This Orange Bulk CAT5E is offered in 1000 foot pull boxes. It is unshielded twisted pair (UTP) that is plenum rated (CMP). Each of the wires in the cable is solid 24AWG (American Wire Gauge) pure copper. Bulk CAT5E cables are typically run behind walls to create a wired whole home network. In a typical residential environment, an in-wall rated cable will suffice. However, commercial installations of cabling will have more requirements. In commercial buildings, there will be an area between floors or above office areas for heating/cooling airflow called the Plenum. If an office were to catch fire, this plenum area could easily allow the spread of the fire to more floors or across the entire building. Cables that do not have a jacket rated for in wall or plenum use could actually cause the fire to become more intense. Plenum rated cables are jacketed with a fire-retardant plastic jacket of either a low-smoke polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP) for less toxicity during a fire. If a fire gets into a plenum rated area that contains plenum rated cables and the fire spreads, the cables will not be to blame. Plenum rated cables can help prevent the spread of fires, but keep in mind that a Plenum rated cable will have no data transmission speed benefit over a non-Plenum rated cable.

This Blue Bulk CAT5E is offered in 1000 foot pull boxes. It is unshielded twisted pair (UTP) that is plenum rated (CMP). Each of the wires in the cable is solid 24AWG (American Wire Gauge) pure copper. Bulk CAT5E cables are typically run behind walls to create a wired whole home network. In a typical residential environment, an in-wall rated cable will suffice. However, commercial installations of cabling will have more requirements. In commercial buildings, there will be an area between floors or above office areas for heating/cooling airflow called the Plenum. If an office were to catch fire, this plenum area could easily allow the spread of the fire to more floors or across the entire building. Cables that do not have a jacket rated for in wall or plenum use could actually cause the fire to become more intense. Plenum rated cables are jacketed with a fire-retardant plastic jacket of either a low-smoke polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP) for less toxicity during a fire. If a fire gets into a plenum rated area that contains plenum rated cables and the fire spreads, the cables will not be to blame. Plenum rated cables can help prevent the spread of fires, but keep in mind that a Plenum rated cable will have no data transmission speed benefit over a non-Plenum rated cable.