Moisture protection for RJ45 Network Jack

[Ranayna]

Hi everyone,

recently at work, I had a problem with a corroded RJ45 switchport. This switch is located in an outdoor gate control pillar. It is fully protected from rain, but the pillar is open at the bottom to accommodate the gate drive train, so not sealed against moisture in any way. Now the RJ45 port where the PoE IP camera is connected to starts giving us trouble that is very likely moisture related.
The contacts on the cable and on the switchport corrode. We now had to change cable and switchport twice, and while the switch still has some spare ports, I would prefer not having to change the port every two months

Sealing the pillar is not possible. Sealing just the switch is maybe a possible option, but might cause temperature issues with the switch.

So I thought: Might dielectric grease be an option? I have never worked with any, so I do not have any experience with that. If grease is an option, what should I use? The inside of the pillar gets quite hot in summer, so the stuff to use should be resistant to that and not "run away" at 50 to 60 degrees C. At least the switch is already mounted port side up, so the grease does not have to fight against gravity

Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Jeroen3]

If it's for a fence you're probably having condensation problems due to the box being low from the ground.
Just buy a switch in a weatherproof box with the correct cable glands.  Can't be more than $200.
Or a weatherproof switch on the cctv pole.

[MosherIV]

Hi
It is not commonly known that you do NOT have to use RJ45 type plugs and sockets for ethernet.
In the past when I worked for companies that did 'harsh conditions' equipment, they used circular connectors that are IP57 rated.
Obviously, have to maintain twisted pairs going through the connector and pick pins that can handle the PoE.
Hope this helps.

[Ranayna]

The switch is purposely not placed close to the bottom of the pillar. The pillar itself is about 2 meters high, and the switch is located in the upper area. There is other electronics build into the pillar, which does not show issues. Also, of the two active network connections, only one uses PoE, and that one shows the corrosion.

That mikrotik switch (actually it's a router) looks nice, they also have a version with SFP uplink, which I would need. But to be honest, that case does not really look moisture proof to me.
But if it is time to replace the switch, I will take that into consideration.
Actually, scratch that, that thing does not support proper 802.3af PoE.

Using specialized and expensive harsh condition equipment is the last option.

[forrestc]

So I thought: Might dielectric grease be an option? I have never worked with any, so I do not have any experience with that. If grease is an option, what should I use? The inside of the pillar gets quite hot in summer, so the stuff to use should be resistant to that and not "run away" at 50 to 60 degrees C. At least the switch is already mounted port side up, so the grease does not have to fight against gravity

Dialetric Grease is commonly used in RJ45 jacks by Wireless ISP's who regularly install in similar circumstances, i.e. on the side of a house or on a tower.   Especially in damp climates.

Just fill the jack with it, and then shove it in.   This will be messy but you'll be sure to have enough.   If you do this regularly you'll learn how to apply a smaller amount which is sufficient but doesn't make a mess.

[Ian.M]

Start by remounting the switch port side down so condensation cant run down the cables into it!  The switch should also be protected against any drips from above.

Plain clear silicone dialectic grease would probably work as well as anything, used sparingly just on the contact face of the RJ45 as the jacks on the switch probably aren't fully sealed and you don't want to 'spooge' quantities of it into the switch case when you insert the plugs.  However, contamination is a major issue as a single grain of sand trapped in the grease in the wrong place can prevent contact, so, if the connection is disturbed, unless its kept totally clean during the process, you'd have to wash off all traces of grease from the jack and plug to remove contamination before regreasing the plug and remaking the connection.  If the enviroment is reasonably clean and you you *NEVER* leave a greased port open, you may get away with cleaning the edge of the jack with a foam Q-tip to remove potentially contaminated grease, not going far enough in to disturb the contacts and the grease on them, and just cleaning and regreasing the plug.

Due to the maintenance PITA of contaminated silicone grease, a light contact cleaner/lubricant spray may well be preferable: the oily film it leaves is less tenacious, but its so much easier to clean off and reapply.