John Weston wrote:

Unfortunately I am not clear (even after googling for IDC connection)
exactly what the punch-down tool you mention does.
Is it essentially an ethernet crimping tool?

No, not a "crimping" tool, it's much simpler for the untrained. The
individual wire, without stripping the insulation, is pushed down a slot
between two blades at the back of the connector in the socket. The blades
cut through the insulation and into the surface of the solid wire exactly
where it is needed, making a "cold weld" at the touching points, so there
can be no future corrosion between the wire and the connector blade at
the joining points. If you ever need to disconnect the wire, you will
feel the resistance of the weld as you break it when you hook out the
wire. To remake the joint, you cut off the few mm used for the old
connection and push down a fresh part of the wire, so it can make a new
weld.

Thanks very much; that makes it perfectly clear.
I don't recall coming across the term "punch-down" before -
probably shows my ignorance of the real world.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland