PoE Mystery

[Vic]

I recently installed 4 PoE security cameras at my church. Since part of the cable run was outdoors, I searched for outdoor cat5e cable. I found some at my Home Center, made by Southwire. Reading the reviews on the cable, I saw one reviewer state that the cable does not provide power over 100 ft. I questioned this review as cat5e cable can provide power for more than 300 ft. The cable is 24 AWG, solid copper, cat5e certified.

I installed the cameras and found that 2 of the cameras with cable runs of 35 and 70 ft. worked fine but 2 cameras with cable runs of 110 ft. would not power up. I tested the cables with a high end Klein cable tester and everything was connected properly. The cable tester had a PoE test function which simulates a PoE load and measures the PoE voltage at the end of the cable. This also tested ok. Not knowing what else to do, I obtained some cat5e cable from the camera supplier and stretched out 110 ft. and tested the cameras. They worked fine. I replaced the Southwire cable with the new cable and everything is working good.

Has anyone seen something like this before or has anyone got an idea why the cable would not work over 100 ft.

 

[daba]

I recently installed 4 PoE security cameras at my church. Since part of the cable run was outdoors, I searched for outdoor cat5e cable. I found some at my Home Center, made by Southwire. Reading the reviews on the cable, I saw one reviewer state that the cable does not provide power over 100 ft. I questioned this review as cat5e cable can provide power for more than 300 ft. The cable is 24 AWG, solid copper, cat5e certified.

I installed the cameras and found that 2 of the cameras with cable runs of 35 and 70 ft. worked fine but 2 cameras with cable runs of 110 ft. would not power up. I tested the cables with a high end Klein cable tester and everything was connected properly. The cable tester had a PoE test function which simulates a PoE load and measures the PoE voltage at the end of the cable. This also tested ok. Not knowing what else to do, I obtained some cat5e cable from the camera supplier and stretched out 110 ft. and tested the cameras. They worked fine. I replaced the Southwire cable with the new cable and everything is working good.

Has anyone seen something like this before or has anyone got an idea why the cable would not work over 100 ft.

You did the installation yourself ? In which case Southwire will dismiss it.

If you had the installation done by a third-party company, it's up to them to deal with Southwire.

Perhaps you just got unlucky with two bad RJ45 plug installations, which you would have had to do if replacing cables...

At the end of the day, you've suffered by buying supposedly certified components that did not work. Had you payed someone else to do the installation for you, you would have been covered. You takes your choice....

 

[Mark-]

What was the voltage at the both ends?

 

[Vic]

Mark
I didn't measure the voltage from the recorder but the voltage at the end of the cable was 46-47 volts. I don't remember the exact fraction of voltage.

 

[Mark-]

"...with cable runs of 110 ft. would not power up."

I didn't measure the voltage from the recorder but the voltage at the end of the cable was 46-47 volts.

Seems to me a large voltage drop on load or low voltage from source. Unless "...would not power up" means no data connection.

 

[daba]

I recently installed 4 PoE security cameras at my church. Since part of the cable run was outdoors, I searched for outdoor cat5e cable. I found some at my Home Center, made by Southwire. Reading the reviews on the cable, I saw one reviewer state that the cable does not provide power over 100 ft. I questioned this review as cat5e cable can provide power for more than 300 ft. The cable is 24 AWG, solid copper, cat5e certified.

I installed the cameras and found that 2 of the cameras with cable runs of 35 and 70 ft. worked fine but 2 cameras with cable runs of 110 ft. would not power up. I tested the cables with a high end Klein cable tester and everything was connected properly. The cable tester had a PoE test function which simulates a PoE load and measures the PoE voltage at the end of the cable. This also tested ok. Not knowing what else to do, I obtained some cat5e cable from the camera supplier and stretched out 110 ft. and tested the cameras. They worked fine. I replaced the Southwire cable with the new cable and everything is working good.

Has anyone seen something like this before or has anyone got an idea why the cable would not work over 100 ft.

Reading the Wiki Article on PoE, it seems there could be one of two reasons why your installation failed.

Cable specification, and/or power injection capabilities of the powering device.

In the Wiki article, the table entitled "Comparison of PoE parameters" shows that the voltage range for "802.3af (802.3at Type 1) "PoE" " can be as low as 37V, which may not be enough for your cameras. Switching to a "proper" CAT5 cable solved your problem, using the same PoE injector, so I believe you have a reasonable case to return the poor cable if it was described as CAT5. At best it appears to be CAT3...