Dlink Cat 6 Cable Copper Outdoor

D-Link Cat 6 UTP Copper Outdoor Cable — 305m Reel (NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O)

The D-Link NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O is a 23 AWG solid bare electrolytic grade copper Category 6 UTP outdoor cable rated to 250 MHz for Gigabit Ethernet installations in external, semi-exposed, and mixed indoor/outdoor environments. It is manufactured to exceed the performance requirements of ANSI/TIA-568-C.2, ISO/IEC 11801 Edition 2.2, IEC 61156-5, EN 50288-6-1, and EN 50173-1, and is distinguished from the D-Link indoor variant (NCB-C6UGRYR-305) by its UV-stabilised polyethylene outer jacket — engineered to resist the UV radiation, moisture ingress, and temperature cycling that would degrade a standard indoor PVC-jacketed cable within months of outdoor exposure.

The NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O uses solid bare electrolytic grade copper conductors throughout — a specification choice that directly affects both signal performance and PoE power delivery over external runs. This distinguishes it from semi-copper (CCA) outdoor Cat 6 alternatives, which carry higher DC resistance per metre and are not compliant with TIA/EIA-568C.2 conductor requirements.

Performance and Bandwidth

The D-Link Outdoor Cat 6 cable is rated to 250 MHz, supporting Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T / IEEE 802.3ab) across the full 100-metre horizontal channel and 10GBASE-T over shorter runs of approximately 55 metres. The cable exceeds TIA/EIA-568-C.2 and ISO/IEC 11801 Class E performance requirements across the complete high-frequency parameter set, verified at frequencies from 1 MHz to 250 MHz.

Key electrical parameters at 100 metres:

• Insertion loss — 19.9 dB/100m (max)
• Return loss — 20.1 dB (min)
• NEXT — 45.3 dB (min)
• PS-NEXT — 42.3 dB (min)
• ELFEXT — 28.0 dB (min)
• Impedance — 100Ω (±15%)
• Velocity of propagation — 69% nominal
• Propagation delay — 536 ns/100m max at 250 MHz
• Delay skew — ≤45 ns/100m

These parameters are consistent with the indoor variant and confirm that the outdoor jacket construction does not compromise the cable’s Cat 6 electrical performance. The mutual capacitance of 5.6 nF/100m and conductor resistance below 9.38Ω/100m support reliable PoE power delivery alongside data transmission on outdoor runs.

Conductor Construction — Electrolytic Grade Copper

The NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O uses 23 AWG solid bare electrolytic grade copper conductors — the highest purity copper specification used in structured cabling. Electrolytic grade copper (EG copper) is refined to very high purity levels, providing lower DC resistance and more consistent electrical properties than standard bare copper alternatives. This matters on outdoor cable runs for two specific reasons:

Signal performance at outdoor run distances — Outdoor horizontal runs to cameras, access points, and inter-building links frequently approach the 90–100 metre Cat 6 channel limit. At these distances, conductor resistance directly affects the attenuation margin available within Cat 6 limits. Electrolytic grade copper’s lower resistance preserves this margin on long outdoor runs where standard or CCA conductors would be operating closer to the performance boundary.

PoE power delivery over outdoor runs — The 9.38Ω/100m maximum conductor resistance specification supports reliable PoE, PoE+, and PoE++ power delivery to devices at the far end of outdoor runs. External cameras, access points, and access control devices are frequently PoE-powered — bare copper conductors with low resistance minimise the voltage drop between the PSE (switch) and PD (device) on runs that are typically longer than equivalent indoor equipment room cords.

Cable Construction

The D-Link Outdoor Cat 6 cable is assembled from the following layers:

Conductors — 23 AWG solid bare electrolytic grade copper, polyethylene insulated with insulation diameter of 0.973mm (±0.05mm) and insulation thickness of 0.217mm.

Central slit film cross filler — A central cross filler maintains physical pair separation across the four twisted pairs, preserving pair geometry along the full cable length and reducing pair-to-pair crosstalk at high frequencies.

UV-PE outer jacket — The UV-stabilised polyethylene outer jacket is the defining construction feature of the NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O. UV-PE is formulated to resist:

• UV radiation — Prevents jacket embrittlement and surface cracking under prolonged solar exposure
• Moisture ingress — Resists water tracking into the cable core at the jacket surface and at cut ends
• Temperature cycling — Maintains jacket flexibility and electrical performance across the -20°C to +60°C outdoor operating range
• Ozone and atmospheric degradation — Relevant for installations in urban environments and at altitude

Jacket thickness is 0.5mm (±0.15mm), giving an overall cable diameter of 7.1mm nominal — slightly larger than the 6mm indoor variant due to the PE jacket compound. The jacket is blue. Sequential metre markings are printed on the jacket at every metre from 0 to 305m, enabling accurate length measurement during installation without additional measuring tools.

Standards Compliance

The D-Link NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O is verified to the following standards:

• ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 (2009) — North American Cat 6 structured cabling standard
• ISO/IEC 11801 Edition 2.2 — International Class E horizontal cabling performance specification
• IEC 61156-5 Edition 2.0 — International standard for twisted-pair cables for data transmission
• IEC 60332-1-2 — Flame test for vertical cables
• EN 50288-6-1 — European specification for Cat 6 screened and unscreened cables
• EN 50173-1 — European structured cabling standard for Cat 6 (Class E)
• NEC Article 800 / UL 444 — North American communications cable safety requirements

This multi-standard compliance — spanning North American TIA, international IEC, and European EN standards — makes the NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O appropriate for channel certification on projects governed by any of these standards frameworks.

Outdoor Installation Scenarios

The D-Link NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O is suited to the following external and semi-exposed installation environments:

External wall and façade surface routing — The UV-PE jacket maintains integrity on south-facing and fully sun-exposed external wall runs where standard PVC would begin degrading within one to two years.

Aerial runs with catenary support — When suspended between buildings or structures on a support wire, the UV-PE jacket handles outdoor UV exposure and temperature cycling. The cable’s tensile strength specification (>9 MPa) supports aerial span loads within appropriate catenary design parameters.

Underground conduit — When routed through buried conduit, the PE jacket provides moisture protection appropriate for underground environments. The cable is suitable for conduit-protected underground installation.

Roof voids and unheated spaces — Temperature extremes in roof voids, car park structures, and unheated plant rooms are within the cable’s -20°C to +60°C operating range.

Mixed indoor/outdoor runs — The UV-PE jacket has no adverse effect on indoor performance — the NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O can continue from an outdoor section into an internal building run without a mid-cable transition to indoor cable, simplifying installation on runs that pass between environments.

The cable requires a minimum bend radius of 8× the outer diameter — 56.8mm at the stated 7.1mm OD. This is larger than the 4× indoor minimum and must be observed during installation to avoid jacket damage and performance degradation at bend points.

Termination Considerations

The D-Link NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O terminates into standard Cat 6 unshielded keystone jacks, patch panels, and RJ45 plugs using standard 110-style IDC tooling — no shielded hardware or grounding is required. External termination points require IP65-rated weatherproof enclosures or gel-filled weatherproof RJ45 plugs at camera heads and device mounting locations. Building entry penetrations must be sealed to prevent moisture tracking from the outdoor cable section into the internal installation.

Supported Applications

The D-Link NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O supports the following applications within a compliant outdoor Cat 6 channel:

• 1000BASE-T — Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3ab) at full 100m channel
• 100BASE-TX — Fast Ethernet
• 10BASE-T — Standard Ethernet
• 10GBASE-T — 10 Gigabit Ethernet over shorter runs (~55m channel)
• PoE (IEEE 802.3af) — Up to 15.4W — outdoor cameras, intercoms, card readers
• PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) — Up to 30W — mid-power outdoor access points, PTZ cameras
• PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt) — Up to 90W — high-power 802.11ax outdoor WAPs, multi-sensor cameras
• Outdoor IP Surveillance — IP camera backhaul from external camera positions to NVR or PoE switch
• Inter-Building Links — Campus and multi-building Gigabit connections via aerial or conduit routes
• External Wi-Fi Access Points — PoE-powered outdoor 802.11ac/ax WAP backhaul
• Access Control and Video Intercoms — PoE-powered external door controllers and entry systems
• Building Automation — PoE-powered external sensors and IoT devices

Ideal Users

• Network Infrastructure Contractors on Mixed Indoor/Outdoor Projects — The NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O provides a standards-verified bare copper outdoor Cat 6 solution that supports full TIA/EIA-568C.2 channel certification on external segments. This makes it appropriate for commercial projects where the channel certification scope includes outdoor runs from internal comms rooms to external access points, cameras, or inter-building links — and where CCA semi-copper alternatives cannot provide the TIA-compliant conductor specification required by the certification framework.
• Security and CCTV System Integrators — External IP cameras on PoE switches require a bare copper outdoor-rated cable that supports reliable PoE power delivery at outdoor run lengths. The NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O’s solid electrolytic grade copper conductors and low DC resistance maintain PoE+ and PoE++ delivery on runs up to 100 metres — covering the full range of typical external camera positions from a centralised comms room or switch location.
• Education and Healthcare Campus Facilities Teams — Multi-building campuses require inter-building Gigabit links and external wireless coverage. Bare copper outdoor Cat 6 supports PoE++ outdoor access points and IP cameras at full outdoor run lengths, while D-Link’s established brand and support infrastructure simplifies procurement, warranty management, and technical support across campus network infrastructure projects.
• Corporate Facilities and Property Management Teams — For office and commercial properties adding external IP cameras, gate access control, or perimeter wireless coverage to existing infrastructure, the D-Link Outdoor Cat 6 cable extends the standard Cat 6 network layer to external device positions using the same termination tooling and hardware as the internal cabling plant.
• IT Infrastructure Managers Maintaining D-Link Network Ecosystems — Organisations running D-Link switches, access points, and indoor cabling benefit from consistent manufacturer warranty and support coverage across both indoor and outdoor cable infrastructure. The NCB-C6UBLKR-305-O is the D-Link-specified outdoor cable for extending D-Link network infrastructure to external environments.

Cable Specifications

Performance Specifications

Physical Specifications

Installation Parameters

Certifications