DIY; Make Your Own Network Cables

How to Make a Category 5 /5e Patch Cable

For goodness sake, don't buy pre-made network cables. The prices are simply outlandish for pre-fab cables. This site has very simple pictures of the wire orders.

Stop by radio shack (suprisingly competitive pricing on this stuff), and buy yourself a 100 ft. of Cat 5 network cable ($0.10 - $0.30 per foot), a box of cable ends (about 12 for $5), and a cable end crimper ($10-$30).

Yes, your up front your will be higher - but you won't be shelling out $20 for a 6 foot cable ever again. And this way, you can make your cable as long as necessary, instead of having to reconfigure a setup because your cables aren't long enough. It also spares you from those troubling moments when the dog eats your cable.

(or just buy a wireless router and cards for your machines)

Tip:
To connect a computer to a router -> both ends are ordered the same (using 568-B order is the most common)

To connect 2 computers directly (or an Xbox directly to a computer) the ends are different - one is 568-B the other is 568-A