I remember the first time I opened a piece of cable and found all solid colors. Somewhat terrifying. Yeah it was common. If the pairs aren't twisted together well you're in deep trouble. When you open the cable the first thing you have to do is tape off the end. Then strip off enough insulation to give yourself plenty of room to work with and trace. Then you identify the binders. Tape them off individually and mark them. When you've got all that done, THEN you can start working.

Sam

"Where are we going and why are we in this hand basket?"