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zappa38
join:2011-07-20
Silver Spring, MD

zappa38

Member

Best wire for DSL service?

The local Telco is giving me 1000' free to their demarc but I need to continue the service for another 1800' onto my property. I'm digging a trench for power and I can place the wire in the same trench.

The VERY nice service tech gave me enough direct burial wire to complete my run but the wire seems kinda low budget. It has a CAT3 twist, no shield, no goop. Just 4 pairs of 24 gauge in a thick plastic covering. I don't really want to run a separate conduit for this wire but I'm concerned about moisture and animals chewing through it. I can get shielded direct burial CAT5 with goop for a reasonable price and I'm considering throwing that into the trench as well.

So I'm wondering, will the CAT5 cable give me any better speed on my DSL service vs. the CAT3 cable? The Telco engineer is estimating 3MB DSL due to the distance from the CO.

Thanks!

Killa200
Premium Member
join:2005-12-02
TN

Killa200

Premium Member

Cat3 is plenty enough for dsl. A good portion of the network (the other 90%) isn't even twisted pair, so your last 1k feet isn't going to make up for that. Just use what you have on hand of a sufficient quality and type.

Hayward0
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium Member
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL

1 edit

Hayward0 to zappa38

Premium Member

to zappa38
Actually since there are so many more conductors in Cat 5, the conductors are actually much more fragile than twisted Cat 3.

And unless unusual Cat 3 I think you meant 2 twisted pair... 4 conductors. If it not real rocky soil shouldn't be a big problem but you do want it separated from the power line by at least 6" or more. DSL can be sensitive to strong 60hz AC fields especially over parallel distance. Not sure if there is shielded Cat 3, if that is a problem doing that. But you go shielded, Cat 3 or cat 5 make sure both ends of the shield is grounded. Or that can be problematic.

Soldering and well tapping any underground splices suggested
zappa38
join:2011-07-20
Silver Spring, MD

2 edits

zappa38 to Killa200

Member

to Killa200
Are you sure about that? I thought the entire phone system was twisted for noise and hum suppression. My CAT3 cable has 3 twists per foot.
Thanks for the reply
zappa38

zappa38 to Hayward0

Member

to Hayward0
My CAT3 has the same number of wires as CAT5, 4 pair, 8 conductors, 24 gauge solid copper. I priced goo filled shielded CAT5 and the price was the same as 1800' of 2" conduit so I'm running my "free" wire in conduit. VERY rocky soil and I have 18" or more seperation from the power conduit. I'm bringing the wire up into waterproof boxes in 3 places along the run.

Thanks for the ideas

Killa200
Premium Member
join:2005-12-02
TN

Killa200 to zappa38

Premium Member

to zappa38
said by zappa38:

Are you sure about that? I thought the entire phone system was twisted for noise and hum suppression. My CAT3 cable has 3 twists per foot.
Thanks for the reply

Yup, absolutely sure

Hayward0
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium Member
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL

Hayward0 to zappa38

Premium Member

to zappa38
said by zappa38:

Are you sure about that? I thought the entire phone system was twisted for noise and hum suppression. My CAT3 cable has 3 twists per foot.
Thanks for the reply

You sure about that not maybe cat4 as far as I have ever seen Cat 3 is standard 4 conductor two twisted pairs. RGYB
zappa38
join:2011-07-20
Silver Spring, MD

4 edits

zappa38

Member

Maybe the confusion is in me calling my cable CAT3. I should be saying CAT3 twist, 3 per 12", and I may have left the "twist" out in a post or 2. My cable is direct burial with a hard thick plastic outer sheath. It can contain any amount of pairs. I have seen it listed from 2 to 50 and possibly more. Mine happens to be the 4 pair.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to zappa38

MVM

to zappa38
Cat3 and Cat 5 should make no difference to DSL. When we built our house the local Telco did the same thing, dropped off a spool of direct burial cable. The fact the direct burial cable is not flooded is somewhat of a concern. Are you sure it is really direct burial cable?

I'm confused by your use of the term "demarc." Normally that is the protector installed in the dwelling that demarcates the Telco side from customer.

DSL is distance limited so you need to add 2800 feet (1/2 a mile) to the total cable distance. Depending on your total circuit length that could significantly reduce speed.

Why not drop the cable into the trench and in addition run an empty conduit just in case. It is a heck of a lot cheaper to do it while the trench is open. Who knows you may get fiber some day. I ran an extra flexible polyethylene pipe in the trench. That was 30 years ago but it is still there if I ever need it.