Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
I'm going to be installing an outdoor camera mounted under the eave of my parents' house. I am under the impression I should use shielded cable because static can build up on the camera and damage the switch. Yes, I know I need to use shielded connectors and ground the switch. Am I right? What's the best practice? The internet is all over the place on when and how you should use shielded cable.
Under an eve and reasonably weather-protected? Regular Cat 5/6 cable will do the job. Up on the peak of a roof or on a tower? Shielded is a good idea. The only shielded I'm using is on a radio tower with other uses.
All I know is I installed an AP in a friend's gazebo using unshielded cable and after a while it wouldn't connect at 1 Gbps. Plugging it into a different switch port works for a while and then it drops back to 100Mbps.
Ubiquiti AirMax stuff by chance? They're well-known for doing this. Ubiquiti's "solution" of using shielded cable doesn't make a difference. A friend of mine has a Wireless ISP and we've tried multiple combinations. All of the older Ubiquiti stuff will eventually exhibit this problem. He's made his own home-build surge protectors which HAVE made a difference. But honestly, on top of my office building I'm using a Nanobeam M5 with regular white indoor Cat5E cable with one of his surge protectors. It's made it through numerous hurricanes and the Florida sun. Still connecting at full speed. This Nanobeam replaced an original Nanobeam which would drop down to 10Mbps and stay there until it was rebooted.