Is there an easy way to straighten network cable individual wire pairs?

Not really much of a trick, but I tend to get them in the correct order, and then massage them back and forth between my thumb and forefinger. Alternate directions as you do it, switching from pulling towards your thumb and towards your forefinger. With each pull, run your fingers from the sheath to the tips of the pairs, as though you're warming it up like putty. Usually works to make them nice and straight, for me.

I use what is called a "spudger" it's an old phone company tool used to pull twisted pairs out of a bundle or what we called a "rats nest". It's made of plastic and looks like a pencil with a small 90 degree metal "hook" on the end. Greybar has them for less than $5 get the one with a pointed end or file the blunt tip with a small file to make a point. You could also go to the hardware store and get set of "picks" or probes they look like a dentist's tool. Strip the cable, separate the pairs, trim them off to about 2 inches and stick the "spudger" between the twisted pair and pull. I have done thousands of RJ-45's. After you've done a couple hundred you'll be doing it in your sleep.

"I leave the individual conductors a little long, get them positioned in the correct order, then grab them between my thumb and forefinger and bend them back and forth, uh, horizontally. I think the best way to describe the direction is if you had a flat piece of ribbon that you were holding in the same way, I'm talking about bending it the way the ribbon wouldn't want to bend.

Also, it's much easier to straighten solid wires than stranded wires."

"I like to divide the 4 groups of wires into the roughly the right spots first, then unwind and place them between two fingers and pull. It helps if the wires are roughly the right length to begin with, as that makes for less untwisting. I've also found that there is some variation between brands, and of course, no matter what method you use, it's going to need some practice.

If you are making a lot of cables, I recommend that you buy your cables prefabricated. (eg. From Monoprice) It's not that expensive and it can save you a ton of time and headache."

My Fluke punch-down tool has a fold out hook that's perfect for separating the pairs like the spudger above. Then I use the ribbon trick.