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"Cat7" quality?

T

ToddW2

2[H]4U
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
4,017
I`m getting ready to finish putting my new network together and had originally purchased cat6 but after doing some research I think I want to upgrade to cat7. I don't plan or have any hardware to support >1gbit network but the shielding on the cat7 looks MUCH better than cat6, and since I will be running near some power lines in my basement I'd like to make sure I get the "best" shielded cat7 there is.

My question is: Who makes the "best" cat7 cables with the best shielding?

:D
 
Yeah, Cat 6a/e pretty much did to Cat 7 what Cat5e did to Cat 6.



There is pretty much no reason to go Cat 7 and IIRC it isn't even industry supported as a solid standard yet. Cat 6 already has some damn good shielding, as well as added thickness/weight, so you have to ask is it really going for something that's more or less unnecessary?
 
AFAIK cat7 isn't a standard currently just something that represents the cable has better shielding.

Unfortunately I have a 500ft Cat6 spool already.

So, if I`m buying again I'd prefer to get the best, overkill, etc, at the current time :D
 
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... but you don't need to buy again. Why spend money you don't need to? If you terminate STP cable poorly it actually creates interference. STP in a house is not needed.
 
ToddW2 said:
AFAIK cat7 isn't a standard currently just something that represents the cable has better shielding.

Unfortunately I have a 500ft Cat6 spool already.

So, if I`m buying again I'd prefer to get the best, overkill, etc, at the current time :D
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You won't be doing anything on your piddly home network that CAT6 can't handle.
 
I'd argue that cat6 was a waste, and you should have just gone with cat5e. As long as you aren't insulating power or fluorescent lights by wrapping cat5 around it a dozen times, you won't have any issues in a home environment.
 
shade91 said:
You won't be doing anything on your piddly home network that CAT6 can't handle.
Click to expand...

My "piddly" network that you know nothing about, yeah, ok. If you would have read what I posted I said it was about the shielding standard in CAT7 I`m interested in not the capacity. So my "piddly" network really doesn't matter ;)

dave99 said:
I'd argue that cat6 was a waste, and you should have just gone with cat5e. As long as you aren't insulating power or fluorescent lights by wrapping cat5 around it a dozen times, you won't have any issues in a home environment.
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The network cable will run near electrical wires in the basement, as well as above fluorescent lights. Also, in my office there are fluorescent lights as well.



I`m looking for advice on a quality CAT7 (6a 'standard' rated/tested) cable that's shielded to prevent interference. Opinions such as: XYZ is good but hard to route, XXZ is easier to route but slightly less shielded, etc, etc. This is [H] after-all, I don't want something that will "get by" until 3 years I need to upgrade / replace again or I start having line issues.



I wasn't aware I had to outline all the potential possibilities for interference to get advice ;) The price difference is minimal, and I DO NOT want to do it twice.


Should I also mention that in the office downstairs (my fabrication shop) there is high frequency equipment, welders and other machines that throw off interference that I`m well aware of seeing how they've affected my CNC machine electronics in the past. Or that my network equipment is very close to 5 other electronic devices including an AC unit.

I already filter/condition the power side of my devices I'd like to make sure the actual data is shielded, and protected too.
 
Todd, you were being given advice. The advice is that Cat7 is way overkill, and I'd even say for 95% enterprises. If you choose to ignore it, that's your business.
 
I get that you are looking for the best, the problem is if you are doing this yourself, there is a decent chance that by using cat6a or "better" you'll screw it up and it will be worse than just using 5e. That shit is just that much harder to work with, run and terminate correctly. If you need 10gbe now, use fiber. Otherwise by the time 10gb networking gear gets to the consumer level, it's probably gonna come over wifi.
 
dave99 said:
I get that you are looking for the best, the problem is if you are doing this yourself, there is a decent chance that by using cat6a or "better" you'll screw it up and it will be worse than just using 5e. That shit is just that much harder to work with, run and terminate correctly. If you need 10gbe now, use fiber. Otherwise by the time 10gb networking gear gets to the consumer level, it's probably gonna come over wifi.
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Thanks I understand what you're saying, and if pointed out previously I would have replied to it. If it's that difficult to work on then I`ll have them created for me to size, and shipped.

I`m already running fiber between my houses managed switch to my offices (120' or so away), and want to make sure I get the "hard" wire done to the best as well.

I've gone this far in regards to building the network out as future-proof as I can so far, I'd like to keep it up, and keep it as free of interference as possible :D

I appreciate the feedback from everyone, thanks guys.
 
Nate7311 said:
Todd, you were being given advice. The advice is that Cat7 is way overkill, and I'd even say for 95% enterprises. If you choose to ignore it, that's your business.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks for letting me know it's overkill.

Everything I try to do is overkill it helps me save money in the long-haul. Even if it is only 50-100 more out of pocket now ;) which in the grand scheme of my network and computer systems is very tiny.
 
Since you already have the cat6, I'd use that. If you had to buy cable anyway then that's another story. Check Monoprice they might have it. Though TBH I did not even realize cat7 was available yet, I thought it was just on the drawing board.

Another option for you might be fibre. Not exactly the easiest thing to terminate though. Need lot of high end expensive equipment, but it would be cool. :p
 
Cat 7 doesn't officially exist yet, it's called ISO/IEC 11801, but if you throw RJ-45 connectors on it, it works as Ethernet equivalent of what might be cat 7 but is definitely cat 6A.
 
Cat6 will be just fine for anything you will do at home (even power users) for the next 10 years at the very least.

If you need any more than 75m of 10GBe then you should just run fiber anyways. Won't have to worry about ever upgrading the fiber, just the transceivers.

You could go UBER OVERKILL and run flexible conduit everywhere. Pull anything you want anytime you want, no problem.
 
dj_taboo said:
Just wrap your cat6 bundle in tin foil. :D
Click to expand...

At a place I used to work they had a microwave dish sending/receiving data to space and a local radio station would often interferer with it, so they wrapped some foil around the RF wire leading to the driver, and it fixed the problem. :D
 
ToddW2 said:
AFAIK cat7 isn't a standard currently just something that represents the cable has better shielding.

Unfortunately I have a 500ft Cat6 spool already.

So, if I`m buying again I'd prefer to get the best, overkill, etc, at the current time :D
Click to expand...

Your little T1 will be fine with cat6. ;)
 
Not to derail any further, but I've been interested in this subject as well. Judging by the price of fiber (it's pretty damn cheap now), and the fact that I'm also interested in a "future" proof solution it would seem to me fiber is the way to go for the whole house. Just grab switches for each room to terminate the fiber to rj45 and you're good to go.
 
bleomycin said:
Not to derail any further, but I've been interested in this subject as well. Judging by the price of fiber (it's pretty damn cheap now), and the fact that I'm also interested in a "future" proof solution it would seem to me fiber is the way to go for the whole house. Just grab switches for each room to terminate the fiber to rj45 and you're good to go.
Click to expand...

This makes me wonder if you can get 4-port switches with a fiber uplink port. That would be a nice overkill solution over running 4x copper to each drop.

I always hear that terminating fiber is expensive, and the way I remember it being done involved a machine that cost tens of thousands of dollars. I have started seeing kits like this: http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Tools...0814986&sr=8-1&keywords=fiber+termination+kit though. $440 is not bad for a termination kit, assuming that actually works and is what I think it is.
 
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wizdum said:
This makes me wonder if you can get 4-port switches with a fiber uplink port. That would be a nice overkill solution over running 4x copper to each drop.

I always hear that terminating fiber is expensive, and the way I remember it being done involved a machine that cost tens of thousands of dollars. I have started seeing kits like this: http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Tools...0814986&sr=8-1&keywords=fiber+termination+kit though. $440 is not bad for a termination kit, assuming that actually works and is what I think it is.
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Mikrotik makes 5 port switches with a SFP port for ~ $50.
 
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If your worried about EMI and not cost sensitive then go with fiber. Fiber can carry higher bandwidth over longer distances and is immune to EMI.
 
wizdum said:
This makes me wonder if you can get 4-port switches with a fiber uplink port. That would be a nice overkill solution over running 4x copper to each drop.

I always hear that terminating fiber is expensive, and the way I remember it being done involved a machine that cost tens of thousands of dollars. I have started seeing kits like this: http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Tools...0814986&sr=8-1&keywords=fiber+termination+kit though. $440 is not bad for a termination kit, assuming that actually works and is what I think it is.
Click to expand...

That's actually pretty neat...

I've been having an itch to run fibre somewhere, just for the sake of doing it. I don't actually need it, gigabit is more than enough. :D Good to know such kits are readily available. When I finish my garage I will probably end up running fibre there.

As for the OP, given you already have the cat6 on hand, I would use that, it's more than capable of gigabit and is even rated for 10. The fact that it's twisted helps a lot against EMI. I posted a thread recently about installing neon tube fixtures in my server room right over some existing cat6 runs and the general consensus is it should not be an issue, especially with the newer electronic ballasts. Also run perpendicular to electrical lines or at least keep it as far as you can.

What I like to do is run electrical through the joists and keep them centre. Data is run under the joists. So if I happen to need to run along electrical at least there's about 6 inches or so of distance.
 
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CAT5e is fine for home use and supports 10GbE over distance found in the home. STP is a real problem for people not familiar with it's use. You need to read the fine print- STP (and FTP) cause more interference on the pairs when the shield is not drained properly. If you don't know what you're doing (and turning your nose up at CAT6 would suggest this) stay away from STP and FTP. 5e is fine for any distance found in a home, even run parallel to Fluorescents.
As to the noise inducing equipment, most of that noise is placed on the AC. Most Computer gear uses switching power supplies, which is mostly immune to the type of crap thrown on the lines from welders and motors. Don't take multiple turns around the arc welder with your network cable and you'll be fine.

The horror stories you hear about using CAT5e UTP in industrial settings is for massive 3-phase CNC machines and other 3-phase power. They generate so much noise, and the electronics are not typically well isolated. It's a whole 'nother ballgame.

OP asked for advice, advice was given and explained.
 
We've had this argument before....


Cat6A if you want to brainlessly support 10G



You can use cat6 and or cat5e IF you know the testing specs operationally exceed the requirements of your environment.

Just understand that to be certified to run 10G at 100 meters your cable needs to be cat6A end to end.


Working and certified are not the same thing. There are a couple guys on this forum that have 10G connections working on cat5e at shorter distances.


End rant /
 
OP before you invest in what you are seeing marketed as category 7 cabling be aware there is no ratified category 7 standard meaning what is being marketed as CAT7 is not.. Further you need to look into what is required for terminating the cable correctly. You need to pay special attention to GG45 vs 8P8C aka RJ45 and understand you will find no support for GG45 on any networking equipment currently available and likely ever available as the manufacturers are not interested. If your goal is truly, as you stated, to only do this once then run single mode fiber and be done with it. Fiber, SMF and MMF, is a true standard and 100% immune from electrical interference and more than capable of 10Gb. When EMI is a concern enterprises use fiber.

FWIW I've got 60 meter runs going directly over the top of 6 large fluorescent light fixures, the 4 tube kind, using cat 5e and the runs still certified out well above spec when tested by the cable certifier.
 
RocketTech said:
CAT5e is fine for home use and supports 10GbE over distance found in the home. STP is a real problem for people not familiar with it's use. You need to read the fine print- STP (and FTP) cause more interference on the pairs when the shield is not drained properly. If you don't know what you're doing (and turning your nose up at CAT6 would suggest this) stay away from STP and FTP. 5e is fine for any distance found in a home, even run parallel to Fluorescents.
As to the noise inducing equipment, most of that noise is placed on the AC. Most Computer gear uses switching power supplies, which is mostly immune to the type of crap thrown on the lines from welders and motors. Don't take multiple turns around the arc welder with your network cable and you'll be fine.

The horror stories you hear about using CAT5e UTP in industrial settings is for massive 3-phase CNC machines and other 3-phase power. They generate so much noise, and the electronics are not typically well isolated. It's a whole 'nother ballgame.

OP asked for advice, advice was given and explained.
Click to expand...

Wow, now this is what I was looking for. Great information. Much appreciated.

I do in fact have two machines that run 3 Phase, directly under my office. However, the likelihood of those on while I`m doing anything short of downloading music is going to be very rare :D And, well, I already planned to run fiber to the office/shop so that should take care of that too :)

I`ll look into running another 1 or 2 fiber runs in the house, probably <100/each and be done with it!
 
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