[speedy4500]

NUmerous sources have said that stranded cable should not be used for runs more than about 20 feet. In my house i will be wiring there will be a couple runs of about 40 feet. Should I use solid cable for this? If I do use solid cable, will i need special keystone jacks (punch down) for the wall outlets?

If anyone has successfully used stranded cat5[e] in runs of about 50 ft, i'd like to know.

[Diggrr]

Stranded cat-5 is generally used for patch cords because of it's flexibility, not really for any special properties.
Solid wire is generally cheaper, so it's used for longer runs, connections can withstand corrosion damage for a longer time, and they can take more stress from pulling through walls.

I like using stranded for patchcords mainly because most cat-5 modular plugs are made for stranded, it's hard to find the plugs made for solid wire crimping, though I've used them when I had to. They'll pass testing about 90% of the time.

If you've got the jacks with the screw terminals, you can use either type of wire...the punchdown style have to use solid wire.

Does that about cover it?

[speedy4500]

Yes. The part that I need the solid wire for is for running from the wiring closet wall plate to the various other wall plates around the house. The computers will use standard stranded patch cords to hook up to the wall outlets, and the router will also attach to the ports using short stranded patch cables. Since you say that punchdown terminals work well with solid, I will go with that for the keystone jacks in the wall plates.

lol i just noticed that you've been registered about only half the time i have, and you have a gazillion more posts. I hate my busy busy life. Im lucky if i get to check these forums once a week.

[Crash893]

i used to do cat5 runs for aol's data centers and other stuff

all the stuff we used was solid

if you want to "futre proof" i use the term lightly

there is cat 6 out now but not sure in what lenths

but that can do gig over a network and i belive intell has a 10/100/1000 card out now

you may not need it now but if its in a house that youll have 10 years you may need it the way things are going

[Diggrr]

Yep, Cat-6 is out for a little while now, and in any length you want. My box is 1,000 feet, but I don't use it much because my computer is the only one in the house with internet and will stay that way until the kids are older. Their computer's don't have pci slots, so no NIC's!

And speedy4500, I get alot of time to post, I've been layed-off since Halloween. The computer is the only thing I get to do anymore.

*edit* After a little thought on the matter of cat-6, I thought I'd clarify a tad bit.

It doesn't appear that a firm standard had been ratified yet, but as many cabling manufacturers helped in developing the standard, most are guaranteeing their products to the cat-6 standard when it appears.

My box of "cat-6" used to be cat-5e until a different standard was adopted for the 5e, making my double shielded and drain tapped cable cat-6 (for now).

[Crash893]

we should start a club diggrr
i wonder who else has been laid off