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Uniblurb3 wrote:

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mikedamirault wrote:

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Uniblurb3 wrote:

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mikedamirault wrote:

Sure, given you have the CAT6 cable, CAT6 RJ45 ends, and CAT6 wall plates, and at least the CAT6 cable is ran, the tech shouldn't have any issue using the CAT6

 

If the tech asks about the Coax or begins to use the Coax, tell the tech you want to use the CAT6 instead and he should be able to set it up over the CAT6

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Thanks for the input mikedamirault. I always wondered if they premise techs would use CAT6 and figured they might as long as the customer supplied all the cable, connectors and other materials. Not sure if you are saying the tech will run the cable or it should be run ahead of time? I've read where Cat6 cable is very unforgiving when making sharp bends/turns and you can break, or downgrade, the solid core wire internally and not even know it.

Sorry, I meant having it already installed, I guess in theory a Prem Tech could install it, though it would give them an excuse to charge for it

 

The higher the category, the higher the chance that the slightest change in the cable could lower it's rating, being that each pair has a different twist to it (I think blue having the most and brown having the least), I haven't worked on solid core CAT6 yet, though I haven't had any problems with stranded CAT6 breaking, CAT6 seems to be as thick and bulky as Coax though, so I don't think it will be too easy to bend, it also has a + shaped pair separator on the inside adding to it's thickness

 

What you're explaining sounds more like fiber, which is very unforgiving when making sharp bends/turns, the glass fiber inside the cable can snap or fracture unknowingly causing the light not to shine through it properly, it can also be very dangerous to terminate

 

I also wondered if the same tools/crimpers are used for installing the CAT6 RJ45 end connectors as used in installing CAT5e RJ45 connectors?

The CAT5 RJ45 crimpers and tools work fine on CAT6 RJ45 connectors, the only difference with the connectors seem to be that instead of having all the pins/holes in a row, it's zig zag, and you have to put the wires in a slide-in guide first

 

Thanks ahead of time.

 

BTW, I've used monoprice before in purchasing cables (HDMI, Toslink optical, etc.) and seems like the cables are very good quality with real low prices. They also have bulk Cat6 cable/connectors as can be seen here.

I have heard some really good reviews about them, I may have purchased something there a while back with good results,I'll have to keep that in mind whenever I need to get cables or parts

 

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Thanks for all the input Mike, appreciate it.

 

Most all I've learned about cabling has been in this forum, particular from ScottMac, and from reading outside sources. We had a long thread going some time ago about Cat5e, Cat6, etc., and don't believe it's around anymore. Or at least I can't find it.

 

Actually I was talking about Cat6 solid wire when talking about being unforgiving on bending and not fiber cable. I've heard that if a homeowner, or tech, decides to staple this type cable on a sharp 90 degree corner they are asking for problems. Know that you aren't supposed to bend any ethernet cable more than 4 times the diameter of the cable but read it may be 6 times the dia with Cat6 solid wire or it could break.

 

Guess another thing which has me confused is I read where you use stranded Cat6 for patch cables and should use solid wire Cat6 for in-wall installations or permanent applications. I would bet most DIY homeowners use stranded Cat6 throughout their house installations and maybe it doesn't matter. But if you look at the "Maximum Length" section in this in this link it says a stranded Cat6 patch cable shouldn't be over 33' long. I've often wondered what the term "patch cable" meant and guess it has to do with length. So I would think if your STB/DVR is 50' from the RG you may want to use solid Cat6 for your runs.

 

I should mention I'm so interested in this because I've run RG6 coax throughout my house and have thought about switching it all out to Cat5e or Cat6. I've heard that Cat6 my be an "overkill", as compared to Cat5e, with current U-verse services but it may not be in the future. Plus Cat6 may eliminate crosstalk noise as compared to Cat5e.

 

I also installed an OTA antennae/tall mast on my roof peak some years ago which was quite a job. Will continue to use RG6, w/antennae signal boaster, on the OTA.

 

Thanks for any input.

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 You are correct that "in the wall" cabling should be (by spec) solid conductor ... stranded has much higher loss.

A "jumper" or "patch" cable has an RJ45 on each end, versus "in the wall" cabling which has a panel at one end, and a wall jack at the other.

One reason for NOT using Cat6 (or 6a) is that it is much harder to terminate to spec, and "amateurs" (no offense intended to novice cable yankers) tend to be uninformed as to the specs and conditions for properly installing cables and termination. There also seems to be a lack of concern for following industry conventions, usually beause of an attitude of "Plastic coated metal, what's the magic in that?," "Electrons don't understand colors," or "It's too hard to do it that way (by spec) I'll  do it this way, it's easier" ... often producing sub-optimal cabling and performance. Sometimes it's just too expensive to do it right, so they'll risk burning down the house rather than waiting until it's affordable, or doing it a different way.

In practice, the only spec for a successfull installation is that certain signal levels are met, as measured by some fairly expensive equipment. The oft-posted "rules" are actually guidelines that, if followed, will most likely produce an infrastructure at the desired Category level. The more an installer deviates from "the rules," the less likely that the cable plant will produce optimal throughput and reliability.

The primary guidelines are:

that the twist should be maintained up to the termination point,

that there should be no more than 1/2" of exposed (out of the sheath) pair, (Cat6 and above it's 3/8")

that there should be no more than 1/2" untwisted (the same 1/2" as the "exposed" ...1/2" total for both), (Cat6 and above it's 3/8") 

bend radius is usually quoted as 4X overall cable diameter (1/4" cable diameter = 2" bend radius, i.e., as if bent around an object with a 4" diameter ), (Cat6 and above, prefer 6X - 3"  bend radius )

the amount of pulling tension varies with each manufacturer, but tends to be ~12-14 pounds of pulling force,

the cable sheath should not be compressed, kinked, or twisted in any way during or after the install (it displaces conductor-to-conductor and pair-to-pair relationships and changed the propagation characteristics of the cable).

Every component should be matched to the desired Category level (even using higher level components is discouraged)

The overall span of cabling assumes the level of the lowest rated component; an unrated RJ45 plug reduces a perfect Cat5e system to an unrated level (by spec). Unrated RJ45s are designed for use with PBX / phone / other non-data terminations.

Shielded UTP cabling (actually referred to as "screened" because it would be dumb to have "Shielded Unshielded Twisted Pair) is rarely needed, pretty much NEVER needed, for a home install. Shielded/screened cabling requires proper installation and grounding to be safe & effective; not installing properly (and not using components meant for shielded/screened installaion and termination) are worse than coat hangers and can be dangerous to the users of the system (or worse, you could fry expensive equipment!) ;-} ). "IWBC" (It Would Be Cool) goes RTF out the window when your cable plant becomes the largest antenna in the neighborhood and blows noise into your network and outward into everyone else's network. And it wastes money. And it's a PITA to install and terminate. And it causes many more problems than it is supposed to be solving. And it Sux. Don't use it.

Stranded cabling should not be used for "in the wall" installations, because the termination objects (panels and plates w/ keystones) are designed for solid conductor cabling. That means that the stranded cable won't sit well in the IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector) and will go flaky (if not immediately, someday soon) and cause the installer a WELL-DESERVED headache.

Solid conductor cabling is generally "not recommended" for out-of-the-wall / patch / jumper installations, mostly because it doesn't tolerate flexion well and can "break in place" causing intermittent connection and poor performance when the broken ends do actually touch.

Thanks for the mention, I'm glad you're finding usefull information in some of the stuff I've posted.