How do I buy a smaller amount than bulk of an item I can only find sold in bulk?

July 16, 2008 5:14 AM

Help me figure out the best approach to getting a smaller quantity of network cable type (cat6 outdoor, uv rating only - aerial run) that is apparently only available in bulk.

I can totally afford the $150 - $200 that a whole 1000 feet (305 m) of cable would cost to purchase and ship, but I can't afford the space it'd take up (looks like 3 foot or 1m wide and 3 foot or 1m diameter reel), nor do I think I'd be able to get it to proper storage even if I could (down a flight of stairs, etc).

What's a good option here?

So far I've thought of:
- Trying to buy some from a local supply company (if I could find one)
- Trying to buy some from a local electrician that does network cabling
- Trying to put together some sort of buyer's collective
- Just buy the whole reel and keep it somewhere inappropriate
- Just buy the whole reel, use what I want, and throw away the rest
- Just buy the whole reel, use what I want and try to give away the rest

Any better ideas?

posted by kalessin to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Buy the whole reel and sell the rest on craigslist.

Do you have any local computer shops nearby? The local one I frequented would make custom length CAT cables for a nominal fee.
posted by imjosh at 5:48 AM on July 16, 2008

Also consider eBay. Could be that other people have the same issue with needing a smaller quantity. You could sell it in 20m, 50m and 100m lengths and price it so that you end up paying nothing for the length you need.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 5:49 AM on July 16, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I have begun calling around various local cable supply and computer retailers, as well as checked eBay and craigslist.

Findings:
- local cable supply only sells this stuff in 1000' reels for significantly more than I've found online (so far - still calling - markup is about $50 - $100 higher than online (which is about 33% - 66% more, but I accede that online retailers will probably try to charge ruinous shipping)
- local cable supply doesn't know if anyone local resells this stuff in smaller quantities
- No local computer shops I've so far called sell the stuff, but I will keep calling around. Keep in mind I'm not asking for patch cable but for UV-rated aerial cable.
- eBay listings I could find only sold 1000' reels too
- I found no listings on craigslist that sell the stuff, but would potentially be open to reselling it myself on craigslist in lieu of throwing/giving it away
posted by kalessin at 7:59 AM on July 16, 2008

I should also clarify, since imjosh seemed to misunderstand:

I totally know how to create my own patch cables. I can crimp and boot with the best of them. This question pertains simply to getting a length I want of a certain type of cable so I don't have to buy too much and store the rest.
posted by kalessin at 8:24 AM on July 16, 2008

When cable installers do commercial construction they always have partial reels left over that are often discarded. If you have any contacts in that field you could try and track some down at jobsites. If you don't it could require require more energy than the cost of a full reel.
posted by TDIpod at 9:56 AM on July 16, 2008

Have you tried Home Depot or similar? I don't know about cat6 outdoor, but I've been personally surprised at the wide variety of computer-type cabling available at my local home improvement big-box stores...when we needed a stupidly long ethernet cable, that's where we got the length we needed (x2 just for sure), and then I did the crimping etc.

Otherwise, maybe substitute "sell" for "give away" in your last idea, esp since you aren't having any luck with eBay/craigslist? (On 2nd look, I see you've got that idea as well.)
posted by epersonae at 10:13 AM on July 16, 2008

Post to the Items wanted section on craigslist.
posted by theora55 at 11:33 AM on July 16, 2008

Okay, more info:
- I've tapped out all the local computer companies/electronics companies I can find who might be able to help, and have been turned down at all fronts
- I have inquired, per TDIpod's suggestion, with friends who do cable contracting whether they might help with the wiring problem I have or potentially hook me up with a 100 foot remnant of a 1000 foot reel (so there's some help there, for sure)
- I have tried Home Depot and found that while they can be relied upon to have cat5 or cat5e pvc or even possibly plenum cable, they generally don't have the aerial/burial kind of cable, and they're usually far enough behind the curve not to have cat6 at this point. Regardless, I looked at their internet inreface and, not finding anything, have resolved to visit them and try and see what they have, as calling them turns out to be pretty useless
- I do like theora55's suggestion, too, and if I end up going this route (my convo with friends/co-workers has turned up a possibility of someone who might help me with indoor wiring instead and obviate the need for this kind of cable at all), I will try craigslist's wanted section instead.

Thanks to all who had suggestions and especially to those who sparked new ideas, even though I still don't know how it'll all turn out.
posted by kalessin at 1:48 PM on July 16, 2008

Final follow up:

I ended up going with an internal wiring job instead of using external cable. It just seemed wiser to avoid poking more holes in the external walls of my house.

Avoiding an outrageous quote from a local electrician for the same thing:

- I hired out our company's cable installation contractor after a few months of searching/wheedling/rescheduling.
- He did the job for about 1/3 of what a local electrician quoted (the one I hired did it via internal walls instead of going outside, and I feel like I got my money's worth because he did a particular couple of feats of cable routing and fishing that I think would have taken me 3-4 hours longer than it took him and involved a lot of frustrated weeping and beer drinking).
- It also turned out that my interior ceiling/floor between the first floor and the second was about 14 inches/35.5 cm thick - thicker than either of us thought it would be by at least 6 inches/15.25 cm.
- He used indoor rated sold core wiring, which is just fine, and put jacks where I asked him to.
- The wiring path he used was one that I could use to run my own cable now for continuous runs (he left slack I could use to fish additional cable with, if I needed to) to the points I need it at, but requires an extra switch to bridge the two main runs together right now. But that's fine, as I initially proposed it as an option anyhow, and I've already got a smaller switch at that point anyway (just need to get a bigger one).
- I sacrificed a port I rarely use up there and got the entire collection of new runs hooked up and have the desktop at the end of the long collection wired last night. The speed is blazing and the connection solid, so I think we're good.
- Now I just need to upgrade 1 switch and buy another (for the office at the end of the run).
posted by kalessin at 5:47 AM on September 12, 2008