CommScope vs Truecable – Saving our clients thousands of dollars as a Low Voltage Contractor – Low Voltage Consulting

As a trusted low-voltage contractor we pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality of installation, and offering services that fit our client’s technology needs exactly. Yes, of course, the network installation is important, but often overlooked is the quality of the materials. When it comes to building a reliable network, one should never cut corners on infrastructure to deliver a project at a lower price.  

This article is about how you can cut costs by working with the right Network and Low Voltage Consultants – through strategic buying of high-quality materials and infrastructure items. 

Links to third parties in this article are not necessarily endorsed by UFO Cable, and we have no formal affiliation with the companies.

It’s no secret that operating a business comes with assorted high costs across the entire spectrum, let alone trying to manage a robust network. Hiring an internal IT staff or an MSP can greatly increase operating costs – this is especially true if you have a good team of generalists, and strong human capital already. Because of this, our clients are looking to cut costs without sacrificing quality and as business owners ourselves, we understand their situation. 

We offer solutions for all budgets, but we’ve consistently been able to do so without a drop in quality. Our clients wonder how we can do that and it’s because we do our research on the materials that we use, and we leverage our years of experience. We’ve taken great measures to test and verify these materials to make sure quality is not compromised. Price is not necessarily a great indicator of value in materials used for long-term business infrastructure, but testing and long-term experience can help to establish some basis for value. Because of this previous work and continual research, we can offer all our clients a professional installation with high-quality materials at a great price. We hear that this is often much better value compared to what they may have been subject to in the past.

In this article, we’ll compare three crucial components of a low-voltage installation; these three pieces of materials are; Cat6 cable, Cat6 patch panel, and Cat6 keystones. This material list represents what is typically considered central components of low-voltage cabling, and can be found in a vast majority of network infrastructure installations.

Get A quote Now

Structured Cabling Comparison – Which is the better Cat6 cable?

Here we compare two Cat6 cabling products; one from CommScope and the other from Truecable. These are mainstream material suppliers in the industry and are widely available. If you want to compare the products yourself, here are links and specifications of each. 

Please note (regarding any product listed in this article): we do not represent these companies, and do not guarantee that these are appropriate products for your project. Furthermore, even if we were to objectively portray a value for one over the other in this article, it may not mean that the specific product we might recommend for your project would be the same. Every project is different, and every project and infrastructure need, should be evaluated independently. 

Industry Standard for Structured Cabling

CommScope GigaSPEED XL® 1071E Category 6 U/UTP Cable, non-plenum, 1000 ft

Spec sheet: 

Structured Cabling Alternative

TrueCable Cat6A Riser Ethernet Cable|Shielded 1000ft

Spec sheet: 

In case no one wants to read the spec sheet, don’t worry we’ve got you covered. This table organizes the comparison between CommScope Cat6 and TrueCable Cat6A based on various characteristics and compliance standards.

Comparing the performance specifications, this specific CommScope cabling provides less flexibility, less scalability, less performance, and a much higher procurement price. Performance specifications such as 300Mhz vs. 750Mhz, provide no room for network scalability (1Gbps vs. 10Gbps) and have technically less PoE (Power over Ethernet) capabilities (71.3W vs 100W) at a greater cost.

TrueCable performance specifications surpass the functionality in nearly every measured category with a significant price reduction for equal or better materials. This product will provide flexibility for long-term scalability, encompassing the highest-rated 100W POE for maximum power transmission and 10 Gbps connectivity for future max bandwidth requirements.

Cat6 Patch Panel Comparison – Which is the best Patch Panel for Cat6?

Let’s explore the differences between patch panels by these two companies as well. Even though these patch panels have different amounts of ports per panel, the comparison is more to prove the point about the flexibility that is available with the Truecable patch panels vs. CommScope.

Industry Standard for Patch Panels

SYSTIMAX 360TM GigaSPEED XL Cat6 U/UTP Patch Panel, 48 port

Total cost $1,041.80 / per patch panel

Patch Panel Alternative

TrueCable Shielded Patch Panel, 24 Port, 1U, Blank Modular

$29.99 / per patch panel but also requires 24 keystone jacks at an average price of

$2.50 / per jack.

Total cost ~$100 / per patch panel

CommScope Mechanical Specifications 

TrueCable Mechanical Specifications

Although the CommScope patch panels provide high quality they are limited to Cat6 bandwidth limits, limited in PoE capability at 71.3W, and are priced much higher than the alternative as shown (TrueCable) with fully populated keystone jacks.

The TrueCable patch panels are technically shielded and capable of 100W PoE with more versatile options of integration, such as USB, Coax, Fiber, or A/V whereas the CommScope is limited to network structured cabling only.

With the additional flexibility of swappable standard keystone inserts, low-voltage contractors can color code keystone jacks on each patch panel, if the TrueCable version is utilized. This isn’t an option for the competitor panel – it’s not permitted with the CommScope Panels listed above.

Keystone Jack Comparison – Which is the best Keystone Jack for Cat6?

Finally, we will be comparing another major part of installing structured cabling: the Keystone Jack. At first glance, they might not seem like they have a big impact on the physical network, but after installing thousands of these for a project, it’s important to buy the right keystones. What does “the right Keystone Jacks”  mean? They must be high quality and fit the budget for the project. Let’s explore.

Industry Standard Keystone Jack

GigaSPEED XL® M-Series Modular Jack, RJ45, Cat6 Unshielded

Proposed Keystone Jack Standards

Cat6A Punch Down Keystone Jack|Unshielded

The CommScope Keystone Jacks are certainly quality products; however, they average ~+$20/jack. The TrueCable Keystone Jacks are equal to or higher quality, supporting 10Gbps @ ~2.50/jack.

The CommScope termination contact plating is Copper Alloy with Nickel Plating. The TrueCable termination contact plating is Bronze with 60um Nickel Undercoat and 50um GOLD Plating, an advantage over the CommScope product while being 10GBASE-T certified and 4PPoE up to 100W.

How a great Low Voltage Contractor Helps Clients Save on Network Installations – Which Product is Best For Your Next Project?

To give some overall color to this discussion, being a provider of low-voltage services we recognize the significance of delivering professional installations while keeping our clients’ budget in mind. Our dedication to delivering excellence goes beyond the installation phase. This dedication extends to the quality materials we use, ensuring that our clients get the best bang for their buck. 

It’s also based heavily on doing our research, due diligence, and ongoing continuing education, both from a knowledge perspective and from an intelligence-gathering perspective. It allows you to benefit from our continual work to find the best options on the market and nurture the right relationships to improve the cost of materials and infrastructure. 

Through extensive research and testing, we have pinpointed lower-cost alternatives to standard industry products without compromising on quality. The above comparisons are just the tip of the iceberg. In this comparison study we have assessed elements of core products like Cat6 structured cabling, patch panels, and keystone jacks emphasizing the benefits of alternative products like those from TrueCable. 

By selecting offerings over known brands such as CommScope our clients can enjoy better performance specs, increased flexibility, and scalability at a significantly lower cost. These cost savings can be a game changer, for businesses seeking to enhance their network infrastructure without compromising on quality.

We have thousands of other strategic insights that we bring to the table in every engagement. We’d like to be considered for your next low-voltage or structured cabling project – we think we can provide exceptional value as consultants and as installation technicians. 

As your trusted low voltage service provider we’re dedicated to assisting you in achieving your technology objectives. Whether you’re gearing up for a new installation or enhancing your existing setup, you can count on us for expert advice and support every step of the way.

We can assist you in saving a significant amount of money with our budget options and strong commitment to excellence; all while guaranteeing a dependable and top-notch network to help your organization achieve what’s possible.