Where to buy bulk cable?
- Thread starter jomifo
- Start date
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
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I tend to buy preassembled cables, and almost always from Amazon from various vendors depending on the cable length/shielded construction I want.
For long cable runs and stuff that will be exposed to sunlight, I use Ubiquiti TOUGHCable Carrier (and toughcable RJ45 connectors) which I will buy from whoever sells it cheapest. Cutting in from the outside, you find the black UV resistant outer jacket, then a layer of wire mesh, then an uninsulated ground wire, a layer of some kind of metal foil, then a layer of plastic (probably cellophane), then finally the standard cat5e pairs and a crosstalk divider. All those extra layers are easily cut away, and are not much of a nuisance. The twisted pair wires are just the right stiffness to be easy to untwist yet strong enough to enter the RJ45 connector without bending out of shape. Plus with Toughcable cable and clips, you get a working electrical ground connection on each cable which is nice for devices that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge. Ubiquiti radios are one such device... Stardot cameras, I have found, are another.
I'm pretty sure with Monoprice and other inexpensive bulk cable you just have the outer jacket (not UV resistant, but perhaps in-wall rated) and standard twisted pair loose inside. I find it hard to strip the jacket off this kind of cable without damaging the insulation on the twisted pairs inside, whereas that is absolutely not a problem with ToughCable due to all the layers.
For long cable runs and stuff that will be exposed to sunlight, I use Ubiquiti TOUGHCable Carrier (and toughcable RJ45 connectors) which I will buy from whoever sells it cheapest. Cutting in from the outside, you find the black UV resistant outer jacket, then a layer of wire mesh, then an uninsulated ground wire, a layer of some kind of metal foil, then a layer of plastic (probably cellophane), then finally the standard cat5e pairs and a crosstalk divider. All those extra layers are easily cut away, and are not much of a nuisance. The twisted pair wires are just the right stiffness to be easy to untwist yet strong enough to enter the RJ45 connector without bending out of shape. Plus with Toughcable cable and clips, you get a working electrical ground connection on each cable which is nice for devices that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge. Ubiquiti radios are one such device... Stardot cameras, I have found, are another.
I'm pretty sure with Monoprice and other inexpensive bulk cable you just have the outer jacket (not UV resistant, but perhaps in-wall rated) and standard twisted pair loose inside. I find it hard to strip the jacket off this kind of cable without damaging the insulation on the twisted pairs inside, whereas that is absolutely not a problem with ToughCable due to all the layers.
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,891
- 21,407
Be sure to confirm that any cable you get is copper and not copper clad aluminium (CCA).
Monoprice.com is where I buy all my cables. For anything over 14ft. I make a custom cable from a 1000ft spool. A couple of connectors and crimpers is all you need. I keep 3ft, 7ft, and 14ft patch cables at the ready for anything smaller.
zero-degrees
Known around here
- Aug 15, 2015
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I've always had great success with Monoprice cable - used numerous boxes of both 5e and 6.
http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8092
Yes, thanks for that, but I guess I was looking at TC since part of this run will be outdoors where it will be exposed to a lot of sunlight. Not sure that the MP stuff is heavy-duty enough. I want Cat-6 since I want this to hold up for the next couple of decades...!
IMHO the biggest problem with people jumping on the cat6 bandwagon is according to fluke (which i trust more than the makers of these cables) 80% doesn't meet cat6 standards http://www.flukenetworks.com/knowledge-base?nid=132399&tid=257
bguy
Getting the hang of it
Exactly, anyone can print Cat5e, Cat6 or UL on a cable. It doesn't make it true. Here's another site that quotes the Fluke article, and also ran their own tests on cables, and had the same 80% failure. https://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/is-your-cat6-a-dog.htm
Most of the time quality Cat5e is good enough for me. I also use a Fluke LAN meter to verify my cables.
Have you used their direct burial.cable? Bought two boxes that I'm going to install tomorrow, doesn't look too bad
Wow, that article is truly alarming if accurate! I was hoping to (relatively) "future-proof" my upcoming installation by using CAT-6, but now I'm wondering whether just using a quality CAT5 (e.g. Toughcable) would prove just as capable given the lack of conformity. Geez....
bguy
Getting the hang of it
"Future-proofing" is generally intended when the cable is installed in walls and can't easily be replaced. While the Toughcable is suitable for outdoor use, I can't find any rating for inside use (such as riser rating). So you may want to limit it's use to outdoor runs. I don't know how good the cable is for data, as this is the only cable they make.
One of the reasons for Cat 6 is for the 23 gauge wire, which is more for PoE than for the Ethernet. So you can still run regular 23 gauge Cat6 inside. Belden has plenty of good products.
One of the reasons for Cat 6 is for the 23 gauge wire, which is more for PoE than for the Ethernet. So you can still run regular 23 gauge Cat6 inside. Belden has plenty of good products.
gpower07
Getting comfortable
depsurplus.com have to pay shipping and tax. I like to buy from cablesandkits.com free shipping and no tax.
I like infinity-cable. Their quality is very good.. they only sell bare copper cables, not the Copper clad aluminum junk and the prices are also good. I used to order on Amazon, but its much cheaper to buy directly for their website www.infinity-cable-products.com
CamFan
Getting the hang of it
Ok, looked at them all. Nobody beats Monoprice on price. Specifically, looking at CAT6 STP Direct Burial.