Can you run Cat5 on a roof of a commercial building 300ft long?

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IpCamQuestions

n3wb
Aug 24, 2015
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I am trying to figure out the easiest way to install my own poe security system on my building. The building is about 300ft long.

I thought the easiest way would be to run the cat 5 cable on the roof and drop the cable down to each of the 12 camera locations.

All the cat 5 cables I am finding are rated outdoor/burial. Can it not be run above ground?

Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks!
 
Those distances should work. I have heard of it working twice as far. You will want to be using cat5e or cat6 cable and make sure it is UV protected if it will be exposed to sunlight. Also be aware that if you bend a network cable too sharply you can easily damage the thin wires inside, so use conduit with a good sized bend radius, or some other means of preventing sharp bends.

Any network cable can be run above ground. Outdoor rated is good of course if using it outdoors. Direct burial rating is not necessary. You may need other special ratings to satisfy local regulations and I can't help you with that. If it was me I would just use Ubiquiti Toughcable and run it wherever I wanted.
 
Make sure that the cable is copper and not copper clad aluminium (CCA)...there is a bunch of cheap direct burial cable that is CCA which is junk.
 
Ok, two things. If you want reliable data from these cameras DO NOT extend beyond 300 feet without putting a switch in the middle to refresh the signal an keep the power reliable. Second, make sure you buy outdoor rated cable for this, and if you have the ability to install PVC or rigid conduit I would strongly recommend it. It protects the cable from damage and will ensure a nice long life for each cable. If you do choose to use outdoor cable with no conduit make sure it is gel filled. The only time you would not use gel filled is if you have long vertical runs because the gel will settle to the bottom of the cable and make a huge mess.
 
I have some 445' cat-5 runs in my warehouse, I was not getting reliable service... dropped a $16 switch in the middle and all is good again! :)
 
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