Method and apparatus for an environmentally hardened ethernet network system

A cable, comprising:

• a first section including at least four unshielded twisted-wire pairs configured to carry data at 100 Mbps between first and second network devices coupleable to opposing first and second ends of the cable;
• a second section including at least a pair of insulated wires configured to carry power from the first network device to the second network device;
• a first connector that terminates the first section at the first end of the cable;
• a second connector that terminates the second section at the first end of the cable;
• and
• a weather-resistant outer sheath surrounding at least the first section and the second section;
• wherein the at least four unshielded twisted-pair wires included in the first section of the cable are uninterrupted over a length greater than 100 meters, and wherein the insulated wires configured to carry power are between 10 and 16 gauge and are further configured to carry a current of up to 60 amperes without impeding the ability of the at least four unshielded twisted-wire pairs to carry data at 100 Mbps over the length greater than 100 meters.

A network, comprising:

• a first node including a data connector and a power connector;
• and
• a cable greater than 100 meters in length, wherein the cable includes:
• a first portion configured to carry data, wherein the first portion includes at least four unshielded twisted pairs of wires (UTPs);
• a second portion including at least two insulated wires, wherein the second portion is configured to carry power without impeding an ability of the at least four UTPs to transmit and receive data at 100 Mbps between the first node and another node;
• a weather resistant outer sheath surrounding at least the first and second portions;
• a first connector that terminates the first portion and a second connector that terminates the second portion, wherein the first and second connectors are located at a first end of the cable;
• wherein the first connector is coupled to the data connector, and wherein the second connector is coupled to the power connector;
• and
• wherein the first node includes a first pair of physical layer transceivers configured to send and receive portions of said data over the UTPs, wherein the pair of physical layer transceivers are clocked at rates lower than a specified clock rate for the physical layer transceivers.

A cable, comprising:

• a first section including unshielded twisted-wire pairs configured to carry data between first and second network devices coupleable to opposing first and second ends of the cable;
• a second section including at least a pair of insulated wires configured to carry power from the first network device to the second network device, wherein the at least a pair of insulated wires are between 10 and 16 gauge wires;
• a first connector that terminates the first section at the first end of the cable;
• a second connector that terminates the second section at the first end of the cable;
• and
• an outer sheath surrounding at least the first section and the second section;
• wherein the unshielded twisted-wire pairs included in the first section of the cable are uninterrupted over a length greater than 100 meters and wherein the second section is configured to carry an electrical current without impeding an ability of the first section to carry data at 100 Mbps between two network nodes over the length greater than 100 meters.

A power and data distribution cable, comprising:

• a first section including unshielded twisted-wire pairs configured to carry data between first and second network devices coupleable to opposing first and second ends of the cable;
• a second section including a coaxial cable configured to carry power from the first network device to the second network device, wherein a center conductor of the coaxial cable is of sufficient gauge to support current up to 60 amperes;
• a first connector that terminates the first section at the first end of the cable;
• a second connector that terminates the second section at the first end of the cable;
• and
• an outer sheath surrounding at least the first section and the second section;
• wherein the unshielded twisted-wire pairs included in the first section of the cable are uninterrupted over a length greater than 100 meters and wherein the second section is configured to carry an electrical current without impeding an ability of the first section to carry data at 100 Mbps between two network nodes over the length greater than 100 meters.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network device including at least a first physical layer transceiver;
• wherein the physical transceiver is configured to communicate via a cable greater than 100 meters in length, wherein the cable includes a first set of wires configured to carry data and a second set of wires configured to carry power, wherein the first and second sets of wires are surrounded by a sheath, and wherein the first set of wires is uninterrupted over a length of greater than 100 meters;
• and
• wherein the network device is configured to transmit data via the cable at 100 Mbps over the length greater than 100 meters by employing the first physical layer transceiver at a lower than specified clock rate.