Lowes: Cat5e $0.05 a foot

[huesmann]

Originally posted by: randadore
don't forget a cable tester as well.

PC + switch + PC = cable tester

 

[duhh]

Originally posted by: vegetation

Originally posted by: weepul
compgeeks used to see 1000' + crimper + cable tester for $45+shipping. seems like they're OOS right now.

//krunk (^_^x)

Their shipping was and always has been ridiculous so it was never a deal there.

its not like they are trying to screw you on the shipping price. It cost about $8 for me. Seriously, have you ever picked up a box of 1000FT of cable? thats heavy...

 

[Yo2]

Originally posted by: S4M33R
Any chance you could convince the cust sales reps to crimp it for you? They will cut plexiglass and whatnot... why not crimp some cable. If anyone is going, ask them and let me know

LOL

 

[GetSome681]

Originally posted by: QuicknDirty


You guys making 100' patch cords (instead of terminating it to a panel and jack) know that that is waaaaay outta spec for Cat 5e, right?

Um, cat5e can be run to 100 meteres.

 

[FPSguy]

Originally posted by: vegetation

Originally posted by: weepul
compgeeks used to see 1000' + crimper + cable tester for $45+shipping. seems like they're OOS right now.

//krunk (^_^x)

Their shipping was and always has been ridiculous so it was never a deal there.

Also, the CompGeeks cabling was inconsistent in the way it was shielded so you had to make sure you only bought the "right" kind. This one came with a warning that it could only be used for horizontal runs and should not be used to penetrate floors or ceilings. This one was better.

 

[STotaro]

Good price but non-plenum. Really only good for short patch cables.

 

[neutralizer]

Oh sweet, I need to buy some myself.

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: STotaro
Good price but non-plenum. Really only good for short patch cables.

I'm guessing this is solid cat 5 and not stranded. In that case you would not want to use this for patch cables.

 

[Zebo]

I sitll have 2000ft of lucent from when I built my house. bought 4 boxes thinking they were 100ft duh.

 

[BigJimbo]

PM to home depot and recieve 10% off!

4.50 for 100ft wow the savings!!

 

[BigJimbo]

Originally posted by: randadore
don't forget a cable tester as well.

cable testers are for wimps

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: FPSguy
Also, the CompGeeks cabling was inconsistent in the way it was shielded so you had to make sure you only bought the "right" kind. This one came with a warning that it could only be used for horizontal runs and should not be used to penetrate floors or ceilings. This one was better.

I don't think that it is a shielding issue, per se, since both cable types are UTP (unshielded twisted-pair), but rather the type of outer sleeve insulation material that they use, and residential/commercial fire/building codes. Both appear to be solid-core wiring, which makes them largely unsuitable for patch cables, but fine for runs inside walls, under floors, etc. The CMX cable type sounds like it is the "plenum" type, and CM/CMG is "non-plenum". (If I'm wrong about that, I'd like to know, as I'm not really too sure.)

N.B. You can make patch cables out of solid-core UTP cable (I've done it in a pinch), but they are far more easily damaged over time, due to movement.

Edit: apparently, both types are non-plenum.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: BigJimbo
cable testers are for wimps

Or professionals, take your pick.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: BigJimbo
cable testers are for wimps

Or professionals, take your pick.

cheap cable testers are worthless.. you can just get a multimeter and figure out if there any broken links.

a REAL cable tester will cost you the dough.... and there are some on here that advocate for patch cables, better to just buy em premade, nothing beats a machine

 

[bman46]

sWEEt

 

[carpenter]

I've been buying my Cat5 cable from Lowes and Home Depot for quite awhile now. Saves a lot of money. A cheap crimper will cause you problems, get a good one and take your time. You'll be good to go. We put a lot of this in the new homes we build now. With the wall plates you have a cable tv hook up and internet hook up in every room. Can't wait to build my own home now so I can enjoy the built in benefits. BTW, I deal with the people at the home centers every day and no offense to them, I would rather crimp my own cables.

 

[nero2]

Originally posted by: vegetation

No, more like $16 for shipping. Compgeeks has the most ridiculous shipping rates out there, although in recent months that honor would probably fall to NewEgg.

Dude, have you *felt* the weight of a 1000' of Cat5? It isn't exactly light. $16, while on the high side from a deal standpoint, is perfectly reasonable for what the box contains (crimper, tester, ends, cabling).

 

[bupkus]

Newegg has cat5e cables by Alpha Digital at extremely reasonable prices.
Shipping is affected by quantity to where it reduces to free if you order 10 or more of a kind.
* 7' gray $1.99
*14' gray $1.59
*25' gray $2.45
*50' gray $5.39
*100' gray $8.00
Newegg

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: lnguyen

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: BigJimbo
cable testers are for wimps

Or professionals, take your pick.

cheap cable testers are worthless.. you can just get a multimeter and figure out if there any broken links.

a REAL cable tester will cost you the dough.... and there are some on here that advocate for patch cables, better to just buy em premade, nothing beats a machine

Actually handmade beats premade. Our entire datacenter is handmade (all 6+ miles of it) and we get better measurements on the cables we make versus the cables we get from Sun. Go figure.

 

[sep]

Originally posted by: virtuamike

Originally posted by: lnguyen

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry

Originally posted by: BigJimbo
cable testers are for wimps

Or professionals, take your pick.

cheap cable testers are worthless.. you can just get a multimeter and figure out if there any broken links.

a REAL cable tester will cost you the dough.... and there are some on here that advocate for patch cables, better to just buy em premade, nothing beats a machine

Actually handmade beats premade. Our entire datacenter is handmade (all 6+ miles of it) and we get better measurements on the cables we make versus the cables we get from Sun. Go figure.

Talk about one tired hand. Do you switch to your other hand when this one gets tired?

 

[Rapier]

Is this the cheap 250 mhz rated stuff or the higher-end 350+mhz?

 

[daweeze02]

Its cat5e(enhanced) so im thinking its the 350mhz stuff.

 

[daweeze02]

9 cents a foot at my lowes in tallahassee, fl
7 cents if you buy the whole roll.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: daweeze02
Its cat5e(enhanced) so im thinking its the 350mhz stuff.

The description text for the CompGeeks' Cat5e cable lists 100Mhz, but that surely can't be right...

What is the "minimum" bandwidth needed for good gigabit-over-copper signals? I know that the retail Belkin brand patch cables make a big deal about their 350Mhz support.

 

[daweeze02]

http://www.thetwistergroup.com/product/VC5EBB%2520P09130.html

theres the cable i got from lowes...its vextra, but i cant find any site that says the mhz it is, hopefully someone else will have better luck.


found it yippee

http://www.vextratech.com/html/cat5.shtml