Have you ever wondered why wired cables are so perfect for networking needs? Does the quality of the cable depend on the conductor or cable type? This is a comprehensive study of Cat5e Plenum Cable about the cable features and the other salient characteristics that make this cable a worthwhile investment.
Everyone is stuck in a situation where you need to think for a moment while shifting the office, home, or the cabling infrastructure. For SMEs, Cat5e ethernet cable is simply the best and a cost-effective solution — that sounds interesting.
This gigabit-capable cable can simply turn all things into a seamless situation according to your networking desire. Cat5e plenum 1000ft cable is the first ever cable to support 1000 Mbps speed. Now, let’s peek inside the cable and other factors that make this cable unique and improved from the previous one.
The Cat5e Plenum Show
Before starting the discussion about the cat5e plenum copper cable here are some tips for when you need this cable.
- Gigabit speed specs speed
- Small networking setup
- Improved performance
- Short-length cable needs
- Online gaming
- PoE (Power over Ethernet)
- High Bandwidth needs
- Transferring data seamlessly
The above points are the most common needs to invest in cat5e plenum cable. But before finalizing let’s learn more about what type of cat5e plenum copper — speed, bandwidth, and conductor ratings. Is copper good or bad?
Internal Anatomy of Cat5e Plenum
First of all, you will get this cat5e plenum cable in various colors but don’t think the color or cable jacket (Plenum) has anything to do with performance. It is quite often used for managing bulk cables to ease the connection type.
Cut open the cable jacket, inside the jacket you will see 4 twisted pairs with color-coded insulation. This is the core part of the ethernet cable which involves sending electrical signals to the device on the other side of the cable. These conductors are made of Pure Copper with a diameter of 24 AWG. 24 AWG conductor size reflects the thickness of the conductor. With Cat5e Plenum Copper cable you will have the best combination regarding safety and conductivity as copper is the best conductor with minimum electrical resistance.
These 4 twisted pairs possess 4-5 twists per inch which is ideally suited for avoiding crosstalk and signal interference present in the field. The color code on the insulation layer eases the termination process and evaluation of the T568A and T568B wiring schemes.
The next part of the cable is associated with the performance “Speed” of the cable. The Cat5e Plenum 1000ft cable has two-speed ratings when used for shorter (164ft) and longer (328ft) lengths.
Over longer runs the cable can support 100 Mbps speed and if used for shorter lengths the cable will deliver 1000 Mbps speed (1 Gbps). The reality check for installing ethernet cable is a rare phenomenon that you use this cable above 100 meters. But remember to make your cable work properly don’t exceed the cable length above 328ft that’s the limit.
There is another important factor that defines the functioning of Fast Ethernet Applications is the bandwidth of the cable. The Cat5e Plenum Cable delivers 350 MHz bandwidth which gives the clear idea that this cable can be a better choice to run
- 10/100BASE-T (Ethernet and Fast Ethernet)
- 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet)
- Online Gaming
- Audio and video streaming
- PoE (15 watts)
- IoT devices
- Data centers
- Network closets
This is the main part of the cable which you need to understand before buying ethernet cable. The cat5e plenum cable is a cost-effective solution from other advanced ethernet cables like Cat6 plenum ethernet cable or Cat6a Plenum Cable. Now let’s peek into the characteristics and usage of the Plenum jacket.
Indoor Plenum — The Armor
The plenum is also denoted as CMP (Communication Multipurpose Plenum) used to identify the plenum-rated cables. Plenum is rated as an indoor jacket that is only used for indoor installation purposes. Like Cat5e plenum 1000ft, it is used in horizontal shafts and why is that so?
Let me explain the reason behind this cabling. The plenum spaces within the buildings are highly enriched with air and oxygen supply. If you ignore the fire safety ratings while installing the ethernet cable you might get into a big problem.
The plenum jacket is an FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) highly fire resistant to cease the fire progression along the floor. The plenum spaces include ventilation ducts, HVAC systems, and attics that directly open up into every room for ventilation purposes. That is why the Plenum jacket has LSZH properties meaning it emits non-toxic smoke. This is the main reason that Cat5e plenum copper cables are used inside the building to protect the cable and the environment.
This indoor jacket cable can be used at horizontal and vertical shafts. The most suitable spaces are ventilation ducts, attics, raised floors, below-drop ceilings, etc.
Copper Conductor
Copper is the best element and a highly durable compound regarding the conductivity. Copper is a solo core metal with a high conductivity rate. The best part of the Cat5e plenum copper cable hardly deviates from the signal transmission. There are a few core benefits of copper conductors which are as follows.
- Low electrical resistance
- Better heat dissipation
- Performance-oriented
- Anti-corrosive properties
- Long lifespan (8-10 years depending upon the environment)
Final Words
Ethernet cable like Cat5e cable 1000ft is the best investment when you need to cater to the gigabit speed ratings. Get the maximum benefits with the copper and plenum jacket — a healthy combination where the plenum jacket will protect the cable and copper is the best part to support the gigabit speed adequately.
Cat5e Plenum Cable is a cost-effective solution for your networking needs. Buy ethernet cables after knowing the server speed, installation length, jacket needs, and the environment. The installation of ethernet cables requires technical knowledge to avoid cable damage.
