Cat 6 Wire Recommendations
- Thread starter Matrix1
- Start date
Mr_D
Getting comfortable
solid conductor, solid copper (no copper clad aluminum - CCA)
Monoprice has good prices on 1000' rolls.
Monoprice has good prices on 1000' rolls.
NoloC
Getting comfortable
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
- Messages
- 701
- Reaction score
- 454
The difference between cat 5 vs 6 is not about the length of the run, but the throughput. While cat 5 is probably adequate for most of us, I think I'd step up to cat 6 since the price is negligible.
But cat 5 is a bit easier to work with.
Mr_D
Getting comfortable
Cool. Of course considering these cams sync at 100Mbps and push less than 1/10th that, they'd work on a 10Mbps Ethernet link over cat3 as long as you used a switch instead of a hub and had a faster link to the recorder.
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2017
- Messages
- 13,945
- Reaction score
- 23,252
Remember also we're looking at power carried over the cable - so you want thicker copper wires, this is another big reason we do not want to install CCA nor non-compliant super thin flat cables which some like to buy from Amazon sellers.
Better quality Cat5e/6 cables will have thick enough copper wire to carry the power to the spec'ed 100M.
gpower07
Getting comfortable
tigerwillow1
Known around here
Did you notice that this is stranded wire, and the awg isn't stated. Most cat6 is 23 awg, but some is 24 awg. (The product text says stranded, and the one illustration says solid, so which is it?)
gpower07
Getting comfortable
Conductor Material Pure Copper
I don't see stranded wire at all. where u see it?
Mr_D
Getting comfortable
Right under "description", it says "CAT6 Bulk Cable | Stranded Ethernet Cable | 1000 Ft Pull Box | UTP"
But the picture of the box says solid.
Just about any of the top name brands like Belden, Honeywell, etc are excellent but somewhat high priced. I look for brands that use Reelex packaging, if they are spending the small extra amount to license and use that type of packaging then they are likely decent quality, but not always. The big advantage to Reelex is the flat out best and easiest payout of cable from the box.
I personally have been using ICE cables for several years now (tens of thousands of feet of it). More specifically I have been getting their Primal brand (they also have their ICE branded cable). I like how they print on the cable too - they have a list of basic room names that repeat on it which is handy. You can use a pen and circle the same on each end as you pull the cable or if a name does not match you can just circle a couple of letters of some name on each end which works just as well. There are a ton of good quality brands though. ICE, Primal, Ethereal, Black Box, etc that all pretty much are certified and guaranteed. I'd be hesitant of unbranded stuff or brands that you cannot even find their website to be sure of the specs. Not all are created equal for sure - some have different packaging like I mentioned which can make for easy pulling from the box, some have specific types of jacket coatings which are slicker and make pulling through tight areas easier, etc.
I personally have been using ICE cables for several years now (tens of thousands of feet of it). More specifically I have been getting their Primal brand (they also have their ICE branded cable). I like how they print on the cable too - they have a list of basic room names that repeat on it which is handy. You can use a pen and circle the same on each end as you pull the cable or if a name does not match you can just circle a couple of letters of some name on each end which works just as well. There are a ton of good quality brands though. ICE, Primal, Ethereal, Black Box, etc that all pretty much are certified and guaranteed. I'd be hesitant of unbranded stuff or brands that you cannot even find their website to be sure of the specs. Not all are created equal for sure - some have different packaging like I mentioned which can make for easy pulling from the box, some have specific types of jacket coatings which are slicker and make pulling through tight areas easier, etc.
gpower07
Getting comfortable
I check the box. and cut the wire. it not stranded.
063-512/ST/BL – Vertical Cable
161-102/BL – Vertical Cable
Last edited:
NoloC
Getting comfortable
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
- Messages
- 701
- Reaction score
- 454
Not to be a shit, but: What would be the difference you think you have never seen?
Have you done any empirical measurements? Do you have a $14K Fluke analyzer? That would be a pretty good indicator.
Otherwise it is conjecture, intuition, opinion. Or how do you say, Bull Shit
Prinler
Getting the hang of it
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2017
- Messages
- 153
- Reaction score
- 42
What a stupid comment.
You can tear down specs of each wire brand, type, size, color... but in the end.... What works and what doesn't work? ALL of them work! ALL OF THEM! So you can take the stick out your butt and stop throwing BS at the new guy who just wanted some basic info on the correct cable. Not the scientific molecular make up of the copper alloy or how many electrons it can handle at -37c in a sand storm on mars. Get off your high horse, most people who ask what cable do i use want a simple answer to put them as ease and to feel confidant with their new project. He specifically asked for advice and recommendations... IE OPINIONS!!!!
tigerwillow1
Known around here
So far that's been the case for me. Most of my runs are solid wire, with a few stranded. They all work error-free summer and winter. (They've been through dust storms, and down to -29c, but only on earth). As the end user, all I care about is value, that it works reliably, and isn't a safety hazard. If I'm the development engineer, I care about all of the nits to maximize the probability of the product working reliably for the end users.
NoloC
Getting comfortable
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
- Messages
- 701
- Reaction score
- 454
You seem quite emotional but have not answered my questions. Perhaps that is too hard for you, if not, take a shot at it. I'd love to hear an actual scientific answer from you.
You chose instead to engage in ad hominem attacks against me. " I am stupid" "I have a stick in my butt" "I throw BS" etc.
This may not be "Rocket Science" as your clever follow up response stated, but my challenged friend, it is science. And not just your emotional statement that "ALL OF THEM WORK".
That's not supportable. I make decisions based on science and my experience. Numerous other folks here do as well and I for one enjoy knowing the minute details of how it works.
You may not and think that any old cable is fine. My experience in data centers would disagree. Sure you may never "see" the problem with an inferior cable in a home install that requires very low throughput today, but what about tomorrow? Good cable is not that much more expensive. And since it is logical to assume bandwidth requirements will increase over time, why not actually look at specs and use the best you can afford today?
One of the things I admire about this forum is it calls out BS. And your anecdotal statement that "THEY ALL WORK" is BS. Unless you can prove otherwise.
ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. Don't go on another emotional rant.