Southwire CAT 5e 24 AWG 4-Pair Riser Gray Data Cable 500-Foot Pull Box – Model 56917945

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft riser-rated data cable (Model 56917945) is the structured cabling pull box that genuinely matches the cable volume needed for small home networks, single-home structured cabling rough-in projects, and starter installations where 500 feet of cable is the right amount rather than a wasteful surplus. As a CAT 5e 500 ft pull box, this product delivers the same Southwire CAT 5e specification used on larger contractor-scale rolls, but in the compact 500-foot format that fits the actual material consumption of typical 4 to 7 drop residential installations. As Southwire 56917945, this specific SKU is the smaller-spool sibling to Southwire’s CAT 5e 1000-foot pull box, sharing identical electrical specifications and CMR fire rating while offering a meaningfully lower entry price point. The CAT 5e gray riser 500 ft uses the industry-standard gray jacket coloring of all general-purpose CAT 5e cabling, instantly distinguishable from CAT 6 (blue) and CAT 6a (green) cables in mixed installations. As a small Ethernet cable spool in the practical project-scale 500-foot length, the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft eliminates the leftover-storage problem that affects homeowners and small contractors buying 1000-foot rolls for projects that only need half that much cable. Every Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft pull box ships nationwide from IB Lighting with free freight. Manufacturer specifications are available at the official Southwire website.

Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft Key Highlights

Why 500 ft Is the Right Size for Many Projects

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is specifically sized for projects that genuinely consume around 500 feet of cable, which covers a meaningful portion of small residential and entry-level commercial structured cabling work. Understanding when 500 feet is the right amount versus when stepping up to 1000 feet makes more sense matters because the per-foot economics differ between the two formats.

Cost-per-foot economics: the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft delivers cable at approximately $0.136 per foot, while the larger 1000-foot roll delivers cable at approximately $0.112 per foot. The 1000-foot format is cheaper per foot, but only if you actually use most of the cable. For projects that consume 400 to 600 feet, buying the 500-foot pull box typically delivers lower total project cost than buying the 1000-foot pull box and storing 400+ feet of unused cable indefinitely.

Practical project sizes that match the 500-foot length: a typical single-family home structured cabling rough-in covering 4 to 7 wall jack drops (50 to 100 feet per drop) consumes approximately 200 to 700 feet of cable. The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft covers the lower end of this range comfortably and may stretch to cover smaller homes. A home office addition adding 2 to 3 Ethernet drops to an existing home typically consumes 100 to 300 feet. A small business with 4 to 6 workstation drops consumes 200 to 600 feet. A vacation home with 3 to 4 essential drops consumes 150 to 400 feet.

For projects significantly larger than this (8+ drops, multi-floor commercial fit-outs, multi-residential installations), the Southwire CAT 5e 1000 ft pull box delivers better per-foot economics. For projects requiring premium specification with 10-Gigabit Ethernet support, the Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is the right specification rather than CAT 5e.

What CAT 5e Is and What It Supports

CAT 5e stands for Category 5 enhanced, an industry-standard specification for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) data cabling that has powered residential and commercial Ethernet networks since the early 2000s. The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is the smaller-spool implementation of this widely-deployed specification, and understanding what CAT 5e delivers helps you choose the right cable specification for your project.

CAT 5e is governed by the TIA/EIA-568 cabling standard, which defines electrical and physical specifications including conductor gauge (24 AWG), pair count (4 twisted pairs), maximum signaling bandwidth (100 MHz), and supported data rates. The “enhanced” designation distinguishes CAT 5e from the original CAT 5 specification, with the enhanced version having tighter twist rates and improved electrical performance for Gigabit Ethernet support. CAT 5 (without the e) is now obsolete; modern specifications start at CAT 5e.

What the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft supports:

• Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T): Full speed Gigabit operation at the maximum 100-meter run length per TIA/EIA-568 specification.
• 10/100 Ethernet: All slower Ethernet variants supported automatically, providing backward compatibility with older network equipment.
• Voice telephony: Traditional phone systems and VoIP installations both work over CAT 5e infrastructure.
• Power over Ethernet (PoE): Standard PoE (IEEE 802.3af, 15.4W), PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at, 30W), and PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt, 60W and 100W) all work over CAT 5e for typical run lengths.
• Low-voltage signaling: Building automation, HVAC controls, security systems, audio distribution, and similar low-voltage applications.

For typical residential and standard commercial applications, CAT 5e delivers everything most networks actually need. Home internet service speeds are well below Gigabit capacity for most US households, which means the internal home network can transfer data at the full Gigabit rate while the internet connection bottlenecks external traffic. The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is the right specification for home network rough-in, voice service distribution, smart-home cabling, security camera systems, and similar residential applications.

Four Twisted Pairs: Signal Performance Basics

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft contains four twisted pairs of conductors, which is the defining structural feature of all CAT 5e cables. Each pair consists of two 24 AWG solid copper conductors twisted around each other at a specific tightness (twists per inch) that varies between the four pairs to minimize electromagnetic interference between adjacent pairs in the cable.

The twisted-pair design serves a specific signal-integrity purpose. When two conductors are twisted together and carry equal but opposite signal currents (differential signaling, which is how Ethernet works), the magnetic fields generated by each conductor cancel each other out. This dramatically reduces the cable’s susceptibility to external electromagnetic interference and reduces radiated emissions, allowing data signals to propagate cleanly over long distances without corruption.

The four pairs in the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft follow EIA/TIA color coding standard: Pair 1 is blue and blue-white striped, Pair 2 is orange and orange-white striped, Pair 3 is green and green-white striped, and Pair 4 is brown and brown-white striped. Each pair uses a different twist rate to minimize crosstalk between adjacent pairs, which is part of how CAT 5e maintains signal integrity at Gigabit speeds.

For RJ-45 termination at network jacks and patch panels, the four pairs are arranged according to the T568A or T568B wiring standard. The B standard is more common in commercial installations; A is more common in residential. All four pairs must be terminated for Gigabit Ethernet operation, since Gigabit uses all eight conductors simultaneously. The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft supports both standards and is fully compatible with all modern Ethernet network equipment.

CMR Riser Rating: Code-Compliant Fire Performance

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft carries the CMR (Communications Multi-purpose Riser) jacket rating, the most common general-purpose specification for residential and commercial structured cabling. The CMR rating allows the cable to be installed in vertical riser runs between floors in non-plenum spaces while meeting NEC Article 800 fire safety requirements.

The complete jacket rating hierarchy from most restrictive to least:

• CMP (Plenum): Required for installations in air handling spaces where HVAC air actively circulates. Most expensive with lowest smoke production.
• CMR (Riser, this product): Approved for vertical riser installations between floors in non-plenum spaces. The practical default for typical residential and commercial cabling.
• CM (General Purpose): Approved for general communications cable installations in single-floor non-plenum applications. Lower cost but limited scope.
• CMX (Limited Use): Approved only for dwelling installations and certain restricted applications.

The CMR rating on the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is the right specification for typical residential structured cabling because it covers single-floor applications (where CM would also work) AND multi-floor vertical runs (which CM does not). For multi-story homes, this dual capability matters; the cable can be installed in stair walls, between floors, and through chases without code violations. The “non-plenum” qualifier excludes installations in ceiling air handling plenums where HVAC return air circulates; those applications specifically require CMP-rated cable.

The 500-Foot Pull Box Format

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft ships in a pull box rather than a spool reel, which is the format network installers actually prefer for project work. The pull box is a smaller-format cardboard or composite shipping carton with a pull-out hole on the top, containing the cable wound inside in a controlled pattern that dispenses cleanly through the pull hole.

The pull box format suits CAT 5e installation patterns specifically because installations typically involve many separate runs to different locations rather than long continuous pulls. The installer simply pulls cable from the hole as needed, moving from one drop location to the next without repositioning a spool reel between drops. For a typical residential installation covering 4 to 7 wall-jack drops, the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft handles the complete project from a single compact pull box.

The 500-foot length is meaningfully smaller and lighter than the 1000-foot format, which matters for installers working in residential settings (compact storage, easier transport, fits in standard work vehicles), homeowners doing DIY structured cabling (less intimidating quantity, manageable storage), and small contractors who do not need contractor-volume inventory. The compact box also fits comfortably in confined installation workspaces like crawl spaces, attic access points, and basement framing where larger boxes would be unwieldy.

Common Applications for the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is right-sized for specific small-to-medium structured cabling applications. The most common project types include:

• Single-family home Ethernet rough-in (4 to 7 drops). Cable drops from a central network closet or panel location to bedrooms, home office, family room entertainment area, and basement.
• Home office Ethernet addition. Adding 2 to 3 Ethernet drops to an existing home for a new home office setup, including a primary workstation drop and ancillary drops for printer and network attached storage.
• Smart-home wiring rough-in. Cabling for smart-home hubs, network-based lighting controllers, video doorbell systems, and similar smart-home infrastructure that requires hard-wired network connectivity.
• Small business networking. 4 to 6 workstation drops for small offices, retail point-of-sale connectivity, or small medical/dental practices.
• Vacation home or second residence networking. Essential networking drops (3 to 4 typical) for streaming, security cameras, smart-home access, and remote work capability.
• Wireless access point distribution. WiFi access points for whole-home coverage in larger homes, each access point requiring a CAT 5e drop back to the central network switch.
• Security camera installations. IP-based security camera systems with 4 to 8 cameras, each camera using PoE to draw power and data over CAT 5e back to the network video recorder.
• VoIP phone system installations. Small business phone systems using CAT 5e for both data and voice distribution.

For larger applications consuming more than 600 to 700 feet of cable, the larger Southwire CAT 5e 1000 ft pull box delivers better per-foot economics. For premium installations requiring 10-Gigabit Ethernet support, the Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is the right specification.

Drop Planning for Small Projects

Planning a structured cabling project with the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft requires understanding typical drop lengths and total cable consumption. The 500-foot budget needs careful allocation when the project includes more than 5 to 7 drops, but for typical small projects it provides comfortable headroom.

Typical residential drop length calculations: from a centrally-located network closet in a single-family home, the average distance to any wall jack is approximately 50 to 80 feet of cable (accounting for vertical runs up stud bays, horizontal runs across ceilings, and the routing complexity from the cable path through framing). A 2-story home with the network closet in the basement might have drops ranging from 30 feet (basement room) to 100 feet (far corner of upper floor). Add 5 to 10 feet at each end for termination slack and box service loop.

Total cable consumption estimates for typical project sizes:

• 3 drops: 150 to 240 feet (50-80 ft per drop average). The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft covers this comfortably with 50% material remaining for future expansion.
• 4 drops: 200 to 320 feet. Comfortable fit with material remaining.
• 5 drops: 250 to 400 feet. Good fit within the 500-foot budget.
• 6 drops: 300 to 480 feet. Right at the practical maximum for this pull box size.
• 7+ drops: 350+ feet. Approaching the 500-foot limit. Consider the 1000-foot pull box for headroom.

For larger projects, the 500-foot pull box becomes economically less attractive because the per-foot cost is higher than the 1000-foot format. Buying two 500-foot pull boxes for a 700-foot project costs more than buying one 1000-foot box with material remaining, so projects expecting to consume more than approximately 600 feet of cable typically benefit from the larger format.

Plan some buffer into your estimates. Cable always gets consumed in slightly larger quantities than the theoretical drop calculation predicts, due to routing variations, termination slack, and minor errors during the install. Plan for 10 to 15 percent buffer over your calculated total consumption to avoid running short on the last drop.

Installation Requirements and Best Practices

Installing the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft follows specific best practices that protect signal performance and ensure code compliance. Network cable installation is more sensitive to handling than electrical power wire because signal integrity depends on maintaining the precise twist pattern of the conductors.

Maintain bend radius: The minimum bend radius for CAT 5e is 4 times the cable diameter (typically about 1 inch). Sharper bends can damage the conductor twist pattern and degrade signal performance. Plan cable routing to avoid sharp 90-degree bends; use gentle sweeping curves instead.

Avoid maximum pulling tension: The maximum pulling tension on CAT 5e is 25 pounds. Pulling harder can stretch the conductors and degrade performance. For most residential installations using the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft, the runs are short enough that excessive pulling force is not a typical concern.

Separate from electrical power wiring: Per NEC Article 800, communications cabling like the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft must be separated from electrical power wiring by minimum distances. Typical separation is 12 inches from parallel runs of 120V power wiring, with crossings permitted at 90-degree angles. Avoid running CAT 5e in the same conduit, raceway, or stud bay as power wiring.

Plan terminations carefully: Strip about 1 inch of jacket back at each termination, then untwist the pairs only as far as needed to reach the termination contacts (typically less than 1/2 inch of untwist). Excessive untwist degrades the cable’s electromagnetic interference rejection at the termination point.

Test after installation: Use a cable certification tester to verify each run meets the CAT 5e specification. For DIY home installations, basic continuity testers (wiremap testers) confirm correct pin-to-pin connections, which is the minimum verification. For projects where reliable Gigabit Ethernet performance is critical, certification testers measure return loss, near-end crosstalk, and other performance parameters that determine whether the run will reliably support Gigabit operation.

Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft Specifications

Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft FAQs

Who the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft Is Built For

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft serves four clear buyer types. The first is homeowners doing DIY structured cabling for their own homes, typically running 4 to 7 Ethernet drops to bedrooms, the home office, the entertainment area, and the basement. For these buyers, the 500-foot pull box matches actual project consumption without the leftover-storage burden of the 1000-foot format. The compact pull box is easier to maneuver in residential framing spaces, and the lower entry price point makes the project budget more approachable for first-time DIY cabling installations.

The second buyer is the small contractor handling single-home structured cabling projects on residential remodel or addition jobs. For these contractors, the 500-foot length matches typical residential job consumption while keeping per-project material cost predictable. Buying 500-foot pull boxes for each project provides better cost tracking than buying 1000-foot rolls and amortizing the leftover material across multiple jobs.

The third buyer is the small business owner adding Ethernet infrastructure to a small office, retail space, or professional practice. For these buyers, the 4 to 6 workstation drops typical of small business installations consume 200 to 400 feet of cable, which the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft handles comfortably. The IT-friendly Gigabit Ethernet support handles all standard business networking needs, and the CMR riser rating provides code-compliant installation across multi-floor commercial buildings.

The fourth buyer is the home office addition or renovation buyer who needs 2 to 3 Ethernet drops for a new home office setup. For these buyers, the 500-foot pull box is meaningfully more cable than needed (200-300 feet typical), which means meaningful material remaining for future drops, repair runs, or extensions. The leftover material is small enough to store easily and use for future home network needs. Browse the broader IB Lighting electrical and cable collection for the complete range.

CAT 5e 500 ft vs 1000 ft: Which Size to Buy

The choice between the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft and the Southwire CAT 5e 1000 ft is driven entirely by project size and per-foot cost economics. Both products share identical CAT 5e specifications, so the cable performance is identical between the two formats. The question is purely about which length matches your actual consumption.

Choose the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft (this product) when your project consumes approximately 200 to 600 feet of cable, when you specifically want to avoid leftover material after the project, when the smaller compact pull box is easier to handle in your installation environment, when total project cost (not per-foot cost) is the decision factor, or when this is your first structured cabling install and a smaller commitment feels more comfortable.

Choose the Southwire CAT 5e 1000 ft when your project consumes more than 600 to 700 feet of cable, when per-foot cost economics favor the larger format because you will use most of the cable, when you do multiple structured cabling projects over time and the leftover material amortizes across multiple installs, when storage for cable inventory is not a concern, or when the project is a commercial fit-out with 8+ drops that consumes most of the larger spool.

For projects right at the boundary (around 600 feet of expected consumption), the math depends on your specific situation. If you have other future projects that will consume the leftover material, the 1000-foot format is the better choice. If this is a one-time project with no expected future cable use, two 500-foot pull boxes (1000 feet total at higher per-foot cost) is unusual; just buy the 1000-foot box for the better economics.

CAT 5e vs CAT 6 for Small Projects

For small structured cabling projects, the choice between CAT 5e and CAT 6 specifications depends on bandwidth requirements, future-proofing considerations, and budget. The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft is the cost-conscious choice; the Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft is the premium choice.

Choose CAT 5e like the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft when your home internet service is below Gigabit speed (which describes most US households), when 10-Gigabit Ethernet is not in your foreseeable plans, when budget considerations matter for the project, when the installation is an addition or upgrade to an existing CAT 5e network, or when the application is standard home or small business networking. CAT 5e delivers Gigabit Ethernet which exceeds typical home network needs.

Choose CAT 6 when your installation is new construction with 15-20+ year expected cabling lifespan, when 10-Gigabit Ethernet capability matters for future hardware upgrades, when high-wattage PoE++ devices are planned, when the modest cost premium is justified by future-proofing, or when the installation specifically requires the higher bandwidth headroom. CAT 6 is the right premium choice for projects where re-cabling later would be expensive and disruptive.

For most homeowners with typical internet service and standard household devices, CAT 5e remains the practical right choice. The bandwidth that matters in real-world home networking is the internet service speed, which is the bottleneck regardless of internal cable category. Spending more on CAT 6 cable does not improve real-world home network performance unless you actually run hardware that uses speeds beyond Gigabit.

PoE Applications and Considerations

The Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft supports all standard Power over Ethernet (PoE) classes including modern high-wattage PoE++ delivery. PoE allows network devices to receive DC power and data over the same Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for separate power wiring to each device. This simplifies installation significantly for devices like wireless access points, IP security cameras, VoIP phones, and similar network-attached equipment.

PoE class capabilities supported on the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft:

• Standard PoE (IEEE 802.3af): Up to 15.4 watts at the source, 12.95 watts at the device. Common for basic VoIP phones, low-power wireless access points, and entry-level IP cameras.
• PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at): Up to 30 watts at the source, 25.5 watts at the device. Common for modern wireless access points, pan-tilt-zoom IP cameras, and video conferencing endpoints.
• PoE++ Type 3 (IEEE 802.3bt): Up to 60 watts at the source, 51 watts at the device. For high-performance access points, PTZ cameras, and modern unified communications endpoints.
• PoE++ Type 4 (IEEE 802.3bt): Up to 100 watts at the source, 71 watts at the device. For high-power devices including some thin clients and modern displays.

For high-wattage PoE++ Type 3 and Type 4 applications, the thicker 23 AWG conductors in CAT 6 cable deliver some advantages over 24 AWG CAT 5e, particularly at run lengths approaching the 100-meter maximum. For typical residential PoE installations using standard PoE or PoE+ powered devices, the Southwire CAT 5e 500 ft handles the power delivery reliably without issues. For installations specifically using high-power PoE++ devices, consider stepping up to CAT 6 for the better current-handling capability.

Browse the complete IB Lighting electrical and cable collection, step up to the larger Southwire CAT 5e 1000 ft for bigger projects, upgrade to Southwire CAT 6 1000 ft for premium specifications, explore other Southwire products, pair structured cabling with a Tesla Universal Wall Connector for home automation projects, consider a Generac standby generator for outage protection that keeps your network and PoE devices running, or visit our customer FAQ hub. Manufacturer technical sheets are available at the official Southwire website.