Cat6

[SNiPeRViRuS]

My dad has decided to install a wired connection in the house, finally. However, I need to ask a question. We are using cat 6 wires from newegg. Is it safe to run the wires outside? Meaning that the wires will actually be outside, being hit by rain, snow, ice ect..

Are there special cables for this, or will the regular cat 6 from newegg be good enough?

 

[King X13]

you never want any wires to be exposed to the elements i suggest finding some wire loom of some type that would fit your needs to run the wire through on the outside of the house.

 

[Law]

It will work, but over time it will deteriorate. UTP patch cable don't have much protected layer, just an outer jacket and twisted-wire pairs to limit signal degradation from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI).

UTP are a bad idea outside because it presents a dangerous lightning hazard. Your best bet is to run it underground which keeps both protects it from physical harm and exposure to possible lightning strikes. You can bury waterproof cable directly, or use regular cable run in conduit.

Any exposed cable running between buildings should have lightning protection installed at any point where the cable enters a building. This means both ends if you are running the cable between buildings.

You can find more information at this link http://duxcw.com/faq/network/outside.htm

 

[SNiPeRViRuS]

Well i am running from the bottom floor to the second floor, and going through the walls in this case are really annoying. Is there a way to protect the wires?

We are going to install surge protectors on both sides of the cat6 cable, near the windows, so lightening shouldnt be a problem, but what about hte other elements?

 

[Law]

Well, you have to remember that UTP cables don't have any or much protected layer, just an outer jacket. Rain, snow, heat, cold can all cause problems. That is why it's recommended indoor. The problem may not be enough to destroy the wiring, but it can interfere with the transmission, which would lead to network corruption. If the cable can't transmit correctly, your data can't be received correctly.

You can have someone make you a special kind of Cat5/6 cable that is UV rated for outdoors http://www.cat-5-cable-company.com/faq-outdoor-cat-5.html

Cat5 lighting protectors http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/data_line_lightning_protectors.php

You can run it inside a pipe, which would protect it from water and snow, but won't protect it from the heat and the cold, or lighting.

 

[SNiPeRViRuS]

K thanks everyone. I think we will do it the long annoying way, if it means safer and better performance. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Law]

As I said before, it will work but I don't know how long it will last before you start experiencing network problems.

 

[bilbus]

if you want to run it outside, buy outdoor cable, its 2x the price but will last a lot longer