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Do I need to use CM rated ethernet cable to run in my walls?

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ppilot

Regular Contributor
So I am thinking about doing an installation of a couple ethernet jacks in my house but wasn't sure why kind of cat6 cable to use. A couple places I've read said that I need at least CM rated cable for in-wall runs, but other articles don't mention using anything special. This wouldn't be much of an issue if it wasn't due to only being able to buy CM rated cable in 1000 ft spools.

Thoughts?
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VEFY7NQ/?tag=snbforums-20

its available.

Just not very efficient for the people it is designed for. Installers and Contractors.
We like to have longer spools so that we dont end up in the following situation

3x 300 ft runs
with a 1000ft spool just cut it 3 times
with a 500ft spool you need to buy 3 spools and throw out the extra or try and use it on a different job.
 
In Addition
taken from here https://liveagent.firefold.com/140579-What-does-CM-CMR-and-CMP-mean

What does CM, CMR and CMP mean?
CM, CMP, and CMR are standards certifications for cable jackets. Building regulations may require the use of a particular standard.

CM - Communications rated for general use. Used in cases where fire code does not restrict cable type.

CMR - Communications Riser, prevents fire spreading from floor to floor, designed for use in risers and vertical shafts.

CMP - Communications Plenum, designed for use in ducts and plenum spaces without the use of conduit and contains a fire-retardant jacket. CMP can be used in the place of CMR cable, but CMR cable cannot be used to take the place of CMP cable
 
As above, any of the three would generally be fine. In wall rated is what you are looking for, which would be a minimum CM rated.
 
Thanks guys...so I the next issue I have is that I don't need that much CM cable (like 50 feet) and the minimum length I seem to be finding is 1000ft. To me there's not much point in buying that much cable. but the bulk pricing from monoprice almost makes it work it. Is there anywhere I can buy a shorter run. My guess is that all the premade cables on Amazon and Monoprice are not CM rated.
 
Consider buying the 1000' spool and just use it for your two runs (with minimum 4 or more drops per location).

Depending on where these runs are to / from, you may very well be future proofing your location for future network upgrades as needed.

The cable is usually the lowest cost, running the cable is considerably higher. But running multiple drops to each location doesn't increase the total labor by much, if anything.
 
Just get CMR rated cable, that is what most of the stuff is. I poped over the a major eRetailer and searched on 500ft CMR Cat5s and I think I got 200 hits. Tons for 250ft as well.

Just make sure whatever you get is NOT CCA. That means Copper Clad Aluminum. You want solid copper.
 
Just get CMR rated cable, that is what most of the stuff is. I poped over the a major eRetailer and searched on 500ft CMR Cat5s and I think I got 200 hits. Tons for 250ft as well.

Just make sure whatever you get is NOT CCA. That means Copper Clad Aluminum. You want solid copper.
I use CCA cable for for holding boxes together.
Also use it to tie together garbage on construction sites.

It has its uses . . . just not in networking.
 
I use CCA cable for for holding boxes together.
Also use it to tie together garbage on construction sites.

It has its uses . . . just not in networking.

I'll sadly admit that I have a very short run of CCA on my network. It was the only way I could find a short section of outdoor rated Cat5e/6 for a run I had to do. The next best I could find was 250ft box for about $100 and I didn't have any plans for any outdoor runs other than the 5ft of this one run that HAD to go outside (otherwise I would have need to rip apart 2 walls and a ceiling and 3 places to do it all inside). Total run is about 35ft with 5ft of it outside. At some point when I do an addition out the back of my house, it is right by there so I can bring it inside and do solid copper...but I wasn't about to spend $100 for that single drop.

Of course now looking at a couple of projects outdoors, I probably need 250ft, or even 500ft of outdoor rated direct bury ethernet wiring...so I'll just have to suck it up and by the real stuff next time.
 
Thanks for all the replies! I ended up buying a thousand ft spool of CMR from Monoprice, as I might run some ethernet to the first floor at some point. As for the actual wiring part, was I able to fish one of the walls (both had insulation and the attic had blown in insulation so it was a major pain in the butt). but I was coming up about two feet short on the other.

I will probably take another stab at it again this evening after work, but if it doesn't get figured out I will probably just pay an electrician for an hour's worth of work.
 
I was coming up about two feet short on the other.

Personally I leave about 5-10ft of slack on either end of the cable for terminations.
 
Personally I leave about 5-10ft of slack on either end of the cable for terminations.

Woops...I meant when I was trying to get the glow rods down to the hole I was getting stopped about two feet above. I have at least five feet worth of slack at either end of the ethernet cable Anyways, I will make another couple stabs at it this week just to make sure I am not missing something
 
Woops...I meant when I was trying to get the glow rods down to the hole I was getting stopped about two feet above. I have at least five feet worth of slack at either end of the ethernet cable Anyways, I will make another couple stabs at it this week just to make sure I am not missing something
Ah yes, always fun to fish cables . . .
I don't know if you have a borescope but that usually helps if there is something like a firestop blocking the way.
 

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