Cheap 100 ft cable from Amazon and PoE camera

[Mike Chambers]

Hello. I may have made a mistake here. I am installing a couple of new Amcrest PoE cameras around the house. Without really thinking about it, I ordered two 100 ft Cat5e cables from Amazon for $8 each.

A couple days later, I looked at some of the reviews again and noticed that one said it's 26 AWG. I didn't even think about the AWG prior to ordering. Then I realized that might be an issue with PoE.

Should I be concerned about this? I don't want to risk the cable overheating and/or get too low of a voltage at the camera. Would I be wise to just run out to Microcenter and just pay a little more for some decent 24 AWG cable, and keep these cheap ones around for data-only applications?

 

[mat200]

Hello. I may have made a mistake here. I am installing a couple of new Amcrest PoE cameras around the house. Without really thinking about it, I ordered two 100 ft Cat5e cables from Amazon for $8 each.

A couple days later, I looked at some of the reviews again and noticed that one said it's 26 AWG. I didn't even think about the AWG prior to ordering. Then I realized that might be an issue with PoE.

Should I be concerned about this? I don't want to risk the cable overheating and/or get too low of a voltage at the camera. Would I be wise to just run out to Microcenter and just pay a little more for some decent 24 AWG cable, and keep these cheap ones around for data-only applications?

Welcome @Mike Chambers

I would return it and get a good quality cat5e/6 cable w/solid copper wire and AWG 23 or 24 rated appropriately for your installation.

While the cable may work, just installing the cable takes significant time - so why try to save a couple of $ on a cheaper cable when your time is worth much more?

 

[SouthernYankee]

Welcome to the forum.

Please read the cliff notes and other items in the wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.

Quick start
1) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (https://store.ipcamtalk.com/) if you need good low light cameras.
2) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
3) Do not use wifi cameras.
4) Do not use cloud storage
5) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
6) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
7) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
8) Do not use reolink or nest cameras (they are junk)
9) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)

Read,study,plan before spending money ..... plan plan plan

 

[TonyR]

+1 to what @mat200 said re: returning them

A friend bought an Amcrest system with NVR and 4 Amcrest POE bullet cams, all re-branded Dahua, all OK EXCEPT for the cables....I could hold in my hand and tell by the weight they had to be CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). Just way too light for a 100 ft. CAT-5e cable, possibly also due to the thinner 26 AWG. Either way it's NOT GOOD for POE.....threw them in the garbage and pulled in about 250 ft. total of Monoprice CAT-5e solid copper with CMR jacket.

 

[Mike Chambers]

Thanks for the input, everyone. That's pretty much what I was thinking. I won't toss or return these, though. They'll be fine for data-only stuff. I'm sure they'll come in handy one day.

 

[TonyR]

Thanks for the input, everyone. That's pretty much what I was thinking. I won't toss or return these, though. They'll be fine for data-only stuff. I'm sure they'll come in handy one day.

Oh, they'd do in a pinch to get something "up" long enough to obtain a quality replacement.