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February 11, 2006 at 08:00 PM
multiplexed

Burying Cat5 Outdoors

by multiplexed . Updated 20 years, 8 months ago

Are there any best practices for burying cat5 cable outdoors? I need to run cat5 from a wireless antenna, through a woods, into my home.

I’m worried about the lightning-rod effect, moisture (rain & snow), temperature, and critters eating through the cable.

Specifically, my question is what grade of cable do you recommend I bury, and how do I bury it?

Some people recommend burying cable inside a PVC conduit. Some people just bury normal, cheap PVC cat5 cable. Other people recommend burying outdoor grade cable, which is a bit expensive.

Is it worth the extra expense of the outdoor grade cable so I don’t end up re-running the cable in the future? Is there anything I can do to minimize the lightning-rod effect (other than just relying on surge protectors and grounding)?

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