Newbie question about cable run through attic in Indiana
- Thread starter SoCalIP
- Start date
cat5e should be sufficient, just make sure it's solid copper and not the fake stuff. cat6 will work too but is thicker so harder to work with.
I use cat5e in attic and have no issues.
I also have cat5e going outside. So when I buy a 1000' roll, I just buy the outdoor rated one to use for both environments.
P.S. If security cameras becomes an addictive hobby, better to buy a roll rather than just a 100 foot cable because you'll probably end up running more lines than you initially planned.
I use cat5e in attic and have no issues.
I also have cat5e going outside. So when I buy a 1000' roll, I just buy the outdoor rated one to use for both environments.
P.S. If security cameras becomes an addictive hobby, better to buy a roll rather than just a 100 foot cable because you'll probably end up running more lines than you initially planned.
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Starglow
Getting comfortable
Cat5e will work but it's old school and you're better off using Cat6 if you haven't bought the cable yet.
Is Cat6 really better than Cat5e?
Compared to Cat5/5e cables, Cat6 cables have stricter performance specifications and significantly higher data transfer speeds at greater distances. They are more tightly wound than Cat5 cables, and the cable conductors and cable sheath are thicker as well.
Is Cat6 really better than Cat5e?
Compared to Cat5/5e cables, Cat6 cables have stricter performance specifications and significantly higher data transfer speeds at greater distances. They are more tightly wound than Cat5 cables, and the cable conductors and cable sheath are thicker as well.
I am just north of Indianapolis and have ran a mix of these two. I started with the Monoprice cable, but it was out of stock when I needed more. My last couple orders have been the Truecable cable.
www.truecable.com
Cat5e Riser Ethernet Cable｜Unshielded
Unshielded Cat5e riser cable is available at trueCABLE in bulk quantities. For great performance day in and day out, buy your supplies from trueCABLE.
www.truecable.com
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Thanks! That's very helpful.I am just north of Indianapolis and have ran a mix of these two. I started with the Monoprice cable, but it was out of stock when I needed more. My last couple orders have been the Truecable cable.
Cat5e Riser Ethernet Cable｜Unshielded
Unshielded Cat5e riser cable is available at trueCABLE in bulk quantities. For great performance day in and day out, buy your supplies from trueCABLE.
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.
AP514
Pulling my weight
I totally agree 5e is more than enough for IPCAMS.................
Flintstone61
Known around here
If you have a cable fail inexplicably, ( like me- Varmint Cong maybe) You'be glad you have extra. You can get the direct burial in 500 ft lengths if you think 1000 ft. is over kill.
I have a 1000 ft roll, of Direct burial Cat5e and Ive used it at the Condo along side FASTCAT on triple pulls up 3 stories Behind the ye olde Galvanized Garbage Chute that runs from the roof to the Basement....
Stuff is still going strong.....
I have a 1000 ft roll, of Direct burial Cat5e and Ive used it at the Condo along side FASTCAT on triple pulls up 3 stories Behind the ye olde Galvanized Garbage Chute that runs from the roof to the Basement....
Stuff is still going strong.....
IAmATeaf
Known around here
For all of my cams I ran cat5e external rated cable, even for internal runs. Really didn’t see the point of running cat6 at all given that the cams only run at 100mbs.
In fact you can call me old school, my entire house is cabled in cat5e as when this was done cat6 either wasn’t around, wasn’t popular or maybe just too expensive, can’t remember
In fact you can call me old school, my entire house is cabled in cat5e as when this was done cat6 either wasn’t around, wasn’t popular or maybe just too expensive, can’t remember
Starglow
Getting comfortable
I call it future proofing your network infrastructure and to me running Cat6 is just a no brainer because it's a much better quality cable than Cat5e. I work in commercial A/V and we don't use Cat5e for anything, so everything I run is either Cat6 and up or fiber optic.For all of my cams I ran cat5e external rated cable, even for internal runs. Really didn’t see the point of running cat6 at all given that the cams only run at 100mbs.
In fact you can call me old school, my entire house is cabled in cat5e as when this was done cat6 either wasn’t around, wasn’t popular or maybe just too expensive, can’t remember
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The Automation Guy
Known around here
I agree with pretty much all the advice so far.....
- outdoor rated is not needed for attic. The primary benefit to outdoor rated is better UV protection which isn't a factor in the attic.
- cat5e is fine for CCTV use, but running cat6 or better isn't wrong either. I would absolutely run cat6 or better if any of these conditions apply: 1) you are pulling cable to a location where it might end up bring used for a different network device/purpose in the future 2) you will have limited access to run more wire in the future (then you should run the best wire you can) 3) the cost between cat5e and cat6 wire isn't that big.
Exactly.
Here we have a newbie asking the question. And others will someday see this thread. I liken this to the questions around getting a PC for BI. Most folks say get a used business machine on ebay. But many have built a high-end, high-cost machine for this use. Neither are wrong. Sure the cost of Cat6 is not that much more than Cat5e. But we have folks here that fret about a $20 difference in cams or whine about $36 yearly BI maintenance cost. So some folks may really need to be frugal in their systems.
@samplenhold To your point, why recommend cat6 when cat7 is also available and even better? I think there is always something better...
If we return to the original question, will cat5e work? yes. Will cat6 work? yes
If we return to the original question, will cat5e work? yes. Will cat6 work? yes
Starglow
Getting comfortable
Running cheaper and less capable LAN cable is not where you want to be frugal because it is the backbone of the entire system. If you want to have lower bandwidth capacity and higher risks for crosstalk interference to save a few bucks then run Cat5e. If you want higher bandwidth capacity with less risk of crosstalk interference and don't like the idea of having to replace all of your now inadequate Cat5e cables when technology advances beyond Cat5e 100MHz bandwidth limitations then run Cat6 and rest easy.
mat200
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TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
If you want to future-proof your cable plant, then skip Cat6 and go straight to Cat6a. As the table above shows, both Cat5e and Cat6 will certify to carry 1000BaseT when properly installed and terminated. In fact regular ol', unshielded Cat5 will carry 1000BaseT up to 100m. None of these 3 is rated to run 10GBaseT.
Cat 6a and above are rated to run 10GBaseT.
But the typical IP Cam runs <<<<<< 10 MBit/sec, so unless this run is the backhaul for a switch that's running many cameras, it won't matter anyway.