View Full Version : Max length of cat5 cable?
I wanna run some cat5 cables from one end of my house to another (to connect computers in bedrooms to the router which is in the office). Whats the maximum length of cat5 cable I can use without signal loss? What about cat6?
AMD Phreak
12-10-06, 04:59 PM
300 feet continuous.
Doubtful you will have a run that long
Deadbot1_1973
12-10-06, 09:18 PM
I have a run from the back off my trailer house to the front. It's 100 feet and I have zero issues. If you live in a house that requires longer than 300 feet in a run, you get no sympathy from me:bday:
Wiggles
12-10-06, 10:36 PM
300 feet continuous.
Doubtful you will have a run that long
100m = 328ft to be exact :beer:
AMD Phreak
12-11-06, 11:19 AM
I always toss the remaining 28' figure. Chances are you are going to get attenuation due to poor install procedures, so a buffer is better than none.
schnikies79
12-11-06, 02:25 PM
Has anyone ever actually ran a cat5 cable 300+ft? I'm just curious if it holds up in real world situations. I'm thinking about running cat5 out to our garage/barn which is ~285 ft from the house.
Has anyone ever actually ran a cat5 cable 300+ft? I'm just curious if it holds up in real world situations. I'm thinking about running cat5 out to our garage/barn which is ~285 ft from the house.
I'm not sure if it is Cat5, or Cat5e, but we have run 300 foot lengths here at my work and it seems to work, but I haven't done an analysis of lost packets or db loss.
I've run 360' without issues, through the ceiling of a K-Mart from the back office to the front desk.
Everything tested fine on the Penta-scanner except for length (which the customer signed off on).
However, we did make sure the wire was tied up along it's entire length properly, and over 18" from all electrical runs and 36" from flourescent lighting...those plenum ceilings had enough room for me to stand up in!
Has anyone ever actually ran a cat5 cable 300+ft? I'm just curious if it holds up in real world situations. I'm thinking about running cat5 out to our garage/barn which is ~285 ft from the house.
I have, and it didn't work at all. This was through a warehouse in the rafters - The HID lighting bled the signal too much, but I'm sure a house with less interference would be a little easier on the signal.
They tried at my workplace going about 400', using Cat6 at that, and while it did connect, the pc's at the end kept getting random disconnects, they threw in a 4 port switch about half way down the line and it works fine now.
AMD Phreak
12-11-06, 06:10 PM
They tried at my workplace going about 400', using Cat6 at that, and while it did connect, the pc's at the end kept getting random disconnects, they threw in a 4 port switch about half way down the line and it works fine now.
Switches are actually a poor mans repeater.:santa:
nd4spdbh2
12-11-06, 09:39 PM
ya 300 feet is right about max... currently i have about 175-200 of cat5e feet from my fios box in my garage to the computer area on the second story at the opposie end of the house... the damn cable goes along the garage celing, through 1 wall, then another wall that leads into a cabnit in the house up through the top of a cabnit on a big shelf, though some ducting to go up one shelf, through another wall into a closet, along the celing of th closet into the atic, then down into another closet, throught one last wall and to my router... he he this thing was routed by me and my dad in about a day... helped a bunch by the fact my dad built the house and knew where everything was... all it took was some bailing wire and a really long 1/2 inch drill big :-p
we made the verizon guys way happy ... they pulled up and we were like ok we got it all wired... they were like huh... we were like ya we got a 1000 ft of cat5e from verizon about a week ago and did it ... we walked the route with them and they were like... THANK GOD we didnt have to do this.
BTW FIOS KICKS ASS!
Phrenetical
12-12-06, 05:46 PM
the only disadvantage iv seen to using my own 50m cat5 cable from bedroom to loungeroom/switch is that in extremely fast FPS's online i get extra lag then what i used to.
its unoticable in anything else but that though.
nd4spdbh2
12-12-06, 05:53 PM
the only disadvantage iv seen to using my own 50m cat5 cable from bedroom to loungeroom/switch is that in extremely fast FPS's online i get extra lag then what i used to.
its unoticable in anything else but that though.
hmm weird... cus my pings are quite a bit down... theres only about a 1ms lag between the fios box and my router 150ft away.
Phrenetical
12-12-06, 06:52 PM
ever since i started usign it i honestly get more lag, but it could easily be something else causing it.
I swap it for a shorter one if i could, but need length.
Without the use of a tester, I would recommend reterminating the cable. Or if you have the means and can find one, purchase a factory terminated cable.
don256us
12-14-06, 10:21 PM
100m = 328ft to be exact :beer:
Don't forget up to 3 patch cables for another 10 meters total.
gangaskan
12-14-06, 11:15 PM
you should make a habbit of making your max run like 90 meters to give headroom for extra cable, patches and things along the road at about 100+ meters the signal starts to attenuate, and that wont work very well
Adragontattoo
12-15-06, 02:03 AM
Has anyone ever actually ran a cat5 cable 300+ft? I'm just curious if it holds up in real world situations. I'm thinking about running cat5 out to our garage/barn which is ~285 ft from the house.
yes I have in commercial and residential instances.
It will work but do not expect there to be insane speeds. Any issues and you have to rerun the entire line as well. It really isnt worth the work.
You would be better off rigging a directional antenna (cantenna type) on either end and using wireless.
ever since i started usign it i honestly get more lag, but it could easily be something else causing it.
I swap it for a shorter one if i could, but need length.
Could just be the path it took or a bad cable. Really if you do a clean run and keep it away from any electric cables or florescent lights you shouldn't notice any difference with length. Basically as long as everything is done right and conforms to standards you shouldn't. Of course that doesn't always happen, and thus the slower speeds.
It could be that Menard's-on-sale cable he's using too! :D j/k
I've never seen cable so thin, yet still have an EIA/TIA approval printed on it...must've bribed someone!
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