Rodent protection for outdoor CAT5e

[dhnl]

Other than installing everything in conduit what methods do you use to protect outdoor CAT5e from rodents and other things that chew?

 

[franklin97355]

Buy a shotgun. (Well maybe not...)

 

[skip555]

use direct bury cable there is a lot more to chew thruogh before they can damage it.

 

[daronwilson]

There area direct bury Cat5 cables, though I don't think I've seen a rodent resistant one like I have the telephone cables. But like Skip says, the direct bury Cat5 should help. It is gell filled, wrapped in some plastic stuff, protected by a copper shield, then a heavy poly jacket.

I've never direct buried Cat5, we run it in conduit anyway.

Good Luck!

It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com

 

[zozuk]

HI:
I am with Daron Wilson on this one. I have installed 1000's of feet of Exterior Cat 5 gell packed cable. Have it running 400 feet at 56200 baud with no probs. It's ran in a water filled underground pipe also. Gell packed Double insulated, copper shieled, heavy duty stuff, works good. almost 2x times the price though.

 

[jeffbouldin]

Definatly run direct burial through conduit. Extra protection, easier to add more later, etc. We have found that if you run standard wire in conduit underground it will fill with water, then the cable will break down. One job we did last year the salesman sold standard fire rated cable for the job. About a month later we pulled it out and replaced it with direct burial. The red wire was now black as night.

 

[Ghostin]

I agree with the other posters. If it is going in the ground, it needs to be direct buried, regardless of whether or not you use conduit.

Hey Zozuk, I was just curious about your cat5 cable. What are you using it for? 56.2 baud on a Cat 5 is a terrible speed for LAN traffic. Are you using it for some type of dial up? Not trying to be critical or anything, just curious about your application. Also, did you say it was shielded? I have only been able to find the non-sheilded stuff. Where did you get it?

 

[skip555]

direct bury cable has a sheild that you bond to ground on each end



we used to use direct bury cat 3 and pots cable under mobile homes where rabbits chewing on the pvc cable was a problem.

as to the cost factor it is more but unless you are using a lot of it the cost diffrence is preety minor.

 

[zozuk]

Ghostin:
In replay to your questions. The network is a serial network on Ethernet. the 56200 baud is very fast for the DOS emulator that we run, it talks to a DOS based server, it's all very fast and reliable. The pc's can run off floppy if needed (command.com). The cable is Superior Essex Sealpic-FSF-84. I used the tension cable as a ground, since I did not need a tension cable, but picked it for that reason. It has other jacket type or shielding like aluminum tape wrap etc. check it out

http://www.superioressex.com.

Cost money but it works.

 

[Bobg1]

talk about a contradiction in terms
"network is a serial network on Ethernet"
If you have serial connections,
That has nothing to do with ethernet!!!

 

[zozuk]

bobg1
nice catch, you are correct, thanks for forcing me to use the proper terms at all times. It is a Serial network over Cat 5e cable, not an Ethernet network. Thank you, I hope I don't do it again.

 

[BlueOrangeGreenBrown]

I had a large "C" band sat dish installed in my backyard and during one winter I started having problems with one of the LNBs. I pulled off the feed horn cover and found a huge squirrel nest. Well the squirrel had chewed through the plastic, foil, braid, inner foam and stopped at the center conductor. Now this direct bury coax cable had 18VDC on it also to power the LNBs so he must have gotten a little buzz.

D*i*c*k