Wire & Cable
Every system SDS sells, access control, intrusion, video, fire, or AV, needs cable to connect it. This page covers the structured cable, coax, fiber, and protective enclosures that show up on nearly every job ticket regardless of what the primary system is. Security Data Supply stocks cable and enclosures as a matter of course at 20+ locally owned franchises, so a job doesn’t stall over a missing spool.
Why Contractors Buy Cable Through SDS
Running out of the right cable gauge or type mid-install means a trip back to the franchise, or worse, a trip to a big-box store that doesn’t stock commercial-grade product. SDS franchises carry the depth of SKUs (cable types, gauges, enclosure ratings) that a security or low-voltage job actually needs, not a general contractor’s electrical aisle.
Choosing Cable by Job Type
Structured and low-voltage cable
Access control, intrusion, and networking runs typically use twisted-pair structured cable in the gauge and shielding the device manufacturer specifies.
Coax
Legacy analog camera systems and some RF applications still call for coax runs, particularly on retrofit and service jobs where existing coax is already in the walls.
Fiber
Long cable runs and multi-building campuses often need fiber to get past copper’s distance limitations, especially for camera and network backbones between structures.
Shop by Component
Cable. Structured cable, coax, and fiber from Southwire, West Penn Wire, Genesis Cable, Structured Cable Products (SCP), Vertical Cable, Comtran Cable, Condumex, Commodity Cables, CCI Cablecom, Cleerline (fiber), Alba Urmet, Lynn Electronics, Wavenet, ADC, OmniCable, and Shaxon.
Enclosures. Metal enclosures for housing panels and cable terminations, indoor and outdoor rated, from Adalet, Hammond, and Mier Products.
See the full wire and cable brand list on our Suppliers page →
Wire and Cable Guides for Contractors
Practical guides from Security Data Supply on choosing the right cable for security and low-voltage jobs.
Common Questions
It depends on run length and device power draw, but most access control and intrusion jobs run on 18/2 or 22/4 low-voltage cable, with heavier gauges needed for longer runs or higher-draw locking hardware.
Once a run exceeds roughly 300 feet, or crosses between buildings, fiber avoids the signal loss and grounding issues copper runs into at that distance.
Yes. Outdoor enclosures need a NEMA rating appropriate to weather exposure (commonly NEMA 3R or 4), while indoor enclosures typically only need to meet a lower ingress protection standard.
Get Wire and Cable Products at Your Local Franchise
Find your nearest SDS franchise for same-day will-call pickup, or contact your local franchise to confirm cable gauge or run length before you order.