Purchasing Ethernet cables can be quite expensive and pre-made lengths are not always the length you need. Making Ethernet cables is easy with a box of bulk Category 5e Ethernet cable and RJ-45 connectors that are attached to the cut ends of your preferred cable length. (You may also use Category 6 or CAT6 cabling which has higher performance specifications and is about 20% more expensive than CAT5e.)
There
are two kinds of Ethernet cables you can make, Straight
Through and Crossover.
STRAIGHT THROUGH Ethernet
cables are the standard cable used for almost all purposes, and are often
called "patch cables". It is highly recommend you duplicate the color
order as shown on the left. Note how the green pair is not side-by-side as are
all the other pairs. This configuration allows for longer wire runs.
CROSSOVER CABLES - The purpose
of a Crossover Ethernet cable is to directly connect one computer to another
computer (or device) without going through a router, switch or hub.