Topic: Internet connection question

[Jader]

quick question... is it ok for cat5 cable to be outside?  its the only way i can run a direct connection

[anomaly]

im not really sure what you mean... but to my exp. you wont see a speed difference between the cat5 an cat6 unless its a cable running data on a gigabit network. ether way just get a cat6 cable if you can. they are backwards compatible with cat5 anyway and they cost basically the same.

i think the only difference between 5 an 6 is that 6 is more well suited for gigabit. i believe that cat6 allows data to flow faster and less packets are lost, so less have to be resent, making it more stable.

[Smoke]

he means as far as cable deterioration from weather and sunlight i think.i've never seen any exposed to the elements that i know of.but should be fine for awhile and it's fairly cheap to replace if you start seeing signs of splitting and so on.

[anomaly]

oh, 

 

i did a search, they do make "outdoor" cat 5/6 cable

[DAwG]

I think the only real difference is Cat6 has got less crosstalk, which would be signals from one wire interfering with signals from other wires.  But if they cost about the same then I would just get Cat 6

[dj]

I wouldn't reccomend running "regular" cat5 cable outdoors.  It's not going to hold up well against rain, heat, cold, etc.  I was once at a worksite where they had run cat5 cable from one building to another.  The buildings were about 10 feet apart.  During a thunderstorm, the cable literally got fried, along with most things attached to the network.

There is cat5 cable made for outdoor use.  Even using this cable, it should be enclosed in a conduit.

[Jader]

will running next to a cable line give it interference?  i Dont feel like buying 100' of outside cat5 cable.   I just need a way to protect it from the elements.   Also, what about lighting strikes?  what is better aluminum or pvc conduit

[mephisto_kur]

No.  The charge carried by coaxial cable is tiny, just like your phone line.  Keep unshielded cable from electrical lines, and you'll be fine.

[aldog]

PVC is easier to use, cut, glue, etc.

[Stormgren]

Okay, both of you are wrong.  The law regarding open wi-fi is local.  A number of internet companies were trying to force law making open wi-fi illegal, but their effort seems to have mostly failed.  In other words, check the laws of your city and state, there is NO NATIONAL STANDARD.

Kerchief, keep in mind that this is a large part of what I do for a living.  I am not a lawyer, but I work with legal teams and risk management groups over this issue.

Legally speaking, it's a very very very grey area.  If you're specifically addressing wi-fi, no, there is no SPECIFIC national law regarding it. Yes, there are many local laws more stringent than the federal laws, but unauthorized access to wireless network services can and has been prosecuted under 18 USC 1030.  And the case law precedents that have been set point things in the directions of "no, you really don't want to do that".

That friend of mine that I mentioned was prosecuted in federal court under a federal statute.

[Jader]

 

[DAwG]

No.  The charge carried by coaxial cable is tiny, just like your phone line.  Keep unshielded cable from electrical lines, and you'll be fine.

and fluorescent lights

[anomaly]

will running next to a cable line give it interference?  i Dont feel like buying 100' of outside cat5 cable.   I just need a way to protect it from the elements.   Also, what about lighting strikes?  what is better aluminum or pvc conduit

just use PVC, its easier to work with and less conductive/corrosive than aluminum.  as far a EMI you could run your cat 5/6 cable right next to a coaxial cable and you still would  probably be getting more EMI from the power lines that run down your street than compared to whats coming out of the coax.

[dw3099]

make sure you use outdoor pvc regular pvc doesn't hold up to the elements 

[Jader]

*nods