text: [SOLVED] How Do I Pair This Cable? - Networking - Spiceworks
  How Do I Pair This Cable?
  Jul 2, 2012 at 2:35 UTC
  I've never been the best at making CAT5 cable but I've had a few successes over time. Today, an old cable in our steel shop got sliced. When I tried to just cut the end and pair it up for a new end, I noticed there was NO BLUE. I am color blind anyway, it has always been hard to do without assistance but even with two shop guys verifying that there is no solid blue, I wasn't sure how to pair these. Any suggestion? (see picture)
  Jul 2, 2012 at 2:57 UTC
  from he picture it looks like the uppermost twisted pair is your blue white so the one twisted with it I would say is blue just really hard to tell from the picture.
  your top is definitely the blue the next set is orange the third set is brown and the bottom is green.......I hope...... I enlarge the picture and thats the best I can get from it the middle two might be reveresed.
  I looked at the photo and it looks like what MSauls described:
  Blue/blue-white are twisted together on top
  Orange/orange-white is second
  Brown/brown-white is third
  Green/green-white is on the bottom
  Is there another color there besides the blue? Maybe a process of elimination on the colors you do have to the ones you don't. I couldn't see real clearly on your picture. Examine the other end as well and look at the pattern if you can see it through the RJ45 end. Good Luck to you!!!!
  I've noticed sometimes the blue looks more purple. The picture is kind of bad, but my guess would be second pair from the top of the picture is the blue and blue/white.
  Jul 2, 2012 at 2:43 UTC
  Looking at your picture again since it is still twisted your solid color wires are the ones twisted with the corresponding white and (color). I would just suggest after you figure out the pattern be very careful when untwisting and lining up. There are two basic wiring diagrams so try one and if it don't work cut off the end and try the other one. Gonna be a little rough but you will get it.
  Jul 2, 2012 at 2:45 UTC
  This is one of the few nightmare situations I've not been ready for in a one-man IT shop. The other end unknown...this place was never mapped or labeled and it will be a major cabling project if we need to pull new cable. The other colors are not so clear either...I've been used to the standard:
  There almost appears to be a "gold" color...will give it another try...
  Jul 2, 2012 at 2:49 UTC
  I agree, it looks like the blue/white is wrapped around a STRIPPED BLUE.
  The top pair is your blue pair. We have some CAT 5 laying around here with colors like that. The blue is so clear that it looks almost gold or purple because you can see the wire inside.
  Jul 2, 2012 at 3:21 UTC
  Thanks! Got it up! Documenting this too! :) Did I mention I hate being color blind???
  Jul 2, 2012 at 3:25 UTC
  Jul 2, 2012 at 3:47 UTC
  I hate those kind of cables where they don't show the color stripe... They think you'll just know after you untwist it... well sometimes it's not that easy! I'm glad it all worked out.
  Jul 2, 2012 at 4:12 UTC
  My advice is save the piece that was cut off, and compare that to the other end of the cable to find out if there's any pin switching going on.
  After that you could use a multi meter, or a ringer box to pin out each wire.
  I'd mark each wire so you can easily line them up and crimp it.
  Jul 2, 2012 at 4:23 UTC
  best thing to remember is, it doesn't matter what order they go in! as long as it is the same on both sides (assuming straight through)
  Jul 2, 2012 at 4:24 UTC
  i thought the standard was:
  Jul 2, 2012 at 4:52 UTC
  Griff, that is a standard (B I think) but to remark on your other comment, it really does not matter the order of PAIRS, as long as they are the same on both ends, not something one would want to get in the habit of. I don't think you would want to start spiting pairs randomly.
  Jul 3, 2012 at 9:08 UTC
  Looks like I am too late. What the hell here goes anyway.
  Jul 3, 2012 at 12:13 UTC
  This is the T568A standard the information posted by Griff42 is the T568B standard. I have used these cables in the past with the clear/gold colored wire. The one that is twisted with the blue is the mate as stated by others. If you have had trouble making cables, I would recommend that you get a cable tester, a simple one will work, and a toner for helping to ID cables.
  A Cable Tester like this works great for a company that doesn't do a lot of cabling
  And a Toner like this should work out well for you.
  Jul 3, 2012 at 2:17 UTC
  I thought I was the only colorblind ethernet cable maker in the world!
  I am completely colorblind, shades of gray. Every manufacturer's cable looks completely different to me. I look at the wires, decide more or less arbitrarily which is which color, and as long as I'm consistent at both ends, no problem. It is a problem when I have to repair one end of a cable that I didn't make. Sometimes I just have to cut both ends off and apply my system.
  Yes, I am aware that if someone else has to repair one of my cables they're kind of screwed. Oh well!