Panduit PUR5C04BU-F Cat5e 1000ft Bulk UTP Cable, Blue CMR
The Panduit PUR5C04BU-F is a 1,000-foot pull-box of Pan-Net® Category 5e solid-conductor bulk cable built for structured cabling runs in commercial buildings. It ships 24 AWG, 4-pair, U/UTP construction with a CMR (riser) flame rating — the right spec for vertical runs between floors in multi-story commercial and light-industrial facilities. If you're pulling horizontal drops for IP cameras, VoIP phones, access control readers, or general data, this is a workhorse reel that covers a full floor plan from a single box.
Key Features
- Category 5e Performance: Supports 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) over standard 100-meter channel lengths. For IP cameras, access control panels, and PoE devices, Cat5e headroom is sufficient for everything up to PoE+ (802.3at, 30W) — you don't need Cat6 unless you're running 10GBase-T or multi-gig PoE++ switches.
- 24 AWG Solid Conductor: Solid conductors (vs. stranded) are the correct choice for permanent horizontal and riser runs. Solid wire maintains tighter impedance tolerance across the run length, which matters when you're terminating 50–100 drops into patch panels and keystones. Stranded is for patch cords — don't pull stranded through walls.
- U/UTP Construction (Unshielded, Unfoiled): Straightforward to terminate with standard Cat5e keystone jacks and 110 punch-down blocks — no drain wire, no foil to manage. Works in the vast majority of commercial IP security and data installations where EMI from adjacent cabling is not a design constraint. If you're running near high-voltage conduits or in heavy-industrial EMI environments, consider shielded (F/UTP or S/FTP) instead.
- CMR Riser Flame Rating: Meets the NEC requirement for cables routed vertically through floor-to-floor penetrations (riser shafts). This is the minimum required rating for vertical runs in most jurisdictions — it self-extinguishes and resists flame spread between floors. CMR is also accepted wherever CMP (plenum) is not explicitly required; check local code before pulling in air-handling plenums, where CMP-rated cable is mandatory.
- 1,000-Foot Pull Box: A full 1,000 ft (305 m) per package gives you enough cable to wire an entire floor of a medium-size commercial building — roughly 10 full-length 90-meter drops with margin for dressing and patch tails. The pan-style pull box feeds cleanly without tangling during a continuous pull.
- Blue Jacket: Blue is the de facto data/network color in TIA-606-B color-coding schemes, making it immediately distinguishable in a busy telecommunications room from voice (white/grey), security (yellow/orange), or AV (purple) runs. Consistent color discipline reduces troubleshooting time when tracing runs months or years after installation.
- Pan-Net® Brand: Part of Panduit's Panduit structured cabling line, Pan-Net cable is designed and tested to meet TIA-568-C.2 Category 5e performance requirements — the same standard your switch, camera, and access control hardware expects. Using a single vendor's cable, jacks, and patch panels simplifies component certification if you ever need to document a warranted channel.
Integration & Compatibility
The PUR5C04BU-F terminates with any standard Cat5e-rated 110-punch keystone jack or patch panel — Panduit, Leviton, Belden, CommScope, or equivalent. It's compatible with PoE (802.3af, up to 15.4W) and PoE+ (802.3at, up to 30W) switches, which covers the power budget of virtually all IP cameras, card readers, and IP intercoms on the market. For PoE++ (802.3bt, up to 90W) loads like pan-tilt-zoom cameras, video door stations, or high-wattage WAPs, verify your cable run meets the bundled-cable temperature derating requirements in IEEE 802.3bt — tightly bundled long runs can accumulate heat that reduces safe PoE delivery. At 24 AWG, this cable pairs correctly with standard network PoE switches and structured cabling in commercial builds.
For IP security infrastructure projects, this cable is a natural companion to IP cameras, access control readers, and network video recorders — all of which rely on a Cat5e or better physical layer. A full cable management system (raceways, J-hooks, cable ties) is recommended alongside to maintain bend radius and separation requirements per TIA-569.
The PUR5C04BU-F (often searched as PUR5C04BU F) is sold in single 1,000-foot boxes; the carton quantity is 36,000 feet (36 boxes), useful for large project bids requiring volume pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the PUR5C04BU-F suitable for outdoor or direct-burial runs?
A: No. The PUR5C04BU-F carries a CMR (riser) rating and is designed for indoor commercial use only. Outdoor or direct-burial installations require UV-resistant or gel-filled direct-burial cable with an appropriate outdoor rating. Using CMR cable outdoors will cause jacket degradation and potential conductor corrosion over time.
Q: Can this cable support PoE and PoE+ devices like IP cameras?
A: Yes. 24 AWG solid Cat5e U/UTP is compatible with IEEE 802.3af (PoE, 15.4W) and 802.3at (PoE+, 30W) standards over standard 100-meter channel lengths. For PoE++ (802.3bt, up to 90W), review IEEE 802.3bt bundled-cable temperature derating requirements for your specific installation.
Q: Is CMR (riser) rating acceptable for plenum air-handling spaces?
A: No. CMR-rated cable is approved for vertical riser runs between floors but is not rated for use in air-handling plenums (ceiling return-air spaces). Plenum spaces require CMP-rated cable. Check local building codes and the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) before specifying cable type for ceiling runs.
Q: How many drops can I run from a single 1,000-foot box?
A: At the TIA maximum horizontal run of 90 meters (295 ft) per drop, you'll get approximately 3 full-length runs per box with margin. For typical commercial drops of 30–50 meters (100–165 ft), a single 1,000-foot box yields 6–10 drops. Factor in service loops, patch tails, and waste for routing around obstacles.
Q: What is the difference between solid and stranded Cat5e, and which is this?
A: The PUR5C04BU-F uses solid conductors — correct for permanent in-wall or conduit runs where the cable won't be repeatedly flexed. Stranded cable is intended for patch cords and frequently moved connections. Using stranded bulk cable for permanent infrastructure runs risks higher insertion loss and impedance variation over time.
Q: Does this cable meet TIA-568-C.2 Category 5e performance specifications?
A: The PUR5C04BU-F is a Panduit Pan-Net® Category 5e cable, designed to meet TIA-568-C.2 Cat5e performance requirements. For a fully warranted channel certification, pair it with Panduit Pan-Net keystone jacks, patch panels, and patch cords from the same system.
The PUR5C04BU-F is Panduit's Pan-Net Cat5e riser bulk cable — 24 AWG solid, U/UTP, 1,000 feet per box. I specify this in commercial security buildouts when the job calls for a single-vendor physical layer: same brand from the cable box through the keystone jack and patch panel simplifies any future channel certification without having to cross-reference three manufacturers' test data.
Technical Highlights:
- 24 AWG Solid, U/UTP: Solid conductor construction maintains the impedance consistency you need across 90-meter horizontal runs. Unshielded pairs terminate fast with standard 110 punch-down tools — no drain wire to manage, no foil to seat. This is the correct construction for 95% of commercial structured cabling jobs.
- CMR Riser Flame Rating: Clears NEC requirements for vertical floor-to-floor runs. This rating is accepted everywhere CMP is not specifically required, which covers the majority of riser shafts in commercial construction. Saves the cost uplift of pulling plenum (CMP) cable in spaces where the code doesn't require it.
- 1,000 ft (305 m) per Box, 36,000 ft per Carton: The per-box quantity is right-sized for a single-floor pull. At 36,000 ft per carton, project-volume pricing on multi-floor deployments is straightforward to calculate — no partial-reel waste or reorder delays mid-pull.
Deployment Considerations:
- U/UTP has no shielding — adequate for most commercial environments, but if your IP camera or access control cable runs share conduit with 277V or 480V power conductors, the NEC requires separation, and you should evaluate F/UTP shielded cable to reduce EMI coupling risk regardless of Cat rating.
- CMR cable cannot substitute for CMP in plenum ceiling spaces — this is a common field mistake. If any portion of the run passes through an air-handling ceiling return, the entire run must be CMP. Don't mix ratings in a single horizontal run.
This cable is the right call for new-construction commercial security infrastructure — multi-floor office buildings, retail build-outs, or campus facilities — where you're standardizing the physical layer across IP cameras, access control, and VoIP on a single Cat5e plant and want Panduit system continuity from the pull box to the patch panel.
