External Cat5e supplies & price/quality

[JonS]

I need some sensor and network cable externally. External grade cat5e seems to vary in cost. Where have people got theirs from? Is there likely to be any difference between a £75 box from kenable.co.uk or a £110 box from cablemonkey?
Similarly normal cat5 varies greatly in cost, any discernable difference?

Thanks
JonS

[Geps]

When I was looking generally when you compare like for like the price difference it wasn't that much.

Of course you have sheilded vs unshielded, copper vs copper covered aluminium, stranded vs solid etc so there isn't really just 'Cat5e' cable.

[toscal]

Plus, the insulation quality.
I've used interior rated cat5 but put it in exterior rated flexible conduit.

[JonS]

That's interesting I'd never thought that cat5e was anything but copper. Given the reputation aluminium has for high bandwidth signals http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technolog...aluminium.html its not something I would want to install for the sake of a few quid.

For the long network run I've got I could use conduit, but for sensors on gates etc would want a robust cable, but doesn't have to be cat5. Will have a look for black, external alarm cable.

Thanks
JonS

[toscal]

I've always used cat5 for gate sensors, and intercoms unless the manual stipulates the need for a thicker cable. I find cat5 makes things more flexible as you always have at a couple of pairs spares left and then these could be used for something else