# Types of Cat 5



## rgsgww

Cat 5 non shielded does not have as good emi and rfi rejection as shielded does. In your situation, I doubt you have a lot of emi and rfi. Plenum is a special jacket designed to emit little toxic gas when ignited and to not ignite as fast, it is used in plenums, and air handling spaces, not burial. It may be required by your local codes, so please check.

You don't need to run conduit if you don't want to.

Yes, there is direct burial cat 5e, just look it up.

Yes, you can install a router at that location.

Yes.

No, see below.

Splicing and patching, splicing is there you, ex. split one run into two, you cannot do that with ethernet. Pactching is where you extend a line, or fix a broken piece. You can patch it.

There is a limit of about 300ft with ethernet.


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## brokenknee

Thank you, that is very informative. I will look up direct buriel cable, although I may just run it in conduit just in case I would have a problem down the road.


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## rgsgww

brokenknee said:


> Thank you, that is very informative. I will look up direct buriel cable, although I may just run it in conduit just in case I would have a problem down the road.



Your in MN, so conduit is a good idea. Ground rodents may be an issue with chewing.


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## brokenknee

rgsgww said:


> Your in MN, so conduit is a good idea. Ground rodents may be an issue with chewing.


 
Yes indeed, one got my propane line last fall, fortunately I was almost ready for a refill anyway. I had them replace with copper which I thought they were going to run in the first place instead of that stupid plastic.

I was doing a little more research on the direct burial cat 5e. In an old forum (2002?) on another board it was suggested that you use direct burial even inside conduit. The claim was the moisture in the lines could effect the regular cable? 

I also seen there is two different types of direct burial, foil wrapped and gel filled. Is one preferred over the other? It did not seam there was much if any cost difference between the two.

Also is 24AWG the standard size of the cat 5e? I was scanning pretty fast but thought I saw some at 18AWG, when I tried to go back to verify I couldn't find it.

Just to clarify, I can run one cable, connect a router, then run two separate computers off that (either wired or wireless)? The cable to the shed would run back to the router in the house.


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## Wildie

I would run ABS water line out there and then pull one run of ordinary cat5. in it! Then use a router, which will function as a repeater. You may have to vaccuum a string into the water line, to get it fished!


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## brokenknee

I was aware of the vacuum trick. My brother in law is a journeyman electrician and he ran the power to my shed using that method. First the string then the rope to pull the wire. It worked pretty well. He does not however know anything about networking or computers.

You don't think moisture will be a problem with the regular cat5?


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## rgsgww

brokenknee said:


> I was aware of the vacuum trick. My brother in law is a journeyman electrician and he ran the power to my shed using that method. First the string then the rope to pull the wire. It worked pretty well. He does not however know anything about networking or computers.
> 
> You don't think moisture will be a problem with the regular cat5?


I'm pretty sure normal cat 5 would be ok.

Two routers are ok.


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## Wildie

brokenknee said:


> I was aware of the vacuum trick. My brother in law is a journeyman electrician and he ran the power to my shed using that method. First the string then the rope to pull the wire. It worked pretty well. He does not however know anything about networking or computers.
> 
> You don't think moisture will be a problem with the regular cat5?


 If its run in ABS and both ends are dry, it should good against moisture and critters! I've run cat5 all over manufacturing plants and none of the runs were ever as short as 200 feet! And if in the off-chance it does happen to go bad, just yank it out and pull in a new one. Paying top price for direct burial is a waste of time and money!


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## brokenknee

Thanks for the replies. I will use regular cat 5 in conduit then. It will be spring before I attempt to do this. The ground is a little hard right now. Current temp 16 below. It has already been a pretty hard winter, above average snow fall, below average temps.

Oops, just thought of one more question. Should I use stranded or solid wire?


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## 7echo

Some good information here...

http://www.swhowto.com/


Think about pulling a cable or 2 more than you think you will need, or at least leave a string in the conduit. You can use the cat5 for phone as well.


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## rgsgww

brokenknee said:


> Thanks for the replies. I will use regular cat 5 in conduit then. It will be spring before I attempt to do this. The ground is a little hard right now. Current temp 16 below. It has already been a pretty hard winter, above average snow fall, below average temps.
> 
> Oops, just thought of one more question. Should I use stranded or solid wire?




Solid, less susceptible to moisture contamination, has better performance for the distance, stays put in jacks.


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## Rasputin

7echo said:


> Some good information here...
> 
> http://www.swhowto.com/
> 
> 
> Think about pulling a cable or 2 more than you think you will need, or at least leave a string in the conduit. You can use the cat5 for phone as well.


As we say at work, "pulling 4 instead of 1 is only materials, not labor." I always recommend more than 1 cable pulled.


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## brokenknee

7echo said:


> Some good information here...
> 
> http://www.swhowto.com/
> 
> 
> Think about pulling a cable or 2 more than you think you will need, or at least leave a string in the conduit. You can use the cat5 for phone as well.


I really can't think I would add down the line, then again twenty years ago I would have never thought I would be sitting in my chair staring at a computer. 

I will have to price out the wire before I make a finial decision.


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## brokenknee

Rasputin said:


> As we say at work, "pulling 4 instead of 1 is only materials, not labor." I always recommend more than 1 cable pulled.


In my case the labor is free, it is the material that cost.

Hey Rasputin, you a history buff or just want to be associated with someone that was more than a little weird?


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## rgsgww

If you do run phone, to save money I would just run a 4 wire flat 18 awg solid phone cable there. If its just telephone, no need for twisted pair.


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## brokenknee

rgsgww said:


> If you do run phone, to save money I would just run a 4 wire flat 18 awg solid phone cable there. If its just telephone, no need for twisted pair.


 
I had the phone company run the line when they did my house. So I already have a phone out there. The wife loves it, she will call me from her cell phone to bother me when ever I seem to be really busy. :laughing:


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## Rasputin

brokenknee said:


> In my case the labor is free, it is the material that cost.
> 
> Hey Rasputin, you a history buff or just want to be associated with someone that was more than a little weird?


It's my fraternity nickname because I look like him. Rasputin got a bum rap.


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## brokenknee

Rasputin said:


> It's my fraternity nickname because I look like him. Rasputin got a bum rap.


I should have thought it would be something like that. Screen names can be interesting.


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## AndrewF

brokenknee said:


> I was doing a little more research on the direct burial cat 5e. In an old forum (2002?) on another board it was suggested that you use direct burial even inside conduit. The claim was the moisture in the lines could effect the regular cable?
> 
> I also seen there is two different types of direct burial, foil wrapped and gel filled. Is one preferred over the other? It did not seam there was much if any cost difference between the two.
> 
> Just to clarify, I can run one cable, connect a router, then run two separate computers off that (either wired or wireless)? The cable to the shed would run back to the router in the house.


All conduit will get water in it at some point in time, so you need to run cable rated to be submerged. I have run regular cat5 in conduit and within a few years it had to be replaced due to water penetration.

In your case, I would run direct burial cat5 (gel filled) in conduit to your location. (I have done the same thing before and will be doing it again this spring to my 40x68 shop).

Yes, you only need one cable between the house and the shop. You can terminate it into a switch/router and share as many network devices (PCs) as you wish in the workshop. if you setup a wireless router out there you will need to put it in gateway mode.

As others have said, run at least two cables...and maybe even an RG6 coax...in case you want to extend cable out there or put a security camera in.


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## brokenknee

Thank you,

I will run an RG6 out there for satellite TV. That is one thing I did not think of. Maybe I will pull two cat5 cables out there. 

I am going to check the price difference between regular and direct burial. Even though my labor is free, it is something I would prefer not to have to do twice.


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## Rasputin

brokenknee said:


> Thank you,
> 
> I will run an RG6 out there for satellite TV. That is one thing I did not think of. Maybe I will pull two cat5 cables out there.
> 
> I am going to check the price difference between regular and direct burial. Even though my labor is free, it is something I would prefer not to have to do twice.


Gel-filled is good stuff. Most of our large cable runs (50 and 100 pair) that are direct bury are gel filled. It just makes a nasty mess when you're terminating it. Bring lots of paper towels.


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## rgsgww

Use some gel filled cat 5e, and gel filled rg/6.

Make sure the splices are not exposed to sun, don't want that gel oozing out of the connections!


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## JMATT01

You might want to ground your termination points also. Grounding your cat5 and RG-6 is a good thing at both ends


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## Wildie

JMATT01 said:


> You might want to ground your termination points also. Grounding your cat5 and RG-6 is a good thing at both ends


 I take issue with this, as a ground at both ends of communications cable allows longitudinal noise to travel. At one time I spent more than two months removing grounds at one end of cables, when I worked for the telco!


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## brokenknee

How would one go about grounding the Cat5 and the RG6? Is there a separate ground wire that runs with them? 

I have not worked with Cat5 before but I have run some RG6 and did not see an additional wire to ground it.


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## Rasputin

Wildie said:


> I take issue with this, as a ground at both ends of communications cable allows longitudinal noise to travel. At one time I spent more than two months removing grounds at one end of cables, when I worked for the telco!


Seconded. You don't ground the cable, you ground the equipment rack. In your case, it's a home installation so it's totally unneeded.


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## brokenknee

Rasputin said:


> Seconded. You don't ground the cable, you ground the equipment rack. In your case, it's a home installation so it's totally unneeded.


So I do not even need one ground then?


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## Rasputin

brokenknee said:


> So I do not even need one ground then?


Grounds and lightning protection aren't used on the cable. In my experience transient voltage will travel down the cable and knock out equipment when the rack is grounded...we had several bad lighting strikes summer of 2001, knocked out 5 dorms because the strike traveled through and into the equipment, but the cable run itself was fine. Literally fried about $40,000 worth of gear (3Com Superstack-II 1100s).

The only time I've ever had to have cable replaced is when it's too brittle from exposure to the elements (like in attics, etc) and a pair cracks enough to prevent connection. Then I whip out my Fluke and call the warranty contractor. :laughing:


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## brokenknee

Use solid gel filled run in conduit, grounding not necessary, run more wire than you think you need, no splicing, no connections exposed to the sun, can use router to act as gateway to run more than one device, run rg6 for satellite TV.

Did I miss anything?


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## rgsgww

brokenknee said:


> Use solid gel filled run in conduit, grounding not necessary, run more wire than you think you need, no splicing, no connections exposed to the sun, can use router to act as gateway to run more than one device, run rg6 for satellite TV.
> 
> Did I miss anything?


You don't have to run more than you need, its more your choice.

I think you got it down.


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## Rasputin

brokenknee said:


> Use solid gel filled run in conduit, grounding not necessary, run more wire than you think you need, no splicing, no connections exposed to the sun, can use router to act as gateway to run more than one device, run rg6 for satellite TV.
> 
> Did I miss anything?


Nope. Sounds good to me!


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## brokenknee

Sorry to keep bring this back. Just thought of another question.

Do you need special connections when working with gel filled cat 5?


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## Rasputin

brokenknee said:


> Sorry to keep bring this back. Just thought of another question.
> 
> Do you need special connections when working with gel filled cat 5?


Nope, it's regular cat5. You can terminate with normal 8P8C ends.


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## brokenknee

Thanks for all the help, it is much appreciated. :thumbsup:


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