CableFree Amber Crystal

FAQ – MIMO Radios

CableFree MIMO Radio FAQ:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

CableFree Main Website Product Page for MIMO Radio Products

CableFree Amber CrystalCableFree MIMO Radio Installation Questions:

Why do I need to use Outdoor Grade (External Grade) Cables?

Always use Outdoor Grade (also called External Grade) cables for CableFree outdoor radios. Do not use Indoor grade cables for outdoor wireless installations.  Indoor cables will degrade and “rot” in sunlight to to UV.  Outdoor grade cables are UV and Moisture Resistant and have a Black Polyethelene Outer Sheath.

What is the longest length of Cat5/5e/6 cable I can use?

Note: the following answer is for reliable data transmission, not including POE.  POE may incur distance limitations due to voltage drop across long lengths, which may vary for different products.  Check the specific product manual or contact CableFree Support for details.

Maximum length of CAT5/5e/6 Cable POE

For Wired Ethernet up to 1Gbps, the general answer is 100m, including connectors.  From Wikipedia:

Category 5 /5e

The maximum length for a cable segment is 100 m per TIA/EIA 568-5-A. If longer runs are required, the use of active hardware such as a repeater or switch is necessary. The specifications for 10BASE-T networking specify a 100-meter length between active devices. This allows for 90 meters of solid-core permanent wiring, two connectors and two stranded patch cables of 5 meters, one at each end.

The category 5e specification improves upon the category 5 specification by revising and introducing new specifications to further mitigate the amount of crosstalk

Category 6

When used for 10/100/1000BASE-T, the maximum allowed length of a Cat 6 cable is up to 100 meters (328 ft). This consists of 90 meters (295 ft) of solid “horizontal” cabling between the patch panel and the wall jack, plus 5 meters (16 ft) of stranded patch cable between each jack and the attached device. For 10GBASE-T, an unshielded Cat 6 cable should not exceed 55 metres.

LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) Cables

These are special cable types which are required for use in enclosed environments where smoke and fumes could cause a risk to humans.  Examples are railway tunnels and underground installations.
Low smoke zero halogen cable considerably reduces the amount of toxic and corrosive gas emitted during combustion. When burned, a low-smoke zero halogen cable emits a less optically dense smoke that releases at a lower rate. During a fire, a low-smoke cable is desirable because it reduces the amount and density of the smoke, which makes exiting a space easier for occupants as well as increases the safety of firefighting operations.

Power Over Ethernet (PoE) questions:

What is Standards based and Proprietary POE?

CableFree radios are available in various versions, which include

  • 24V (proprietary) POE
  • 48V (standards based) POE

Please be careful and do not mix/match POE versions, or damage to your radios or connected equipment can occur.  Standards-based POE generally means either

  • 802.3af (13.5W Max)
  • 802.3at (over 13.5W)

Take great Care when connecting POE devices:

With standards-based POE, signalling is used between the Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and the Powered Device (PD), which established the capability of the device to power up safely – before power is applied.

With most Proprietary POE, there is no signalling and power is applied direct to the wires, hence the risk of damage if the POE is mis-connected, particularly to devices that do not support POE.

For Other Information

For More Information please contact us

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