cat 5 vs cat 6 vs cat 6e vs cat 6A

[motthunter]

Getting ready to do a whole house wiring for the first time and wonder opinions on what level of cable I should be using? Please, those unlike me who know what the heck they are doing, help me to understand what is a great choice and what might be overkill?

 

[Jayordon]

For cameras, just use cat5e. That will allow for gigabit speeds, and cameras don't use nearly that. For mine, I'm using a 100mb switch for 3 cameras and they do just fine, so cat5e is plenty. For everything else, I'd use cat6. Cat6a is probably overkill, but if you really want to future proof, you could. But if I were trying to future proof, I'd just run smurf tube to all locations

 

[mat200]

Getting ready to do a whole house wiring for the first time and wonder opinions on what level of cable I should be using? Please, those unlike me who know what the heck they are doing, help me to understand what is a great choice and what might be overkill?

Hi @motthunter

I ran Cat6 and Cat5e ...

As the material costs are close for Cat5e and Cat6 I mostly ran Cat6 unless I needed to run in a tighter conduit ( 1/2" emt ) in some tight spots - so I used cat5e for that ..

If I was going with new build, I would probably go Cat6 as much as possible ..

 

[ThomasCamFan]

Whatever you choose, be sure your camera runs are 23 AWG (preferred) or 24 AWG Solid Copper (DO NOT USE CCA). I'm running out of CAT5E cable, so I'll switch to CAT6 or CAT6E on future camera runs. Cost increase is minor.

For the home run to the outdoor wall mounted demarc box I suggest two network cables, one CAT6 UTP and another CAT6A STP, plus two RG6 Quad shield coax. Use CAT6 / CAT6E for all other runs inside your home. And as jayordon suggest, I have smurf tubes at some wall locations for future proofing.

- Thomas

 

[looney2ns]

Don't cheap out on cable.
CCA Vs Copper Cable

 

[TonyR]

Whatever you choose, be sure your camera runs are 23 AWG (preferred) or 24 AWG Solid Copper (DO NOT USE CCA).

Don't cheap out on cable.
CCA Vs Copper Cable

+1 to both of these posts ^^.
I'll add to insure you use the properly rated cable jacket for the intended use, such as CMR (Riser) for in-wall, attics, crawl spaces and between floors; Outdoor rated for exposure to UV, smog and moisture; direct-burial or flooded burial for in-ground or in buried conduit.

 

[motthunter]

+1 to both of these posts ^^.
I'll add to insure you use the properly rated cable jacket for the intended use, such as CMR ("Riser) for in-wall, attics, crawl spaces and between floors; Outdoor rated for exposure to UV, smog and moisture; direct-burial or flooded burial for in-ground or in buried conduit.

You answered the other question I was about to ask. I didn't know what Riser meant

 

[TonyR]

You answered the other question I was about to ask. I didn't know what Riser meant

FWIW, there's also CMP (Plenum) which if you're in a bind and can only find it and not CMR it can be used in place of CMR (but not the other way around, so you can't use CMR where CMP is required)...and CMP can cost quite a bit more than CMR.

 

[motthunter]

FWIW, there's also CMP (Plenum) which if you're in a bind and can only find it and not CMR it can be used in place of CMR (but not the other way around, so you can't use CMR where CMP is required)...and CMP can cost quite a bit more than CMR.

Since we're talking about this, can the underground purpose stuff be used indoors or is that against code or is there a reason not to?

 

[Mike A.]

Generally it can but it's stiffer, thicker cable so harder to run. Doesn't work as well going into a switch or panel. More trouble to terminate. And more expensive. No reason to do it.

 

[motthunter]

Generally it can but it's stiffer, thicker cable so harder to run. Doesn't work as well going into a switch or panel. More trouble to terminate. And more expensive. No reason to do it.

Got it.. thanks

 

[TonyR]

Many, if not most, cables with CMX jacket that are are rated for outdoor use can also be used indoors but I'd check with the individual manufacturer's description, just to be sure. + what @Mike A. said....

 

[tigerwillow1]

Here are a couple of readings to show how simple things can be made not so simple:
Can Outdoor Ethernet Cable Be Used Indoors?
NEC: Using Non-Rated (CMX) CAT6 cable inside an attic of a single family home

The latest outdoor cat6 cable I used says on the jacket that it's rated for outdoor use, direct burial and is UV resistant. But it does not say CMX on the jacket. So is it CMX cable, or unrated cable, which have 2 different sets of rules? Darned if I know! It is slightly under 1/4 inch diameter, so it looks like it's ok for at least 50' indoors under either of the rules.

 

[Mike A.]

Ahhh... after looking at @tigerwillow1 post I realized that I may have not read what you were asking right. No problem with continuing a run of the direct burial stuff some short distance into the interior. A lot if not most will be done that way. I read it as asking if you could use it more generally for wiring the place.