[TowerTalk] OT: Exterior Ethernet Cable

[Matt Patterson]

Martin,

There is outdoor rated CAT5.  It's more expensive than regular CAT5 and 
is filled with gel to keep water out of it.  The stuff that I've seen 
and worked with also had a black UV jacket on the outside.  They even 
make a shielded version of this cable which is what we used when we 
installed some outside access points at work.  If you use regular CAT5 
in an outdoors environment the PVC jacket will become brittle within 
weeks of being exposed to the elements. 

73 Matt
W5LL

Martin, AA6E wrote:
> TowerTalk people know a lot and have opinions on even more, so I thought I'd
> risk the following.
>
> I need to run Ethernet "CAT5" (or better) wire on an outdoor wall.  I have
> PVC jacketed Belkin CAT5e cable "designed to meet advanced UTP
> horizontal-cable applications".  The box tells me some other things, like I
> should wash my hands after handling, but it says nothing about interior vs
> exterior installations.
>
> So what's the wisdom of using such cable on an exposed exterior
> installation?  Is there a better alternative that is readily available?  I
> see that Belden 7923A is "industrial" cable that should be better, but I
> don't want to buy 1000 ft of it...
>
> Tnx & 73, Martin
>
>