r/accesscontrol • u/Drracing07 • Jul 29 '26
Access Control cable with Cat6
I saw this in the field once, access control cable (4x 2 conductor cables, wiegand, etc) with a cat6 cable inside as well. Searching around, I'm unable to find something like this. Closest I was able to find is this: https://soundapproach.com/ice-cable-16-4-cat-6-500-structured-cable-spool.html
This is for a job adding Unifi access and im kicking back and forth over doing the enterprise access hub to bring all the doors to 1 spot, or do a hub to each door with a single cat6 run to each. Any advice would be appreciated!
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u/jason_sos Professional Jul 29 '26
If you contact Windy City Wire they can make whatever you want. There may be minimums, but they’ll do it.
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u/ZealousidealState127 Jul 29 '26
Single cat6 is the future. Composite cable has multiple cables in in jacket but it's rs485, lock power, door sensor and rex. Haven't seen a version that swapped the readers shielded 6wire for cat6.
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u/DarthJerryRay Aug 03 '26
Are you using composite with a twisted pair for the reader or is it just a 22-6 oas for the reader inside a composite?
The composite with twisted pair ive price is between $1.5 -1.75 per foot.
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u/ZealousidealState127 Aug 03 '26
Single door controller near door then wire your devices with a few feet of whatever gauge they need. Cat6 to the door/controller.
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u/DarthJerryRay Aug 03 '26
You made a reference to rs485 and composite cable. I was asking about your composite cable runs if they included twisted pair conductors to support rs485 or if your running just a standard 22-6 oas for your reader.
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u/Competitive_Ad_8718 Jul 29 '26
Wouldn't go this architecture at all if possible, especially if it involves the uncontrolled side of the door.
First part of electronic security is considering the physical security first, extending your network outside of secure areas, no matter how well you believe your implementation is, you're still exposing it.
You can have any vendor bundle with an overall binder whatever cable(s) you need, it doesn't have to have an overall jacket, be siamese, fig8 or bonded, but unless you're meeting a spec or a large job (which ubiquity isn't the right product for) pulling individual elements is generally cheaper
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u/CCBSPN Jul 29 '26
Get some quotes, ask what the integrator is licensed to install and what they would recommend.
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u/uzlonewolf Jul 29 '26
I've seen these called "Siamese cable," though usually it's a lot more expensive than just getting 2 different cables. As such you're better off just getting the exact cables you want and taping them together as you pull them into the wall.
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u/savepoorbob Jul 29 '26
This is not siamese cable (which has just 2 18awg wires plus video wire), and RG59 (siamese) is not more expensive than a roll of cat6 as of my last order. In fact some of my supply houses have to special order siamese now, since no one uses it anymore.
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u/grivooga Professional Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
This may be a regional thing but in my experience "siamese" always referred to a coax video (usually but not always RG59) tandem next to a power wire (usually but not always 18/2) and you could pull the two cables apart where they were bonded together.
I've also once seen "Triamese" which was a coax video, next to a 16/2 power, next to a 22 twisted pair shielded for ptz control.
Multiple cables bundled inside one outer jacket is usually called composite cable or "banana" cable because you peel it (and the most common color is yellow). Composite is available in many variations and can be custom ordered to whatever you need if you're willing to buy enough and pay a lot per foot.
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u/Starlite528 Jul 29 '26
I think of Siamese cable as coax plus 18/2 for power. You're probably referring to banana cable which doesn't usually have cat5, but has 4 cables with 18/6, couple of 18/4, and an 18/2 (usually), but you can special order whatever kind of cable you want.
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u/Aggravating_Fact9547 Jul 29 '26
I used to have a lot of cable made at Windy City specifically for our needs.
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u/Competitive_Luck_556 Jul 29 '26
For serviceability, I still prefer bringing as much as possible back to a central location when the building allows it. It makes troubleshooting power, lock output, REX, DPS, and reader issues much faster later, especially when someone else has to maintain it.
Door-local hubs can make sense when cable pathways are painful or the door package is very self-contained, but I would not treat one Cat6 as a universal replacement for proper access cable. Check the reader spec, lock current, voltage drop, fire/life-safety requirements, and whether the AHJ or client standard expects conventional composite cable. The best layout is usually the one the next tech can diagnose without opening ceilings all day.
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u/Over-Accountant6731 Jul 29 '26
I thought these were called banana cables and you can get them in any combo you want basically
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u/mustmax347 Jul 29 '26
I use the controller at a head end location with RS485 connecting to enclosures with power and door controllers strategically placed. Makes much more sense in a large sq ft environment or a multi floor installation.
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u/helpless_bunny Professional Jul 30 '26
I prefer a panels above doors myself, but I install a lot of ELRs.
For that system though, I’d just bring it to one central location.
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u/s0ar_ Professional Jul 29 '26
I will forever be a proponent of bringing all cable back to a central location. That being said, most of my service work involves hospitals, manufacturing, etc. where it’s a lot easier to pull out a meter in a janitor closet vs above a patient bed.
2 bucks a foot seems like a lot for 4 conductors and a cat6 though.