Review on TrueCABLE Cat6A Riser (CMR) Computer Accessories & Peripherals by Sean Bouchard

If you are looking for a high quality indoor CAT6A CMR cable at a reasonable price, you just found it. I'm installing Wi-Fi networks and camera systems and this particular cable is for an internal Wi-Fi hotspot/switch. /router/server installation. I was guided by the following criteria when making my selection: • The cable must be made of solid copper. Many of the purlins I install are up to 300 feet high. Stranded copper cable should not be used over 75 feet • The cable must be CAT6A as the network I will be installing will in the future require 10G Ethernet over copper wire for a maximum distance limit of 328 feet • The cable must be properly documented so that I can select the correct connector to use with it. I won't trust the cable, it's not fully documented in advance. • The cable must meet all EIA/TIA specifications and if used inside walls (not in air intake rooms) it must be CMR certified to prevent the spread of the virus. Fire. Luckily, trueCABLE (unlike many others) published the cable specs correctly, and I settled on the Platinum Tools ezEX-44 unshielded connector. Since this connector is Platinum Tools only, you must also use the ezEX0 crimping tool and interchangeable insert system. The two most important specifications are the outside diameter of the cable sheath and the outside diameter of the conductor insulation, i.e. basically the diameter of the copper conductor PLUS taking into account the insulation around the conductor. It's not enough for a connector to say "CAT6A Compliant" and it's not enough for a specific connector to say it will work with "23 AWG" conductors. Each cable manufacturer has different outer diameters for cables and conductors. The outer diameter of the cable is 7.30 mm and the outer diameter of the conductor insulation is 1.02 mm. Very few connectors on the market can handle such a thick cable with an OD of 7.30mm, so careful research is required. When choosing a connector, I needed to know which connector would be accepted, and it turns out Platinum Tools also documents their connectors correctly. ezEX-44 supports cables with an outer diameter of up to 7.36 mm and conductors with an outer diameter of 1.0 mm to 1.12 mm. Ideal! The added benefit of this connector is that it is pass-through and uses no load bars and the conductors are offset 4 up and 4 down to minimize near-end and far-end crosstalk, which is critical for high power applications. See my photos how it looks. After removing the cable from the reel, it is strong. The jacket is thick and the inside of the cable has a "spline" that separates the pairs to minimize crosstalk. The splines also prevent the cable from twisting during installation. There is a ripcord in the cable, but I didn't use it. Use a wire stripper when connecting a cable to RJ45 connectors. For a cable that thick, it's a good idea to buy a heavy-duty, adjustable wire stripper like Big Red or BR-1. I photographed the inside of the cable. Overall I am impressed with the quality of this cable! I wrote a long review with photos here because this product really deserves it. Oh, and all for a lower price than Vertical Cable's equivalent offering. I used a vertical cable and while they are comparable in quality their cable is more expensive.