Plenum or Riser! What is the best combination of the Cat6 Ethernet Cable? Bare copper plus Plenum or Riser plus Bare copper. This title will summarize all the necessary information regarding the installation needs for plenum or riser cat6 LAN cables. Read it to the end.
Choosing cable for your server is sometimes a hard and critical step when you need to install cables for horizontal or vertical runs. Do you need a plenum or riser jacket? Oops! Confused! Let me untangle the hidden secrets of both the jacket’s Cat6 plenum cable and Cat 6 riser cable.
In this blog you are going to experience the internal structure of the cat6 cable, its applications, the speed it delivers, and some frequently asked questions about the plenum and riser jacket. Please do not skip this informative guide about the Cat6 plenum 1000ft and cat6 riser cable. Let’s start the discussion with the difference between Plenum and Riser.
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The Difference Between Plenum and Riser
| Traits | Plenum (CMP) | Riser (CMR) |
| Material | FEP-rated material a highly fire resistive to avoid flame | PVC jacket and also fire resistant but not as good as plenum |
| Strength | Can withstand harsh climate conditions | Only suitable for designated runs |
| Applications | Horizontal and Vertical | Only for Vertical installation runs |
| UV-resistance | It is sunlight resistant and can bear high temperatures | Not applicable for riser jackets |
| Outdoor Installation | Not made for outdoor installation | Forbidden to install outdoors |
| Durability | Highly durable and can be used in both types of installation runs | Less durable not good for plenum shafts and only for riser shafts |
| Fire Safety Assistance | It restricts flames to propagate | The cable is fire resistant as compared to the plenum |
| Smoke Emission | Non-toxic smoke emission | Less toxic smoke emission |
| LSZH properties | It has Low Smoke and Zero Halogens | Not applicable |
Both jackets — Plenum and Riser are the best for their specific purposes. But to learn the right need for the jacket so that your cabling infrastructure is free from massive mishaps.
The above column about the plenum and riser shows the best remarks for both jackets but it should be explained more for your clear understanding. Let’s start the debate with the internal structure of the cable.
Cat6 Ethernet Cable — Internal Structure
Cat6 plenum cable does not have a tough internal structure that is difficult to understand. But it replicates the cat5e cable internal structure of twisted pairs.
The cat6 plenum cable or if you want to add the cat6 riser cable has the same internal structure of tight twisted pairs. The twists per inch is 5-6 which idealizes the internal conductor and can reduce the crosstalk and outside interference.
These twisted pairs are color-coded due to the reason to evaluate which wiring scheme (T568A or T568B) is used to terminate the cable conductors. The cat6 riser twisted pairs are separated with a plastic material cross-skeleton structure — Spline. The spline is added to reduce the pair-to-pair crosstalk.
The Cat6 cable is available in various colors — here I’m referring to the outer jacket color. These color variations in the ethernet cable are specially to install and manage cables according to the room or office environments.
There are 8 wires within the Cat6 ethernet cable and it obeys the 8P8C (8 Position 8 Contact) design using an RJ45 connector. This RJ45 connector makes it backward compatible.
Cat6 Cable Speed and Applications
Speed is the ultimate desire for the consumer to smoothen their daily operations regarding business and personal entertainment. The cat6 riser cable has two-speed variations that are for shorter lengths — 164ft or 50 meters. The other distance variation is 328ft or 100 meters. At shorter distances, the cable delivers 10 Gbps speed, and over 100 meters the speed is reduced to 1 Gbps but it potentially works great and delivers performance.
When you need to buy Cat6 ethernet cable in a plenum or riser you must check the cable conductor’s diameter, length, shielded or unshielded (According to the environment), and the jacket ratings.
The cat6 cable has the best conductor diameter of 23 AWG which is ideal to provide the perfect mileage of electrical impulses. The tested bandwidth of Cat6 cable is 550 MHz which can be beneficial for Major Applications.
Major Application Of Cat6 Plenum
There are some major applications in that cat6 plenum and riser both cables can equally hold and run properly. The following are the applications cat6 ethernet cable can support.
- 100/1000BASE-T (Fast & Gigabit Ethernet)
- 10GBASE-T (Future Ethernet)
- 2.5 GHz Ethernet (Shorter Lengths)
- 5 GHz Ethernet (Shorter Lengths)
- PoE/+/++ up to 90 watts (Only with bare copper)
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
- Audio/Video Streaming
- Gaming Consoles
- IoT devices
Cat6 plenum ethernet cable allows all these high-density applications and you can use this cable for your residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
Many consumers exceed the installation length of the cable beyond 100 meters (328ft) but in reality, the recommended length for ethernet cable is 100 meters. At this length, the cable ought to deliver the right speed and performance.
It is often said that you should install cables not more than 295ft and the rest of the length should be covered by attaching patch cables. But this is also a full-length debate about which cable to use for extending the ethernet cable length.
When To Use Cat6 Plenum Cable
Now the information you have all been waiting for is when to use the Cat6 plenum 1000ft cable. First of all, the plenum is not a shielded cable or the bulkier but it is just a normal outer jacket of the ethernet cable with multiple color options.
Plenum is also denoted as CMP (Communication Multipurpose Plenum) which is a Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) material cable. The plenum is considered to be the safest ethernet cable. The cat6 plenum 1000ft cable is therefore the best combination for your networking.
The plenum spaces are airy and highly oxygenated and include ventilation, HVAC systems, air ducts, etc. The Networking cables that are chosen to be installed in such spaces as Bulk Cat6 plenum cable, should meet the fire safety standards.
Plenum spaces are attached to every room and department with ventilation ducts to maintain the oxygen level and allow air to pass freely. If the cable installed in the plenum spaces catches fire the scenario will be a massacre as the smoke emitted from the cable will travel down to the room and may suffocate the building.
Bulk Cat6 Plenum
Bulk Cat6 plenum cable is the one that avoids such mishaps due to the cable fire-bearing capacity. The Cat6 plenum 1000ft cable is used for bulk installation and the same safety level throughout the cable length.
Furthermore, the Cat6 plenum ethernet cable is indoor-rated. That is only to be used for indoor installation. There is no way that you can install plenum cables for outdoor purposes.
The plenum is an expensive jacket and with bare copper, it costs more than that of a CCA conductor. The main solution is to have a sound networking system as you might save some extra $ but in the end, it finds you costly due to cable attributes.
The plenum plus bare copper is needed when you want maximum performance and also the maximum fire safety coverage from your network cable. The best possible installation points for bulk cat6 plenum cable are as follows.
- Attics
- Drop ceilings
- Horizontal shafts
- Vertical shafts
- Above raised floors
- Data centers
- In the conduits
- Air ducts
When To Use Cat6 Riser Cable
The cat6 riser cable is the next option for your wiring needs. Like plenum, the riser is also denoted as a Communication Multipurpose Riser (CMR). Talking about the riser spaces. These are the spaces that require maximum fire safety but still, riser jackets resist fire propagation.
The Cat6 riser 1000ft cable is indoor-rated. Both the plenum and riser are used for indoor wiring. The riser is chemically made up of PVC material (Polyvinyl Chloride) and exhibits flame-retardant capabilities.
The proper destination of bulk cat6 riser cable is only vertical runs — Elevator shafts and inside walls. The cat6 riser is just a cost-effective solution for your networking needs. So, it used as a substitute for plenum cable.
Note: The Cat6 plenum cable has more fire resistance than the riser. The FEP vs PVC choose the needy one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Plenum and Riser
Can plenum cables be installed underground?
The cat6 plenum cable is just an indoor-rated ethernet cable and it cannot entertain you if installed directly underground.
Is Plenum Cable Shielded?
The plenum is the outer jacket of the cable, like in the cat6 plenum cable you can buy this cable in various colors. The cat6 plenum shielded cables are also available but they have an internal insulation layer of Foil or Braided Mess.
How to Identify Plenum Cables?
Having the same physical properties it is quite hard to identify the cable by just looking at the cable. The first normal way is to read the printed text on the cable (Cat6 Plenum (CMP) 550 MHz UTP Cable) the other way is to ask the seller about the jacket ratings.
When do I need a Plenum Cable?
To restrict the progression of fire and other fire hazards plenum jackets are needed. The most common spaces are plenum spaces or horizontal shafts of the buildings.
Final Thought
In this blog, the bulk cat6 plenum and bulk cat6 riser explained according to the installation need. The best combo for fast networking and high fire safety is the Cat6 plenum bare copper cable. Similarly, if you are likely to install cables in the vertical shafts — a riser jacket is feasible.
You know networking installation is a major issue when you are not aware of the cable jackets. For smooth installation n,eeds you need to learn about the Plenum and Riser.
