Running Wires for Security Cameras

[JayDL]

I use dedicated cameras for license plate capture:

View media item 101535
A second camera in the same location shows the wide-angle scene:

View media item 101536
Distance to the truck is about 100'. Note that the plate picture is heavily cropped to get the image size small enough to be uploaded to GJ. The FOV on the original image is the entire width of the opposing street.

LP camera is a Dahua IPC-HFW5231E-Z12E 2MP bullet camera running 1080P at 8192 Kb/s constant bit rate. A little over $200 shipped. The lower MP cameras generally have better light gathering properties, which means I can capture very clear pictures of license plates at night with IR illumination (although I don't have any examples that I can share publicly).

Everything is hard wired with cat5e and PoE on an isolated network. Aggregate bit rate for all 7 camera on the property is 35 Mb/s, which is well below the limit of cat5e.

 

[jseymour]

What difference does it make if you use A or B as long as you use the same everywhere?

It doesn't even have to be the same everywhere. It just has to be the same at each end of each cable. I recommend "B" because that is what's more commonly used/seen.

 

[Innovate1]

Exactly. I got started doing A and don't see any reason to switch. Not sure why I started that way as it's been a long time.

 

[ddawg16]

I use dedicated cameras for license plate capture:

View media item 101535
A second camera in the same location shows the wide-angle scene:

View media item 101536
Distance to the truck is about 100'. Note that the plate picture is heavily cropped to get the image size small enough to be uploaded to GJ. The FOV on the original image is the entire width of the opposing street.

LP camera is a Dahua IPC-HFW5231E-Z12E 2MP bullet camera running 1080P at 8192 Kb/s constant bit rate. A little over $200 shipped. The lower MP cameras generally have better light gathering properties, which means I can capture very clear pictures of license plates at night with IR illumination (although I don't have any examples that I can share publicly).

Everything is hard wired with cat5e and PoE on an isolated network. Aggregate bit rate for all 7 camera on the property is 35 Mb/s, which is well below the limit of cat5e.

Nice images...

BTW....with POE and Cat5e....this issue is not really data rate...but rather voltage drop. Cat6 is a heavier gauge wire which allows a longer POE run without significant voltage drop.
Cat5e is 24-26 gauge wire
Cat6 is 22-24 gauge....

But for short runs....5e is fine

 

[Innovate1]

What is considered "short"? I have some cat5 cable but will likely need more so can use cat6 for cameras but still wondering what the limit is (with some margin - don't want to be right at the limit).

 

[A**holes Garage]

What is considered "short"? I have some cat5 cable but will likely need more so can use cat6 for cameras but still wondering what the limit is (with some margin - don't want to be right at the limit).

300' max for Cat5
extenders are available beyond that

 

[Innovate1]

300' max for Cat5
extenders are available beyond that

Not going to be anywhere close to that. About 60' max. I can't see any way I go over 100'.

 

[jseymour]

300' max for Cat5

328 ft., actually. 100 meters. Half that for GigE, unless you have augmented Cat6 cable.

His question applied not so much to the maximum length allowed to meet data-carrying spec, but as it impacts PoE use.

Can't answer it with certainty. Depends upon the PoE supply and the load. I ran PoE access points at work out to... 150 feet or so on cat5 cable. Something like that. (Place was wired pre-Cat5e.) I'm running cameras at home out to only 50-60 feet on Cat6 stranded.

 

[ddawg16]

I would consider runs less than 100' "Short"

Data wise, Cat5e is more than enough bandwidth. Especially since no other data is going down that cable....it's not like it's having to carry data streams from several devices....

But it is worth noting Cat6 has better noise immunity. But in a typical house where you are running the cables through the attic...that part is not an issue.

Here is a nice primer on it......

https://www.electronics-notes.com/a...ieee-802-3/cables-types-pinout-cat-5-5e-6.php

When buying cable....pay attention to the type...it's either 'Riser' or 'Plenum'.

Plenum has a special jacket that gives off a lot less smoke in a fire and is typically required in commercial buildings when ran inside a plenum. Riser cable is intended for going between floors and in walls. It's considerably cheaper and is what most of us us.