Is the bulk cat5e cable suitable for my networking needs? What are its specifications? How much does it cost? What are its types? What is the difference between the 1000ft Cat5e Plenum and riser cable? Etc, etc.
These are the questions that all IT networking engineers receive on a daily basis. So we have decided to answer all of them in this ultimate guide to the bulk Cat5e Cable.
What is Cat5e Cable 1000ft?
It is a category 5 ethernet cable with enhanced performance features. Cat5e is a cable, meaning, it comes in a 1000ft long and is used for wiring up LAN networks in commercial and residential buildings.
The cable has a data transfer rate of 100 MBit/s over a length of 100 meters and provides a bandwidth capacity of 350 MHz. This data transfer speed can be further increased by over 50 meters. It comes in two different types of conductors and three different jackets. Each type of jacket is designed for a specific purpose. The conductor types are pure copper (also known as bare copper) and copper-clad aluminum (CCA). The CCA conductor is more affordable but not as good as the bare copper.
The Cat5e cable can be used for ethernet applications that require high performance such as fast ethernet, gigabit ethernet, and PoE. Moreover, it is also an ideal cable for applications such as audio/video streaming, online gaming, IP security cameras, and smart TVs.
Cat5e Shielded vs Unshielded
Cat5e cable 1000ft comes in both shielded and unshielded types. The shielded cable (UTP) has a thin aluminum foil integrated into the conductor pairs. This foil works as a shield against electromagnetic interference, crosstalk, external noise, and other interferences – hence, the name ‘shielded’.
The unshielded Cat5e cable bulk does not have this added protection against EMI and other interferences. It only depends on the twists in the conductor pairs for protection against interference. The UTP cable costs less than its shielded counterpart for obvious reasons – better performance and efficient signal transmission.
Cat5e Cable 1000ft: Plenum vs Riser
Plenum and Riser are the most popular cable jackets of the bulk Cat5e. The plenum cable jacket is designed for indoor open spaces where air can circulate freely such as the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) ducts above dropped ceilings and below raised floors. Cat5e Plenum 1000ft is also used outdoors because of its high-quality build.
The Cat5e Riser 1000ft cable is used in indoor rising spaces such as inside walls, elevator shafts, and between floors. For instance, if you need to install an RJ45 keystone connector anywhere in a wall, you will need to run this bulk Cat5e riser cable. It does not burn but if it does, it can emit toxic smoke, which is why it must be installed in contained spaces when run indoors.
The main difference between the riser-rated and plenum-rated Cat5e cables is their use. Riser cable is used in indoor vertically rising spaces that are enclosed and contained whereas the plenum cable is used in indoor open spaces where air can circulate freely.
Types of Cat5e 1000ft Cable:
The following are the different types of the 1000ft Cat5e cable characterized by their main features. One cable can have more than one of its main features. For instance, the UTP Cat5e can also have a bare copper cable with a riser jacket. You will need to choose the cable depending on your requirements.
- UTP Cat5e Cable
- STP Cat5e Cable
- Cat5e Bare Copper Cable
- Cat5e CCA Cable
- Cat5e Plenum Cable
- Cat5e Riser Cable
- Cat5e PVC
Is Cat5e Cable 1000ft suitable for my LAN?
It depends on the sort of LAN network you have. If you need the Cat5e cable for a domestic network, it is perfectly suitable. But if you need it for a corporate data center, it will possibly underdeliver.
Generally, it is suitable for use in commercial and residential settings such as schools, offices, apartments, etc.
What is Cat5e Patch Cable?
Cat5e Patch cable is different than the bulk Cat5e cable in the sense that is shorter in length and comes in a variety of lengths from 6 inches to 15 and 20 feet. This patch cable is used to connect devices together in a LAN but it is not a part structurally wired network.
For instance, if you need to connect your computer with an ethernet router, you will connect one end of a patch cable to the computer and the other end to a keystone jack that is mostly installed in wall plates and faceplates.
Bottom Line
In short, the bulk Cat5e cable comes with two different shielded or unshielded conductors, and three jackets, and it can be used for high-speed ethernet applications in commercial and residential buildings. what Cat5e cable and its types such as the 1000ft Cat5e riser and plenum cable.
