Cat6A Unshielded Riser

Bought this for two different purposes, first was for 2.5 GB network connectivity on some servers, delivered spreads of 2.49-2.5gbps, as intended 😁!I also use this regularly for HDMI over CAT connections in my house, where I have the ability to put the same source and extend it throughout the house to multiple TVs. (Don’t ask, I like to be able to keep watching the same show while I clear the table, cook, and do laundry 😂 lol). Shielding is a must here, as previously, with old, unshielded cables, my TVs would stutter if a thermostat in the same wall kicked on or off, due to EMI, OR when viewing 4k, there would be some dropped frames or pixelization. Not so with this in place.It’s also worth noting that depending on your application, in order to fully benefit from the shielded cable, you most likely will need shielded RJ45 ends/jacks as well, otherwise you may be negating the cable’s benefit.

If you are looking for top quality CAT6A CMR indoor cable at a reasonable price, then you just found it.I install Wi-Fi networks and camera systems and this particular cable is meant for an inside Wi-Fi AP/Switch/Router/Server installation. When I made my choice, I went by the following criteria:• The cable must be solid copper. Many of the runs I install are up to 300 feet. Stranded copper should not be used past 75 feet.• The cable must be CAT6A since the network I will be installing will, in the future, require 10G Ethernet over copper out to the maximum possible distance limitation of 328 feet.• The cable must be properly documented so I can select the proper connector to use with it. I will not trust cable this is not fully documented up front.• The cable must meet all EIA/TIA specifications and if used inside walls (not plenum air spaces) then it must further be CMR rated so it does not promote the spread of a fire.Fortunately, trueCABLE (unlike many others) has properly published the specifications on the cable and I selected the Platinum Tools ezEX-44 unshielded connector. Since this connector is specific to Platinum Tools, you are also required to use the ezEX0 crimp tool and interchangeable die system. The two most critical specifications needed are the OD or outside diameter of the cable jacket and the OD of the conductor insulation, which basically means the copper conductor diameter PLUS accounting for the insulation around the conductor. It is NOT enough that a connector says “CAT6A compatible”, nor is it enough that a particular connector says it will work with “23 AWG” conductors. Each cable manufacturer will have different ODs for the cable and conductors. In this case, the cable OD is 7.30mm and the OD of the conductor insulation is 1.02mm. Very few connectors on the market will work with such a thick cable OD of 7.30mm, so careful research was necessary. When I selected the connector, I needed to know what the connector would accept and as it turns out, Platinum Tools also properly documents their connectors. The ezEX-44 accepts cable ODs up to 7.36MM and conductor OD range of 1.0 – 1.12mm. Perfect! This connector has the added advantage that it is pull-through in design and does not use load bars, plus the conductors stagger 4 high and 4 low to minimize near and far end cross talk, which is critical for high bandwidth applications. See my pictures for how this looks.Taking the cable off the spool, this stuff is stout. The jacket is thick and the interior of the cable has a “spline” which separates the pairs to minimize cross talk. The spline further helps with keeping the cable from kinking while running it. There is a rip cord inside the cable, but I did not make use of that. You should use a cable stripper when terminating cable to RJ45 connectors. For such a thick cable, you are well advised to get a heavy-duty adjustable stripper such as the “Big Red” or BR-1 type. I took pictures of the inside of the cable.Overall, I am impressed with the quality of this cable! I wrote a long review here with pictures because this product really deserves it.Oh, and this was all at a lower price than Vertical Cable’s similar offering. I have used Vertical Cable and while they are comparable in quality, their cable costs more.

"Cutting the cable" meant adding devices. So many that I decided to network everything. I made the mistake of buying flat CAT6 for my cable runs. Our cable guy was at our house for a modem issue and noticed that I was using flats. His comment: "I think they're junk." I found out that he was right. My old mishmash of CAT5e performed better.I decided to cut my losses and rewire a second time using this CAT6A 23GA copper unshielded riser cable. I invested in the tools, RJ45 ends, keystone wall ends, etc. This cable was a good choice... nice abrasion resistance and it cut and stripped easily. I ran it through ceilings, up raceways, through the attic and garage... it performed well. It is a stiff product due to its 6A diameter but it came off the spool well. I chose to remove the coil memory first for each cable run... running out 60 feet or so and uncoiling the cable by hand. My last long run, I used a cordless drill to remove the coil with my son helping on the other end.Photo #2 shows the disastrous flat CAT6 (white), what I feel is true CAT6 (black), and this product in CAT6A (gray).

Great product! Will be buying more!! Love how many color options you get to choose from. This was superb for all the security cameras I’m running Ethernet wire to. Easy to pull, maneuver through joists and around bends!!

works perfect

Overall I like this cable. It is very solid and high quality.A lot of reviews complain about the rigidity of it, and I get why, but it also allowed for easy running through my attic to wire my entire house.The point where I dislike it's rigidness is at the ends, where you need to fit the slack into the outlet boxes. That is tough.As for termination, that is a bit tough too given the thickness of the cable. I was using keystone jacks and those were challenging enough, but I can't imagine actually crimping an end on this thing.Lastly, I can't speak for 10Gbit speeds since I have other limiting factors on my network that make me function at 1.

It arrived sooner than tracking info suggested. Not packaged very well, but no damage.