One of the most common questions during CCTV installation is:

“How long can the network cable between an IP camera and the NVR or PoE switch be?”

You may hear very different answers:

• 90 metres
• 100 metres
• 150 metres
• 250 metres
• 300 metres
• 500 metres
• or even several kilometres

All of these numbers can be possible under different technologies and conditions, but they should not be treated as the same thing.

For normal Ethernet-based IP CCTV installations using standard Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6A copper cable, the internationally accepted Ethernet channel limit is generally:

100 metres maximum per standard copper Ethernet channel.

However, CCTV installations can exceed 100 metres by using PoE extenders, repeaters, long-range PoE switches, Ethernet extenders, fibre-optic links, or additional network switches.

The important point is that two different limitations exist:

1. How far Ethernet data can reliably travel
2. How far PoE electrical power can reliably operate the camera

These limitations are related, but they are not identical.

1. Why Is 100 Metres Considered the Standard Ethernet Limit?

Standard twisted-pair Ethernet technologies such as:

• 100BASE-TX
• 1000BASE-T
• 2.5GBASE-T
• 5GBASE-T
• 10GBASE-T under its applicable cabling requirements

are designed around structured cabling standards.

For a conventional Ethernet channel, the maximum channel length is normally:

100 metres

A typical structured cabling design divides this approximately into:

90 metres permanent link + up to 10 metres patch cables = 100 metres total channel

For example:

NVR/Switch → Patch Cable → Patch Panel → 90 m Permanent Cable → Outlet → Patch Cable → Camera

Total channel should remain within approximately 100 metres.

The 100-metre specification is therefore not an arbitrary CCTV industry recommendation. It comes from Ethernet and structured cabling design requirements.

2. Does 100 Metres Mean the Camera Will Stop Working at 101 Metres?

No.

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.

Ethernet does not normally behave like:

99 metres = working
100 metres = working
101 metres = completely dead

A high-quality cable installation may sometimes establish a link beyond 100 metres.

For example, you might install:

120 metres of good-quality Cat6

and find that the camera works.

Another installation might fail at:

85 metres

because of poor cable quality, damaged connectors, CCA cable, interference, voltage drop, or poor workmanship.

Therefore:

“It works” and “it meets the Ethernet standard” are not the same statement.

A professional installation should be designed around certified limits rather than depending upon whether a particular camera happens to work beyond them.

3. Why Does Ethernet Have a Distance Limitation?

Several physical and electrical effects become increasingly important as cable length increases.

3.1 Signal Attenuation

Electrical signals become weaker while travelling through copper cable.

This phenomenon is called:

Attenuation

The longer the cable:

Longer cable → Higher attenuation → Weaker received signal

Eventually, the receiver may have difficulty distinguishing valid Ethernet signals from noise.

4. Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Ethernet receivers need to differentiate the actual data signal from electrical noise.

Long cable runs reduce the available signal margin.

Interference can originate from:

• AC power cables
• Motors
• Elevators
• Transformers
• UPS systems
• Fluorescent lighting
• LED drivers
• Industrial equipment
• Radio transmitters
• Poor grounding
• Improper cable termination

A cable that works perfectly at 30 metres may become unstable at a much greater distance when installed in an electrically noisy environment.

5. Crosstalk

Ethernet cables contain four twisted pairs.

Signals travelling through one pair can interfere with another.

Important measurements include:

• NEXT — Near-End Crosstalk
• FEXT — Far-End Crosstalk
• Return Loss
• Insertion Loss

Good-quality Cat5e/Cat6 cable is engineered to keep these characteristics within defined limits.

Poor-quality cable may perform considerably worse.

6. Return Loss and Poor Termination

Incorrect RJ45 termination can create signal reflections.

Common causes include:

• Excessively untwisting pairs
• Low-quality RJ45 connectors
• Incorrect connector category
• Loose crimping
• Damaged cable
• Sharp bends
• Crushed cable
• Improper joints

At shorter distances, the network may tolerate some installation defects.

At 80–100 metres, these problems become much more important.

7. CCTV Has an Additional Problem: PoE

Most modern IP CCTV cameras receive both data and power through one Ethernet cable using:

PoE — Power over Ethernet

This means the cable carries:

Ethernet Data + DC Electrical Power

Therefore, even when Ethernet data communication is technically possible, the camera may fail because insufficient voltage reaches it.

This is particularly important for long-distance CCTV installations.

8. Understanding PoE Voltage Drop

Every copper conductor has electrical resistance.

When current travels through a long cable, some voltage is lost.

The basic relationship is:

Voltage Drop = Current × Resistance

or:

V = I × R

As cable length increases, conductor resistance increases.

Therefore:

Longer Cable → Higher Resistance → Greater Voltage Drop

This becomes especially important for cameras consuming significant power.

9. Why Cable Material Is Extremely Important

Not all Cat6 cables are equal.

Two cables may both have “CAT6” printed on them but perform very differently.

The most important difference is conductor material.

Pure Copper Cable

Recommended for CCTV.

Advantages:

• Lower resistance
• Lower voltage drop
• Better PoE performance
• Better Ethernet performance
• Better reliability
• Better heat characteristics

CCA Cable

CCA means:

Copper Clad Aluminium

It uses aluminium conductors covered with a thin copper layer.

CCA cable normally has higher resistance than equivalent solid-copper cable.

This can cause:

• Greater PoE voltage drop
• Camera restarting
• Camera disconnecting at night
• Infrared failure
• Packet loss
• Unstable connection
• Excessive cable heating
• Poor long-distance performance

For professional PoE CCTV installations, solid copper category cable is strongly preferred.

10. Why Does a Camera Sometimes Work During the Day but Fail at Night?

This is a classic long-cable CCTV problem.

During daylight, a camera might consume relatively little power.

At night, additional components may activate:

• Infrared LEDs
• IR-cut filter mechanism
• White LEDs
• Heater
• PTZ motor
• Microphone/speaker circuitry
• AI processing features

Power consumption can therefore increase.

Suppose a camera operates normally during the day at the end of a long cable.

When IR LEDs turn on at night:

Camera Current Increases → Cable Voltage Drop Increases → Camera Receives Lower Voltage

Possible results include:

• Camera rebooting repeatedly
• Camera going offline
• IR LEDs flashing
• Video freezing
• Network link dropping
• Camera disappearing from NVR

This is why a long CCTV cable should always be tested under the camera's maximum expected power load, not only during daytime commissioning.

11. Cat5e vs Cat6 vs Cat6A for CCTV

Cat5e

Suitable for many standard IP camera installations.

Advantages:

• Supports Gigabit Ethernet under appropriate conditions
• Lower cost
• Easy installation
• More than sufficient bandwidth for many individual cameras

Cat6

Often preferred for new professional CCTV installations.

Advantages:

• Better performance margin
• Improved crosstalk characteristics
• Higher bandwidth capability
• Good choice for PoE CCTV infrastructure

Cat6A

Useful when:

• Higher Ethernet speeds are required
• Large PoE loads are involved
• Better future-proofing is desired
• Installation environment demands higher performance

But remember:

Installing Cat6 instead of Cat5e does not automatically change standard Ethernet's normal 100-metre channel design into 300 metres.

12. Then Why Do Some CCTV Companies Advertise 250–300 Metre PoE?

This is where confusion commonly occurs.

Some CCTV switches and NVRs have features called:

• Long Range PoE
• Extend Mode
• CCTV Mode
• Surveillance Mode
• Long Distance Mode
• 250 m PoE
• 300 m PoE

These are vendor-specific extended-distance operating modes, not ordinary standard 100-metre Ethernet operation.

Manufacturers may achieve longer distances by modifying factors such as:

• Ethernet speed
• Signalling characteristics
• PoE implementation
• Port configuration

A common trade-off is reducing the Ethernet link speed.

For example, an extended-mode port may operate at:

10 Mbps instead of 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps

The exact behaviour depends on the switch manufacturer and model.

13. Why Can 10 Mbps Sometimes Work Over Longer Cable?

Lower data rates can provide more tolerance in certain extended-distance implementations.

An IP camera may only require a few Mbps of continuous video bandwidth.

For example, a camera stream might consume approximately:

3–8 Mbps

depending upon:

• Resolution
• Frame rate
• H.264/H.265
• Scene complexity
• Bitrate configuration
• Audio
• Secondary streams

Therefore, a manufacturer may deliberately reduce the network speed to extend operating distance.

However:

Never assume that every normal Ethernet switch can operate at 250 or 300 metres.

The equipment must specifically support the extended-distance feature.

14. Standard Ethernet vs Long-Range CCTV Mode

Configuration	Practical Design Distance
Standard Ethernet over copper	Up to 100 m
Standard PoE CCTV	Up to 100 m
Long-range PoE switch	Often 200–250 m
Special extended PoE equipment	Sometimes around 300 m
PoE extender/repeater	Beyond 100 m in stages
Ethernet extender	Hundreds of metres depending on technology
Fibre optic	Hundreds of metres to many kilometres

Exact capabilities always depend on equipment specifications and installation conditions.

15. Can We Simply Install 300 Metres of Cat6?

For ordinary Ethernet:

Not recommended.

Even if a camera appears to work, a 300-metre continuous copper Ethernet run is far beyond the conventional 100-metre Ethernet channel specification.

Possible problems include:

• Packet loss
• Unstable negotiation
• Link dropping
• Low PoE voltage
• Camera rebooting
• IR problems
• Speed falling to 10 Mbps
• Weather-related instability
• Future camera incompatibility

If 300 metres is required, use technology specifically designed for that distance.

16. How to Install a Camera 150–200 Metres Away

Several approaches are available.

Method 1 — Intermediate Network Switch

Example:

Main Switch → 90 m Cable → Intermediate Switch → 90 m Cable → Camera

This regenerates the Ethernet signal.

The intermediate switch requires electrical power.

This is an excellent solution where power is available at the intermediate location.

17. Method 2 — PoE Extender

A PoE extender can regenerate Ethernet while drawing power from the PoE connection itself, depending on the equipment.

Example:

PoE Switch → Cable → PoE Extender → Cable → IP Camera

This can allow installation beyond a single 100-metre segment.

Important considerations include:

• Extender compatibility
• Total PoE power budget
• Voltage drop
• Camera wattage
• Cable quality
• Number of extenders
• Environmental rating

Every additional device is also another potential failure point.

18. Method 3 — Long-Range PoE Switch

Some surveillance switches provide dedicated extended-distance ports.

Example:

Long-Range PoE Switch → 200–250 m Cat6 → Camera

This is convenient, but verify:

• Maximum supported distance
• Supported cable type
• Maximum port speed in extend mode
• PoE standard
• Maximum wattage at distance
• Compatible camera requirements

Do not rely only on marketing terms such as “250M EXTEND.”

Read the technical specifications.

19. Method 4 — Fibre Optic Cable

For long distances, fibre is usually the professional solution.

Example:

NVR/LAN → Network Switch → Fibre → Remote Fibre Switch → Cat6 → Camera

Fibre can support distances ranging from hundreds of metres to many kilometres depending upon the fibre type and optical transceivers.

Advantages include:

• Very long distance
• High bandwidth
• No copper Ethernet 100 m limitation on the fibre segment
• Immunity to electromagnetic interference
• Electrical isolation between buildings
• Excellent backbone solution

20. Fibre Is Particularly Important Between Buildings

Suppose a factory has:

Building A → 300 metres → Building B

Running a 300-metre copper Ethernet cable directly between buildings is generally poor network design.

A better architecture is:

Building A Switch
↓
Fibre Optic Cable
↓
Building B Switch
↓
Cat6
↓
IP Cameras

Fibre also helps electrically isolate the networking equipment at opposite ends.

This can be valuable where buildings have different electrical grounding environments or where outdoor cabling is exposed to electrical disturbances.

21. Single-Mode vs Multimode Fibre

Multimode Fibre

Useful for shorter campus/building backbone distances depending on Ethernet standard and optical equipment.

Single-Mode Fibre

Excellent for:

• Long-distance CCTV
• Factories
• Warehouses
• Campuses
• Farms
• Highways
• Large residential complexes
• Multi-building projects

For a new long-distance CCTV backbone, single-mode fibre is frequently an excellent future-ready choice.

22. Fibre Does Not Power the Camera

This is important.

Standard fibre carries data, not PoE electrical power.

At the remote end you normally require:

Fibre → Media Converter/Switch → PoE Switch → Camera

Therefore, electrical power must be available at the remote location unless another suitable power arrangement is provided.

23. What About 500 Metres?

For a 500-metre camera location, a professional design would usually consider:

Fibre backbone + remote PoE switch

rather than attempting to push ordinary copper Ethernet hundreds of metres.

Example:

Control Room

NVR
↓
Core Switch
↓
500 m Fibre
↓
Remote PoE Switch
↓
20–80 m Cat6
↓
Cameras

This is considerably more scalable and maintainable.

24. What About 1 KM, 2 KM or 10 KM?

Fibre is normally the preferred wired technology.

Depending upon the optical equipment, single-mode fibre can support:

• 1 km
• 2 km
• 10 km
• 20 km
• and much greater distances

The actual maximum depends upon:

• Transceiver specification
• Optical budget
• Fibre attenuation
• Connector loss
• Splices
• Network speed
• Fibre type

25. Wireless CCTV Links

Where laying cable is difficult, a point-to-point wireless bridge can also be considered.

Architecture:

Camera/PoE Switch → Wireless Bridge )))))) Wireless Link (((((( Wireless Bridge → Main Network/NVR

This is commonly used between:

• Buildings
• Warehouses
• Farms
• Construction sites
• Gates
• Parking areas

A proper wireless CCTV bridge requires good planning for:

• Line of sight
• Frequency
• Interference
• Antenna alignment
• Bandwidth
• Weather
• Security
• Distance

26. PoE Standards Matter

Common PoE standards include:

Standard	Common Name	Approx. PSE Power
IEEE 802.3af	PoE	15.4 W
IEEE 802.3at	PoE+	30 W
IEEE 802.3bt Type 3	PoE++	Up to 60 W
IEEE 802.3bt Type 4	PoE++	Up to 90 W

The power actually available to the powered device can be lower because some energy is lost in the cable.

Therefore, cable quality becomes increasingly important for high-power devices.

27. High-Power CCTV Devices Need Special Attention

Examples include:

• PTZ cameras
• Speed dome cameras
• Cameras with powerful IR arrays
• Cameras with heaters
• Cameras with white-light illumination
• Multi-sensor cameras
• Cameras with speakers

These may require substantially more power than a basic fixed IP camera.

Long copper cable runs can therefore be more problematic for them.

28. AWG and Conductor Size

Ethernet cable conductor thickness is normally expressed using AWG.

Examples include:

• 24 AWG
• 23 AWG

A lower AWG number generally represents a thicker conductor.

Thicker conductors normally have lower resistance.

Therefore, a quality 23 AWG solid-copper Cat6 cable may provide better PoE characteristics than a thin, poor-quality cable.

However, AWG alone does not determine cable quality.

Certification and conductor material are equally important.

29. Temperature Also Matters

Copper resistance increases as temperature increases.

Cables installed in:

• Hot rooftops
• Outdoor conduits
• Ceiling spaces
• Factories
• Bundled cable trays

can operate at significantly higher temperatures.

Higher temperature means higher conductor resistance, which means additional voltage drop.

Large bundles carrying PoE can also generate heat.

Professional cable selection must therefore consider installation environment.

30. Outdoor CCTV Requires Outdoor-Rated Cable

Indoor Cat6 should not simply be installed outdoors for years.

Outdoor installations should use appropriately rated cable with characteristics suitable for:

• UV exposure
• Moisture
• Temperature
• Conduit installation
• Outdoor environment

Water ingress can seriously degrade network cable performance.

31. Avoid Unnecessary RJ45 Joints

Every additional connector or joint introduces another potential failure point.

Poor CCTV installations sometimes contain:

Switch → 70 m cable → RJ45 coupler → 70 m cable → coupler → 50 m cable → camera

Although this might work initially, reliability can be poor.

For long distances, use properly designed:

• Switches
• PoE extenders
• Fibre
• Ethernet extenders

rather than improvised cable joints.

32. Cable Route Matters

Do not run Ethernet cable tightly alongside high-voltage AC cables for long distances.

Maintain appropriate separation from:

• Electrical mains
• Motors
• Transformers
• Generators
• UPS output
• Lift machinery
• Industrial equipment

Where high electromagnetic interference exists, fibre can be an excellent solution.

33. Bandwidth Planning Is Also Necessary

Distance is only one part of CCTV networking.

Suppose 20 cameras each produce:

8 Mbps

Total camera traffic can approach:

160 Mbps

When multiple remote cameras connect through a single uplink, that uplink must support their combined traffic.

For example:

20 Cameras
↓
Remote PoE Switch
↓
Gigabit Fibre Uplink
↓
Core Switch
↓
NVR

This is usually much better than attempting multiple extremely long copper runs.

34. Practical Distance Recommendations

For professional installations, a useful design approach is:

0–80 Metres

Excellent range for standard Cat5e/Cat6 PoE.

Use good-quality solid-copper cable.

80–100 Metres

Still within standard Ethernet design, but installation quality becomes increasingly important.

Use certified cable and proper termination.

100–150 Metres

Do not assume normal Ethernet reliability.

Consider:

• PoE extender
• Intermediate switch
• Manufacturer-supported long-range mode

150–300 Metres

Prefer:

• Long-range PoE equipment specifically rated for the distance
• Fibre
• Proper Ethernet extender

300 Metres+

Fibre is generally the preferred professional wired solution.

35. Recommended Safety Margin

Although 100 metres is the channel maximum, installers should avoid designing every camera at exactly 100 metres where practical.

A sensible design might keep permanent horizontal cable runs around:

80–90 metres

This provides room for:

• Patch cables
• Routing variations
• Maintenance
• Connector losses
• Future changes

36. Example: Camera Is 130 Metres Away

Poor Approach

130 m ordinary Cat6 directly from standard PoE switch to camera and hope it works.

Better Approach

Use:

PoE Switch → 70 m → PoE Extender → 60 m → Camera

or:

Switch → Fibre → Remote PoE Switch → Camera

depending on project requirements.

37. Example: Factory Cameras 300 Metres Away

Suppose six cameras are installed in another factory section 300 metres away.

Instead of six separate 300 m copper cables:

Use:

Main Building

NVR
↓
Core Switch
↓
Fibre Backbone
↓
Remote PoE Switch
├── Camera 1
├── Camera 2
├── Camera 3
├── Camera 4
├── Camera 5
└── Camera 6

This architecture is cleaner, more scalable, and easier to troubleshoot.

38. How to Diagnose a Long-Cable CCTV Problem

Typical symptoms include:

• Camera offline
• Camera continuously reconnecting
• Ping loss
• Video freezing
• Low network speed
• Camera rebooting
• Camera works during daytime but fails at night
• IR LEDs cause disconnection
• PoE switch repeatedly detects/removes camera
• Camera works with short test cable but not installed cable

A very useful diagnostic test is:

Remove the camera from the distant location and connect it to the same switch using a short, known-good Cat6 cable.

If it works perfectly, investigate:

• Long cable
• Connectors
• PoE voltage drop
• Cable damage
• CCA cable
• Distance
• EMI

39. Cable Tester vs Cable Certifier

A cheap RJ45 tester usually checks basic continuity:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

That does not prove that a 100-metre cable meets Cat6 Ethernet performance.

A professional cable certification tester can evaluate parameters such as:

• Length
• Wire map
• Insertion loss
• Return loss
• NEXT
• Resistance
• Delay
• Category compliance

For large professional CCTV projects, cable certification can prevent many difficult troubleshooting cases.

40. Important Difference: Link Distance vs Reliable Design Distance

Suppose an IP camera works at 140 metres.

That does not necessarily mean:

“Cat6 supports 140 metres.”

It means:

That particular camera, switch, cable, connectors, environment, and network speed managed to establish a usable connection at that distance.

Change any component and the result may be different.

This distinction is extremely important.

41. Recommended Architecture by Distance

Camera Distance	Recommended Technology
0–80 m	Cat5e/Cat6 + PoE
80–100 m	High-quality Cat6 + PoE
100–150 m	Extender / switch / supported long-range PoE
150–250 m	Long-range PoE or fibre
250–300 m	Fibre preferred
300–500 m	Fibre
500 m–2 km	Fibre / suitable wireless bridge
2 km+	Single-mode fibre / engineered wireless solution

These are practical design recommendations rather than absolute physical limits.

42. Why Fibre Becomes More Logical as Distance Increases

At long distances, repeatedly trying to stretch copper becomes less attractive.

You may otherwise need:

• Special switches
• Multiple extenders
• Outdoor boxes
• Additional surge protection
• More troubleshooting
• More connectors
• More maintenance

A fibre backbone can often provide:

Long Distance + High Bandwidth + EMI Immunity + Electrical Isolation + Future Expansion

This is why enterprise CCTV networks commonly use:

Fibre backbone + local Cat6 camera connections

43. Best-Practice CCTV Network Design

For a large site, think of CCTV as a network rather than merely a collection of camera cables.

A good design can look like:

NVR / VMS Server
↓
Core Gigabit/10-Gigabit Switch
↓
Fibre Backbone
↓
Remote Managed PoE Switches
↓
Cat6
↓
IP Cameras

This architecture can support:

• More cameras
• Higher resolutions
• Easier troubleshooting
• VLANs
• Redundancy
• Central monitoring
• Future expansion

44. Final Technical Conclusion

The technically correct answer to:

“What is the maximum network cable length for CCTV?”

is:

For normal standards-based copper Ethernet over twisted-pair cable, design for a maximum channel length of 100 metres.

For PoE CCTV, both Ethernet signal quality and electrical power delivery must be considered.

A camera may occasionally work beyond 100 metres, but this should not automatically be considered a compliant or reliable installation.

For distances around 200–300 metres, use equipment specifically designed for long-range Ethernet/PoE or preferably consider fibre.

For 300 metres and beyond, fibre optic cabling is generally the most professional wired solution, particularly for commercial, industrial, campus, and multi-building CCTV systems.

The most important rule is:

Do not ask only “How far can Cat6 work?” Ask “What technology provides a reliable, maintainable and standards-based connection at this distance?”

That approach results in a much more dependable CCTV system.

Frequently Asked Questions — FAQ

1. What is the maximum Cat6 cable length for an IP CCTV camera?

For standard Ethernet, the normal maximum channel length is 100 metres.

2. Can Cat6 work at 150 metres?

It sometimes may establish a link, but standard Ethernet should not be designed around a 150 m continuous copper channel.

3. Why does my CCTV switch say “250M Extend”?

It likely has a manufacturer-specific long-range CCTV/PoE mode. Check the manual because speed, PoE capability, cable requirements, and maximum distance may change in this mode.

4. Can a PoE camera work at 300 metres?

It can with equipment specifically designed for long-distance PoE/Ethernet, but 300 m is not the normal standard Ethernet distance.

5. Is Cat6 better than Cat5e for CCTV?

Both can support many CCTV applications, but good-quality Cat6 can provide additional performance margin and is commonly chosen for new installations.

6. Is Cat6A required for IP cameras?

Usually not for an individual conventional IP camera, although Cat6A can be useful for higher-performance infrastructure and certain PoE/network requirements.

7. Why does my camera work with a short cable but not a long cable?

Possible causes include attenuation, PoE voltage drop, poor cable, damaged connectors, CCA conductors, EMI, or excessive distance.

8. Why does my camera restart at night?

IR LEDs or other nighttime functions may increase power consumption. The resulting voltage drop over a long cable may cause the camera to restart.

9. Is CCA Cat6 good for CCTV?

Solid-copper cable is strongly preferred, particularly for PoE and long cable runs.

10. Can I join two 100 m Cat6 cables together?

Simply joining them with a passive coupler does not create a standards-compliant 200 m Ethernet segment. Use an active switch, extender, or another appropriate solution.

11. Can a network switch extend Ethernet distance?

Yes. A switch receives and regenerates Ethernet communication, effectively beginning another Ethernet segment.

12. Does the intermediate switch need electricity?

A normal Ethernet switch does. Certain PoE-powered extenders can operate without a separate local power outlet.

13. What is the best solution for a camera 200 metres away?

Depending upon site conditions, use a supported long-range PoE solution, Ethernet/PoE extender, intermediate switch, or fibre.

14. What is best for 300 metres?

For a professional permanent installation, fibre is usually preferable.

15. Can fibre carry PoE?

Standard fibre does not carry PoE electrical power. A powered PoE switch or suitable power source is normally required at the remote end.

16. Can CCTV work over 1 km?

Yes. Fibre or a properly engineered wireless link can support such distances.

17. Does camera resolution affect cable distance?

Not directly, but higher resolution can increase bandwidth requirements, making network design and link capacity more important.

18. Does 4K CCTV require Cat6?

Not necessarily for an individual camera. A compressed 4K camera stream can be well below 100 Mbps. However, aggregated traffic from many cameras can require Gigabit or faster backbone links.

19. What cable should be used outdoors?

Use appropriately rated outdoor Ethernet cable designed for UV, moisture, and environmental exposure.

20. Should CCTV cables be installed next to electrical wires?

Long parallel runs next to high-voltage or electrically noisy circuits should be avoided. Follow applicable cabling and electrical installation practices.

21. Why is my 120 m camera working perfectly?

Your particular equipment and cable may have enough operating margin. It does not change the normal 100 m Ethernet channel specification.

22. Is 90 metres safer than 100 metres?

A 90 m permanent link is commonly used in structured cabling so that patch cords can be added while keeping the complete channel within approximately 100 m.

23. Which is better for a factory: copper or fibre?

Use Cat6 for normal local camera connections and fibre for long-distance backbones between areas/buildings.

24. Can one fibre connection support multiple cameras?

Yes. A remote PoE switch can aggregate multiple cameras onto a fibre uplink.

25. What should I check before designing a long-distance CCTV connection?

Check:

• Actual cable route length
• Number of cameras
• Camera bitrate
• Camera maximum power consumption
• PoE standard
• Cable conductor material
• Cable AWG
• Outdoor/indoor environment
• EMI
• Availability of remote power
• Fibre feasibility
• Expansion requirements

 

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