CAT7 Wiring Help
CAT7 Wiring Help
I recently purchased roughly 500 feet of 26AWG CAT7 cable from Microcenter. I wasn’t certain about the connectors required. I understand I should use RJ45 connectors, and I’ve worked with CAT5e and a little CAT6 before. I’m not sure if 26AWG CAT7 shielded connectors are necessary or if another size would suffice. Could you share the cable details? It might help.
You can use it similarly to Cat6 or Cat6a cable... it functions as an SFTP with narrower wires (awg26 instead of awg24). For indoor use, shielding isn't necessary; plain connectors are fine, especially if cables extend outside the house. Here’s a list of compatible connectors: https://www.digikey.com/short/j1373wf2 I’ve limited the options to those suited for stranded wires—select from solid-core, stranded, or universal types—and all rated at least Cat6. If shielding isn’t important, these will work too: SS-39100-021 Stewart Connector | Connectors, Interconnects | DigiKey (cheaper alternatives available elsewhere)
I can't guarantee those connectors will perform optimally with that cable. The datasheet for that budget connector indicates this (refer to pages 2 and 3) : https://belfuse.com/resources/brochures/...-Guide.pdf SS-39100-21 falls under the cat6 category and lists a wire diameter of .037" - .042"[0.940 mm - 1.067 mm]. The same applies to SS-39200-20, though it appears on page 2 as cat6a rated. There are versions available that accommodate thinner wires, specifically in the .028" - .033"[0.711 mm- 0.838 mm] range, and you have the corresponding part numbers. The reason I can't be certain is that Inland doesn’t specify the exact wire thickness, and the insulation around stranded wires can differ. If I rely on typical cat7 and cat6a cables from reputable manufacturers, it should work, as the actual thickness with insulation should be around 1.05 mm, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 0.940 mm.