Cat 6 max length: 100 m, and how it splits
A Cat 6 link can be up to 100 m long at gigabit speed. That 100 m is the whole channel, patch cords included, and the cable that goes into the walls gets 90 m of it.
The 100 m channel
Permanent link: the installed cable from the patch panel to the wall outlet or the camera's junction box.
Patch cords and equipment cords at both ends, from the switch to the panel and from the outlet to the device.
The channel the standards test and the network equipment is built for.
Cat 5e vs Cat 6 vs Cat 6A by speed
| Speed | Cat 5e | Cat 6 | Cat 6A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Gb/s (1000BASE-T) | 100 m | 100 m | 100 m |
| 2.5 Gb/s (802.3bz) | 100 m | 100 m | 100 m |
| 5 Gb/s (802.3bz) | Depends on the installation | 100 m | 100 m |
| 10 Gb/s (10GBASE-T) | Not supported | Up to 55 m | 100 m |
At 10 Gb/s, Cat 6 reaches 37 to 55 m depending on how much crosstalk the neighbouring cables cause.
Going beyond 100 m
- A switch in the middle. Each switch starts a new 100 m channel; an outdoor or industrial PoE switch can sit in a cabinet halfway.
- A PoE extender. Powered by the first run, it adds another run for a camera, at the cost of some power.
- Fibre. For hundreds of metres or between buildings, run fibre to a switch near the cameras. It also avoids earth potential differences between buildings.
- Long-range modes. Some PoE switches can run a port at 10 Mb/s for up to about 250 m, enough for one camera stream.
Cable lengths in CCTVplanner
- Draw the cable routes on the plan and every run gets its length in the cable schedule.
- The design check flags copper runs over 90 m and suggests Cat 6A for runs between 60 and 90 m.
- The PoE check compares the cameras' draw with the switches you place. See the PoE switch guide and T568A vs T568B.
Cat 6 length questions
What is the maximum length of a Cat 6 cable?
100 m for the whole channel at up to 5 Gb/s: up to 90 m of installed cable between the patch panel and the outlet, plus up to 10 m of patch cords at the two ends. At 10 Gb/s, Cat 6 is good for up to 55 m.
Is the 100 m limit the same with PoE?
Yes. PoE uses the same 100 m channel. Long runs carrying high PoE power lose more voltage, so use solid copper cable and prefer Cat 6A for 802.3bt.
What happens if a Cat 6 run is longer than 100 m?
The link may connect at a lower speed, drop packets or fail to power a PoE device. Put a switch or PoE extender in the run, or use fibre for the long stretch.
Cat 5e, Cat 6 or Cat 6A for IP cameras?
A camera needs far less than 1 Gb/s, so any of them carries the video. Cat 6 gives margin and better PoE heat behaviour than Cat 5e; Cat 6A suits long runs, big PoE loads and 10 Gb/s backbones.
Does copper-clad aluminium cable reach 100 m?
It is not a compliant category cable. Its higher resistance loses more PoE power and it is more fragile, so use solid copper for camera runs.