Re: CAT5e cable

On 5/7/2025 4:06 PM, David Lesher wrote:

Are you dealing with any kind of fire or smoke related requirements?
Some jackets trade slow burning, so that a fire doesn't spread as
quickly, for generating toxic smoke.

 Last I heard, the EU forbid our plenum cable as when the fireproof
Teflon plenum cable is charred, the gas is quite toxic.

Local authorities frown on ANY cable in a plenum.  I ran all of
the control cables for the HVAC dampers along the outside of
the plenum just to avoid irritating an inspector.

But, had to run some drops in EMT recently and noticed a marked difference
it the overall durability of the different cables that were being fed.

 Worse, I saw some cable from One well-known discount vendor.
The insulation on the conductors was so thin and poorly applied
that there were ~~cm long bare sections within the jacket. The
problem was, two were bare in an adjacent location. What was
the last time you looked for a short IN the middle of newly
installed cable vs. at the end connectors????

In my case, I actually have to handle every inch of the cable
to install it.  I'm not pulling through chases.

Lots of interpretations for "outdoor cable".

I live where there is lightning; to me "between buildings" means
fiber, period.

Rooftop installations tend to use outdoor cable.  You're stuck
having to get power to the devices up there and fibre just
doesn't carry that, well.  :>

Incidentally, watch out for CCA Ethernet cable.  CCA means copper clad
aluminum.  CCA is cheaper than 100% copper, but everything else about
it is horrible:

 It's good for the doorbell and tying up the dog.

Don't let substandard products onto the premises.  It's too easy for
someone to mistakenly make use of something they shouldn't.  And,
the labor (installation) costs greatly exceed the cost differential
between "good vendors" and "cheap vendors".