Recommend cat6 cable and RJ45

[PeterTTT]

I am planning a big remodel and want to wire the house for the any 10y future needs - 10G potentially.
I will need around 2000 ft cable and 200 connectors cat6, I looked at Belden and the price is quite high - $1000 for the cable and ~ $15 for the modular RJ45.
I am trying to fit under $800.

Can you recommend a good alternative for the cable which is again 500Mhz and the connectors are easy to crimp - I saw a pass-through connectors which looked easier to work with.
Again any suggestions will be appreciated.

Cheers,
PeterTTT

 

[jlficken]

I'd buy this cable - https://www.provantage.com/tripp-lite-n222-01k-bl~7TRPA1A8.htm
I'd buy these connectors - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K9Z4FT2/?tag=snbforums-20

I have used lots of both and they both are excellent.

The cable is solid copper and 23awg. It is also Made in the USA according to my current box.

Skip the EZ connectors if you are using (or plan to) utilize POE as they can cause issues if the wires aren't cut off just right. If they aren't right they can kill gear.

 

[CaptainSTX]

EZ Plugs from Platinum tools work very well. The crimper trims the cable off almost perfectly flush with the end of the plug. Then as you can see the front of the retention clip extends out approx 1.3 mm beyond the end of the plug so the ends of the individual wires don't come into contact with the back of the jack.

IMHO a short is more likely if someone bends/distorts the pins on a female jack so adjacent pins are touching.

Now if someone doesn'ts use the Platinum crimper with the Platinum jacks and does a sloppy job trimining with electricians scissors then a suppose you could get a short but even then if you inspected the cable and tested before putting it into service you probably would catch the problem.

 

[jlficken]

If it works well for you then that's great I just want to avoid any possibility of issues on my home network since a piece of dead equipment comes out of my own pocket and it doesn't take that much longer to use standard connectors.

It's just too much of a risk versus little reward for me.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If it works well for you then that's great I just want to avoid any possibility of issues on my home network since a piece of dead equipment comes out of my own pocket and it doesn't take that much longer to use standard connectors.

It's just too much of a risk versus little reward for me.

Have you ever used the clamshell/ Platinum connectors and tools?

I have made 80 - 100 connections using them and never had an issue with shorting. I have had to redo a few connections as a conductor got out of place and I didn't notice before crimping. All the cables that I have put into service indicate a gigabit link rate including ones that I run POE over.

It is your option to do what you want with your own network but unless you have used the connectors and have had a short caused by a conductor extending beyond the end, offering off the cuff advice that you heard from someone, some where, sometime that ends up discouraging someone from trying these connectors and then avoiding the frustration of using standard plugs and trying to get the strain relief to hold and all the conductors in the right order.

Even with my Platinum tool and conductors I still prefer to buy short jumper cables than make my own, but on long runs or very short runs when trying to neaten up a wiring cabinet the Platinum tool and connectors are worth it.

 

[jlficken]

I haven't used them but have read times on respected sites about potential issues which was enough for me to avoid them. I've only crimped a couple hundred regular connectors though so far I guess at home and at work.

Terminating cables with normal connectors isn't hard and the tools are cheaper than the Platinum tools. I can also find the connectors and replacement tools locally for standard connectors if I need them.

I also buy short jumper cables as you can get them from Monoprice so cheap that it makes no sense to make them myself.

 

[Trip]

I would go one notch up from low-grade if you can, for both cable and wall jacks/plates. It doesn't *have* to be Belden. Stuff like CommScope, Berk Tek, Panduit, Siemens, Hubbell, Ortronics, etc. You can find good deals on this class of gear by searching out the right distributors, and/or buying surplus locally or from well-reputed vendors on eBay.

For cable, as an example, here's 1K of Superior Essex plenum 6a for $299. Solid entry-grade stuff. Most of the eBay sellers tend to be IT shops looking to unload extra stock from spec'd jobs, so they have very little reason to screw around.

For jacks and plates, I'd look at the same class of stuff and get them from the same OEM, and model series as well.

Should be able to come in around $800, perhaps at or under $1K. Good luck!

 

[sfx2000]

I am planning a big remodel and want to wire the house for the any 10y future needs - 10G potentially.
I will need around 2000 ft cable and 200 connectors cat6, I looked at Belden and the price is quite high - $1000 for the cable and ~ $15 for the modular RJ45.
I am trying to fit under $800.

Don't do your own - find a contractor that works on Telco/Cable installs... it's a lot of work to save a little bit of money

Just consider it as part of the cost of the remodel...

They have the tools, and can get the material at jobber/wholesale pricing... this is their main line of business, they know what their doing, and they are paid by the job, not by the hour, so they're pretty efficient at what they do. I've done a few pulls on consulting gigs, and I've found that they're better and faster than I am - so I call one of the guys I have worked with to do that work these days...

The CableCo white vans you see driving around - they are actually sub-contractors to the cableco - go to a coffee shop and talk to them. Most these days pull CAT6 and RG6 coax as this is what they need for their cable/telco contracts... and they have the test equipment to ensure that the job is done right.

(Telco like Verizon and ATT vans are still outside plant, they're union and full-time employees, but most cable company installers aren't)