Question Running ethernet outside - correct way?

[ps2cho]

I have successfully completed my first patch panel inside the house. All existing CAT5e cable is wired in. I found through the process that I have (3) ethernet cords that go to the outside house, what looks to be from former phone services.

What I would like to do is use that exit to the outside and extend the cabling to the roofline and run PoE Camera's off it. With that said, whats the recommended way to do this?

1) How to hook up the longer ethernet cord? Hook up a keystone or just twist the pairs together somehow?

2) What would I use to protect the ethernet cord from sun and rain?

3) How would I know how "long" the ethernet runs are currently? I have heard PoE has a ~300ft limit. I believe I am fine since the max outside would be 75-100ft more...but I just dont know how far the runs are inside the house.

4) Is there a "type" of ethernet cord needed for outdoors? Everything inside is CAT5e, stick with CAT5e?

Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

Get tricky if you want to splice a ethernet cable outside. Pretty much a water proof box and then a simple rj45 coupler.

It depends on how fancy you want to get.
You can run conduit which will protect the cable from pretty much anything. You can use normal ethernet cable inside the conduit.
The most common way is to buy outdoor rated ethernet cable. Most is designed to be able to be buried so it protects from rain, sun and the soil itself that can damage plastics.
If you want to be cheap and the cable is not in contact with the ground or in standing water you can just use house paint on normal cable. House paint has uv protection and will add to the water resistance of the cable.

ethernet cables are limited to 100 meters and standard forms of poe 802.3at/af will go that far also. I seriously doubt you will be anywhere close that is a huge distance when you are talking a home installation.

 

[ps2cho]

Thanks - so if I use some standard cable and PVC conduit, that should be fine?
The cord right now is in a waterproof box that the phone company had it mounted to, so I will just use a coupler, thanks!

 

[nigelivey]

I have successfully completed my first patch panel inside the house. All existing CAT5e cable is wired in. I found through the process that I have (3) ethernet cords that go to the outside house, what looks to be from former phone services.

What I would like to do is use that exit to the outside and extend the cabling to the roofline and run PoE Camera's off it. With that said, whats the recommended way to do this?

1) How to hook up the longer ethernet cord? Hook up a keystone or just twist the pairs together somehow?

2) What would I use to protect the ethernet cord from sun and rain?

3) How would I know how "long" the ethernet runs are currently? I have heard PoE has a ~300ft limit. I believe I am fine since the max outside would be 75-100ft more...but I just dont know how far the runs are inside the house.

4) Is there a "type" of ethernet cord needed for outdoors? Everything inside is CAT5e, stick with CAT5e?

Thanks!

Jelly crimps are your friend.....

 

[bill001g]

Yup conduit is the best way lots more work but pretty much nothing will damage the cable. If you ever want to replace the cable, say you wanted 10gbit it is trivial to pull out the old and pull new.

 

[ps2cho]

Yup conduit is the best way lots more work but pretty much nothing will damage the cable. If you ever want to replace the cable, say you wanted 10gbit it is trivial to pull out the old and pull new.

Any specific conduit or just regular PVC is fine?

 

[bill001g]

You likely should use that grey electrical conduit. If you use water pipe for example the sun will make it brittle.
Flexible conduit many times called "smurf tube" tends to be the easier than gluing ridgid pvc together. They make outdoor rated flexbile conduit. Many times it is used to connect ac units and thing like pool pumps