TRENDnet RJ-11/RJ-45 Crimp/Cut/Strip Tool TC-CT68 (Blue)

This was my first attempt to crimp CAT5/6 ethernet for home networking. I bought a spool of CAT5 and ends from Home Depot and bought this tool online. I had absolutely no problem with this tool. It worked perfectly every time. I only needed it for a short time, but it seemed nice and sturdy.

By the way, don't forget to look up color diagrams and make sure you use the correct twisted pairs together. It isn't enough to just have the right stright-through connections from one end to another. You must match the correct pairs. Although color doesn't matter, you have to pair the expected two at the other end. That's how it does error correction, by assuming the same interference is seen on each twisted pair and cancels out the same signal on both. If you don't pair them correctly, it cannot error correct. I needed a 50 foot run under the house, and it didn't work until I paired the correct twisted pair. Do some internet research on this and print some colored guides.

I have experience with similar, higher-priced versions of this tool. The lower quality construction is evident, and the documentation poor. That said, this is a very nice product for the price. It does exactly what the casual user needs. 1) It cuts and strips flat cable, and the cutting depth for the stripper is adjustable. 2) It will cut the covering off of round CAT5/6 cable, but one must be careful, and there doesn't seem to be a way to measure how much of the insulation to remove. I didn't see this noted in the limited documentation. It is a round opening in one of the handles with a cutting blade in the other handle. That blade cuts through the insulation, and reasonable care must be used not to nick the wires within. I removed more of the insulation than I thought necessary, then trimmed the excess once I had the wires all lined up to go into the connector. I would trim some anyway, because the wires are not even after they are fanned out to go into the connector. I used a small... Read more

Works as advertised. I can't imagine it being easier. Fool-proof...except for one reviewer who had a hard time with the cutting blade which is adjustable by the way. There are a couple ways to strip the wire with this tool. 100% satisfied.