Why is plenum cat6 cable so much thinner than normal cat 6

[thespeakerbox]

I understand the fire coating for ducts etc.. on the plenum.

But when compared to cat6 its incredibly thinner, which to me is a plus, since i want to run it along walls (not inside). Could I just use plenum instead of standard for its smaller size?

 

[blemoine]

yes.

Plenum is more expensive. if you don't mind then it don't matter.

 

[thespeakerbox]

If making my own patch cables , should i with solid or stranded cable?

 

[spidey07]

You shouldn't be making your own patch cables.

Really, patch cables are cheap.

It will save you countless hours of cursing at things because you're network "problems" are really cabling problems.

 

[thespeakerbox]

Well, i need cables for specific distances, not like 3, 5, 7, 10. etc..

 

[spidey07]

I understand, just be aware that if you don't have a 5000 dollar cable tester you can never be sure if the cables are up to category 6 standards or not. It can cause tons of performance headaches and other "network weirdness"

 

[ScottMac]

Also be aware that the plenum jacketing is usually stiffer, and subject to kinking. If you kink it, it's not CAT6 anymore.

You will not find stranded plenum-rated cabling. By definition, plenum cable is made for structural runs ("In the Wall") ... which will always be solid conductor.

Stranded cabling has much more loss than solid conductor and is not suitable for longer (than "jumpers") runs.

It is also not likely that you'll find Cat6-rated RJ connectors for plenum (it's not meant to be a jumper). You'll need to terminate it into boxes & outlets, then use jumpers from there. Do not try to terminate plenum cabling in an RJ connector; it'll suck performance-wise, and it'll break easily, since there'll be no real strain relief.

My recommendation would be to give the idea of using plenum cabling.

FWIW

Scott