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T568A & T568B wiring

Learn the eight-pin color order for each standard. Straight-through cables use the same wiring on both ends; crossover cables mix T568A on one end and T568B on the other.

Learn the standards

Pin 1 is on the left and pin 8 on the right once the connector is oriented correctly.

T568A

T568B

Tips for remembering the wire order

  • Odd pins (1, 3, 5, 7) are always the striped.
  • Even pins (2, 4, 6, 8) are always solid.
  • Pins 1, 2, 3, and 6 (darker border) swap between T568A and T568B.
  • The blue pair (pins 4-5) and brown pair (pins 7–8) stay the same in both standards.

When to use each cable type

Exam rule: use straight-through between unlike devices, and crossover between like devices.

Straight-through cables use the same standard on both ends.

  • PC or laptop to a switch
  • Server or printer to a switch
  • Switch to a router LAN port
  • Wireless access point to a switch

Crossover cables use T568A on one end and T568B on the other.

  • Switch to switch (without auto-MDIX)
  • PC to PC for a direct link
  • Router Ethernet port to router Ethernet port
  • Router to PC for a direct link