Outdoor Network Cable

Outdoor network cable - Weatherproof cable with UV protection

Here on the page, you will find our selection of outdoor network cables, which can withstand changing weather conditions and also have protection against the sun's UV radiation, which can normally degrade the cables over time.

You can find outdoor network cables both without and with pre-assembled connectors, and if you choose outdoor network cables without pre-assembled connectors, you can determine the length yourself and fit the cables precisely to the wall or other surfaces they will be attached to.

If you choose a network cable with pre-assembled connectors, you won't have to install the connectors yourself, and the cables come in different lengths.

Outdoor network cables are network cables as you know them, but with a stronger and more robust PU insulation that can withstand wind and weather.

5 things you should know about outdoor network cables

There are many types of network cables, each with its strengths and weaknesses, as well as properties.

If you are unsure whether you need an outdoor network cable or which cable to choose, read on here, where we have gathered some information about outdoor network cables.

#1 - U/FTP or F/UTP Outdoor Network Cable

The first thing you should consider is whether the outdoor network cable should be shielded or unshielded; this can be important in connection with getting a network cable that fits where it will be installed.

If the network cable is to lie alone, in a place where there are no other cables, you can choose an unshielded cable.

If the outdoor network cable, on the other hand, is to lie in a cable tray with several other cables, you might as well choose a shielded cable.

When a network cable is unshielded, you risk that the cable's conductors can pick up interference or disturbances from other cables, electrical or signal cables, and this can, in the worst case, interfere with the signal in your outdoor network cable.

When a cable is shielded, there is either a small metal mesh or foil around the inside of the cable, or around the individual conductors in the middle of the cable.

However, the shielding in the cable can mean that the cable becomes stiffer than the unshielded cable, which can make it slightly more challenging to work with, especially if you need to route it around corners.

You should also pay attention to whether the actual connector you need to install on the outdoor network cable also needs to be shielded.

If you need to use the network cable outside of your own home, it is rarely necessary to choose a shielded cable, as there are often not many cables in a standard house, but if you drill close to transformer stations, antenna towers, or similar, it may be worth choosing a shielded outdoor network cable.

There are three variants of shielding:

• U/FTP
• Outdoor network cable with one shield
• Outdoor network cable with double shielding

#2 - Outdoor Network Cable Shielding Types

When a cable is unshielded or shielded, you can often see this on a combination of letters, and these combinations will be briefly explained below.

In an outdoor network cable, the conductors inside the cables are twisted in pairs, known as TP, which stands for twisted pair.

Therefore, TP will often be part of the letter combination that indicates the shielding of the cable.

The letter combination is often divided into two parts, separated by a slash or a hyphen, due to the possibility of shielding both around the individual pairs of conductors in the cables and around all pairs as a whole, thus an outer shield.

The combination that appears before the slash is the layer that surrounds all the conductors as a single unit.

The part that appears after the slash is the layer that surrounds each of the twisted pairs (TP).

The different letters thus have different meanings, and below you can see what the various letters stand for:

• U = Always stands for Unshielded
• F = Stands for Foil shield, or Overall Foil Screen
• S = Stands for Braided shield, or Overall Braid Screen
• TP = Twisted Pair

#3 - Category of Outdoor Network Cables

The speed of an outdoor network cable is indicated by categories such as:

• cat6
• cat6a
• cat7
• cat7a
• cat8

There are also categories down to cat2, but with the increased speed of the internet, these have gradually become too slow.

It is therefore recommended to choose at least a cat6 cable for private homes, but if you want to future-proof your installation, you can choose a cat7 cable, which can transfer 10 Gbps over 100 meters at a bandwidth of 600 MHz.

Cat8 cables are often used as a replacement for fiber optic cables over short distances and are therefore not particularly relevant for many households.

Below, you can see an overview of the speeds in the different categories:

#4 - Length of Outdoor Network Cable

When you need to get an outdoor network cable, you should consider how long the cable needs to be, and you should also take into account if, for example, it needs to be pulled up to or from the roof and other fitting conditions.

If you choose a cable with pre-assembled connectors, it is important that you are reasonably precise in your calculation so that you neither end up lacking cable nor have too much left over.

Outdoor network cables with pre-assembled connectors can be bought in lengths of up to 75 meters and as short as 1 meter, so there are many options to find a cable that fits in length.

On the other hand, if you choose an outdoor network cable without pre-assembled connectors, you can adjust it to the length you desire, but you will also have to ensure the installation of any connectors on the cable.

Cables without connectors can be available in lengths of up to 300 meters, and the minimum length for these is often 50 meters.

#5 - Construction of Outdoor Network Cables

Outdoor network cables are often constructed in the same way as indoor network cables, so you will also experience that many specifications and categories, etc., are the same as for indoor cables, but cables for outdoor use stand out in their construction at one point.

Outdoor network cables are often used to run along eaves, underground, or along the wall of a building, and this requires a cable that can endure a bit of everything.

Outdoor network cables are fundamentally built like a regular network cable, but since they are to be placed outdoors, they have a much stronger insulation made of PE Rubber, which means that the cable can withstand all kinds of weather conditions, being buried in damp soil or sitting in direct sunlight.

All these conditions would ruin a standard indoor cable, but an outdoor cable is built to withstand these factors.

This also means that an outdoor network cable is somewhat thicker and stiffer than an indoor cable, but it means that the cable can endure changing weather.