23 awg RJ45 connector suggestion
- Thread starter 10001110101
- Start date
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 16,116
- 27,077
I'd just use normal ends and drop of di-electric gel in the RJ45 jack, coax seal or silicone stretch tape, electric tape on top of that, all in an above ground outdoor rated junction box, above any expected water level in heavy rains ..
Are you just plugging the end of the cat6 into a camera, or are there more connections involved? Where does a keystone come into play?
Yes I am plugging the connector directly into the camera. I was going to use a Keystone because the cable is larger than standard CAT6. I would prefer to plug straight in if I can find a connector.
DezertManiac
Getting the hang of it
Have been able to use regular cat6 pass through connectors on outdoor rated cat6 cable with no issues, terminated inside gang box of course
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
If the outer cover won't fit into the back end of the RJ-45 and under the plastic tang that gets crimped onto the outer jackets, take the non-serrated part of your needle-nosed pliers and flatten it slightly, just enough to fit under that tang. If that still won't work, come back....I have another suggestion.
I'd make sure the connector is for 23 gauge, has 3 prongs for solid or stranded conductor and suits your need for pass-thru type or non pass-thru. Some RJ-45's that are for CAT-6 are staggered, placing the pairs closer together; with those type I use the 2 piece (an insert + the RJ45) as here.
I've had over a dozen cameras outdoors for several years. Some with the connectors protected by a soffit, some fully exposed to rain and snow. I'm an outlier, often going against the expert advice from other forum members. One of my basic rules is to minimize connector count because my experience is the majority of problems originate in connectors. If you have to put a keystone on the end of the cat6, then a patch cord to the camera, you're adding 3 connections to the run. I've been able to squeeze the jacket of burial cat6 into the cat6 RJ45, but if in case your cable is too fat for that, I'd choose stripping the jacket further back to clear the RJ45 instead of adding the connections. You lose strain relief that IMO isn't necessary for a stationary connection. I use the monoprice "with inserts" RJ45s, which I think are every bit as easy to use as the passthroughs and don't leave the conductor ends exposed. This is a Ford/Chevy type of debate.
I use 2 different types of protection for the outdoor camera connections. If I have a POE or other splitter in play, the connections are in a waterproof plastic project box. If you use a keystone, I'd think this is the way you'd go. I run all of the wires into the bottom of the box through drilled holes. They aren't sealed watertight, but sealed enough to keep bugs and spiders out. For just a simple plugin to the camera, I use the twist-on shield that comes with the camera. The one almost everybody else says doesn't work. Just make sure the sealed camera end is up, the cat6 end is down, the gasket isn't curled, and the cat6 end is tightened to squeeze the seal tightly against the cat6. If you're further concerned, put a wrap of coax seal around the shell halves and/or use dielectric grease. Neither of these hurt anything. The only reason I avoid the dielectric grease in above ground connections is it's hard to clean out any dirt that might fall in while you're teetering on a ladder up in a tree.
Monoprice 8P8C RJ45 Plug with Inserts for Solid Cat6 Ethernet Cable, 100 pcs/pack - Monoprice.com
This is a pack of 100 crimp on RJ45 connectors for Cat6 solid cables. Cat6 connectors are made to higher standards, that help reduce noise caused by crosstalk and system noise. These connectors featur
www.monoprice.com
I use 2 different types of protection for the outdoor camera connections. If I have a POE or other splitter in play, the connections are in a waterproof plastic project box. If you use a keystone, I'd think this is the way you'd go. I run all of the wires into the bottom of the box through drilled holes. They aren't sealed watertight, but sealed enough to keep bugs and spiders out. For just a simple plugin to the camera, I use the twist-on shield that comes with the camera. The one almost everybody else says doesn't work. Just make sure the sealed camera end is up, the cat6 end is down, the gasket isn't curled, and the cat6 end is tightened to squeeze the seal tightly against the cat6. If you're further concerned, put a wrap of coax seal around the shell halves and/or use dielectric grease. Neither of these hurt anything. The only reason I avoid the dielectric grease in above ground connections is it's hard to clean out any dirt that might fall in while you're teetering on a ladder up in a tree.
Really appreciate all of the info and links. I'll make sure to post my success or failures with the project. Thanks
When you use dielectric grease (I do and swear by it), make VERY sure you don't get into your eyes. It's hard not to get some on your fingers after applying it to the male, then plug in/out a couple of times into the female (@Arjun , if you're reading this, calm down!) to distribute the grease, leave it plugged in, wipe off excess and then wipe off your fingers and hands with tissue or a paper towel that you can throw away. Then wash your hands well with soap and water OR at the very least with a generous amount of hand sanitizer and wipe off them with a new, UN-USED tissue or paper towel.
I realize it sounds like a lot but you do NOT want this stuff in your eyes...you won't go blind if you do but you'll have hard time blinking a lot and looking through red, watery eyes if you get it in your eyes.
I realize it sounds like a lot but you do NOT want this stuff in your eyes...you won't go blind if you do but you'll have hard time blinking a lot and looking through red, watery eyes if you get it in your eyes.
Last edited:
That was exactly my "another suggestion" I had in post #7 for the OP if flattening didn't work.
Those are the types I use and was talking about, again in my post #7. As they say..."Great minds think alike."