Getting very frustrated with ethernet cable quality

[dogememe]

In the last two years, the number of ethernet cables that have given me trouble is insane. yes I know ethernet is a standard not a cable type but I'm not going to sit here and type cat5e/cat6/cat6a/etc. You know what I mean.

A decade ago I was terminating long runs by hand using generic Amazon CCA (copper clad aluminum) stuff and rarely had any problems. Today I'm buying name brand prefab Cat6 from Amazon or Home Depot - Monoprice, Cable Matters, etc... actual brands that in the past meant something. I sold the last handful of spools to some random dude on Marketplace a few months ago.

Yet here at home my Unifi APs end up stuck at 100Mbps or simply dropping offline. Ubiquiti's UI and app gives me zero useful information or alerts that my 2.5gbe AP is running at 100mbps. Thanks... not. But replacing the cable fixes the issue immediately.

Rinse and repeat for various clients. A decade ago I got one bad batch of cat5e cables from Monoprice. Like 50% failed within 6 months. But after that I've never had an issue, until now. If we can't make a network cable, how we can our planet still spin?

 

[Lubener]

I always make my own cables. Premade cables vary in quality and cannot be relied on. All you have to do is look where they are made.

 

[Klutch9]

See if you can buy from a vendor that serves mostly business accounts, like SES or ADI. They may sell to the public, not sure. They sell major name brands of cables on spools and boxes. Genesis, Southwire, etc. ADI’s house brand is good too. I’ve never had an issue with their cables and we use a lot.

 

[SC Maintenance]

How you tried an industrial cable company like mencom, wago, Murr? We haven’t seen any issues but we’re usually running RJ to M12D.

https://www.mencom.com/network-connectors/ethernet-m12-d-coded-rj45.html

 

[Pew]

I buy from monoprice, cable matters, and fs.com. I have not had issues from all three but FS has been my latest and best experience, they assign you an account manager if you have any questions and they ship extremely fast. I get my shipments from their NJ warehouse within two days. They also do their own sfp+ and fiber as well.

 

[dogememe]

I buy from monoprice, cable matters, and fs.com. I have not had issues from all three but FS has been my latest and best experience, they assign you an account manager if you have any questions and they ship extremely fast. I get my shipments from their NJ warehouse within two days. They also do their own sfp+ and fiber as well.

FS is great, for some reason I never even though of ordering Cat cables from them. Lol.

 

[Rob_Roy]

For long runs you are much better off to buy a bulk roll and terminate it yourself.

 

[Pew]

FS is great, for some reason I never even though of ordering Cat cables from them. Lol.

I initially used them for sfp+ cables because oem dell and HP ones were like $80.

Could there be a chance your equipment or random surge is destroying the cables or corrosion is happening in the rj45 connectors?

 

[MountainManDan]

Not so Sure I Picked up some Really Nice Cat7 Cables 35ft & 50ft

Love It ~ Screw ~ WiFi ~ If & When Not very Often I call My ISP - I'm always saying this App = BS

Has to Go - I'm Doing it all manually & You Check with Your Tools - System is Down Isn't It !

Oh Boy don't get Me Going on 5G - as that BS is Being Mixed & Diluted on 4 Levels - 5G is Being Over Sold
To Many Customers , but Finally in Last 1.5 yrs system are Now have Completion , so They Must Step Up
Which it seems they did ..

I'm on My 7th Tower Computer from 1994 - Not Counting Lap Tops , but still just a Rookie . .
I'll Tune Hardware & Keep OS Tight or at least try . . seeing Today it's Next to Impossible ..

 

[OVERKILL]

In the last two years, the number of ethernet cables that have given me trouble is insane. yes I know ethernet is a standard not a cable type but I'm not going to sit here and type cat5e/cat6/cat6a/etc. You know what I mean.

A decade ago I was terminating long runs by hand using generic Amazon CCA (copper clad aluminum) stuff and rarely had any problems. Today I'm buying name brand prefab Cat6 from Amazon or Home Depot - Monoprice, Cable Matters, etc... actual brands that in the past meant something. I sold the last handful of spools to some random dude on Marketplace a few months ago.

Yet here at home my Unifi APs end up stuck at 100Mbps or simply dropping offline. Ubiquiti's UI and app gives me zero useful information or alerts that my 2.5gbe AP is running at 100mbps. Thanks... not. But replacing the cable fixes the issue immediately.

Rinse and repeat for various clients. A decade ago I got one bad batch of cat5e cables from Monoprice. Like 50% failed within 6 months. But after that I've never had an issue, until now. If we can't make a network cable, how we can our planet still spin?

What brands are you using? I've had excellent service from the Startech CAT6, CAT6a and CAT8 premade cables, I've installed probably a couple thousand of them over the last year or so, no issues. For purpose runs, I've just been terminating bulk CAT6a that I buy from my wholesaler (TD Synnex) and using Blackbox, C2G or Tripp Lite keystone jacks.

 

[OVERKILL]

Not so Sure I Picked up some Really Nice Cat7 Cables 35ft & 50ft

Love It ~ Screw ~ WiFi ~ If & When Not very Often I call My ISP - I'm always saying this App = BS

Has to Go - I'm Doing it all manually & You Check with Your Tools - System is Down Isn't It !

Oh Boy don't get Me Going on 5G - as that BS is Being Mixed & Diluted on 4 Levels - 5G is Being Over Sold
To Many Customers , but Finally in Last 1.5 yrs system are Now have Completion , so They Must Step Up
Which it seems they did ..

I'm on My 7th Tower Computer from 1994 - Not Counting Lap Tops , but still just a Rookie . .
I'll Tune Hardware & Keep OS Tight or at least try . . seeing Today it's Next to Impossible ..

FWIW, CAT7 doesn't exist as a TIA standard, so those cables, like with "CAT6e" can often be anything, it's like the "0W-5" of motor oils. CAT7 was/is specified/employed in Europe due to electromagnetic emissions regulation (shielding requirements) but those don't exist in North America, and the TIA skipped over 7 and went straight to 8.

"Real" CAT7 cables don't feature RJ45 connectors either, so you can't connect them to your bog standard home/office equipment, unlike CAT6a and CAT8, both of which use traditional RJ45.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

OP, as a small time AV business, I buy lots and lots of stuff on Amazon for my home stuff but Pro Bulk cable is NOT one of them.
I will buy premade patch cables but not boxes of cat anything from Amazon same with mic cable etc, much better places unless its premade. Same with Home Depot or Lowes, a premade patch cord up to 50' yes, 500' or 1000' bulk NO and if its labeled Copper Clad A BIG HECK NO!

On my AV instals I have had GREAT luck buying my cables wholesale from Snap One ( Was Snap AV ) specific their brand Wirepath Cat 6 and shielded Cat 6. I have high bandwidth NDI Video and Dante audio networks in place going back about 7-8 years now with thousands of feet of Wirepath installed in Salty ocean front locations and I have never had a wire or connection fail after I finished the install QC'd the system.

The Wirepath is the best pulling cable I have found. Its made VERY well and is NOT Copper Clad, PURE Copper! Its priced well.

Even the BOX looks and feels better that the China Junk found in those places you are using OP.

I have not needed to order in a bit but the cat6 was always made in Taiwan ( Taiwan ain't China ), it truly looks, feels, pulls, terminates the best I have used.


I can't recall if I have purchased Cat from B&H but its not wholesale but IF I need audio bulk cables quick its a good place to buy good stuff.

I install AV and do limited traditional networking but I have worked close with the Network guys and I'm not 100% sold on the Unifi stuff, many folks are but I have seen lots of that stuff simply fail and cost me and my customers a huge amount of time.

Back in the day ( years ago ) I would run across a 10/100 card in something that I forgot it was in and was keeping my speeds below 100 mbps.

I have also used Parts Express when I needed audio cable quick but can't say I ever tried the Cat 6 but its a thought.
I suggest stay away from anything clad OP.

From what I understand that clad stuff can cause issue and the very worst time perhaps years down the road.

In my Coastal area I don't mess with anything but good pure Copper, Silver Content solder and I even treat my cable ends with Deoxit and Deoxit Gold. Sea Salt in the air can cause strange issues and IMO so can aluminum under or mixed with Copper in something called "clad" and in that was never designed to be anything but 100% Copper!

Even my car jumper cables I won't do Walmart / Amazon Grade clad, you get what you pay for. I always use 100% Copper.