Best Option for Cat6

[rf9000]

Guys,

 

I'm looking to buy about 4000 to 5000ft of CAT6 for new construction wire. What is recommended to use these days? Is it regular Cat6? Cat6a? Cat7a? Should it have a riser rating? CMR rating? What should I look for on compliance? Go with solid copper wire and stay away from any aluminum? Also, if looking around the internet, there are options on Amazon, etc. that are much cheaper than getting something from Southwire, etc. Does it really matter as long as the requirements and compliance are met? Is the name brand wire any better than the off brand name stuff?

[ILoveC4]

I’m a big fan of SnapA/V wire. It has a nice, smooth jacket so it’s easy to pull. It’s durable. Comes in a variety of colors. Boxes are wound nicely to make the pulls easy. Boxes are robust with good handles so you can toss them around. That’s what I just did, and would do again. 
 

I’ve also had good experience with West Penn wire, although I’ve not used their cat cable. 

[SMHarman]

It must be rated for use case or you could have insurance problems down the road.

I used monoprice and it did all the things described above. Pulled smoothly, different colors etc.

Make sure you have a shielded run to each location. CAT7 is not necessary.

[WhyPhy]

You don't need plenum rating unless you're running the wire through ducts, which I doubt. Plenum is mostly commercial.

I did all CAT6a because it was close to the same price as cat6/cat5. It can do 10Gb Ethernet up to about 100 meters. Cat7 is much lager diameter and not nearly as flexible. It's a pain to work with. More trouble than it's worth and no real benefit.

Monoprice is a good option.