We have a selection of cable available, in this guide we explain what each type is design for.....
Available by the metre here :- https://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/telephone-network-cable/
CW1308
CW1308 is the original specification for twisted pair telephone cable. The pairs are twisted as this cancels out electrical noise which can affect both the voice signal in the way of an audible hum and the broadband signal by way of lowering sync speed. To be true CW1308 specification the conductors MUST be pure copper. There's a lot of cable out there that claims to be CCA (Copper Clad Aluminium) or CCS (Copper Clad Steel-VERY NASTY!!) CW1308 but it simply can't be. CCA & CCS is also terrible for broadband, even a short length can have dire affects on signal quality. CW1308 is available in black or white and is an INDOOR or internal grade cable ONLY. It is available in multiple pair counts, the cable we sell is 2 pair as for most domestic installations that is adequate.
CAT5E
CATE is still a popular computer networking cable. It consists of 4 twisted pairs and was originally designed to carry network traffic at speeds of 100Mb, it is now capable of 1000Mb or Gigabit speeds. CAT5E will happily carry voice signals (our BT to RJ45 patch kits are designed for this!) and broadband. Indeed the original BT Openreach NTE2000 extension kits used CAT5E cable. Just like CW1308 CAT5E is sold in CCA variants, again this cannot be classed at CAT5E hence some manufacturers call it "C5 Network Cable", steer very clear! CAT5E has a tighter twist than CW1308 cable to allow for higher frequencies & better noise rejection. We sell CAT5E that is suitable for internal & external use.
CAT6
CAT6 is now the most popular computer networking cable. It consists of 4 twisted pairs (at a higher twist rate than CAT5E) with a centre plastic seperator. Originally designed to carry network traffic at speeds of 1000Mb or 1 Gigabit it can now transmit data upto 10 Gigabit over a limited distance! CAT6 is backwards compatible with CAT5E and will happily carry voice signals and broadband. HOWEVER, there is NO advantage in using CAT6 over CAT5E for broadband signal distribution, even VDSL will not out perform a CAT5E cable. We sell CAT6 that is suitable for internal & external use.
CW1128 (No longer stocked)
CW1128 is similar to CW1308 but is designed for external/wet duct use. The outer jacket is waterproof but the cable has added protection in the form of petroleum jelly surrounding the internal pairs. The minimum pair count for CW1128 is 5 pairs. Being quite a thick cable it is quite difficult to work with, cable termination is a little messy as the petroleum jelly needs wiping off the pairs. CW1128 is suitable for outdoor use and must not be run indoors except where the internal length is less than 3m.
CW1724 (No longer stocked)
CW1724 is the latest specification cable & is specifically manufactured by BT Cables with BT Infinity in mind. The cable will work with all voice & ADSL services as well as FTTC (Fibre To The cabinet). This cable is 2 pair and is basically CAT5E specification without the pair count of CAT5E (2 vs 4). As already mentioned domestic installs rarely require any more than 2 pairs, the amount of wasted copper by using CAT5E was huge hence the development of this cable; all the benefits of CAT5E with no redundant pairs. As the cable is only 2 pair it is thinner & easier to install. CW1724 is available in internal (WHITE PVC) and external (BLACK PE) versions.
Edit! It seems BT have decided to drop CW1724 and have reverted back to CW1308! Fear not as we sell quality CAT5e cable in pure WHITE, our ADSL/VDSL data extension kits will now also use this cable. (External versions will use BLACK CAT5e cable!)
CW1411 (10B Dropwire)
CW1411 is designed for overhead distribution lines, typically from a telegraph pole to the customer’s premises. The cable contains two 0.5mm plain solid copper pairs insulated with solid polyethylene and wrapped with a polyester tape, brass coated steel support strands insulated with PVC, and is sheathed overall with a medium density black polyethylene sheath.
