Cable Forum - View Single Post - CAT5E Cabling, Proximty to Electrical Cabling

Jon T · 15-09-2007, 20:22

IF you do any form of Network qualification(Cisco, CompTIA Network+ etc), you will get told that CAT 5 should be not be laid parallel with any other cable(power or signal) unless there is a certain minimum distance between them, I forget what this is. The main thing is that you don't run the CAT5 near things like low voltage tranformers or flourescent light fittings, these can generate wideband RF that is quite capable of interfering with ethernet.

Conventional wisdom is that CAT 5 and any other cable should cross each other at 90 degrees to avoid inductive coupling.

Can I just say though, taking all the above into account, the ethernet cable that feeds this computer runs alongside RG58 co-ax(which routinely carries RF from 3 to 400MHz at anything upto 100 Watts), and also a barrage of signal/power cables to the PC and my Radios, and i've never had any interference.

I would say you'd be fine, but I though i'd present both sides of the argument anyway.

15-09-2007, 20:22	#7
Jon T cf.mega poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mansfield, Notts Age: 44 Services: Virgin Media Telephone and 100Mb broadband, Sky Q Posts: 1,996	Re: CAT5E Cabling, Proximty to Electrical Cabling IF you do any form of Network qualification(Cisco, CompTIA Network+ etc), you will get told that CAT 5 should be not be laid parallel with any other cable(power or signal) unless there is a certain minimum distance between them, I forget what this is. The main thing is that you don't run the CAT5 near things like low voltage tranformers or flourescent light fittings, these can generate wideband RF that is quite capable of interfering with ethernet. Conventional wisdom is that CAT 5 and any other cable should cross each other at 90 degrees to avoid inductive coupling. Can I just say though, taking all the above into account, the ethernet cable that feeds this computer runs alongside RG58 co-ax(which routinely carries RF from 3 to 400MHz at anything upto 100 Watts), and also a barrage of signal/power cables to the PC and my Radios, and i've never had any interference. I would say you'd be fine, but I though i'd present both sides of the argument anyway.