What This Cable Is
The cat5e plenum cable is a plenum-rated Ethernet cable. It is made for air ducts and air handling spaces. Its jacket gives off very little smoke when it burns. It does not release hydrogen chloride or other corrosive gas. The NEC requires this for air duct wiring. This product uses low smoke zero halogen materials from insulation to outer jacket. The materials pass UL910. You can install this product in air ducts, ceiling voids, and raised floors. You do not need extra metal conduit. That saves about 30% on conduit and labor for every 100 meters.
Where It Fits
Buyers first check where the cable goes. This cat5e plenum cable fits office LANs with return air plenums. It fits data center raised floors. It fits hospitals, schools, and public buildings with strict fire rules. It fits smart home pre-wiring. It also fits CMP-rated horizontal indoor systems. This product works with standard RJ45 modules. It follows TIA/EIA-568-C.2 and ISO/IEC 11801. The table below shows the main fit points.
|
Compatibility Item |
Details |
|
Installation Area |
Air ducts, ceiling voids, raised floors |
|
Flame Rating |
UL910 Plenum, CMP |
|
Connector Type |
Standard RJ45 modules |
|
Network Standard |
TIA/EIA-568-C.2, ISO/IEC 11801 |
|
Max Frequency |
100MHz |
|
Typical Applications |
Office LAN, data center, hospital, school, smart home |
Specifications
The cat5e plenum cable uses 24AWG solid bare copper. Copper purity is above 99.99%. Pure copper keeps DC resistance low. Low resistance helps signal stay strong at the end of a 100-meter link. At 100MHz, attenuation margin is about 8% higher than TIA requirement. A PE cross separator keeps four twisted pairs apart. This protects pair spacing when many cables are tied together. It also stops impedance from changing under pressure. We use a laser diameter gauge during jacket extrusion. Outer diameter stays at 5.2mm ± 0.3mm. This helps the product fit standard RJ45 modules. The standard package is 305 meters per box, or 1000 feet.
|
Parameter |
Specification |
|
Conductor Material |
Oxygen-free copper, purity ≥99.99% |
|
Conductor Size |
24AWG, solid bare copper |
|
Insulation |
Foam PE |
|
Jacket Material |
Low smoke zero halogen flame-retardant PVC, CMP rated |
|
Flame Rating |
UL910 Plenum |
|
Pair Structure |
4 pairs, 8 cores, PE cross separator |
|
Outer Diameter |
5.2mm ± 0.3mm |
|
Characteristic Impedance |
100Ω ± 15Ω |
|
Max Transmission Frequency |
100MHz |
|
Operating Temperature |
-20°C to +75°C |
|
Standard |
TIA/EIA-568-C.2, ISO/IEC 11801 |
|
Standard Package |
305m/box, 1000ft |
How to Choose the Right Model
Buyers often replace CM cable in air duct areas. This product is a direct replacement. Check three things before you buy. First, check the installation area. Air ducts and return air plenums need CMP rating. Second, check the cable diameter. This product is 5.2mm ± 0.3mm. Third, check the jacket printing. We can print your brand, meter marks, or project codes. Blue, gray, and white are stock colors. Other colors need 50 boxes. Lead time adds 3 to 5 working days. We offer bare copper and tinned copper. Tinned copper is better for wet areas. We can provide RoHS and REACH reports for EU orders. Samples ship in 7 working days. Bulk orders take 10 to 14 working days.
Quality Testing and OEM Support
We keep flame test samples and full electrical records for each batch of product. If your project needs UL field inspection, we provide factory reports and material trace files. Each batch is tested for continuity, insulation resistance, dielectric strength, attenuation, and crosstalk. The cat5e plenum cable meets UL910, TIA/EIA-568-C.2, and ISO/IEC 11801. We also check outer diameter with a laser gauge. For OEM orders, you can customize color, print, conductor type, and packaging. The standard package is 305 meters per box. If you need a quote, send us your installation area, cable length, color, and conductor type.
FAQ
Q1: Can this cat5e plenum cable pass UL field inspection?
A1: Yes. We keep flame test samples and full electrical records for each batch. If your project needs UL field inspection, we provide factory reports and material trace documents.
Q2: Why is plenum cable more expensive than CM cable?
A2: The jacket material costs more. Plenum low smoke zero halogen material costs over three times more than normal PVC. The extrusion window is also narrower. But for air duct areas with fire code rules, this is a required compliance cost.