CCTV Fibre v Cat 5?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › CCTV Fibre v Cat 5?

stuffed

288 posts

Ultimate Geek

#173575 28-May-2015 08:47

Looking at replacing 8 year old analog cameras in our CCTV network with high end IP ones and one contractor wants to also replace the Cat 5 with fibre.
The question is this.
Over about 250 metres is there any SIGNIFICANT quality difference between Cat 5 and fibre?
Just trying to figure if it is cost effective!
Thanks

Why work on Wednesday and stuff up 2 good long weekends

nakedmolerat

4629 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1313250 28-May-2015 08:48

how much is the cost difference?

richms

28215 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1313253 28-May-2015 08:53

well, cat5e for ethernet is specced to go 100 meters, so good on the installer for wanting to do it right.

Richard rich.ms

Inphinity

2780 posts

Uber Geek

#1313258 28-May-2015 09:07

250m is WAY outside spec for a run for cat5/cat6 without some sort of powered repeater (e.g. switch), actually, two of them. The installer is right to suggest fibre. Any installer who did not at least raise the distance as an issue for cat5/6 would be one I would avoid.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1313264 28-May-2015 09:18

You can run analogue camera over cat5e over 250m with baluns.

You can't run Ethernet for IP camera over 250m - it's well beyond the 100m limitation of Ethernet (which you can push to 150m in a really good environment if you're lucky).

The only two options are fibre, or 2 Ethernet power boosters to use the cat5e cable.

stuffed

288 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1313577 28-May-2015 15:41

Thanks - appreciate the heads up!

Why work on Wednesday and stuff up 2 good long weekends