Counterfeiting and
Non-Compliance

CCCA is leading the fight against counterfeit, non-compliant and sub-standard connectivity products that pose health, safety and performance risks.

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Counterfeiting and Non-Compliance

Those who design, install and use structured cabling systems have a right to expect uncompromised quality, performance and safety. Counterfeit or non-compliant cable and connectivity products are eroding that right and present a formidable challenge.

CCCA’s Role in Fighting Counterfeit and Non-Compliant Products

CCCA leads the fight to confront counterfeit and non-compliant ICT products. Through testing programs, educational initiatives and screening tools, CCCA alerts and educates the industry on the dangers of counterfeit cable and, more importantly, how to avoid being misled by deceptive labels and marketing practices. CCCA’s anti-counterfeiting efforts include close collaboration with independent testing agencies, U.S. Customs and law enforcement.

Education

Via presentations, videos, articles, trade shows, webinars and much more, CCCA and our members are educating the industry on the perils of counterfeit and non-compliant products.

Testing and Surveillance

CCCA and our members conduct market surveillance and testing of a myriad of products currently sold on the market today. Our results generate actionable data for education and legislation.

Legislation

CCCA and our members are actively involved with lawmakers and government entities to guide legislation and inform agencies such as Customs, Law Enforcement and more.

Non-Compliant vs. Counterfeit – What’s the Difference?

Non-Compliant Cables

  • If a cable bears no certification mark but is marketed and advertised as meeting applicable codes and standards specifications (e.g. Category XX or CM, CMR, CMP fire safety rating), then the cable may be correctly described as “NON-COMPLIANT”.

Counterfeit Cables

  • If a cable or product falsely bears a name or brand that is descriptive of the product that was not produced by that manufacturer, then the cable may be described as “COUNTERFEIT”. For example, a Rolex watch not made by Rolex, but by a manufacturer not authorized to use the Rolex name or mark, which are property rights belonging to Rolex.

  • If a cable bears an unauthorized certification mark (e.g. UL or ETL), then the cable is counterfeit as to the mark. The cable may be described as “BEARING COUNTERFEIT CERTIFICATION” or “COUNTERFEIT MARK”.

How to Identify Counterfeit and Non-Compliant Cables

Why You Need to Know

There is a huge amount of non-compliant, counterfeit and underperforming cable currently being sold on the market. While majority of this cable is being sold via online distributors, ultimately it is the purchaser and installer that bears the responsibility for the product.

Thus, anyone who uses structured cabling must be aware of what they are installing, aware of the risks of using “bad” cable, and understand how they could be liable if something goes wrong.

Non-compliant and substandard cabling poses a health and safety risk in today’s increasingly digital society.

Cable Box with what to look for

Examine the Cable Box

Cable boxes should have the manufacturer logo, country of manufacture, cable performance type, and a holographic label that is specific to each company product.

You should know…

  • Look for the UL holographic label first

  • Check the cable performance type
  • Look for the manufacturer logo and check the country of origin

  • REELEX packaging isn’t required, but a manufacturer not using it could indicate the possibility of cutting corners.

Unusually low cost.

One of your first warning signs of potentially non-compliant cable is simply the price.
Too good to be true? It usually is.

You should know…

  • Materials used to make cables safe in the event of fire are designed with sophisticated technologies.

  • Specialized cable materials such as fire- and smoke- retardant compounds, plus copper are not inexpensive.

  • Is the price significantly below the average competitive market value? 30% or more? Buyer Beware!

  • Cable products sold through online-only outlets should be carefully evaluated for legitimacy.

Boxes or reels feel a bit… lightweight?

Category 5e and 6 use copper, and copper is heavy. If a box or reel of cable feels strangely lightweight, there’s a good chance the manufacturer is using Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA). CCA is not an allowed material for data cables, and thus these types of cables cannot achieve third-party certification.

You should know…

  • CCA is promoted and sold as equivalent to copper cable conductors, but it actually contains only a thin layer of copper over aluminum, which is cheaper than solid copper.

  • Cable with CCA (aluminum conductors) weighs approximately 30% less than with legitimate copper conductors.

Copper clad aluminum

Think it might be
Copper Clad Aluminum?

Scrape the cable conductor to find out!
If it is copper clad aluminum (CCA), you can easily see the color difference when you scrape off the outer layer of copper.

You should know…

  • Copper clad aluminum  (CCA)  conductors are an even more catastrophic hazard when used in PoE cable!

  • Aluminum heats up more than copper when both data and power are applied, leading to cable performance and safety deficiencies.

UL requires a holographic label on every box or reel of UL Listed communications cable.

UL provides a unique holographic label for each manufacturer and cable that has been tested by them.

The holographic label should be the first point of reference to know that the cable is tested and certified for safety.

You should know…

  • Atempts have been made to counterfeit the UL holographic labels as well.

  • Use an authenticator card, available free from UL, to confirm that the holographic label is genuine. Go to https://marks.ul.com and use the Label Order form for part #1000-S0132.

UL label authenticator

Missing or erroneous third-party safety certification.

The National Electric Code® (NEC®) Chapter 8 requires that all communications cables be certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory such as UL.

Cables not complying with safety certifications are considered in violation of the Code and are illegal to install.

Cables required to be Listed as “Plenum” or “Riser” are of particular concern, as the NEC defines specifically how the cable is installed and their specific safety characteristics.

You should know…

  • Never buy cable without proven third-party certification.

  • Any cable that does not have third-party certification is not in compliance with the NEC and therefore is illegal to install.

  • Unscrupulous cable manufacturers have been caught using unauthorized Listing Marks and misleading information printed on the cable jacket or packaging.

The cable doesn’t pull correctly?

If your cable is kinking or tangling during the pull, look for the REELEX® logo on the box. If you don’t see it, there’s a good chance it’s a knockoff. Sometimes called “pull boxes”, REELEX packaging is the standard packaging method used for most low-voltage cable.

You should know…

  • REELEX is the inventor and licensor of the “pull box” packaging system, but it’s not the box that allows the product to pull tangle-free, it is the process by which the cable is wound.

  • Knockoff REELEX boxes attempt to imitate the tangle and twist-free coiling technology, but instead often create imprecise “scramble winds”. This can produce coils that can tangle, knot and cause cable damage.

  • If the manufacturer used poor packaging – they probably also used inferior cable design and component materials.

Use CCCA CableCheck App

Hands holding phone showing CableCheck App

CCCA CableCheck™ App

A Convenient Field Screening Tool for Checking Suspicious Cable

Helps identify and avoid non-compliant and counterfeit communications cable

  • Screen 4-pair UTP communications cable for compliance to National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements for fire safety
  • Validate Certification in UL Product iQ™ database
  • Link to ETL website to check ETL Listing
  • Learn what to look for to spot non-compliant cable with the 7 Quick Tips
  • Learn the danger of non-compliant or counterfeit cable by viewing CCCA’s Cable Burn Test video

Available FREE for iPhone, iPad and Android Devices

Click on the logos to link to CCCA’s CableCheck in the App Store or Google Play

Or download from your device right away using the appropriate QR Code

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Developed in cooperation with Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and U.S. Customs & Homeland Security

For designers, installers, inspectors and end-users of UTP communications cables

Topic Resources

CCCA Provides the industry with a wide variety of resources to educate and inform. From videos to articles to white papers, we encourage everyone interacting with cable and connectivity to refer to these resources when making buying or installation decisions.

Articles and Resources

2021-05-06T17:54:49+00:00

Impact of Copper Clad Aluminum Conductors Within Balanced Pair Cables

This paper by the Fiberoptic Industry Association (FIA) reviews the implications of using low cost imported products that claim to be “Category 5” or “Category 5e” using Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) conductors. This document supports many others prepared by [...]

2020-08-31T15:42:36+00:00

Counterfeit Communications Cable Fire Test Video

CCCA conducted fire tests at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), comparing counterfeit communications cable to compliant cable. This video briefly introduces the problem of counterfeit cable and shows the actual fire test and the spectacular results. View the other [...]

2021-05-06T17:59:08+00:00

The Dangers of Cutting Corners

The availability and use of copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable is continuing cause for concern. Inside Networks has assembled panel of industry experts to explain whether we are any closer to winning the war against CCA and suggests ways to [...]

2021-05-11T05:12:41+00:00

Case Study: Learning from an Encounter with Counterfeit Cable

Case Study Learning from an Encounter with Counterfeit Cable Over the past six years, one computer educator and IT coordinator for a small K-8 elementary school, had been pushing for the school to upgrade its aging category 5 cabling [...]

2021-05-06T17:59:38+00:00

Non-Compliant and Counterfeit Cable: A Risk Too Real to Ignore

In recent years, the industry has heard a good deal of discussion about noncompliant and counterfeit communications cable used for in-building information and communications technology (JCT) infrastructures that support network, security and building automation systems. Much of this has been [...]