Cable - CAT 5, CAT 6 CAT 7 or CAT 8 Too many to choose for a noob

[tangent]

If you want to buy premade, keep it simple order from monoprice.

You're better off with name brand, solid copper bulk cable in my opinion. It's easy to damage pre-terminated, bigger holes etc. and you can always re-terminate.

The main advantage of Cat-6 over Cat-5e is the cables are typically slightly more robust due to a spline or thicker wire.

 

[FLGator]

So in reality, any solid core, non CCA, Cat5, Cat6 shielded or not, 350 or 550 Mhz will do just fine for transmission of video, audio, and PoE?

 

[TonyR]

So in reality, any solid core, non CCA, Cat5, Cat6 shielded or not, 350 or 550 Mhz will do just fine for transmission of video, audio, and PoE?

Essentially, yes....as long as the jacket is rated for the application.

For example, for use in walls, crawl spaces, attics, ceilings and between floors it should have a CMR-rated (Riser) jacket. FWIW, a more expensive CMP-rated (Plenum) jacket can be use where a CMR is required but the opposite (using CMR where CMP is required) is NOT true.

 

[FLGator]

Ok, after much paralysis by analysis I have decided on this. Thanks everyone for your help.

DG Cat6 Riser (CMR), 1000FT, Unshielded, 23AWG, Solid Bare Copper, Up to 10Gb Speeds, No Spline, Faster-Easier Terminations, 550MHz, ETL Listed, Bulk Ethernet Cable, Blue

https://a.co/d/8Marjw8

 

[TonyR]

Ok, after much paralysis by analysis I have decided on this. Thanks everyone for your help.

DG Cat6 Riser (CMR), 1000FT, Unshielded, 23AWG, Solid Bare Copper, Up to 10Gb Speeds, No Spline, Faster-Easier Terminations, 550MHz, ETL Listed, Bulk Ethernet Cable, Blue

https://a.co/d/8Marjw8

Looks like pretty good cable....good choice.

Just a word in case you've used reels before but not the boxed cable....be careful pulling the cable out of the box rapidly, it is more likely to kink since it's not on a genuine reel. Reels pay out the cable smoothly, boxes require you to manually un-coil the cable as you pull it. And a hard kink, especially in solid conductor cable, can cause issues.

I pull out most of what I THINK need but not cutting it, uncoiling as I go, running the coil off to the free end and off the cable, so the cable will lie flat. Then when you pull it in, it's best to have a helper to monitor the progress on the box end, and feed it to you so it won't kink. If you need more, make sure they also know how to get it out of the box so it won't kink and (assuming you still have not cut it) how to turn the box so as to un-coil it so it won't kink.

Frankly, for long pulls, I pay extra for a reel and place it on my portable rack. But a box is fine as long as you don't get in a hurry and pay attention to how it "pays" out of the box so as to prevent kinks.

 

[Clark Griswald]

Ok, after much paralysis by analysis I have decided on this. Thanks everyone for your help.

DG Cat6 Riser (CMR), 1000FT, Unshielded, 23AWG, Solid Bare Copper, Up to 10Gb Speeds, No Spline, Faster-Easier Terminations, 550MHz, ETL Listed, Bulk Ethernet Cable, Blue

https://a.co/d/8Marjw8

FYI
Recent verified purchase reviews say this is CCA and not solid copper.

 

[tangent]

FYI
Recent verified purchase reviews say this is CCA and not solid copper.

Not surprised. Amazon's a rough place to buy cable from.

 

[looney2ns]

Cat 6, but no spline???
Me is skeptical.
I recommend truecable

I agree with Tony about getting it on reels.

 

[TonyR]

FYI
Recent verified purchase reviews say this is CCA and not solid copper.

FWIW, I read all of the reviews and did not find where anyone stated it was CCA, they all went out of their way to say it was solid copper. I found one negative review stating it was 24AWG, not 23.

Can you provide a link or copy/paste an image?

 

[tigerwillow1]

Cat 6, but no spline???
Me is skeptical.

I almost posted the same thing but talked myself out of it by realizing that cat6 conformance is determined by a performance spec and not the physical construction. A different non-spline product I looked at said they use thicker insulation in lieu of the spline. That could maybe cause a compatibility problem with the connectors. I don't understand the emphasis on easier installation without the spline. Cutting the spline costs 2 seconds max, unless like me you don't remember where you set down the snips.

Recent verified purchase reviews say this is CCA and not solid copper.

With the product page saying "pure copper" and "solid copper", I'd sure hope it's not CCA. A lot of the reviews are incorrect and/or for a different product. Of course I know nothing about it personally.

 

[mat200]

So in reality, any solid core, non CCA, Cat5, Cat6 shielded or not, 350 or 550 Mhz will do just fine for transmission of video, audio, and PoE?

Here's the basics:
Patch cables : stranded copper 23 or 24 Awg cat5e or cat6.
In wall, attic, patch panel to patch panel or patch panel to camera rj45 socket: solid copper wires, 23 or 24 AWG, cat 5e or cat6, properly rated sheath for in wall or plenum installation.
I normally buy bulk cable and terminate myself here .. typically get enough pull boxes to cover the runs .. example run 2 cables at a time get 2 pull boxes .. 3 get 3 pull boxes.

 

[Clark Griswald]

FWIW, I read all of the reviews and did not find where anyone stated it was CCA, they all went out of their way to say it was solid copper. I found one negative review stating it was 24AWG, not 23.

Can you provide a link or copy/paste an image?

I followed link provided, most recent reviews, verified purchaser, yet now those reviews are not listed.

 

[TonyR]

I followed link provided, most recent reviews, verified purchaser, yet now those reviews are not listed.

Perhaps amazon initially posted them in the wrong place and were told of their error by the vendor....who knows!

 

[Clark Griswald]

cat 6 shielded
Bought this during the Amazon deal days for wiring my new cameras, etc, the spool arrives next week.

 

[mat200]

cat 6 shielded
Bought this during the Amazon deal days for wiring my new cameras, etc, the spool arrives next week.

Very nice .. if you don't mind, how much was it on prime day ?

 

[Starglow]

Ok, after much paralysis by analysis I have decided on this. Thanks everyone for your help.

DG Cat6 Riser (CMR), 1000FT, Unshielded, 23AWG, Solid Bare Copper, Up to 10Gb Speeds, No Spline, Faster-Easier Terminations, 550MHz, ETL Listed, Bulk Ethernet Cable, Blue

https://a.co/d/8Marjw8

The link shows that it's white cable and not blue, so I hope you caught that. Just a quick tip in case you don't already know this, the bulk cable should have Ft measurements marked on it every foot or two, so this makes it really easy when pulling out the specific lengths of cable you need. When installing a new camera or Ethernet cable run I'll measure out all sections of the intended cable path with a tape measure to determine how many feet of cable I'm going to need, including all turns, inside wall lengths, etc. and I'll add an extra foot or two for grins in case I'm off a bit. Then just pull that amount of cable from the bulk reel using the Ft measurement markers as a guide. I can get it pretty close to dead on and I've never ended up being too short...at least yet.

 

[Starglow]

Perhaps amazon initially posted them in the wrong place and were told of their error by the vendor....who knows!

I hate the way Amazon manages, or rather doesn't manage their online review system because it's always screwed up.

 

[TonyR]

I hate the way Amazon manages, or rather doesn't manage their online review system because it's always screwed up.

I was reading reviews on a product the other day and half the positive reviews were in Portuguese, Italian or Spanish. All of those when translated were reviews of a BOOK, they were in the reviews for an APPLIANCE. I reported to amazon.

 

[Clark Griswald]

Very nice .. if you don't mind, how much was it on prime day ?

View attachment 174615

$156/500ft
The cat 6a shielded 1000ft was $255, but too many reviews of needing "special" connectors due to cable diameter, and the "stiffness" of the cable was a concern, since I am not doing a new construction install.
Question;
What RJ45 connectors would people recommend, or should I stay with True Cable's 6/6a shielded connectors?

 

[Starglow]

$156/500ft
The cat 6a shielded 1000ft was $255, but too many reviews of needing "special" connectors due to cable diameter, and the "stiffness" of the cable was a concern, since I am not doing a new construction install.
Question;
What RJ45 connectors would people recommend, or should I stay with True Cable's 6/6a shielded connectors?

Cat6a shielded cable is intended to run network speeds up to 10G, and the bulk cable is very stiff and hard to work with especially installing the shielded connectors.. I've found the manufactured and pre-terminated lengths of Cat6a cable are much easier to manage and are more flexible. I typically buy the Cables-to-go (C2G) brand for work and have never had any issues with them. Leviton Cat6/6a shielded connectors are good, but you'd better be sitting down when you see the price tag, and if you crimp them wrong then is get's very expensive really quick.