CCTV Cabling Design for Modern Businesses

CCTV cabling for an IP camera system is usually Cat6 copper from each camera to a PoE switch, with fibre between buildings or where a run is longer than 100 metres. Good design comes down to four things: distance, power, route and protection. Get them right at the start and the cabling can stay in service for 15 to 20 years. This guide explains each one, and how we approach the cabling on a commercial CCTV installation.

Physical security and network security are linked. A stolen laptop or an open comms room can lead to a data breach as easily as an online attack. The ICO expects CCTV footage to be kept secure. The cameras, the recorders and the cables between them are all part of that security, so they need the same care as the rest of your network.

Advanced network cabling solutions for fast, reliable data connectivity.

IT-Integrated Security

Security systems used to run on their own cables, separate from the office network. Today most of them run on the same kind of network as your computers. Two things drove that change.

The first is that physical security and IT security now depend on each other. A door left open or a camera that stops working can lead straight to a data breach. So IT teams and security teams have to plan together.

The second is cost and convenience. When cameras and door controllers sit on the network, they can be managed like any other network device. Software updates, settings, health checks and audits can all be done from one place, often remotely. That makes security systems cheaper to install and to run.

Large organisations now manage thousands of cameras, door readers and access cards on one network. All those devices send data all the time. Cameras send a constant stream of video. Door readers send every card swipe. The central system sends back settings and commands. That adds up to a lot of traffic.

To the network, a security camera looks like a small computer that does one job. But it has needs a computer does not. It often sits outdoors. It may sit where someone could reach it and damage it. And its footage is personal data, so the law applies to how it is handled. That is why CCTV and door access control cabling needs its own design, even when it shares routes with your structured data cabling.

A security system is only as strong as the links between its parts. A good camera on a poor cable is a poor camera. The cabling is the part people think about least, but it carries everything.

CCTV Cabling Challenges

CCTV cabling faces three problems that office cabling mostly does not: the weather, electrical noise and people.

The weather

Many cameras sit outside, on walls, poles and car park columns. Part of their cable runs outside too. It is exposed to rain, frost, summer heat, wind and dust. Cables in direct sun can get much hotter than the air around them.

Indoor cable is not made for that. Its outer jacket can crack in the cold or go brittle in sunlight. Water can then get in, and the cable slowly fails.

Electrical noise

Cable routes often pass motors, lift rooms, lighting, generators and power cables. All of these give off electrical noise that can interfere with the signal. Outdoor routes pick up more noise than indoor ones. The result can be dropped video, frozen pictures or cameras that keep restarting.

People

Office cables run through locked rooms and ceilings. CCTV cables run to the edge of the site, where someone who wants to stop a camera can reach them. A cut cable means a blind spot, often at the moment it matters most. So CCTV cables need protecting against damage on purpose as well as by accident.

The sections below explain how good design deals with each of these problems.

Outdoor cable and protection from the weather

The first defence is the cable itself. Outdoor-rated cable has a tougher outer jacket that resists water, cold and sunlight. Cable buried underground goes in a duct, or uses cable made for direct burial. Choose the cable for where it will run. Containment can add protection, but it cannot make indoor cable fit for outdoor use.

The second defence is containment. Outdoor cable runs in conduit or trunking, and every joint is made inside a sealed junction box. Each entry into the building is sealed, so water cannot follow the cable inside. Cables in walkways and other places people pass are covered for safety as well as protection.

There is a trade-off. Cable hidden in conduit is protected, but you cannot see it. Damage can build up unseen until a camera fails. That is why the choice of cable matters so much, and why clear records of every route are worth having.

Cable choice: Cat6, Cat6A or fibre

A copper Ethernet channel is limited to 100 metres in total. That is up to 90 metres of fixed cable plus 10 metres of patch leads at the two ends. Measure the real route, not the straight-line distance. Cable has to go round walls, up risers and along containment, and that adds metres quickly.

Cat6 is the usual choice for cameras and the safest choice for new copper runs. Cat5e still works for existing low-power cameras, but Cat6 is better for anything new.

Cat6A gives more headroom where large bundles of cables all carry high-power PoE. Heat builds up in the middle of a bundle, and a warmer cable loses signal. The size of the bundle and the containment matter as much as the cable category.

Fibre is the answer beyond 100 metres, between buildings, and near heavy electrical equipment. OM3 and OM4 multimode fibre cover most sites. OS2 single-mode fibre covers long distances across a campus. Fibre carries no electricity, so interference and lightning on outdoor routes do not affect it. Cameras at the far end need a local power supply or a media converter with PoE. For a single camera a little past 100 metres, extended-reach Cat6 is another option: see our guide to running Cat6 past 100m. See our fibre optic installation service.

Power over Ethernet for CCTV

PoE puts power and data on one cable, so a camera needs no separate power supply. That saves a power socket at every camera, which matters on a wall or a pole. The latest standard, IEEE 802.3bt, allows up to 90 watts at the switch port and 71.3 watts at the camera. That is enough for PTZ cameras with heaters and infrared lighting.

Two things need planning from the start. The first is the total power budget of each switch. Every camera takes a share, and a switch that runs out of power will not start the last cameras. The second is the size of each cable bundle, because PoE warms the cables, and a large bundle gets warmest in the middle.

It also helps to put the PoE switches on a backup power supply (UPS). Then the cameras keep recording through a short power cut.

Shielded or unshielded cable?

Ethernet cable is twisted-pair copper. Each of the four pairs of wires is twisted together, which cancels much of the noise the cable picks up. Most IP camera runs use unshielded twisted-pair (U/UTP) Cat6. On a normal office or warehouse route, that works well.

Where a route has heavy electrical noise, shielded cable gives more protection. The pairs are wrapped in metal foil, one by one or all together, or the whole cable has a braided screen. You will see these sold as F/UTP, U/FTP and S/FTP. Shielded cable is worth considering on factory floors, in plant rooms, near lift motors and big switchgear, and in buildings with a lot of wireless equipment.

Shielded cable takes more care to install. The screen only works if it is earthed properly at both ends. That needs the right connectors and tools, and a tester to prove it worked. A badly earthed screen can make interference worse.

Routing, separation and protection

Good routing avoids many problems before they start. Keeping data cables away from power cables cuts interference, and it is far cheaper than chasing faults later. It does take more planning.

In the UK, data cabling follows BS EN 50174-2 inside buildings and BS EN 50174-3 outside. BS 6701 adds UK requirements. Between them they set how far data cables must stay from mains power cables, or what barrier must separate them. They also cover how cables are labelled, tested and recorded.

Protection against tampering depends on where the cable runs:

Inside, keep cables in locked or controlled areas wherever you can, where only people with the right card or key can go
Where people can reach the cable, use steel conduit, armoured cable or containment they cannot easily open
Run the last part of the cable inside the wall or the camera bracket, so it cannot be pulled out at the camera
Leave a service loop at each camera, so it can be moved or replaced without a new cable

CCTV cabling cannot always stay in controlled areas, because cameras have to be where the risks are. So most CCTV routes need some protection along part of their length. Fitting it properly takes the right tools and skills.

The differences between Cat5e, 6, 6e, 6a, 7, & Cat8 Cables?

Upgrading from analogue CCTV

Many sites still have older analogue cameras on coaxial cable. You do not always have to replace that cable at once. Some HD analogue cameras work over the same coax. Adapters can also carry network data and power over coax to an IP camera.

These are useful when you need to keep costs down, or when a cable is very hard to replace. But they have limits on distance, picture quality and power. For a long-term upgrade, new Cat6 or fibre is usually the better choice. A survey shows which runs can stay and which should be replaced.

Common CCTV cabling mistakes

These are the faults we see most often on existing sites:

Runs longer than 100 metres, so cameras drop out or will not power up
Data cables run in the same containment as mains power
Indoor cable used outside, which cracks and lets water in
No service loop, so a camera cannot be moved without a new cable
Links that were never tested, so faults show up months later
No labels or records, so every later change starts with tracing cables

Each one is cheap to avoid at the design stage and costly to fix afterwards.

Testing and handover

Every link should be tested with a certification tester before handover. The test proves the cable meets its category from end to end, not just that a camera lights up. Most cable makers require these test results before they will give their long system warranties.

At handover you should get the test results, a plan of the cable routes, and a label on both ends of every cable. Those records save time and money on every later change.

Designing Durable Cabling Solutions

Cabling is often the cheapest part of a CCTV system, but the most expensive part to replace. Replacing it means opening ceilings, walls and ground. Outdoor routes, conduits and junction boxes all have to be redone, and the system is often down while it happens. So aim for a service life of 15 to 20 years.

Technology moves on in that time. Cameras will be replaced at least once, and the new ones will want more data and more power. Cable that is close to out of date on the day it goes in may not support the next cameras. Replacing part of the cabling half way through its life costs far more than getting it right at the start. Cat6 or Cat6A copper and OM4 or OS2 fibre give you that headroom.

At Kent Enviropower’s Allington plant we replaced four end-of-life thermal imaging cameras on the fire suppression system. We also replaced the fibre behind them with a new armoured OM4 backbone. The work was timed around a planned shutdown. Read the Kent Enviropower case study, or see our thermal imaging CCTV installation service.

Planning CCTV cabling for your building

Before we design the cabling, we need to know:

Where each camera will go, and which types of CCTV camera you need
The distance from each camera to its nearest comms room or cabinet
Which runs are outside, and which cross between buildings
What other cabling, power and containment is already there
Whether CCTV will share the network with other systems, such as access control

With that, we can plan cable types, routes and switches together.

Conclusions and Recommendations

CCTV has become part of the IT network. Better video, more data and more features have made it far more useful, but they also ask more of the cabling. The cabling now has to carry high data rates and power. It has to resist interference, weather and people who want to stop the cameras.

Good design deals with each of these. Choose the right cable for each route. Keep data away from power. Protect exposed runs. Test and record everything. Follow BS EN 50174 and BS 6701, and use installers who know them.

Standards are the minimum. The best results come from an installer who also understands your building, how it is used and where it is going. Talk to our CCTV team, or our structured cabling team for the wider network. We also install access control, which often shares the same cable routes. Contact us to book a survey.

Key Takeaways

Good CCTV cabling design comes down to distance, power, route and protection, and follows BS EN 50174 and BS 6701.
A copper Ethernet channel is limited to 100 metres in total. Use fibre beyond that and between buildings.
Cat6 is the usual cable for IP cameras. Cat6A gives more headroom in large bundles carrying high-power PoE.
Most camera runs use unshielded Cat6. Shielded cable helps on noisy routes, but only if it is earthed and tested properly.
Use outdoor-rated cable outside, keep data cables away from mains power, and protect runs people can reach.
Test, label and record every link before handover, and design for 15 to 20 years of use.

Frequently Asked Questions – CCTV Cabling Design

Q. What type of cable is best for CCTV installations?

Cat6 copper is the usual choice for IP cameras, up to 100 metres per channel. Cat6A gives more headroom in large bundles carrying high-power PoE, and fibre is used beyond 100 metres or between buildings.

Q. How far can a CCTV cable run?

A copper Ethernet channel is limited to 100 metres in total, including patch leads. Beyond that, use fibre, or a switch part way along the route.

Q. Does CCTV cabling need to be shielded?

Usually not. Most IP camera runs use unshielded Cat6. Shielded cable helps on routes with heavy electrical noise, but it must be earthed and tested properly or it can make interference worse.

Q. Why does CCTV cabling need to be tougher than office cabling?

Cameras and their cables are often outdoors, near electrical noise, and within reach of people who may want to damage them. Office cabling usually runs in ceilings and locked rooms.

Q. Can one cable power a CCTV camera?

Yes. Power over Ethernet carries power and data on one cable. The latest standard, IEEE 802.3bt, gives up to 71.3 watts at the camera, enough for PTZ cameras with heaters.

Q. Can I reuse old coaxial CCTV cable?

Sometimes. Some HD analogue cameras and adapters work over existing coax, but with limits on distance, picture and power. For a long-term upgrade, new Cat6 or fibre is usually better.

Q. How long should CCTV cabling last?

Aim for 15 to 20 years. The cameras will be replaced at least once in that time, so choose cable with headroom for more data and power.

Written by Wayne Connors, Founder & Managing Director, ACCL

Written by

Wayne Connors

Founder & Managing Director, ACCL

Wayne founded ACCL in 1997 and has led more than 28 years of project delivery, helping organisations design, install and modernise the network infrastructure behind reliable connectivity, office moves and refurbishments. His experience spans copper cabling, fibre backbones, data centre infrastructure, Wi-Fi, CCTV and access control. About ACCL