Skip to main content
Light-Duty Cables & Wires

Can copper-clad aluminium (CCA) LAN cable be used for PoE cameras?

Quick answer

Copper-clad aluminium (CCA) cable has an aluminium core with a thin copper coating. It is lighter and cheaper than solid copper, but aluminium has higher electrical resistance than copper, so a CCA conductor of the same size carries power less efficiently.

That matters for Power over Ethernet (PoE) cameras, because the cable carries power as well as data. The higher resistance means more voltage drop and more heat in the cable, and the problem grows on long runs or in bundles. Structured cabling standards such as ANSI/TIA-568 and ISO/IEC 11801 are written around solid copper conductors, and CCA cable does not meet them.

APAR recommends solid copper cable for any PoE installation. APAR Tarang Shakti LAN cable uses 24 AWG solid bare copper conductors, not copper-clad.

Looking for the right cable for your project?

Get expert guidance on grade, size and standards from APAR Cable Solutions.

Request a quote →