Cabling: cat 5e or 6

K

kasi

n3wb
Sep 2, 2019
3
0
Canada
Hi,

I'm going to install some cabling a coming weekend for the new cameras. It's a complete new install. I have plenty of CAT 5e cable and could use that. Or I could spend money to get CAT 6 cable.

The install will partially run 10m up on the outside wall in a conduit and 40m behind aluminum soffit. The total length will be at most 70m. I also want to run PoE.

I would prefer to use the CAT 5e cable unless people strongly recommend to go with CAT 6.

Any comments?
 
CAT-6 can be had in a thicker 23 AWG which would only be desirable, IMO, for higher current POE devices over 200 feet, otherwise the CAT-5e should be fine for standard draw devices at less than 200 feet. That's just my suggestion.

I think an issue of greater concern would be the cable rating/jacket type: if the conduit that a run is in is all above ground and has no exposure to UV, then a CMR jacket should be OK. If any of the run is underground or exposed to sunlight and/or rain, then I'd go with a jacket rated for direct-burial and UV/ozone resistant.
 
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What TonyR said.

I ran Cat6 stranded to all my cameras because some of the physical routing was torturous and I already had a bag-full of Cat6 terminations for stranded cable. They're essentially very long patch cables :). But Cat5E is more than plenty for IP cameras.
 
kasi said:
Hi,

I'm going to install some cabling a coming weekend for the new cameras. It's a complete new install. I have plenty of CAT 5e cable and could use that. Or I could spend money to get CAT 6 cable.
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Just in case, for normal runs (not indoor, short patch cables):
  • Insure any CAT cable is solid (not stranded) and is pure copper (not CCA /Copper Clad Aluminum).
  • Also insure your RJ-45's are for solid (not stranded only) conductors or for combo conductors (for both solid and stranded).
 
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Walrus said:
Less attenuation/better performance over long distances.
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The key word there being "long." For average runs (I doubt my longest run is more than perhaps 150 ft.) it doesn't matter. And, again: For challenging physical routing, stranded cable will be more immune to damage/disruption.
 
Dramus said:
For challenging physical routing, stranded cable will be more immune to damage/disruption.
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And less likely to have a jacket rated to be pulled into walls, ceilings and crawl spaces, thereby increasing the chances of spreading flames and/or toxic smoke and gases between floors.
 
TonyR said:
And less likely to have a jacket rated to be pulled into walls, ceilings and crawl spaces, thereby increasing the chances of spreading flames and/or toxic smoke and gases between floors.
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*sigh*
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The cable I used is rated CM, which is more than sufficient. NEC residential low voltage cable standards aren't particularly demanding. Doesn't even have to be riser, much less plenum rated. I used to do this kind of thing for a living, Tony.
 
Cat 6 Solid Monoprice, you can get it on sale during the Black Friday weekend via Amazon
 
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