cat5 cable 'outdoors'

Hi all,

I've got some cat5 cable stuff to sort out at my house.

Basically, in terms of physical routing, the idea is to have it going
over the roof from the front to back of the house and then into one of
the rooms through an already created pipe for cables.

Main concern is issues with lightening etc. and other bad weather
causing damage or problems.

I've seen STP/FTP cable types along side the usual UTP. Shall I use this
shielded type of Cat5 cable for external/outdoor cat5 wiring to overcome
the concerns of lightening etc.?

There will maybe also be another piece of cat5 traveling underground
(dug into the garden soil) into a room at the end of the garden. I
assume is not likely to be much of a danger as it isn't exposed?

What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?


TIA, T

On 08 May 2005 22:00, "T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Basically, in terms of physical routing, the idea is to have it going
>over the roof from the front to back of the house

>What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?

don't do it (?)

No expert, but I've seen comments about sunlight problems too. Is there
no way to consider taking a cable through the loft so it stays inside ?

poster wrote:
>
>
>>What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?
>
>
> don't do it (?)
>
> No expert, but I've seen comments about sunlight problems too. Is there
> no way to consider taking a cable through the loft so it stays inside ?

No.

The loft is a room, and the inlet pipe to that room is at the front of
the house. drilling new holes at the rear isn't an option.

Any other ideas people?

"T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:427e873e$0$2586$(E-Mail Removed)...
> poster wrote:
> >
> >
> >>What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?
> >
> >
> > don't do it (?)
> >
> > No expert, but I've seen comments about sunlight problems too. Is there
> > no way to consider taking a cable through the loft so it stays inside ?
>
> No.
>
> The loft is a room, and the inlet pipe to that room is at the front of
> the house. drilling new holes at the rear isn't an option.
>
> Any other ideas people?

Use external grade cable, it is available. The UV rays from the sun will
kill a piece of cable in no time

"T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:427e7de1$0$2066$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I've got some cat5 cable stuff to sort out at my house.
>
> Main concern is issues with lightening etc. and other bad weather causing
> damage or problems.
>
> I've seen STP/FTP cable types along side the usual UTP. Shall I use this
> shielded type of Cat5 cable for external/outdoor cat5 wiring to overcome
> the concerns of lightening etc.?

Shielded cable won't do anything to help from a lightning strike. It could
even make it slightly MORE likely that the cable will get struck.The
insulation on the cable will not provide any protection against the voltages
and currents that will arise. Lightning will tend to strike at the highest
point so if their is any way of taking the cable round outside (under the
eaves?) rather than over the roof it will be safer and might provide some
protection against the weather and sunlight. You might get away with the
much more readily obtainable and cheaper indoor grade cable. Remember you
have 100 metres to play with and still stay inside the specification - this
is usually quoted as 90 metres to allow for patching cables in the middle
and for drop cables at either end to connect from fixed sockets into the PC.

If you terminate the shield to ground at both ends (which is what you should
do) it could cause all sorts of other problems. If you don't terminate the
shield at all it is not providing any benefit and may make the cable
characteristics worse. Unless you understand earth loops and the like do not
use shielded cable.

John Steele

John Steele wrote:
> "T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:427e7de1$0$2066$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've got some cat5 cable stuff to sort out at my house.
<<SNIP - see full thread above>>
> John Steele

Don't try to cut any corners, either bite the bullet and drill some holes in
walls or invest in going wireless.

Running cables outdoors involves a lot of hassle.

--
Alan

(E-Mail Removed)
(viciously spam-filtered)

"Alan Walker" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:OQwfe.19049$(E-Mail Removed)...
> John Steele wrote:
> > "T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:427e7de1$0$2066$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I've got some cat5 cable stuff to sort out at my house.
> <<SNIP - see full thread above>>
> > John Steele
>
> Don't try to cut any corners, either bite the bullet and drill some holes
in
> walls or invest in going wireless.

Don't get sucked into this wireless nonsense, there is no substitute for a
decent wired network

On Sun, 08 May 2005 22:40:16 +0100, "T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>poster wrote:
>>
>>
>>>What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?
>>
>>
>> don't do it (?)
>>
>> No expert, but I've seen comments about sunlight problems too. Is there
>> no way to consider taking a cable through the loft so it stays inside ?
>
>No.
>
>The loft is a room, and the inlet pipe to that room is at the front of
>the house. drilling new holes at the rear isn't an option.
>
>Any other ideas people?

Why not use a wireless bridge to link the wired networks together?

On Sun, 08 May 2005 22:40:16 +0100, "T." <nntp-DOT-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:
>poster wrote:
>>>What is the otherwise best advice for using cat5 externally?
>Any other ideas people?

Normal Cat5 inside garden hose (protects from rain/sun).

Normal Cat5 inside metal shower hose (additionally protects from minor
digging).

Use rubber corks to waterproof the ends of the hose- you can get these
from home brew suppliers or Boots Chemist.

Outdoor quality Cat5 (expensive but The Proper Way).

WiFi bridge (probably cheaper than outdoor quality Cat5).

When running a network to my shed, my solution was WiFi. I used BS5467
steel armoured power cable (available from B&Q) in a shallow trench to
provide mains power to a WiFi repeater in the shed. I then secured my
private network with a VPN.

--
Andrew Oakley andrew/atsymbol/aoakley/stop/com

In MsgID<427e9451$0$2429$(E-Mail Removed)> within
uk.comp.home-networking, 'John Steele' wrote:

>If you terminate the shield to ground at both ends (which is what you should
>do)

Is that right? Out of interest, why should it be earthed at *both* ends?

>it could cause all sorts of other problems. If you don't terminate the
>shield at all it is not providing any benefit and may make the cable
>characteristics worse. Unless you understand earth loops and the like do not
>use shielded cable.

I would have thought that one secure earth would give you the lightening
protection with no worry about loops?? Make no mistake, I'm sure there's
something I'm missing, I'd just like to know what it is :-)


--
Dave Johnson - (E-Mail Removed)