# cat 5 vs cat 5e



## All Current (Jul 31, 2011)

Not sure if there is a huge difference between the cat5 and cat5e more importantly how close can I run the cat5 cable to 120 volt power cables without getting interference.


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

All Current said:


> Not sure if there is a huge difference between the cat5 and cat5e more importantliy how close can I run the cable to power ran parallel.


It should be in your electrical code how close you can run parrallel with power its not dependent on the type of cable.


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

All Current said:


> Not sure if there is a huge difference between the cat5 and cat5e more importantliy how close can I run the cable to power ran parallel.


Read this, And Welcome to the forum..:thumbup::thumbup:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable


----------



## All Current (Jul 31, 2011)

Was more concerned on the interferance issues. And would it be a bad move to run the older style cable for performance reasons?


----------



## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

you should run cat5e


and its not in the code for interference. 

It would be in the EIA/TIA standards


----------



## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

All Current said:


> Not sure if there is a huge difference between the cat5 and cat5e more importantliy how close can I run the cable to power ran parallel.


Depending on the voltage it should be at least six, or more inches away, and if run across the power it should be run as perpendicular as possible.


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

All Current said:


> Was more concerned on the interferance issues. And would it be a bad move to run the older style cable for performance reasons?


Run shielded cat5e inside flex (I think you guys call it smurf tube) if you are worried about interference, if you are worried about I can only assume you have a gut feeling that what your trying to do might be pushing it. Cat5e would be the minimum I would ever run now, Cat5 is just stuff we tear out and take down to the scrappies. :laughing:


----------



## All Current (Jul 31, 2011)

Thankyou very much guys, this has been helpful. This is realy not my forte. the power is 120 volts and approximately 8 inches away. Running parallel for 5 feet or so.


----------



## bill39 (Sep 4, 2009)

chewy said:


> Run shielded cat5e inside flex (I think you guys call it smurf tube) if you are worried about interference, if you are worried about I can only assume you have a gut feeling that what your trying to do might be pushing it. Cat5e would be the minimum I would ever run now, Cat5 is just stuff we tear out and take down to the scrappies. :laughing:


Nicknames & tradeslang terms are very regional but in my experience "smurftube" is plastic non-metallic tubing which would offer little or no protection from an induced voltage.

"Flex" is a very broad term that could mean anything from sealtite (liquid-tight metallic or non-metallic) and what is also called "greenfield" which is a flexible metallic raceway (BX cable w/o the wires pre-inserted)

Whatever happened to the tradeslang.com website? It is no longer up and running.


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

bill39 said:


> Nicknames & tradeslang terms are very regional but in my experience "smurftube" is plastic non-metallic tubing which would offer little or no protection from an induced voltage.
> 
> "Flex" is a very broad term that could mean anything from sealtite (liquid-tight metallic or non-metallic) and what is also called "greenfield" which is a flexible metallic raceway (BX cable w/o the wires pre-inserted)
> 
> Whatever happened to the tradeslang.com website? It is no longer up and running.


It's right here...

http://searchmagnified.com/?dn=tradeslang.com&pid=1PO8G3V7O


----------



## bill39 (Sep 4, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> It's right here...
> 
> http://searchmagnified.com/?dn=tradeslang.com&pid=1PO8G3V7O


HELP!!! Either this website is something different or I'm not smart enough to operate it. 

Does this site have what the old tradeslang.com site did where it displayed trade names and pictures with the actual manufacturer names and part#'s?

Thanks.


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

bill39 said:


> Nicknames & tradeslang terms are very regional but in my experience "smurftube" is plastic non-metallic tubing which would offer little or no protection from an induced voltage.
> 
> "Flex" is a very broad term that could mean anything from sealtite (liquid-tight metallic or non-metallic) and what is also called "greenfield" which is a flexible metallic raceway (BX cable w/o the wires pre-inserted)
> 
> Whatever happened to the tradeslang.com website? It is no longer up and running.


Yeah I mean a ribbed flexible plastic conduit and it acts as a mechanical seperation. I ran 6a through a spaghetti bowl of 230v wires going into a panel sheathed in flex and I had no problems.


----------



## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

chewy said:


> Yeah I mean a ribbed flexible plastic conduit and it acts as a mechanical seperation. I ran 6a through a spaghetti bowl of 230v wires going into a panel sheathed in flex and I had no problems.


thats called innerduct, and provides no shielding....


----------



## Mshea (Jan 17, 2011)

chewy said:


> Yeah I mean a ribbed flexible plastic conduit and it acts as a mechanical seperation. I ran 6a through a spaghetti bowl of 230v wires going into a panel sheathed in flex and I had no problems.


Inerduct is basically used to identify critical data infrastructure and it may offer some added mechanical protection or be used inside a larger duct to provide mechanical separation between communications and power conductors. It offers absolutely no shileding benefit exept by spacing. All EMF can penetrate the duct. A shielded 5e can reject some of the noise from AC wiring in a parallel path. If you want noise rejections then you must separate or shield. Shielded cable or installed in a bonded mettalic raceway
I think 5 e stands for 5 times as expensive :laughing:


----------



## electriciansandy (Nov 17, 2011)

> Thankyou very much guys, this has been helpful. This is realy not my forte. the power is 120 volts and approximately 8 inches away. Running parallel for 5 feet or so.


8 inches sound ok. You will not have noticable interference, but if it really worries you try shielded twisted pair.


----------



## bullheadpond (Jan 6, 2012)

Always go with cat5e. Cat5 is a very old spec. There are some companys out there that try to sell very old inventroy of cat5 . I would stay away from it.


----------

