Ethernet cables come in many shapes and sizes. If you have never bought bulk (long cables in large quantities), you might need a crash course on buying them. Bulk ethernet cables are designed to set up entire LAN networks. Produced in 1000ft lengths, they can be used to wire up homes, office buildings, industrial buildings, and all types of commercial setups.
The main types or categories, as they are called, are the Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a cables. If you have ever used an ethernet cable, chances are, it was one of these.
To buy ethernet cables, you need to know a few things. First, you must be familiar with the different categories of ethernet cables. Then you should know what your ethernet needs are, which include: the speed you need, the frequency, and how much interference there is in your network.
Ethernet Cables: What You Need To Know?
As mentioned earlier, ethernet cables come in a myriad of options. First, the cables are characterized into categories such as Category 5 and Category 6. Then they are divided into shielded and unshielded cables. Then there are plenum, riser, and outdoor jackets. Conductor material is also something that the cables are characterized under. For instance, there are bare copper cables and then there are copper-clad aluminum cables.
So as you buy ethernet cables, you need to consider all of these factors.
Cat5e
The Cat5e Cable is the basic category of bulk ethernet cables. Cat5e stands for enhanced category 5, which is an improved iteration in this category.
It has a data transfer rate of 100 MBit/s over 100 meters and supports a bandwidth capacity of 350 MHz.
These cables are produced with all three types of jackets, including plenum and riser.
Cat6
The Cat6 Cable is the most widely used one. It offers a whopping 1 GBit/s data transfer rate with a 550 MHz bandwidth.
This cable is also available with plenum and riser jackets and it is fairly easy to install. It comes with both types of conductors - bare copper and copper cable.
Cat6a
The Cat6a is the enhanced or ‘augmented’ variant of the Cat6 cable. It is one of the finest bulk ethernet cable on the market. With 23 AWG twisted pair conductors made from bare copper, it can withstand EMI and crosstalk efficiently.
The cable is also produced with both plenum and riser jackets which gives you the option of choosing the right one.
What is a Good Bulk Ethernet Cable?
Well, as we just discussed, there is quite a variety of ethernet cable 1000ft to buy. But how do you know which one is good? And more importantly, which one do you need?
The way to figure out which bulk ethernet cable is ideal for you is to look at certain factors. These factors include your speed requirement, the type of network you want to establish, the type of space where you want to install the cable, etc.
So once you consider all these factors, the right cable will become known to you.
If you intend to use simple applications such as web browsing, etc over an Ethernet network, your speed requirements are not huge. That means you can make do with any ethernet cable.
Then, you have to choose to look at the type of network you want to establish. If you are looking to set up a commercial network, your demands are going to be greater. And if you need cable for a residential network, your demands will be less.
Then finally, it depends on the type of space where you are installing the cable. If you are running it in indoor horizontal spaces, you are going to need a plenum cable. And a riser bulk ethernet cable for vertical runs.
How to Buy Ethernet Cables?
So once you consider all the factors that make an ethernet cable great, you will proceed to the next step. This step includes buying the cable.
Well, how do you buy it like a pro?
That is quite simple, once you know your requirements and know which cable to buy.
You simply look up bulk ethernet cables near me and you will be prompted with a list of all the bulk ethernet cable vendors in your vicinity.
Then you choose a reliable vendor. The vendor should have enough reviews and must look reliable with an implementable return or exchange policy.
Once you make sure that the vendor you have chosen is the right one, you will then make the purchase. More on that is below.
How to Know Which One You Need?
Well, the trick is simple. First, know what applications you are going to use.
There are basically three different ethernet speeds and they are called fast ethernet (100 MBit/s), gigabit ethernet (1000 MBit/s), and 10-gigabit ethernet (10 GBit/s).
Simply decide which speed will be the most suitable for you.
Then you choose the cat5e cable for fast ethernet, the cat6 cable for gigabit ethernet, and the Cat6a cable for 10-gigabit ethernet.
Making the Purchase
At this point, you have chosen the cable you need. You have also decided where to buy the bulk ethernet cables from. So now, you simply go ahead and make the purchase.
Note: Always buy cables with pure copper conductors.
If you are buying cables with bare copper conductors, you can also ask for a warranty. Because pure copper typically lasts for a minimum of 10 years.
Final Verdict
In short, to buy bulk ethernet cables like a pro, you need to know which cables you need, the type of network you are going to set up, speed requirements, etc. Using these skills and information, you can make sure that the cables you buy are flawless and exactly what you need.
