Make your own network cable
Being able to make your own network cables can be a decided plus. Not only is it cheaper but if you’re fishing cables. it’s so much easier to run the cable and put RJ45 ends on later. This tutorial from howtogeek.com is one of the best I’ve read.
By crimping your own Ethernet cables, you can make them in any length you want. Pre-made Ethernet cables only come in specific lengths, and you may need a size that isn’t available. Again, you can always go longer than you need to, but it’s mostly a waste.
It’s also way cheaper to make your own Ethernet cables than buying them pre-made. For example, you can buy a 1,000-foot spool of Ethernet cable for around $60, give or take a few dollars depending on what kind of cable you get. Tack on another few bucks for a bag of connectors and you end up paying way less than if you were to buy pre-made cables.
For instance, a 25-foot Ethernet cable on Amazon costs $8, which is pretty cheap, but that would cost you $320 for 1,000 feet worth of those cables. The cost goes up even more with 10-foot Ethernet cables, priced at $600 for 1,000 feet worth.
You’ll need a few tools along with cable and connectors. For small jobs, this is a great value network cabling kit. There’s a short video here that explains using the tester. It only comes with 10 ends so it would be worth ordering more, it’s near impossible to get your wires right every time and you’ll inevitably waste a few.
You’re also going to need network cable and in most cases, Cat 5e is all you need. Cat 5e supports gigabit ethernet and most small networking jobs don’t need anything faster. New computers come with gigabit network adapters and if you’re just sharing an internet connection, 1 GB/s will be more than you need for the foreseeable future.