"Outdoor", "waterproof" cat5 cable needed for simple outdoor?

I plan to drop some cat cable from floor to floor, (150ft end to end max) and probably getting some 500ft for $30 off ebay .

And then there some "Outdoor", "waterproof" that cost double, are those really needed? Here in new york city , we have some rain, some snow but nothing major.

 

Well, that depends on how long you want the cable to last, temperature range and the permeability of the polymer used to coat the cabled. I don't think the latter will be an issue, but the first two might be an issue, some polymers become rather brittle in colder temperatures and that could damage the cable eventually. It's really the only thing I see as being a potential problem. Other than that, it's more the connectors I'd be worried about. another simple solution would be to run the cable inside of a pipe (PVC probably) and have that as protection for the cable. You could also route additional cables when needed.

 

It's not the rain per se, but the UV that's breaking down the linings' polymers, causing brittleness and cracks over time, which then exposes the copper to oxidation. It's the oxidation that's aggravated by intermittent presence of water(vapor). All CAT cables (or anything copper-based) are waterproof, but it's the UV-resistance that's keeping them that way. Connectors are a different matter, but presumably these are indoors anyway?

Whether the longevity matters ... really depends on how long you intend to use that setup. Maybe the PVC-enclosed option's cheaper, you could go with that too.

 

In my "neighborhood", it's the creatures with the long front incisors, that create havoc with unprotected, bare external cables. :laugh:

Do you have any squirrels, rats, or mice, that could use the cable, like an Army Ranger scaling up a rope, on a cliff side?

We have squirrels that ride the electronic highway, from pole to pole. Once in a great while, they sharpen their teeth, by gnawing through the cable roadway.

Even if you don't fear the ripper reaper, make sure you use STP cable. I fear EMI, and EMP due to lightening.

Still, don't use UTP for external runs. Always use STP to reduce external interference.

See point 5, paragraph 3, in this white paper:

http://www.axis.com/files/whitepaper/wp_network_cables_47113_en_1203_lo.pdf

 

^^^^^^^

This.

A conduit of any kind will significantly reduce the amount of headaches that might come from having a piece of cabling exposed to the elements.