The Bulk Cat6 Solid Copper Cable with its strong signal integrity features is a widely used 1000ft ethernet cable. Regardless of the needs of the network, people buy this cable without paying heed.
If you too are looking to buy the Cat6 bare copper cable with solid copper conductors, read on.
In this article, we will walk you through all the ins and outs. This cable, contrary to what people believe, is made for certain applications and it is not the universal solution for all ethernet applications.
If you want to install the cable in a residential building, you need to run the right cable. Similarly, if you need it for a commercial or industrial building, you will need another specific cable.
Which cable you will need depends on many factors. You will need to consider your LAN environment, the applications you intend to use, and the weather conditions in the environment.
Why Bulk Cat6 Solid Copper?
Before we explore the reasons why not to use this cable, let’s take a look at what it is and why people actually buy it.
Bulk Cat6 Solid Copper comes in two main types: Cat6 Plenum Solid Copper and Cat6 Riser Solid Copper.
The cable is quite durable which is one of the many reasons why it is used so readily.
Its plenum jacket and solid copper conductors are made to withstand harsh weather conditions and environmental extremities.
Another reason why it is used so commonly is its performance. The cable can deliver a whopping 10 GBit/s over 50 meters. This speed can be increased up to 1 GBit/s over 100 meters. Moreover, it supports up to 550 MHz frequencies which makes it ideal for all high-speed ethernet applications.
4k Video Streaming
Modern ethernet networks are mostly used for data-intensive applications. This one with its high-speed data transfer rate is ideal for 4k video streaming. Whether you want to watch ultra HD videos or do live streaming, this cable can handle it.
Additionally, this cable can also be used for other high-speed ethernet applications.
Minimal EMI
The cable is designed to maintain minimal to no interference. This makes the cable quite compatible with indoor and outdoor applications. Specifically, in networks with a high EMI, it comes very handy.
If you are installing the cable in a space where electrical lines and other cables are running parallel to it, this is a lifesaver. Not only does it protect your signal transmissions from interference in the vicinity, but it also extends the lifespan of the cable.
These are some of the reasons why people opt for the bulk cat6 solid copper. What are the reasons not to opt for it, you shall find out now.
The Drawbacks of Using Bulk Cat6 Solid Copper
Although this cable comes with plenty of pros that make it an adaptable and efficient ethernet cable, it does have its shortcomings.
Before you buy the Cat6 riser solid copper or its plenum variant, you need to make sure that it is suitable for your applications. The fact that it comes with solid copper conductors is the primary reason why it might not be suitable for all applications.
Conductors of the Cat6 bare copper cable are made for long-distance transmissions. They are more efficient at keeping the signal integrity intact.
Each 23 AWG conductor wire is made out of a single piece of metal. This minimizes the amount of near-end crosstalk and far-end crosstalk in the cable.
Ultimately, this results in cleaner signal transmission with less noise. Running these cables primarily for audio applications such as VoIP phones will result in cleaner results with less to no interference.
Installing the Cable
The real problem starts when you are installing the Cat6 bare copper cable. Because the conductor wires are made from a single piece of copper metal, they are quite rigid.
Meaning, they need some force to be twisted and turned. They are also less pliable as opposed to stranded cables. This results in difficult installation procedures. Especially when you are running them in indoor tricky spaces.
In such applications, installing these cables can be quite a hassle.
Cost
Now, ethernet cables are generally quite affordable. They come at a rather insignificant cost and provide impeccable value over long periods of time. But these solid cat6 cables cost relatively more than their stranded counterparts.
This additional cost of these cables might not be necessary for your network to bear. That is especially true when you buy them even when you could have just as easily used any other option such as the stranded cat5e or cat6.
Which One to Buy?
Once you know both sides of using the cat6 solid copper cable, you should have the question, which one should I buy?
Well, if the cat6 solid copper cable is not suitable for your needs, you can opt for the following options.
Note that you first have to make sure the cat6 cable is not suitable for your networking needs. This means that if you don’t need a 1000ft ethernet cable for the outdoors and long-distance runs, this one might not be the right choice for you.
So choose one from the below-mentioned bulk ethernet cables.
Cat5e Plenum Stranded
This is another high-performing ethernet cable with up to 100 MBit/s data transfer rate over 100 meters. It comes with a plenum jacket and has stranded conductors. This cable does not cost too much either. If you need a cable for residential buildings, this one is just perfect.
Cat6 Plenum Stranded
This one is the same as Cat6 Plenum Solid Copper, except it does not have solid conductors. The conductors are very pliable and you can handle them effortlessly. The cost of the cable is also relatively low as compared to its other counterpart. Remember, this one performs just as well as the other one. And its primary design feature is to cater to indoor and short-distance transmission needs.
Conclusion
In short, the bulk cat6 solid copper cable is designed for outdoor runs where interference is usually high. In such situations, this 1000ft ethernet cable is designed to meet the requirements of high-performing data networks. However, when it comes to using it indoors, the cable is quite difficult to install and unnecessarily expensive. So the best option for indoors is its stranded core bulk cat6 plenum.
