Where to buy long (50ft+) cat5 cables for cheap?

[AncientPC]

I probably need a few 100ft+ cat5 cables, I remember someone sending me a link to a pretty good site a while back but I can't find the link anymore.

 

[JackMDS]

Link: Ethernet CAT5 Patch Cables.

:sun:

 

[AncientPC]

Ahh that's what the link was, thanks!

 

[PotatoMAN]

Might I suggest buying a reel of cable? If you are planning on doing this over and over, and you are on the cheap, you should check it out. CyberGuys has decent deals on their spools and I would imagine if you looked around, you could find better. The only thing is you will need time. Keep in mind, if you are making patch cables you should go with stranded wire and if you are going with permanent mounts in the walls you go with solid.

 

[JackMDS]

Crimping your own Patch is Saving on Wisdom and spending on Trouble.

If you need long Wiring to measure use Keystones.

Link to: Wiring - I would like to wire my Networked Computers (Home Wiring).

:sun:

 

[Garion]

Agreed - Hand-made cables are just asking for trouble.

I've bought a fair amount of stuff from ComReady and they have always been fine. Great prices, too!

- G

 

[wkwong]

i say make your own. sure i've had a few go out on me. but replace the connector only takes a few minutes and if your look at 500+ ft of cable you might as well get a reel for 40-60 bucks. ebayers sell a lot of crimping kits with plenty of connectors, boots, and a crimper.

being able to make your own cables always comes in handy

 

[Lucius]

Cables America

Ordered my 150 foot cable for $19 dollars or something. Came fast, no problems. The only thing is you need to spend a minimum of 20 bucks. I had to toss in some random part to put me over the minimum.


**After looking at the site their prices seem to have gone up. The 150 foot cable is now 67 bucks. Sorry, looks like they changed prices.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: wkwong
i say make your own. sure i've had a few go out on me. but replace the connector only takes a few minutes and if your look at 500+ ft of cable you might as well get a reel for 40-60 bucks. ebayers sell a lot of crimping kits with plenty of connectors, boots, and a crimper.

being able to make your own cables always comes in handy

meh, having a network full of errors generally costs more trouble than its worth. Patch cables are cheap (a couple bucks.) Solid wire is used for "don't move me very often" runs and are terminted with keystone jacks.

 

[AncientPC]

I've had mixed results with homemade cables. When they work, they're fine, but when they don't it's a PITA that I don't want to deal with (not to mention drive back 300mi if there's a problem). I only need about 200ft or so $26 + S/H doesn't seem too pricey from Cyberguys.

 

[PotatoMAN]

I feel your pain ancientPC, but I thought this was on the cheap? I am just saying it is way cheaper to have a reel handy and crimp your own when you need it. I have had my share of bad cables when I 1st started crimping them, but after you know how to do it, it shouldnt be a problem at all and will save you bundles of money.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: PotatoMANIt shouldnt be a problem at all and will save you bundles of money.

I started to crimp before most of you were born, and can tell it just does not worth it.

I do not know how much a ?Bundle? is. But numbers are numbers.

Unless you buy a Belkin Gold Plated CAT5e at you local retail store how you save a bundle when a commercial made 50? cost $6.

:thumbsup:

 

[PotatoMAN]

Bundles depends on how fast and how much you mess up on crimping. If you are really strapped on time and you can't afford the 10 minutes to make a cable, be my guest and buy the cables. Otherwise, when you can get 1000 ft. of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and a tester for less than 10 of your 50' cables, I think you are saving money. Your failure rate would have to be 1 out of 2 would not work when you crimp your own heads in order to break even on this kit - seriously, I think any of you would not mess up on crimping heads - but like I said; if you are strapped on time just buying a bulk pack of cables is worth it.

1000 feet of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and tester for less than 45 bucks

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: PotatoMAN
Bundles depends on how fast and how much you mess up on crimping. If you are really strapped on time and you can't afford the 10 minutes to make a cable, be my guest and buy the cables. Otherwise, when you can get 1000 ft. of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and a tester for less than 10 of your 50' cables, I think you are saving money. Your failure rate would have to be 1 out of 2 would not work when you crimp your own heads in order to break even on this kit - seriously, I think any of you would not mess up on crimping heads - but like I said; if you are strapped on time just buying a bulk pack of cables is worth it.

1000 feet of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and tester for less than 45 bucks

but, solid cable is NOT MEANT TO BE USED AS A PATCH CABLE!!!!!!

follow the darn specs. And if one can't cert a cable to cat5/5e/6 specs then one cannot be sure one has made a good cable. And even more with solid core cable you can move it and change the spec.

c'mon...patch cables (remember they are not supposed to be longer than 5 meters) are 3 bucks a piece.

Most times people wonder "why is my network so slow?" and most times the answer is "you made your own patch cables and didn't follow spec.

For the OPs question - there is not such thing as a 50 foot cat5 cable, because it is no longer cat5.

 

[PotatoMAN]

PotatoMAN said -

Keep in mind, if you are making patch cables you should go with stranded wire and if you are going with permanent mounts in the walls you go with solid.

spidey said -
meh, having a network full of errors generally costs more trouble than its worth. Patch cables are cheap (a couple bucks.) Solid wire is used for "don't move me very often" runs and are terminted with keystone jacks.

Umm... Why is my network so FAST??! I think we know what the different uses for solid and stranded wire are for. OP wanted 100+ feet of cat5 - if you are gonna say we don't know what cat5 is, or that whatever isn't cat 5 please elaborate and explain. As far as I know, this is what cat5 is. But, considering the OP has already resolved his problem maybe we should just let the thread die and wait another day to argue about making or buying cat5 or wannabe cat5 cable.

 

[Chunkee]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: PotatoMAN
Bundles depends on how fast and how much you mess up on crimping. If you are really strapped on time and you can't afford the 10 minutes to make a cable, be my guest and buy the cables. Otherwise, when you can get 1000 ft. of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and a tester for less than 10 of your 50' cables, I think you are saving money. Your failure rate would have to be 1 out of 2 would not work when you crimp your own heads in order to break even on this kit - seriously, I think any of you would not mess up on crimping heads - but like I said; if you are strapped on time just buying a bulk pack of cables is worth it.

1000 feet of cat-5e, crimper, heads, and tester for less than 45 bucks

but, solid cable is NOT MEANT TO BE USED AS A PATCH CABLE!!!!!!

follow the darn specs. And if one can't cert a cable to cat5/5e/6 specs then one cannot be sure one has made a good cable. And even more with solid core cable you can move it and change the spec.

c'mon...patch cables (remember they are not supposed to be longer than 5 meters) are 3 bucks a piece.

Most times people wonder "why is my network so slow?" and most times the answer is "you made your own patch cables and didn't follow spec.

For the OPs question - there is not such thing as a 50 foot cat5 cable, because it is no longer cat5.

I purchased the deal from Computer Geeks. It was delieverd today. Our church is being built and I bought it to use to wire the jacks in the offices and in the sanctuary. Is this not good quality wire for such a thing? What length should be the maximum of cable?

JC

 

[spidey07]

maximum length of cat5 cable...

90 meters horizontal cable (solid) from information outlet to information outlet (RJ45 jacks)

5 meters of patch cable (stranded) on each end.

 

[skyking]

Chunkee,
IF you are running that cable in a fixed location to keystone jacks, then you are doing what is intended with it. Your chances of success are quite high. Crimping ends is statistically another story. Ask the OP

For the OP:
can you run some solid and put on surface mounts with keystone jacks? That would be so much better than anything with a male rj45 on it. As spidey pointed out, it will not be per spec unless you do, and you are still looking at that 300 mile drive.

 

[prometheusxls]

The crimping is a strange issue. There is nothign wrong with it in real terms. I mean for testing / small scale work or whatever. In your own house where you can tell if somethign is going wrong. Crimping your own patch is ok if you test 'em with a cable tester. The DC test is no good apparently.

But at a professional level go with the quality and on SPC. Its some one's buisness and they are paying a profesional (you) to have it done right. So they deserve a good quality job. And buy for them about 10% extra patch cables so that if they have a failure (which will happen) they can repalce it themself with out a 300 Mile drive.