Hello! I am new here and am just beginning to learn about the SQ7. None of the STP Cat5e or Cat6a cables that were recommended in the buying guide [Lapp Kabel, Klotz, Proplex, Draka] are available where I am. The store where I purchased the SQ7 said any Cat5e or Cat6a cable would work. However, I am hesitant to put my trust in generic cables. Would either of these work?
Cable Matters 10Gbps SSTP/SFTP Cat6a 26 AWG 550Mhz - 75ft
GearIt 10Gbps SSTP/SFTP Cat6A 26 AWG 550Mhz - 75ft
Also, Neutrik has discontinued the NE8MC EtherCon connectors and have recommended NE8MX-1 instead for use with Cat6 cables.
Would this work with a SQ7 and DX168? Thank you so much!
Hi, and welcome.
I’ve used a number of gemeric cat 5e and cat 6e cables of various lengths between 30 and 150 feet with no issues. Make sure they have a good outer sleave and they have been terminated properly.
Running “higher” rated cat cable (ie cat 7 instead of cat5e or cat 6) isn’t always better. This is because the physical characteristics of the cable change with each “version”. Things like twist rates can be very different.
It likely won’t cause an issue unless you are running really long cables that are approaching the specified limits. But in those cases, running a higher rated cable can actually cause a failure. This is generally because the twists rates actually cause the individual strands of the higher rated cables to be physically longer than the individual strands of a lower rated cable - even when the “total length” of the cable is the same.
Long story short, I would look at the cable characterics of the suggested cable (rating, copper makeup, shield type, etc) and pick another cable with those same ratings even if the available brand isn’t on the suggested listed.
I would not increase to a higher cable category rating unless specified to do so. Again - higher rated does not mean better performance in our use case.
We are currently using ‘bog standard’ CAT5e unshielded IT cable (because that is what we had installed for other reasons) as a temporary measure (short length only) whilst we trail some units. No problems so far. But we are not using this ‘for real’ at the moment.
However, just pricing up suitable shielded cable (with a drain wire) from Canford and the compatible Neutrik Ethercon connectors.
I would suggest contacting a professional audio supplier, stating what you want to interconnect, and ask them for a shopping list. I did this with Canford in the UK.
We did have a bit of a to-and-fro as I was after some coloured ‘boots’ and the parts they specified (along with the compatible Neutrik Ethercon parts) were no longer being manufactured, so they were trying to ditch obsolete stock on me… Sorted that now!
I assume you are not in the UK, so specifying Canford part numbers will not be helpful to you for ordering.
Dave
My experience shows no issues with Cat5e stranded shielded (foil shield with a drain wire, not individual pair shields) from Monoprice. Cheap, takes a “flow-through” RJ45 connector fine, which fits into a Neutrik Ethercon perfectly. I have, literally, thousands of feet of this available for my Dante rig and have never had any problems, period. Don’t over think it. Remember tho that the maximum recommended length between two switches is 100m or about 300 feet. Even cheap non-managed switches will easily increase you maximum length and fiber adapters will give you 10km of range, which is downtown for me. 
D.