- 1). Cut the bad section out of the length of networking cable using wire cutters. If you are only extending the length of the cable, simply cut off the connector at one end of the cable.
- 2). Cut away a quarter inch of outer insulation from the end of the existing cable, and also cut away a quarter inch of outer insulation from one end of the new cable. Cut slowly and carefully so you don't nick the insulation of the internal wires. Pull the outer insulation off of the cable ends and discard.
- 3). Strip away about an eighth inch of insulation from the ends of all internal colored wires on both the existing and the new network cables using a wire stripping tool. If your wire strippers aren't designed to handle wire as small as the internal network cable wires, use your pocket knife but do so gently. Carefully cut a shallow line around the insulation of each colored wire, but don't cut all the way through to the metal wire inside. Grasp the serrated insulation between your index finger and thumb and pull away from each wire.
- 4). Slide a 3 inch section of heat shrink tubing over the outer insulation of either the existing cable or the new cable, then twist together the exposed wire ends of the existing cable with the exposed wire ends of the new cable. Match the wire colors when twisting: yellow to yellow, white to white, black to black, red to red. Only one twist on each colored wire should be sufficient, just enough to hold them together for soldering.
- 5). Touch the sharp pencil tip of your soldering iron to one of the twisted wires and allow it to heat for no more than 10 seconds. Once the wire is heated, touch the end of the solder wire where the soldering iron tip and the wire intersect. Allow one small bead of solder to melt onto the wire, then remove the solder and the soldering iron tip from the wire promptly. Solder each of the twisted wire pairs in like manner. Allow the wires to cool for several minutes after all have been soldered.
- 6). Wrap each soldered wire joint with one layer of black electrical tape, wrapping each as tightly as possible.
- 7). Wrap the colored wires with a layer of aluminum foil if your network cable is shielded. Shielded network cable has a layer of foil under the outer layer of cable insulation, which blocks radio frequencies from reaching the internal wires. Failure to add a foil wrap in the spliced section will leave your data exposed to such interference.
- 8). Slide the heat shrink tubing until it is covering the spliced area fully, and so that the soldered sections are in the center of the tubing. Use the hot tip of your soldering iron to heat the tubing so it shrinks tightly over the outer insulation of the cable. When heating, allow the tip to come within about a quarter inch from touching the tubing, then move the tip back and forth along the length of the tubing. Rotate the cable so heat is applied to all sides of the tubing. When the tubing can no longer be moved back and forth on the cable, it has been been permanently adhered to the cable.
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