Ethernet cable with drain wire - Do I need to ground the keystone itself? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: copperinho
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 01, 2022, 09:55:15 am
content: I installed a CAT6 cable with drain wire.The wire seem to be connected correctly to the shielded keystone.But do I need to ground the keystone itself as well?Also, if I put a small metal plate and then connect a wire from the keystone to this plate - is this enough for grounding?I have 0 knowledge about electricity, so I wanted to ask you about the above sentence: For low amount of static generated by an ethernet cable, how to tell what is enough metal to be considered as a ground?For example, when I build a PC, I touch my PC case and I'm discharged, so maybe in an ethernet cable having a small piece of metal is also considered a ground

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2022, 07:49:25 pm
content: Why are you using STP in the first place? It's totally unnecessary in 99.9% of cases and just creates expense and complications. I would ignore this and just replace it with UTP.If you're going to bother with STP, then you need to use appropriate shielded cable and connectors through the entire path. Properly terminated STP keystones will maintain the shield connection between the patch cable and the structured cable. On the other end of the structured cable, the patch panel should be bonded to ground, which will bond the shield as well. If you're using keystones at both ends, then the shield at one end should be bonded to ground, though I use STP so rarely and when I do it's in a normal structured environment, so I'm not actually sure what best practice for that would be.

author: copperinho
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 02, 2022, 05:14:57 am
content: I don't think it's STP, it says FTP on the cable if that matters.I didn't want this cable, but the local stores are useless and only sell this, or CCA non shielded cable. They are useless they don't even know what they are selling.If I don't have patch panel, will some kind of metal plate can be used as ground? Btw is there a simple explanation of why or why not this can be ground in this case?

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2022, 06:56:20 pm
content: If it's just for home use, I'd just ignore the drain and shield entirely. Just cut it away from your terminations so it doesn't cause problems and forget about it, it should work fine.If you wanted to bond it to ground, which is probably what code requires, you'd need to extend a ground from a nearby electrical box, assuming where you're placing your keystones doesn't have a ground wire already.

author: copperinho
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 02, 2022, 08:30:17 pm
content: thank you. And why can't a metal plate in one end act as a ground?So why if I had a metal place size of a PC case couldn't it act as a ground? Just curious

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2022, 11:46:48 pm
content: You want a place for any charge picked up by the shields to drain to. Just adding more conductor doesn't change much, you need a conductive path to earth.