Can Cat5e cables be used to connect Alarm.com cellular modules to panels?
No. Cat5e cables and other variants (single or doubled) cannot be used to connect Alarm.com modules with panels. This does not meet power requirements and can result in unexpected behaviors.
For more information about power requirements for each panel, see the panel-specific power requirements article listed in Power requirements.
What is Cat5e?
Category 5 (Cat5/Cat5e) and other variants are commonly used for computer networking, video transmission, and telephony applications. When used in networking, cables have an RJ45 connector affixed to either end for Ethernet communication.
Using Cat5e cables with cellular modules
Cat5e cables and other variants should only be used with cellular modules for Dual-Path communication through the Ethernet jack located on cellular modules that have an RJ45 connection. For more information about which panels use Ethernet for Dual-Path communication, see Which panels are compatible with Dual-Path communication?.
The following is an example of Cat5e cables properly used for a cellular module's Dual-Path communication. This example is using a DSC PowerSeries Neo TL880LT module with a RJ45 dongle.
