Author Topic: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?  (Read 3379 times)

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Offline octillionTopic starter

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Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« on: September 12, 2021, 10:35:39 pm »
I'm setting up PoE cameras with 100 Mbit ethernet, and want to use cable that is as light and flexible as possible.  In some cases I'm just setting them on a window sill or piece of furniture, and don't want the cable to weigh down or torque the camera.

Two-pair stranded cable will minimize unnecessary bulk and stiffness.  Insulation class is unimportant, so easy flex is desirable.  Higher than 24 AWG may be acceptable  I'm looking for bulk cable (~100 feet), but so far found only a single supplier.  The cost for 2-pair is significantly higher than the equivalent 4-pair.  Since I don't need anywhere near 1000 feet, I'm hoping there is a more economical source:

https://www.l-com.com/ethernet-category-5e-utp-24-awg-2-pair-stranded-conductor-beige-gray-1kft

Solid conductor has been much easier to find, but is significantly stiffer than stranded; I have several examples of pre-made cables with stranded 2-pair Cat 5(e) that came bundled with various equipment over the past decades.
 

Offline edavid

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2021, 11:27:50 pm »
Have you considered using superflat 4 pair cable?

Here's an overpriced example (you could do better than this by buying premade patchcords):

https://www.amazon.com/CAT5e-Super-Stranded-Ethernet-Unshielded/dp/B008OYAC2K
 

Offline Whales

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2021, 11:32:01 pm »
Daft side question: have you tested to make sure your PoE works over 2-pair?  There are quite a few PoE variants, some do power over data pairs, some do power over non-data pairs and some use all pairs for power + data.
 
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Offline octillionTopic starter

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2021, 12:24:35 pm »
Have you considered using superflat 4 pair cable?

Here's an overpriced example (you could do better than this by buying premade patchcords):

https://www.amazon.com/CAT5e-Super-Stranded-Ethernet-Unshielded/dp/B008OYAC2K

Good suggestion, this is likely the next best thing.  I'll consider this if stranded 2-pair remains elusive.

Daft side question: have you tested to make sure your PoE works over 2-pair?  There are quite a few PoE variants, some do power over data pairs, some do power over non-data pairs and some use all pairs for power + data.

They are 802.3af type 1, so use 2 pairs for both data and power.

 

Offline Kjelt

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2021, 12:35:39 pm »
Just looked at tme.eu, it has twenty types from Lapp and Belden.

 

Offline capt bullshot

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2021, 01:05:45 pm »
As 100MBit/s Ethernet will "work over wet string", you could consider star quad cable instead of 2-pair stranded. Might be easier or cheaper to buy. Just use the correct pairs of the star quad, it'll work, "been there, done that".
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Offline octillionTopic starter

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2021, 02:01:42 am »
Thanks for the help everyone.  The Belkin and Lapp all have shielding and fillers, so I did some more searching for U/UTP.  Under the "wet string" mentality I briefly looked into Cat 3, but didn't find stranded.  I did, however, find a second supplier of stranded 2-pair Cat 5e UTP, a bit cheaper than L-com, and in many stylish colors:
https://www.quabbin.com/products/commercial-data-cable/patch/cat-5e/5209

Minimum order is again 1000 feet, but after talking to one of their suppliers they located a partial spool at the factory.  Still not the most economical solution, but I went ahead and ordered that to get this done with.
 
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Offline cdev

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2021, 02:23:29 am »
Fairly robust 4 pair 8 wire cable works best for me in terms of
Thanks for the help everyone.  The Belkin and Lapp all have shielding and fillers, so I did some more searching for U/UTP.  Under the "wet string" mentality I briefly looked into Cat 3, but didn't find stranded.  I did, however, find a second supplier of stranded 2-pair Cat 5e UTP, a bit cheaper than L-com, and in many stylish colors:
https://www.quabbin.com/products/commercial-data-cable/patch/cat-5e/5209

Minimum order is again 1000 feet, but after talking to one of their suppliers they located a partial spool at the factory.  Still not the most economical solution, but I went ahead and ordered that to get this done with.

colors are useful. I and my wife both make our own patch cables, usually out of E188601 type thick cat 5e wire. They seem to last longer with the cheap RJ-45 plugs we use, than the cheaper, thinner grey 4 pair cat 5 wire sold at our local home depot. But the blue wire is stiff, so a PITA as patch cables go. I would rather have the reliability though..
"What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away."
 

Offline mansaxel

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Re: Source for 2-pair stranded Cat 5(e) cable?
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2021, 08:56:06 am »
Fairly robust 4 pair 8 wire cable works best for me in terms of
Thanks for the help everyone.  The Belkin and Lapp all have shielding and fillers, so I did some more searching for U/UTP.  Under the "wet string" mentality I briefly looked into Cat 3, but didn't find stranded.  I did, however, find a second supplier of stranded 2-pair Cat 5e UTP, a bit cheaper than L-com, and in many stylish colors:
https://www.quabbin.com/products/commercial-data-cable/patch/cat-5e/5209

Minimum order is again 1000 feet, but after talking to one of their suppliers they located a partial spool at the factory.  Still not the most economical solution, but I went ahead and ordered that to get this done with.

colors are useful. I and my wife both make our own patch cables, usually out of E188601 type thick cat 5e wire. They seem to last longer with the cheap RJ-45 plugs we use, than the cheaper, thinner grey 4 pair cat 5 wire sold at our local home depot. But the blue wire is stiff, so a PITA as patch cables go. I would rather have the reliability though..

Every wiring scheme that depended on jacket colour for order in the wiring cabinet I've encountered has failed.

Come to think of it; so has every scheme that is not automatic.

These days, I use LLDP and grey patch cable.


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