50 pair CAT 5e vs (2) 25 pair CAT 5e

[sergiyny]

Is there a difference between running a 50 pair cat5e and 2 - 25 pair cat5e cabling?
How do you determine how big your cat5e has to be?

 

[hbiss]

No, assuming data and if you want to run that stuff in the first place. If it's any distance convert to fiber and back.

How do you know how many pair? 4 pair per drop.

-Hal

 

[luckylerado]

Is there a difference between running a 50 pair cat5e and 2 - 25 pair cat5e cabling?
How do you determine how big your cat5e has to be?

If this is for voice, I would run cat 3. There is nothing to gain by running cat5e for backbone voice. What is the application that you are needing cat5e 25 or 50 pair cable? I have never seen it done for data.

 

[hbiss]

I have never seen it done for data.

I have- by hacks. That's what I was trying to get across. Just because somebody makes it and it says CAT5e doesn't mean that it's any good. It would have to be terminated on CAT5e 66 punch down blocks on each end then individual 4 pair CAT5e run from there to a patch panel or the jacks to have any chance of success.

-Hal

 

[GoldDigger]

I have- by hacks. That's what I was trying to get across. Just because somebody makes it and it says CAT5e doesn't mean that it's any good. It would have to be terminated on CAT5e 66 punch down blocks on each end then individual 4 pair CAT5e run from there to a patch panel or the jacks to have any chance of success.

-Hal

And the sheer physical space occupied by the jacks will make it almost impossible to maintain proper wire spacing and impedance from the fanout point of the cable to each of the jacks.

There may be specialized data links and control buses that do not use all four pairs of the UTP for their communication, and those might be combined into a high pair count cable.
Clean termination will still be a problem.

 

[sergiyny]

If this is for voice, I would run cat 3. There is nothing to gain by running cat5e for backbone voice. What is the application that you are needing cat5e 25 or 50 pair cable? I have never seen it done for data.

It was the requirement by a client to run 50 pair from one building to another.

 

[Sierrasparky]

It was the requirement by a client to run 50 pair from one building to another.

But for cat 5e?

Voice or data?

 

[hbiss]

It was the requirement by a client to run 50 pair from one building to another.

Ahh, so now it gets a little more complicated. Building entrance protectors, OSP cable, support strand (if aerial), proper ground bonding.

You still didn't tell us if this is for voice or data. :?

-Hal

 

[sergiyny]

Ahh, so now it gets a little more complicated. Building entrance protectors, OSP cable, support strand (if aerial), proper ground bonding.

You still didn't tell us if this is for voice or data. :?

-Hal

It's for both voice and data. Cable has to be buried in 4" conduit.

 

[gadfly56]

It's for both voice and data. Cable has to be buried in 4" conduit.

50 pair direct burial Cat 5e is about $20/ft from what I can see on the 'net. Pricey stuff.

 

[zbang]

50 pair direct burial Cat 5e is about $20/ft from what I can see on the 'net. Pricey stuff.

Unless the client really needs separate conductors, doing the data side with fiber and a couple of switches is probably cheaper (and more reliable if the distances are getting up there).

 

[GoldDigger]

Unless the client really needs separate conductors, doing the data side with fiber and a couple of switches is probably cheaper (and more reliable if the distances are getting up there).

:thumbsup:
Remember that no matter how good the cable quality, CAT5e and even CAT6 are only rated for up to 100m length.