at least once
per day. The reason it pulled out i think was because there was a 'back' force
that keeps trying to push it out which i think is the contacts inside the jack
in the computer which pushes gently on the plug and so after a certain time
and small ever present vibrations it actually 'pushes' the plug out.

Since i jammed the toothpick (round type btw) in there along side the plug, it has
held very very well, and takes a lot of force to get out if you dont first remove the
toothpick. Removing the toothpick is fairly easy too, and once out, the plug comes
right out. I am wondering now if this kind of mechanism isnt actually better than
what comes with a 'normal' non damaged plug. It certainly holds in very well.
Perhaps a commercial version would have the plug with a small button on it that
you push after the plug is inserted.

[Lenp]

Al,
Sure an improved latch might add integrity, but, I buy booted cat5e cables, 6 foot, any color for under a dollar. in small quantities. The big box stores use the same cables, blister packed at 5-10x the price. In schools and offices these cables are a throw away item. The get damaged by furniture, chair wheels and whatever else.

Back to your 'gizmo'. Why don't you just repackage it into a box with 2 RJ jacks? One in/one out? Save the box, and replace the 'fragile' cable whenever necessary. Depending on the size needed, there are dual jack surface mounted boxes as well as standard wall plates with readily available.

I designed and fabricate an attachment for a point of sale printer that uses a RJ-6 connection. A wall plate with a single jack left enough room on the plate face to add the switches and LED's to make a test jig, all packed into a surface mounted plastic box that fits the plate. The cost was but a few dollars. I'm a firm believer in adopting then adapting. The wheel has already been invented.

Len