Cat 6A cable

[bluedog225]

From the other thread on things to do when building a house, I’m wanting to put cat6A cable in my walls before I seal them up. Security cameras, TV, internet, monitoring for my solar install, etc.

For talking purposes, I’ve got about 10 runs of 30’. Though some will be longer/shorter in real life.

Three questions:

1. What are the specs on the cat 6A? Shielded? Any other specs?

2. Do I order premade lengths or make my own? I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole if it’s a pain.

3. What’s a good source?

Many thanks

 

[jeep63]

I have always made my own ethernet cables. I buy cable and ends in bulk. I like the flexibility to do my own runs and terminate them where I want.

When we moved into this house I purchased these since all my old stuff was 5...

Cat6 - fast cat
pass-thru connectors
pass-thru crimper

I've made out already with the 6 long runs I've put in vs. buying pre-made; if I could even have found premade in the lengths I needed. Our house is very long.

 

[beemerphile]

Bulk cable. Forget shielded. Terminating keystone jacks is easier than RJ45's but neither is bad with a little practice. You can use purchased patch cables between the keystones and the devices.

J2R

 

[bluedog225]

Good to know making them is not a royal pain. And thanks for the sources.

Cat6 or cat 6A? Somebody said 6A was well worth the extra.

The specs look better but I don’t know diddly about cable or power over ethernet.

 

[cgrutt]

For 30ft runs and Home networking/cameras I'd use CAT6 which is more cost effective, easier to run and will do everything 6A will do at those distances. Buy in bulk, a pass through crimper and pass through connectors pretty simple once you do a few.

 

[ycgoat]

You might consider a cable tester too

 

[mikedodge]

Id tend to stick with cat6. We still have cat5 in our house since wifi has taken over a lot of it.
Definitely get a tester.

 

[TJMtl]

I went with 6a and terminated in Panduit connectors and used some of these wallplates.

 

[moab11]

Depends on how future proof you are wanting to be.
Right now Cat6 is the standard for most installs, but 6A is quickly starting to take over for higher POE devices so would be more future proof.

The best would be flexible conduit to each location, so you can restring easily down the road, but is also the most expensive and labor intensive right now.

 

[bluedog225]

The plan is to do this once and die before it needs upgrading. 20 years or so should be good.

 

[ybnormal]

if your walls are still open, I'd run 2-3" pvc pipe for conduit for running the cable, just in case you ever have to troubleshoot or replace cable. it's been known to happen. make your future trblshooting life easier

 

[cgrutt]

I'd also pick up a jacket stripper and pair of flush cutters. Crimper may handle this but much easier and faster with dedicated tools.

No preference on brand these were the first that came up. I've used the Ideal jacket stripper before and it does a good job but my ethernet tools are all Klein.

 

[bluedog225]

if your walls are still open, I'd run 2-3" pvc pipe for conduit for running the cable, just in case you ever have to troubleshoot or replace cable. it's been known to happen. make your future trblshooting life easier

2-3”. Seems huge.

 

[cgrutt]

if your walls are still open, I'd run 2-3" pvc pipe for conduit for running the cable, just in case you ever have to troubleshoot or replace cable. it's been known to happen. make your future trblshooting life easier

If you run conduit suggest picking up a bucket of pull line and running that with the cables.

 

[MerlinsBeard]

I'm gearing up for cat6a install. Looking at going trueCABLE. Their recommendation is if you are within 8" in parallel AC, they recommend possibly going shielded, but there are several people on the forums push UTP unless you're in a heavy (as in really heavy) interference environment (motors).

I'm leaning against flexible conduit since I'm installing a generation ahead, but if you do you may want to performance test the links out before you close up the walls.

Looking at structured media enclosure and wall mounted rack for shed and basement respectively, and keystones and patch panels for the runs.

 

[cgrutt]

2-3”. Seems huge.

It is but easier to pull cables. You can use 3/4 or 1 in a house but really overkill, especially if you have open access dropping (or going up) walls. Pull line to the wall outlets would make future upgrades a breeze (don't staple wires to studs within walls). A bucket is like $50 and will last a lifetime.

 

[sh944]

I’m an RCDD… I know a bit on the subject.

The short version is that unless you have a specific need, Cat 6 will do everything you need for the foreseeable future. Down the road, there may be some POE applications that require it, but it’s not on the TIA roadmap just yet, in terms of practical use. TIA draft standards currently go up to Category 8 for support of 2000Mhz. Trust me, you don’t need it, 100Mhz in residential applications will do just fine.

Go with Cat 6, it’s cheaper and easier to work with.

 

[Smoker]

Not sure Ive ever used POE in a residence, CAT6 for 30' runs is fine. I ran 1" conduit in my basement cinema walls with a pull cord and it was more than enough. 3" is just overkill, its almost as big as a wall stud is wide.

 

[ybnormal]

2-3”. Seems huge.

until you run a physically separate network and then you're glad to have the big pipe to easily pull stuff thru

 

[ybnormal]

Not sure Ive ever used POE in a residence, CAT6 for 30' runs is fine. I ran 1" conduit in my basement cinema walls with a pull cord and it was more than enough. 3" is just overkill, its almost as big as a wall stud is wide.

iirc some outside residential cameras run on PoE

 

[bluedog225]

My biggest deciding factor would be if I could power a basic Costco type security camera system on Cat 6. I’ll need to research.

edit-it looks like some security cameras are run poe.

 

[sh944]

Installing conduit and boxes is a nice option if walls are open and budget isn’t a huge consideration, but you really don't want to run anything larger than 1” if you are running through wall studs and joists due to potential diminished strength issues plus the bigger the hole, the bigger the PITA to install. The NEC fill ration for a 3/4” conduit is 3 cat6a cables, I doubt you’d need more than three cables to any location in your house.

“Future proofing” is some of the biggest waste of money foisted by the technology companies on the marketplace that exists, and I routinely talk my clients out of it even though I could make huge extra $’s selling it to them (mostly Fortune 500 companies that I am dealing with them at the VP level and higher). Variety of reasons for this but generally speaking, if you don’t know what future technology you will be installing is already, you won’t get a good ROI out of doing so.

 

[sh944]

You can easily run POE cameras on Cat 5, especially at the short distance you’ll have in a residence. You just can’t find Cat 5 anymore as the manufacturers phased most of the production out in favor of Cat5e.

I’ll guarantee anything you want to run at your house will run fine on Cat6, as long as it’s not off-shore Chinese counterfeit ****. Stick to USA brand names like Panduit (their cable is actually made by General Cable), Belden, Superior-Essex, Berk-Tek or Mohawk, etc. Termination hardware isn’t quite as critical since you can generally get to it after it’s installed, but again, I strongly suggest staying with USA made brand names. There is a *lot* of substandard **** out there that you can buy from Amazon.

 

[ycgoat]

if your walls are still open, I'd run 2-3" pvc pipe for conduit for running the cable, just in case you ever have to troubleshoot or replace cable. it's been known to happen. make your future trblshooting life easier

A conduit that large is great for pulling cables nut not so good on the 3.5” structural members that have to be cut in half.

 

[jpaw]

I am currently researching cable for my new security system that uses poe cameras. While it is not necessary it seams to be highly recommend to use cat6a. For most other applications cat6 seems to be more than adequate.

 

[ycgoat]

I have many PoE HD cameras on 100’ to 200’ ft of CAT6 at work

 

[cgrutt]

My biggest deciding factor would be if I could power a basic Costco type security camera system on Cat 6. I’ll need to research.

edit-it looks like some security cameras are run poe.

No problem for PoE just need to make sure your switch (or injector) supplies it.

 

[bluedog225]

They look pretty similar. Curious why one is easier to work with?

 

[cgrutt]

They look pretty similar. Curious why one is easier to work with?

Cat6 is slightly thinner and more flexible so it's easier to pull. Functionally they're equivalent at the distances you are working with. You probably will never need 10GPS with home equipment. CAT 6 is fine.

 

[sh944]

Most Cat6 is 24AWG, Cat6A is 23AWG, and CAT6A almost always has a polymer wrap inside the sheath and usually has a pair separator it as well. You may be thinking that the difference between 23 and 24AWG is insignificant but you’d be wrong. Most of my crews that deal with terminating those cables on regular basis do Cat6 about twice as fast as Cat6A.

Cat6A cables also do not seat as well in an IDC (what you are punching it down into) so the products and tools are designed differently to accommodate that, but even so, due to the increased stiffness, Cat6A cables are more prone to unseating or having a wire pop out of its termination if you aren’t careful how you handle it.

 

[MushCreek]

Not to hijack this thread, but what is the best cable to run through underground conduit? I want to pull a cable out to my barn, about 150'. Doesn't need to be super-fancy; just like to add wifi to the shop.

 

[Denwood]

My biggest deciding factor would be if I could power a basic Costco type security camera system on Cat 6. I’ll need to research.

edit-it looks like some security cameras are run poe.

Use Cat6A, use POE 4K cameras. You can get decent ones from HikVision, Amcrest etc. for $110 each. Everything I've done commercially in the last five years has been POE and 4K for reliability, simplicity in wiring, and enough resolution to actually be useful with law enforcement. The last larger install was using a LOREX NVR based system with about 30 x 4K POE cameras...zero issues. I don't use an NVR at home...just 4K bullet and PTZ cameras that record video onboard and upload backup images to a web site via FTP.

On the conduit, the best thing I did in my theatre installation (ATMOS, 11 channel, hidden installation) was to wire everything conventionally, but also run 2" conduit that was empty to both ends of the theatre, from the equipment rack. This has saved me twice now with damaged HDMI cables to the projector and some LAN cable additions.

 

[cherokee]

When I built my house I ran COAX everywhere. That tells you everything you need to know.

Just do wireless.

 

[Denwood]

I would not go crazy with Cat6a, as you can always use small 5 or 8 port gigabit switches at your media centers. I do this for a living...we don't do anything wireless that is important, or where quality of service is important. At home, this would be your media areas (for 4K video streaming) and cameras, that you want to view/record simultaneously in 4K as well. Fire up "WIFI Sweetspots" on your iOS device. Then walk around a bit and observe actual data rates. That's why we don't use wireless to connect video conference devices etc...even today. For cameras, it's far cheaper to run CAT/POE, than worry about power at your eaves etc.

 

[sh944]

@Denwood if you aren’t using “fly connector hdmi cables“ you should look into them. It makes running video cables a lot easier.

I’ve been in the ICT industry for over 35 years and most of it dealing with Fortune 500 companies on an Enterprise level, I have over 1,000 tech running around the US doing various installations. we should hook up, I am always looking for additional resources throughout the US and I am doing more work in Canada these days with partners due to work visa issues.

 

[pcmeiners]

"I'm gearing up for cat6a install. Looking at going trueCABLE. Their recommendation is if you are within 8" in parallel AC, they recommend possibly going shielded, but there are several people on the forums push UTP unless you're in a heavy (as in really heavy) interference environment (motors)."

You do not need shielded n a residence. Some of my client were industrial, one ran 600amp welders within a couple feet of Cat 5, other ran radio transmitters within a few feet, never had data loss or machine freezes or necessary reboots, on servers or work stations though it did cause the screen to flicker.
As long as you adhere to cat termination practice you will not have issues. No sharp bend, adherence to maintaining the twist when terminating, avoid splices, avoid cable stretching/pulling out of shape, no knots, or kinks.

Biggest issue is not maintaining the twist which is responsible for canceling out interference. If this is not maintained, and straight wires are parallel to each other you end up with signal antennas , feeding every unfiltered electro magnetic signal into the system, causeing the network cards to shutdown the wire, cause data issues or slower connections.

Even 1/2" of straight untwisted wires in parallel have failed an rj45 termination on a CAT tester (not a wire tester). A wire tester only test for continuity, a CAT 5 tester tests interference, signals strength given off by wires in a pair/group (cross talk), continuity, mismatched pairs, length to breaks in wires, capacitance, resistance and other tests . If you carefully terminate, a wire tester is all you need for 99.9% of your wire terminations in a residence.
Have run a few thousand CAT cables, pass through connectors are so much better. You do not need experience, good eye sight, steady hands, you can be frustrated and tired and still produce good terminations with tighter twist maintenance...most of the time. From experience, once I get tired I produce more than normal failed terminations.

 

[bluedog225]

While you guys are here, I have an additional 100’ run underground in conduit from the power shack conex (solar stuff) to the sub panel in the cabin.

240 split phase AC. Can I run shielded out to the conex in the same conduit? No code out in the country.

 

[ycgoat]

3 areas of concern;
Code - Ignored in this case
Safety - The cable insulation should at least be rated for the 240vac or greater it could be exposed to.
Function - A lot will depend on if it is shielded, the current through the cable, and the type of conduit used.

I recommend you find another solution such as WIFI or wireless radio, I have seen a few people say they have or would feel comfortable running Fiber in the same conduit. I would not.

 

[sh944]

I wouldn’t, but if you do, use shielded cable. I’d also strongly consider using lightning protection on it.

 

[bluedog225]

I tend conservative. I’ll keep the conduit dedicated to the 240 and figure something else out for the cat cable. Thanks

Interesting, google tells me that there is direct bury cat 6 cable. Maybe I can share a trench with some separation and avoid some of the safety issues. Edit-other than lightning..