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#160531 09/24/06 07:16 PM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 812
Member
I'm running a few Cat5s through my crawlspace for my small network, and have a dumb question (I even have a special "Trailer floor drill" that will go right from the carpet through to the I-beams beneath.)
Do you guys prefer stranded or solid Cat5? I'm punching it into wall jacks, if that makes any difference to you. Also, how would you secure the cables underneath a singlewide trailer? Drill clips into the beams?

Thanks,
Ian A.


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#160532 09/24/06 11:44 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 141
L
Member
Solid wire, beam clamps and bridle rings for securing the wire.

[This message has been edited by LoneGunman (edited 09-24-2006).]

#160533 09/25/06 12:28 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
The biggest thing is not to "bruise" the cable and maintain the twists in the boxes right up to the punchdowns. If you look at the signal on a scope you can see the place where you pinch (bruise) the cable as a disruption in the signal. If you tied a knot in it there would be a big bump.
Back in the olden days we used a scope for TDR and you can see every connector, transition and damaged area as bumps in the signal.


Greg Fretwell
#160534 09/25/06 07:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 886
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Any wire you "punch down" HAS to be solid because that is what the block or jack is designed for. Stranded wire is for fabricating patch cords with plugs on each end.

-Hal

#160535 09/25/06 08:32 PM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 812
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Thanks guys.

Ian A.


Is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
#160536 09/26/06 12:06 AM
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 110
T
Member
I agree with the previous statements, and want to mention that Cat5 really doesn't like to be bent with less than a 1" radius- it causes the pinching problem. Oh, and try and avoid electric boxes (AC) if possible, it occasionally causes odd problems. Good luck with the project!

#160537 10/02/06 05:07 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
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I'm definitely with Hal on this one.
There is no way that you can punch down stranded wire into a block.

#160538 10/03/06 04:38 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
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Quote
There is no way that you can punch down stranded wire into a block.

Definitely. If you try to use stranded on the IDC connectors you'll just end up with lots of bad connections to troubleshoot.


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