Cat6 solid vs. Stranded

[gatormike]

Read a bunch of your posts aboutinstall of wire. Shielded Cat6 seems like the most common recommendation from everyone. Not muchmention of stranded versus solid core wire. What do you suggest in following situations?

Long runs over 100 feet with termination at a face plate and other end in standard RJ-45/8 pin plug?

Patch cables between components?

Thanks for helping.....

[henniae]

You always use solid for the main run and stranded for patch cables. Most if not all termination blocks are designed for solid wire. I nave not seen any patch cables that are solid conductor.

If you are going to terminate the end of solid wire with an 8P8C plug (which most people mistakenly call RJ45) there is a different kind of connector for solid vs. stranded wire. The 8P8C for stranded wire has a little spike that pierces the insulation of the wire and embeds itself into the copper strands. The 8P8C connector for solid wire has a split end that straddles the solid core and pierces the insulation at the side.

For more info check out these links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted_pair

[gatormike]

henniae

thanks for the reply....the post was very helpful

[henniae]

henniae

thanks for the reply....the post was very helpful

Here is a better explanation of the connectors

[diamonddesign]

The only exceptions would be Cat6a as by its design you will not need solid in a residential application and also with Cat6 some matrix manufacturers prefer you run the hdmi matrix/baluns off of stranded not solid. Atlona (what we use) is one of them. I've never asked their reasoning, I just oblige

With the Cat6a part, I took the blurb about us field terminating Cat6a off of our site. It is way too tricky to do in any way that is intended for profit (not talking wall connectors but the modulars). So the way I run it it terminate to wallplate and then use purchased patch cables. We only use it for longer runs of HDMI distribution wth no switch involved (ie from switch to receiver direct).