Why Cambium recommend only CAT5e cable ?

when i check PTP650 or PTP670 devices spec sheets, Cambium recommend to use CAT5e cables, why not use CAT6 or CAT6a cables ?

That's a good question!

Category 5e has the minimum electrical characteristics for operation of 1000BASE-T over 100 m. That makes it a good choice for the drop cable on PTP 650/670/700. Category 6 allows for 10 Gbit/s operation at 55 m, and Category 6A allows for 10 Gbit/s at 100 m. This is not needed for PTP 650/670/700, which cannot operate higher than 1 Gbit/s.

However, if you already have a cable run in place using Cat 6 or Cat 6A then there is no reason why you shouldn't use it for PTP devices. The same applies if you want to future-proof your cable runs on a tower.

Other cable characteristics are also really important for outdoor installations on a tower. Our recommended cable has a copper-plated steel shield that is tough and conducts lightning surges effectively. The inside of the cable is filled with gel to prevent water from tracking along the cable. Finally the recommended cable makes a good waterproof seal with the supplied cable glands. If you want to use Cat 6 or Cat 6A,we recommend you use a cable with similar construction to avoid problems with water ingress and lightning damage.

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Good info.

“Our recommended cable has a copper-plated steel shield that is tough and conducts lightning surges effectively.“

Is this a Cambium item and if so do you have a part number and pricing?

Here is the p/n and list price

WB3176A 328 ft (100 m) Reel Outdoor Copper Clad CAT5E (Recommended for PTP)   $395

Yowzers!!!

Thanks for the info.

Will need to mull this over a bit as it maybe overkill for my particular situation.