CAT6A Plenum Bulk Ethernet Cable, Solid Copper, UTP, 23 AWG - 1,000 ft

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This is the Cat6A for 10G runs through the spaces above drop ceilings and below raised floors that double as return air paths for the building's HVAC. Cable in those plenums has to be CMP rated, because in a fire the air handling system would carry smoke from burning cable through the whole building. This cable's FEP-insulated conductors and low-smoke, flame-retardant jacket are what earn that rating and its ETL Listing. Cat6A is the category that carries 10GBase-T over a full 100 m channel, and the unshielded version does it with geometry rather than foil, so there's no shield to ground and standard Cat6A jacks and panels terminate it.

The 23 AWG solid copper conductors are full gauge for the lowest loss over a full channel, and a cross-shaped spline holds the four pairs apart along the whole run. It comes on a 1000 ft wooden spool with a rip cord and footage markings on the jacket.

Features

• 10GBase-T over a full 100 m channel. It also runs 5G, 2.5G, and 1G links, and works with Cat6 and Cat5e equipment.
• CMP plenum rated, ETL Listed. Approved for ceiling and floor plenums, and for every other indoor space too, since CMP is the highest rating in the family.
• 23 AWG solid bare copper. Full-gauge solid conductors for the lowest loss over a full channel and the least voltage drop on PoE runs. No copper-clad aluminum.
• Unshielded (UTP). No shield means no grounding to worry about, standard Cat6A jacks and patch panels, and the easiest Cat6A to terminate.
• FEP insulation with a pair separator. Fluoropolymer insulation is what lets the cable pass the plenum flame and smoke tests, and a cross-shaped spline keeps the pairs at a fixed spacing, which is what holds crosstalk down at 10G without a shield.
• Low-smoke FR-PVC jacket. It resists flame spread and gives off little smoke if it burns. RoHS compliant.
• Rip cord. Strip the jacket without nicking the conductors.
• Sequential footage markings. You can see what's left on the spool and cut runs to length without a tape.
• 1000 ft wooden spool. Standard TIA-568 pair colors inside.
• Eight jacket colors. For color-coding by floor, VLAN, or system.

Where It Fits

It suits 10G horizontal runs through ceiling and raised-floor plenums in offices, schools, hospitals, and retail buildings, data centers with return-air ceilings, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points that need a multi-gig uplink, PoE cameras and workstations where the spec calls for Cat6A, and any plenum installation that wants 10G headroom without a shielded system.

Good to Know

Plenum-rated cable is for plenum spaces, not for the inside of HVAC ducts; the NEC doesn't allow communications cable inside ducts built to carry air. If you're not sure whether a ceiling is a plenum, ask the building engineer or the AHJ before pulling; if it isn't, the CMR Cat6A does the same job for less. FEP-insulated Cat6A is stiff; plan for a bend radius of about four times the cable diameter, and check that your cable managers and J-hooks have the room. Use Cat6A-rated jacks and patch panels; Cat6 hardware will terminate it but won't pass a 10G channel test. For plenum runs beside imaging equipment, drives, or power distribution, use the shielded plenum Cat6A. Solid conductors are for permanent runs; terminate on jacks and patch panels, not crimped plugs.

Specifications