Not exactly a network question but it's a problem relating to cable normally used for networking, so I guess here is as good a place as any to ask it...

As part of my bass guitar amplification system I use two bits of equipment - a Line6 Pass Pod effects unit and the foot switch unit for it the FBV Shortboard. The two connect using a standard Cat5e cable with RJ45 connectors and this lead provides two-way data communication between the units as well as suppling power for the Shortboard from the Bass Pod. And to be blunt this system is simply not up to rigours of gigging.

Single stand conductor cables and standard plastic RJ45 plugs are fine for permanent network installation connections, but when you are plugging and unplugging them 2-3 times a week for gigs and rehearsals I'm lucky if they last more than a month or two. What normally happens is that the clip on the RJ45 plug breaks off and then the connector no longer seats reliably in the socket causing the Shortboard to stop working. Trying to crimp a new connector onto the end of the cable 5 minutes before I am due on stage is simply a non-starter.

So does anyone make a gig-proof cable and connector. I can't use Ethercon Connectors because they have to fit into the standard sockets on the Pod and Shortboard, but is there a more robust version of the normal RJ45 jack where the retaining clip isn't so easy to break off and fitted to a more heavy duty version of the Cat5e cable that will actually stand being coiled up and will lie flat when uncoiled?

We use waterproof cables, which habe a waterproof shield around the plug, which twists into the counterpart in the wall. I don't know of a tougher connector, but could you use a robust housing, which allows the cables to be Held in place?

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Do these plugs fit into the standard RJ45 socket? I've just had a look and there is no simple way the change the sockets because of the construction of the units they are built into.

Normally with this sort of thing, the clips are generally broken by dragging the cable backwards through a load of other cables after unplugging. So I prefer Belkin snagless cables that have unobtrusive little plastic shields.


They are much easier to unplug than booted cables that hurt my little thumbses

What I always used to do when wiring up pcs using under desk cables was to have the main cable then a block extender and use the smallest cat 5 cable I could find for the final part. That way, when the connector snaps, you only have a small cable to replace.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

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Thanks guys.

I'm going to try a booted cable, although I'm pretty certain that I've had one before and it didn't last much longer than the non-booted version. The problem seems to be the number of times the plug is latched and unlatched. The band rehearses twice and gigs at least once every week and between times the rig is set up in my home studio so I can practice and write. That means a minimum of 6 latching and unlatching actions every week.

Also the typical gig is a pretty hostile environment, it's dark, you are normally in a hurry to set up and break down the gear and the stage is frequently awash in beer and other fluids. Having extra connectors in the cable is unlikely to make the system any more reliable and would mean more spares I would need to carry.

Someone has mentioned using Industrial RJ45 plugs. They look like they might be more robust, does anyone have any first hand experience of them. Also can anyone recommend a make of Cat5e cable that will coil properly and lie flat when uncoiled.

Thanks.

You want stranded Cat5 cable rather than the regular solid type.

You can get metal body RJ45's as well which help.

I've found some suitable Cat5e cable by Van=Damme which is designed specifically for live use where the equipment is regularly set up and broken down.

Do the metal body RJ45's have a metal clip? Can you provide a link to someone supplying them in the UK?

They always have plastic clips as far as I've seen.

Something like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-x-Shielded ... 0602991971