Bare copper cables are the finest cables available. If you compare them with their counterparts; copper-clad aluminum cables, they are better in all aspects but the price. Which is understandable. The extra costs afford the added value of longevity and reliability.
Now, if you are buying Pure Copper Ethernet cables, you have probably come across the terms solid and stranded copper cables. Solid cables, as the name suggests are made out of one solid piece of metal. Stranded cables on the other hand are made out of multiple strands of metal that are bundled and often twisted together.
Pertinent to mention is that both types of bare copper cables have more differences than their fundamental structure (solid vs stranded). These differences nonetheless arise from its inner structure.
Bare Copper Cables
Needless to put, bare copper or pure copper cables are made out of the element they are named after. It is found in nature in abundance and is regarded as the best among all metal conductors. It is affordable, long-lasting, and durable. The cables, particularly ethernet cables such as the Cat6 bare copper, are renowned for their everlasting, high-speed, and efficient performance.
Bare Copper Cables such as the Cat6 solid bare copper are used in all kinds of networking applications from regular internet networks to heavy-duty PoE applications.
What are Solid Copper Cables?
Apart from their definition, solid copper cables can be defined by their uses, advantages, and disadvantages.
Solid copper cables are used in long-distance transmission. And there are three benefits of using them for relatively long cable runs. First, they are better at keeping the signal integrity intact at long distances. In fact, these cables can reduce EMI and external noise exponentially as compared to their counterparts. And more importantly, they do not emit noise which is the cause of poor signal transmission in LAN networks. These cables allow an efficient and clean transfer of data. Also, the cables do not overheat under high-performance tasks.
Second, solid cables are easy to install in long-length runs. They hold up well and reduce the risk of damage due to their solid strength. And the third benefit is that bare copper cables are corrosion resistant. What usually happens in long-distance set-ups is that the cables are subjected to extreme environmental conditions. And their corrosion-resistant nature makes them ideal for such environments. T
However, note that these cables are not exclusively for long-distance transmissions. They can also be used in indoor short-distance projects.
What are Stranded Copper Cables?
If you have ever spliced through an ethernet cable jacket (which you probably have) or any other cable jacket, you might have noticed that the cable conductor was made out of tiny, thin strands of copper which were twisted together making up the cable conductor. Now, such cables, because of their stranded nature, are called stranded cables.
And it is this stranded nature that makes them extremely flexible and easy to install in short distances. Particularly, these cables are ideal for installation in tricky indoor runs around nooks and corners.
You might underestimate the importance of ease of installation. But note that it is vital in a safe and spotless cable run without damaging the cable or your infrastructure.
The Difference
Solid pure copper cables and stranded pure copper cables differ in three aspects: structure, use, and cost. Solid cables cost just a fraction more than the stranded cables and they are used in long-distance transmissions whereas their stranded counterparts are used in indoor cable runs. Lastly, the structure of both cables is different. As implied by their names, solid cables have a conductor wire made out of one piece as opposed to the multiple strands of wires in stranded cables.
Best Solid Copper Ethernet Cable
Cat6 Solid copper cable is by far the best ethernet cable. It has a data transfer rate of 1 Gbps over 100 meters and a bandwidth capacity of 550 MHz. The cable comes in a plenum jacket as well as a riser and a PVC.
More importantly, the cable is easy to install, reliable, and everlasting. It not only performs steller in long-distance transmissions but also provides impeccable performance in short-distance runs.
Final thoughts
In a nutshell, both stranded and solid copper cables have the same quality of signal integrity if used in their respective application. The former is in long-distance transmission and the latter in short. And Cat6 is one of the best bare copper cables for use in all types of LAN networks with its high-speed data transmission and plenum-rated safety features.
