The locking clip/tab on my Ethernet cable's plug is broken. How can I fix it?





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66















I have a 10 meter long Ethernet cable. One plug has the little locking clip missing, just like missing the part in red ellipse in the following picture.



Enter image description here



How can I fix it? Is this something I should even attempt to fix myself, or is it better to replace the cable?










share|improve this question




















  • 4





    The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

    – sawdust
    Feb 2 '14 at 2:37






  • 6





    In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Feb 2 '14 at 22:49











  • If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

    – flauntster
    Feb 3 '14 at 5:15













  • What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

    – uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
    Feb 3 '14 at 8:04






  • 1





    I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

    – Bob
    Feb 3 '14 at 12:50


















66















I have a 10 meter long Ethernet cable. One plug has the little locking clip missing, just like missing the part in red ellipse in the following picture.



Enter image description here



How can I fix it? Is this something I should even attempt to fix myself, or is it better to replace the cable?










share|improve this question




















  • 4





    The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

    – sawdust
    Feb 2 '14 at 2:37






  • 6





    In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Feb 2 '14 at 22:49











  • If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

    – flauntster
    Feb 3 '14 at 5:15













  • What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

    – uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
    Feb 3 '14 at 8:04






  • 1





    I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

    – Bob
    Feb 3 '14 at 12:50














66












66








66


15






I have a 10 meter long Ethernet cable. One plug has the little locking clip missing, just like missing the part in red ellipse in the following picture.



Enter image description here



How can I fix it? Is this something I should even attempt to fix myself, or is it better to replace the cable?










share|improve this question
















I have a 10 meter long Ethernet cable. One plug has the little locking clip missing, just like missing the part in red ellipse in the following picture.



Enter image description here



How can I fix it? Is this something I should even attempt to fix myself, or is it better to replace the cable?







networking ethernet cable wired-networking






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Feb 3 '14 at 12:48









Bob

46.4k20141173




46.4k20141173










asked Feb 2 '14 at 2:25









BenBen

90361526




90361526








  • 4





    The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

    – sawdust
    Feb 2 '14 at 2:37






  • 6





    In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Feb 2 '14 at 22:49











  • If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

    – flauntster
    Feb 3 '14 at 5:15













  • What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

    – uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
    Feb 3 '14 at 8:04






  • 1





    I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

    – Bob
    Feb 3 '14 at 12:50














  • 4





    The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

    – sawdust
    Feb 2 '14 at 2:37






  • 6





    In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

    – Daniel R Hicks
    Feb 2 '14 at 22:49











  • If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

    – flauntster
    Feb 3 '14 at 5:15













  • What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

    – uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
    Feb 3 '14 at 8:04






  • 1





    I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

    – Bob
    Feb 3 '14 at 12:50








4




4





The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

– sawdust
Feb 2 '14 at 2:37





The "head" is called a plug. It's not repairable. The broken plug can be cut off, and a new plug installed. But you would need a special crimp tool.

– sawdust
Feb 2 '14 at 2:37




6




6





In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

– Daniel R Hicks
Feb 2 '14 at 22:49





In a lot of cases it doesn't matter. If there is nothing tugging on the cable it will usually stay in place pretty well, even if the latch is broken. Or if there's a computer repair place in town they will probably replace the end for a few bucks.

– Daniel R Hicks
Feb 2 '14 at 22:49













If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

– flauntster
Feb 3 '14 at 5:15







If it helps, my ethernet plug (RJ45) broke like this also, and i wedged in a small amount of blu-tac (on the top of the plug where your lug has broken off) to hold the plug in place. This was only meant to be a temporary measure to help hold it into the network card socket until I got to the shop and bought a replacement cable, but this was 2 years ago now and it's still held in place :)

– flauntster
Feb 3 '14 at 5:15















What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

– uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
Feb 3 '14 at 8:04





What I used to do when this happened was get some blutac and squeeze a bit of it in there so it would stick.

– uSeRnAmEhAhAhAhAhA
Feb 3 '14 at 8:04




1




1





I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

– Bob
Feb 3 '14 at 12:50





I've attempted to clean it up a bit. Note that we normally don't like shopping/product-rec type questions (especially 'where is it cheapest' type), but I believe asking if it's fixable at all (with the alternative being buying a replacement) should be acceptable.

– Bob
Feb 3 '14 at 12:50










7 Answers
7






active

oldest

votes


















100














If you don't want to replace the cable or install a new jack, you have a few of options:





  • Glue it into a coupler or a short extension like one of the following (with the coupler you will need another short run of cable on the other side):



    female to female ethernet couplerethernet extender




  • Repair it with a zip tie. Use this guide for instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Repair-a-Broken-Ethernet-Plug/



    zip tie ethernet repair








share|improve this answer





















  • 45





    ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

    – codedude
    Feb 2 '14 at 5:00






  • 3





    That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

    – Andon M. Coleman
    Feb 2 '14 at 6:10











  • I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

    – GrossT
    Feb 2 '14 at 6:58



















16














It's entirely possible to cut off the plug and install a new one, but you will need a crimping tool. It's about $15. The thing is, your local store will probably charge you more than $15 for a cable - even if you buy it online, it'll probably be close to that when you take shipping into account. Therefore, it's cost-effective in my opinion, even if you only need it occasionally (and those pieces tend to break somewhat frequently, in my experience).



Also, if you ever need to run large amounts of cable, it's much cheaper to buy it in bulk and cut it yourself.



EDIT: Don't forget to match the plug type to the wire type - stranded or solid (in your case, the wire is almost certainly stranded).






share|improve this answer





















  • 5





    wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

    – MaQleod
    Feb 2 '14 at 3:12






  • 3





    Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

    – user55325
    Feb 2 '14 at 3:15








  • 4





    It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

    – sawdust
    Feb 2 '14 at 4:35






  • 2





    Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

    – Bob
    Feb 2 '14 at 7:52






  • 4





    "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

    – sawdust
    Feb 3 '14 at 5:27





















4














For a quick fix, I've successfully used a small piece of paper to wrap the 3 non-conductor sides of the socket and then insert the cable into the socket. Leave some paper extending outside the socket so you can prevent the plug from just pushing the paper into the socket. This hack can work for years, if there is not a lot of movement of the device or cable.



Otherwise, the only true fix is to cut-off and replace the plug.



Or, replace the cable if it is not a difficult routing issue. Cables are pretty cheap if you shop around online.






share|improve this answer































    2














    You can always cut the broken end and add a crimpless plug. Here is an example. They are more expensive than a crimped end, but perfect for an emergency. Different brands/models have different capabilities such as self cutting the wires.






    share|improve this answer
























    • link is out of date

      – Bryan Field
      Aug 24 '16 at 22:33



















    1














    CHEAPEST AND EASIEST FIX. Slip a RUBBER BAND all the way under the plug clip if the locking plasticclip is cracked but not broken off. The rubber band will lift the inner non-broken part of the clip just enough for you to hear or feel the click when it locks in place. You can remove the plug by pressing down on the clip and rubber band as usual.



    This works for a SEMI-PERMANENT FIX, in case you rarely re-insert the plug, to avoid having the cable plug annoyingly disengage when you accidently move the cable or router, especially when you are unaware of it.






    share|improve this answer































      1














      I was looking for the same thing, you might as well benefit from my research. There's a whole bunch of third party products that solve this exact problem. In no particular order:



      This is called an RJCLIP, you can buy them on Ebay and Amazon.
      Heres a video demonstrating the idea.



      enter image description here



      This is an INTELLINET 771436 Repair Clip , Amazon has them
      enter image description here



      This one is a DELOCK RJ45 repair kit , Ebay has them
      enter image description here



      This one is called ClipFix , Amazon has them



      enter image description here



      Ive also found some asian ones but I cant locate them at present.






      share|improve this answer

































        0














        I 'fixed' my broken one for my laptop by attaching a long elastic band which I then stretched over and under the keyboard (luckily not blocking any keys) which pulled the plug in tight.



        Then I splashed out on a short extension (about $5) as is shown in the article, and joined the two parts securely again by an elastic band, not by glueing.






        share|improve this answer






















          protected by Community Nov 12 '15 at 21:05



          Thank you for your interest in this question.
          Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).



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          7 Answers
          7






          active

          oldest

          votes








          7 Answers
          7






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          100














          If you don't want to replace the cable or install a new jack, you have a few of options:





          • Glue it into a coupler or a short extension like one of the following (with the coupler you will need another short run of cable on the other side):



            female to female ethernet couplerethernet extender




          • Repair it with a zip tie. Use this guide for instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Repair-a-Broken-Ethernet-Plug/



            zip tie ethernet repair








          share|improve this answer





















          • 45





            ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

            – codedude
            Feb 2 '14 at 5:00






          • 3





            That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

            – Andon M. Coleman
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:10











          • I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

            – GrossT
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:58
















          100














          If you don't want to replace the cable or install a new jack, you have a few of options:





          • Glue it into a coupler or a short extension like one of the following (with the coupler you will need another short run of cable on the other side):



            female to female ethernet couplerethernet extender




          • Repair it with a zip tie. Use this guide for instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Repair-a-Broken-Ethernet-Plug/



            zip tie ethernet repair








          share|improve this answer





















          • 45





            ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

            – codedude
            Feb 2 '14 at 5:00






          • 3





            That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

            – Andon M. Coleman
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:10











          • I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

            – GrossT
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:58














          100












          100








          100







          If you don't want to replace the cable or install a new jack, you have a few of options:





          • Glue it into a coupler or a short extension like one of the following (with the coupler you will need another short run of cable on the other side):



            female to female ethernet couplerethernet extender




          • Repair it with a zip tie. Use this guide for instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Repair-a-Broken-Ethernet-Plug/



            zip tie ethernet repair








          share|improve this answer















          If you don't want to replace the cable or install a new jack, you have a few of options:





          • Glue it into a coupler or a short extension like one of the following (with the coupler you will need another short run of cable on the other side):



            female to female ethernet couplerethernet extender




          • Repair it with a zip tie. Use this guide for instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Repair-a-Broken-Ethernet-Plug/



            zip tie ethernet repair









          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Feb 3 '14 at 10:01









          user11153

          409169




          409169










          answered Feb 2 '14 at 4:33









          GrossTGrossT

          9621511




          9621511








          • 45





            ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

            – codedude
            Feb 2 '14 at 5:00






          • 3





            That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

            – Andon M. Coleman
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:10











          • I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

            – GrossT
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:58














          • 45





            ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

            – codedude
            Feb 2 '14 at 5:00






          • 3





            That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

            – Andon M. Coleman
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:10











          • I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

            – GrossT
            Feb 2 '14 at 6:58








          45




          45





          ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

          – codedude
          Feb 2 '14 at 5:00





          ...and I thought I'd found all the uses for the humble zip tie. ;)

          – codedude
          Feb 2 '14 at 5:00




          3




          3





          That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

          – Andon M. Coleman
          Feb 2 '14 at 6:10





          That is truly inspiring. I have more Ethernet cables than I would like to admit that suffer from this problem. I started using zip ties to "fix" them, but by "fix", I tied them to a cable that had a working retention clip before connecting the whole bundle of cables to my switch ;)

          – Andon M. Coleman
          Feb 2 '14 at 6:10













          I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

          – GrossT
          Feb 2 '14 at 6:58





          I came across the zip tie fix in a Lifehacker article several years ago, and this triggered my memory. Hope it helps. :)

          – GrossT
          Feb 2 '14 at 6:58













          16














          It's entirely possible to cut off the plug and install a new one, but you will need a crimping tool. It's about $15. The thing is, your local store will probably charge you more than $15 for a cable - even if you buy it online, it'll probably be close to that when you take shipping into account. Therefore, it's cost-effective in my opinion, even if you only need it occasionally (and those pieces tend to break somewhat frequently, in my experience).



          Also, if you ever need to run large amounts of cable, it's much cheaper to buy it in bulk and cut it yourself.



          EDIT: Don't forget to match the plug type to the wire type - stranded or solid (in your case, the wire is almost certainly stranded).






          share|improve this answer





















          • 5





            wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

            – MaQleod
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:12






          • 3





            Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

            – user55325
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:15








          • 4





            It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

            – sawdust
            Feb 2 '14 at 4:35






          • 2





            Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

            – Bob
            Feb 2 '14 at 7:52






          • 4





            "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

            – sawdust
            Feb 3 '14 at 5:27


















          16














          It's entirely possible to cut off the plug and install a new one, but you will need a crimping tool. It's about $15. The thing is, your local store will probably charge you more than $15 for a cable - even if you buy it online, it'll probably be close to that when you take shipping into account. Therefore, it's cost-effective in my opinion, even if you only need it occasionally (and those pieces tend to break somewhat frequently, in my experience).



          Also, if you ever need to run large amounts of cable, it's much cheaper to buy it in bulk and cut it yourself.



          EDIT: Don't forget to match the plug type to the wire type - stranded or solid (in your case, the wire is almost certainly stranded).






          share|improve this answer





















          • 5





            wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

            – MaQleod
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:12






          • 3





            Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

            – user55325
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:15








          • 4





            It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

            – sawdust
            Feb 2 '14 at 4:35






          • 2





            Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

            – Bob
            Feb 2 '14 at 7:52






          • 4





            "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

            – sawdust
            Feb 3 '14 at 5:27
















          16












          16








          16







          It's entirely possible to cut off the plug and install a new one, but you will need a crimping tool. It's about $15. The thing is, your local store will probably charge you more than $15 for a cable - even if you buy it online, it'll probably be close to that when you take shipping into account. Therefore, it's cost-effective in my opinion, even if you only need it occasionally (and those pieces tend to break somewhat frequently, in my experience).



          Also, if you ever need to run large amounts of cable, it's much cheaper to buy it in bulk and cut it yourself.



          EDIT: Don't forget to match the plug type to the wire type - stranded or solid (in your case, the wire is almost certainly stranded).






          share|improve this answer















          It's entirely possible to cut off the plug and install a new one, but you will need a crimping tool. It's about $15. The thing is, your local store will probably charge you more than $15 for a cable - even if you buy it online, it'll probably be close to that when you take shipping into account. Therefore, it's cost-effective in my opinion, even if you only need it occasionally (and those pieces tend to break somewhat frequently, in my experience).



          Also, if you ever need to run large amounts of cable, it's much cheaper to buy it in bulk and cut it yourself.



          EDIT: Don't forget to match the plug type to the wire type - stranded or solid (in your case, the wire is almost certainly stranded).







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Feb 3 '14 at 18:16

























          answered Feb 2 '14 at 2:55









          user55325user55325

          4,5771320




          4,5771320








          • 5





            wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

            – MaQleod
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:12






          • 3





            Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

            – user55325
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:15








          • 4





            It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

            – sawdust
            Feb 2 '14 at 4:35






          • 2





            Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

            – Bob
            Feb 2 '14 at 7:52






          • 4





            "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

            – sawdust
            Feb 3 '14 at 5:27
















          • 5





            wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

            – MaQleod
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:12






          • 3





            Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

            – user55325
            Feb 2 '14 at 3:15








          • 4





            It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

            – sawdust
            Feb 2 '14 at 4:35






          • 2





            Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

            – Bob
            Feb 2 '14 at 7:52






          • 4





            "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

            – sawdust
            Feb 3 '14 at 5:27










          5




          5





          wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

          – MaQleod
          Feb 2 '14 at 3:12





          wiring an RJ45 isn't that simple for someone with no experience doing it. You can easily create a worse connection by improperly crimping/wiring a plug than if the tab were simply broken off. You should do some research on the process before you buy the tools and attempt it. Here is an instruction video: youtube.com/watch?v=iyZ9nEA_vCQ and there are many more like it on youtube.

          – MaQleod
          Feb 2 '14 at 3:12




          3




          3





          Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

          – user55325
          Feb 2 '14 at 3:15







          Maybe. I didn't find it difficult, but I already had a fair amount of networking experience before I actually did it for the first time (although there weren't any Youtube videos then). And if you do it badly, all you waste is half an inch of cable and a 5-cent jack.

          – user55325
          Feb 2 '14 at 3:15






          4




          4





          It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

          – sawdust
          Feb 2 '14 at 4:35





          It's not a "jack", but a plug in the photo. RJ45 jacks (aka sockets) don't have latches. -1 for giving (incomplete) advice to repair the cable without a caution on the proper plug to use (solid wire versus stranded). BTW there's a popular online store that has 10m 24AWG Cat5e cable for US$4.

          – sawdust
          Feb 2 '14 at 4:35




          2




          2





          Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

          – Bob
          Feb 2 '14 at 7:52





          Be warned that newer standards for very high speeds (cat5e, cat6, cat6a) tend to have fairly strict requirements for exposed wire lengths, how far you're allowed to have the pairs untwisted, etc.. It's easy to mess up, and doing so has a decent chance of preventing 1 or 10 Gbit from working.

          – Bob
          Feb 2 '14 at 7:52




          4




          4





          "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

          – sawdust
          Feb 3 '14 at 5:27







          "A cable by definition is stranded" -- That's a definition that you made up that cable & wire manufacturers do not follow. You can find UTP cable (e.g. Cat5e) in both stranded and solid wire versions. Patch cables are almost always stranded wire for flexibility. Solid wire is preferred for in-wall use. Also, coaxial cable (aka coax) is a single solid core (not stranded) wire, yet it is called a cable; and an industry is named after it (i.e. the cable TV business).

          – sawdust
          Feb 3 '14 at 5:27













          4














          For a quick fix, I've successfully used a small piece of paper to wrap the 3 non-conductor sides of the socket and then insert the cable into the socket. Leave some paper extending outside the socket so you can prevent the plug from just pushing the paper into the socket. This hack can work for years, if there is not a lot of movement of the device or cable.



          Otherwise, the only true fix is to cut-off and replace the plug.



          Or, replace the cable if it is not a difficult routing issue. Cables are pretty cheap if you shop around online.






          share|improve this answer




























            4














            For a quick fix, I've successfully used a small piece of paper to wrap the 3 non-conductor sides of the socket and then insert the cable into the socket. Leave some paper extending outside the socket so you can prevent the plug from just pushing the paper into the socket. This hack can work for years, if there is not a lot of movement of the device or cable.



            Otherwise, the only true fix is to cut-off and replace the plug.



            Or, replace the cable if it is not a difficult routing issue. Cables are pretty cheap if you shop around online.






            share|improve this answer


























              4












              4








              4







              For a quick fix, I've successfully used a small piece of paper to wrap the 3 non-conductor sides of the socket and then insert the cable into the socket. Leave some paper extending outside the socket so you can prevent the plug from just pushing the paper into the socket. This hack can work for years, if there is not a lot of movement of the device or cable.



              Otherwise, the only true fix is to cut-off and replace the plug.



              Or, replace the cable if it is not a difficult routing issue. Cables are pretty cheap if you shop around online.






              share|improve this answer













              For a quick fix, I've successfully used a small piece of paper to wrap the 3 non-conductor sides of the socket and then insert the cable into the socket. Leave some paper extending outside the socket so you can prevent the plug from just pushing the paper into the socket. This hack can work for years, if there is not a lot of movement of the device or cable.



              Otherwise, the only true fix is to cut-off and replace the plug.



              Or, replace the cable if it is not a difficult routing issue. Cables are pretty cheap if you shop around online.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered Feb 3 '14 at 20:14









              MrWonderfulMrWonderful

              35125




              35125























                  2














                  You can always cut the broken end and add a crimpless plug. Here is an example. They are more expensive than a crimped end, but perfect for an emergency. Different brands/models have different capabilities such as self cutting the wires.






                  share|improve this answer
























                  • link is out of date

                    – Bryan Field
                    Aug 24 '16 at 22:33
















                  2














                  You can always cut the broken end and add a crimpless plug. Here is an example. They are more expensive than a crimped end, but perfect for an emergency. Different brands/models have different capabilities such as self cutting the wires.






                  share|improve this answer
























                  • link is out of date

                    – Bryan Field
                    Aug 24 '16 at 22:33














                  2












                  2








                  2







                  You can always cut the broken end and add a crimpless plug. Here is an example. They are more expensive than a crimped end, but perfect for an emergency. Different brands/models have different capabilities such as self cutting the wires.






                  share|improve this answer













                  You can always cut the broken end and add a crimpless plug. Here is an example. They are more expensive than a crimped end, but perfect for an emergency. Different brands/models have different capabilities such as self cutting the wires.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Feb 6 '14 at 21:45









                  KeltariKeltari

                  51.8k18119171




                  51.8k18119171













                  • link is out of date

                    – Bryan Field
                    Aug 24 '16 at 22:33



















                  • link is out of date

                    – Bryan Field
                    Aug 24 '16 at 22:33

















                  link is out of date

                  – Bryan Field
                  Aug 24 '16 at 22:33





                  link is out of date

                  – Bryan Field
                  Aug 24 '16 at 22:33











                  1














                  CHEAPEST AND EASIEST FIX. Slip a RUBBER BAND all the way under the plug clip if the locking plasticclip is cracked but not broken off. The rubber band will lift the inner non-broken part of the clip just enough for you to hear or feel the click when it locks in place. You can remove the plug by pressing down on the clip and rubber band as usual.



                  This works for a SEMI-PERMANENT FIX, in case you rarely re-insert the plug, to avoid having the cable plug annoyingly disengage when you accidently move the cable or router, especially when you are unaware of it.






                  share|improve this answer




























                    1














                    CHEAPEST AND EASIEST FIX. Slip a RUBBER BAND all the way under the plug clip if the locking plasticclip is cracked but not broken off. The rubber band will lift the inner non-broken part of the clip just enough for you to hear or feel the click when it locks in place. You can remove the plug by pressing down on the clip and rubber band as usual.



                    This works for a SEMI-PERMANENT FIX, in case you rarely re-insert the plug, to avoid having the cable plug annoyingly disengage when you accidently move the cable or router, especially when you are unaware of it.






                    share|improve this answer


























                      1












                      1








                      1







                      CHEAPEST AND EASIEST FIX. Slip a RUBBER BAND all the way under the plug clip if the locking plasticclip is cracked but not broken off. The rubber band will lift the inner non-broken part of the clip just enough for you to hear or feel the click when it locks in place. You can remove the plug by pressing down on the clip and rubber band as usual.



                      This works for a SEMI-PERMANENT FIX, in case you rarely re-insert the plug, to avoid having the cable plug annoyingly disengage when you accidently move the cable or router, especially when you are unaware of it.






                      share|improve this answer













                      CHEAPEST AND EASIEST FIX. Slip a RUBBER BAND all the way under the plug clip if the locking plasticclip is cracked but not broken off. The rubber band will lift the inner non-broken part of the clip just enough for you to hear or feel the click when it locks in place. You can remove the plug by pressing down on the clip and rubber band as usual.



                      This works for a SEMI-PERMANENT FIX, in case you rarely re-insert the plug, to avoid having the cable plug annoyingly disengage when you accidently move the cable or router, especially when you are unaware of it.







                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered Jan 21 '15 at 19:58









                      Stan CairesStan Caires

                      111




                      111























                          1














                          I was looking for the same thing, you might as well benefit from my research. There's a whole bunch of third party products that solve this exact problem. In no particular order:



                          This is called an RJCLIP, you can buy them on Ebay and Amazon.
                          Heres a video demonstrating the idea.



                          enter image description here



                          This is an INTELLINET 771436 Repair Clip , Amazon has them
                          enter image description here



                          This one is a DELOCK RJ45 repair kit , Ebay has them
                          enter image description here



                          This one is called ClipFix , Amazon has them



                          enter image description here



                          Ive also found some asian ones but I cant locate them at present.






                          share|improve this answer






























                            1














                            I was looking for the same thing, you might as well benefit from my research. There's a whole bunch of third party products that solve this exact problem. In no particular order:



                            This is called an RJCLIP, you can buy them on Ebay and Amazon.
                            Heres a video demonstrating the idea.



                            enter image description here



                            This is an INTELLINET 771436 Repair Clip , Amazon has them
                            enter image description here



                            This one is a DELOCK RJ45 repair kit , Ebay has them
                            enter image description here



                            This one is called ClipFix , Amazon has them



                            enter image description here



                            Ive also found some asian ones but I cant locate them at present.






                            share|improve this answer




























                              1












                              1








                              1







                              I was looking for the same thing, you might as well benefit from my research. There's a whole bunch of third party products that solve this exact problem. In no particular order:



                              This is called an RJCLIP, you can buy them on Ebay and Amazon.
                              Heres a video demonstrating the idea.



                              enter image description here



                              This is an INTELLINET 771436 Repair Clip , Amazon has them
                              enter image description here



                              This one is a DELOCK RJ45 repair kit , Ebay has them
                              enter image description here



                              This one is called ClipFix , Amazon has them



                              enter image description here



                              Ive also found some asian ones but I cant locate them at present.






                              share|improve this answer















                              I was looking for the same thing, you might as well benefit from my research. There's a whole bunch of third party products that solve this exact problem. In no particular order:



                              This is called an RJCLIP, you can buy them on Ebay and Amazon.
                              Heres a video demonstrating the idea.



                              enter image description here



                              This is an INTELLINET 771436 Repair Clip , Amazon has them
                              enter image description here



                              This one is a DELOCK RJ45 repair kit , Ebay has them
                              enter image description here



                              This one is called ClipFix , Amazon has them



                              enter image description here



                              Ive also found some asian ones but I cant locate them at present.







                              share|improve this answer














                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer








                              edited Feb 12 at 1:36

























                              answered Feb 12 at 1:29









                              TripleAntigenTripleAntigen

                              12616




                              12616























                                  0














                                  I 'fixed' my broken one for my laptop by attaching a long elastic band which I then stretched over and under the keyboard (luckily not blocking any keys) which pulled the plug in tight.



                                  Then I splashed out on a short extension (about $5) as is shown in the article, and joined the two parts securely again by an elastic band, not by glueing.






                                  share|improve this answer




























                                    0














                                    I 'fixed' my broken one for my laptop by attaching a long elastic band which I then stretched over and under the keyboard (luckily not blocking any keys) which pulled the plug in tight.



                                    Then I splashed out on a short extension (about $5) as is shown in the article, and joined the two parts securely again by an elastic band, not by glueing.






                                    share|improve this answer


























                                      0












                                      0








                                      0







                                      I 'fixed' my broken one for my laptop by attaching a long elastic band which I then stretched over and under the keyboard (luckily not blocking any keys) which pulled the plug in tight.



                                      Then I splashed out on a short extension (about $5) as is shown in the article, and joined the two parts securely again by an elastic band, not by glueing.






                                      share|improve this answer













                                      I 'fixed' my broken one for my laptop by attaching a long elastic band which I then stretched over and under the keyboard (luckily not blocking any keys) which pulled the plug in tight.



                                      Then I splashed out on a short extension (about $5) as is shown in the article, and joined the two parts securely again by an elastic band, not by glueing.







                                      share|improve this answer












                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer










                                      answered Feb 7 '14 at 22:04









                                      Dennis AnthonyDennis Anthony

                                      1




                                      1

















                                          protected by Community Nov 12 '15 at 21:05



                                          Thank you for your interest in this question.
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