Chopping up a USB cable to put through a window?

JonathanAnon

Need to cut up a USB cable to pass through window.. Are they easy enough to reconnect or will I need any special tools.. Anybody done it?

Chet T16

I chopped the ends off some cables and resoldered the wires to some usb panel mounts and they work fine so I imagine you'll be fine

Big Lar

If you knew some one working for eircom you could gee a few of these little crimps off them

http://www.lelong.com.my/3m-scotchlok-uy-connector-telephone-wire-data-phone-wire-74243981-2010-12-Sale-P.htm

You could also probably get them in a electrical shop

roast

I've done it with nowt but a wire strips and insulation tape. I've done it with solder and the correct tools also, but if its a quick fix you're looking for, keep it simple.

desaparecidos

No problem at all cutting and rejoining.

As said above, it can be easily done by just twisting the exposed ends of each of the wires back together, insulating them with a small bit of tape.

JonathanAnon

okya lads, gonna tackle this tomorrow... need to put my USB modem outside temporarily .. I'll let ye know how it goes.

JonathanAnon

hey lads, just got round to tackling this..

The cable has four VERY small wires so I'm not too confident about just twisting the wires and then covering in insulating tape.. there is the possibility of the wind blowing it or it being pulled by a small animal, so I want something a bit more secure..

what about if I put an RJ45 end on each section of the cable and the use an RJ45 coupler to connect the two ends? any reason why this wont work?

doopa

If you're sticking the 3G dongle outside and you still want to get signal you could consider getting a MiFi router for it. Takes the 3G connection and rebroadcasts it as a WiFi signal.

This is an integrated 3G receiver/WiFi router:
http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/?mifi=1&id=1184

But you can get them separate.

JonathanAnon

doopa wrote: »

If you're sticking the 3G dongle outside and you still want to get signal you could consider getting a MiFi router for it. Takes the 3G connection and rebroadcasts it as a WiFi signal.

Last time I looked up those MiFi devices, they had to be charged.. I have a router but I dont want to put it outside as somebody would whip it. I've gone through the options and putting the USB cable through the window is the best option for me at the moment..

bonzodog2

No opening window you could put a cable through and shut after ? To avoid cutting/soldering ...

JonathanAnon

bonzodog2 wrote: »

No opening window you could put a cable through and shut after ? To avoid cutting/soldering ...

nope.. a cable is going through a drilling the still window frame... how is the only question that remains..

doopa

From a similar experience I seem to recall limits on the length of usb cables - something like 5m. Yeah - wikipedia article agrees - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Maximum_Cable_Length

Something to bear in mind. Also - do the soldering on the inside part of the cable. i.e. Rip off the cable and push it through from the outside of the house in. The soldering shouldn't be too difficult. http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7519793_reconnect-broken-usb-cable.html

JonathanAnon

doopa wrote: »

From a similar experience I seem to recall limits on the length of usb cables - something like 5m.

Yeah I was aware of that.. distance is not an issue with this thankfully.. it's basically just getting a wall OUT of the way of the path to my provider...

Something to bear in mind. Also - do the soldering on the inside part of the cable. i.e.

yeah, but my post (second one, not the op) is the way I plan to go... i.e. running the four wires through RJ45 interfaces .. have you any experience of improvising something like this, or why it would not work?

doopa

JonathanAnon wrote: »

yeah, but my post (second one, not the op) is the way I plan to go... i.e. running the four wires through RJ45 interfaces .. have you any experience of improvising something like this, or why it would not work?

Sorry- don't really get what you intend to it.

Outside --- Outside --WALL - Inside

---

Inside

modem - usb cable - rj45 - rest of the usb cable - computer?

Or am I misunderstanding?

sharkbite1983

dont cut the cable where its actually going through the window, cut it about 6 inches from the end that way the connection is hidden behind the pc.

go to any electical wholesalers & get gel connecters. they make good solid connections & are very easy to use. literally push the 2 cores into the hole in the connector, squeeze the top of it down, you dont even need to strip each coore.

UPC & Eircom and all them would use them the whole time. ive reconnected phones, alarms etc. best of all, theres a little bit of gooey gel in them so its even a water proof connection.

easy as pie. let me know where abouts youre living, ill let you know where to buy them

JonathanAnon

okay here's the plan.. I have cut a USB cable in half.. four wires now dangling from one end, four wires dangling from the other... I'm looking for the neatest and most stable way of reconnecting them.. I could solder the wires to each other but I want something neater...

I have an RJ45 crimper, the RJ45 connector ends, and an RJ45 coupler... I'm thinking if I take the four wires of one USB end, crimp the wires in to the RJ45 connector end (using say, the middle four wire connections).. then do the same for the other half of the USB cable.. then connect them with an RJ45 coupler..

JonathanAnon

Those gel connectors look good alright.. I've googled and there doesnt seem to be a four wire version but I could use two 2-connector ones.. I'm close enough to Naas, anywhere there that would have them .. tks...

Just seached on maplins.. surprised they dont have them.

wildefalcon

Why not just cut the very end off and solder on a new plug? Maplins do them with a little boot and all - t'would look very neat and be very solid.

sharkbite1983

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Those gel connectors look good alright.. I've googled and there doesnt seem to be a four wire version but I could use two 2-connector ones.. I'm close enough to Naas, anywhere there that would have them .. tks...

Just seached on maplins.. surprised they dont have them.

if you have 4 wires, you'll need 4 connectors, theyre only a few cent each, so get a few spare just in case.

the 2 wires in each connector will join, so you want to put the same colour wires into each connector.

City Electrical Factors
Unit F3 N7 business Park
Naas Co Kildare
T: 0054 898099 | F: 0054 898656
eMail: sales.naas@cefltd.ie

even bring the cable in with you, they'll show you exactly what to do.


*one wire in each hole..... if you know what i mean

JonathanAnon

some good suggestions there lads.. another lad had originally suggested those gel connectors earlier in the thread, but I wasnt really sure what he was talking about.. I think that might be the way to go, as it will allow me to use the cable again when I move.. Have the hole drilled..

sharkbite1983

gimme a shout if youve any problems, im only living in blessington.

JonathanAnon

Was coming through Portlaoise and dropped in to see if Telfords or Homebase had the gel connectors, but they didnt..

Got two 5 Amp strip connectors (6 wire) for €1.99 in Telford's though.. similar to this..


hooked the ends of the USB cable up to this and it works fine.. I'll pick up some of those gel connectors though.. dead handy..