I'm considering a CAT6a plenum run using Black Box brand cable, but I can't find much feedback on it. Has anyone had experience with this brand for cable runs? I'm looking at getting a good deal for 1000 feet, but I don't want to end up with subpar quality. Any insights would be appreciated!
1 Answer
The Black Box Ethernet cable has a spec of 650 MHz, which is higher than Belden's 550 MHz and a bit lower than True Cable's at 750 MHz. If your runs are only about 200 feet, you should be fine for most applications, especially with POE+. Just be aware that while Black Box is a solid option, Belden and True Cable might offer slightly better compliance with T568-D.2 standards.
From what I've read, Category 6A can easily handle 10GBASE-T over 100 meters with just 500 MHz, so unless you're planning on future-proofing for something beyond that, Black Box should meet your needs. If you're worried about quality, maybe invest in some conduit or even fiber for long-term flexibility.