I built my house 2 years ago and at the time bought a Zmodo sPoE system.  I ran the cables that came with the kit and the system worked alright but I want to upgrade to a better NVR and better cameras.

Fast forward to last week and my Hikvision NVR and cameras show up.  I go to swap everything out and the new cameras won't power up.  Come to find out those cheap bastards at Zmodo used cabling with 2 pairs instead of CAT5 with 4 pairs.  WTF???

I have been searching and searching for a solution to make these new cameras work with the existing wires but it isn't looking good.  Any one have knowledge or ideas short of rerunning CAT5 cables thru the finished house....

Is the CAT-5 tacked to the studs anywhere like Romex cables are?

If not, could you perhaps use the old CAT5 to pull in some new CAT6?

ETA: Sorry, you wanted solutions using your existing cabling not replacing it, my apologies.

No, that is my backup plan.  I don't think I stapled the cables when I ran them but some of them are a long ways off and turn some corners too.  I didn't think to go back and look at pictures when I was building.  I might try that tonight.

I hate to say it, but you're kinda screwed...

I know running the new cat5/6 from end to end sucks, but it looks like the best (maybe only) solution.

How tight are the holes/areas that its ran though???

I just wonder if you could get a few rolls of electrical tape and tie the new CatCable onto the old and pull each one back to the home run location???

I've had to do this with both Cat5 and Fiber, but the areas we ran it were made for frequent pulls of cables... Also if its a really hard run that we don't want to do again, we'll run multiple pairs in case one fails or additional runs are needed.

I can get the camera to come up if I have 6 wires connected (3 pairs) but I can't get it come up with 4 wires.  I hoped there was something I was missing that would allow me to configure the 4 wires and make the camera work.

I think fricking Zmodo is using the Power and Data on the same 4 wires.  From what I can find the more expensive cameras like the Hikvision use 4 wires for data and 2 wires for power.

Weird it looks like they used sPOE for their cameras according to this.

I've never seen or heard of that before so it look like they basically just cut costs by only putting in 4 wires like you mentioned.

You are pretty much screwed it appears.  I'd try taping the shit out of the new cable to the old cable (cutting off the ends) and pulling new cables.

I'd bite the bullet and pull some CAT5.  That way you'll be all set for any future upgrades.

More specifically use Cat5E as you will never need Cat6 or Cat6A for cameras and I hate putting ends on them

Yeah, it's gonna suck, but I think I'm gonna have to pull new wires.  Stupid Zmodo.

If you are going to have to pull cable anyway, then keep the old system as a backup or enhancement to your new system.  More cameras are better than fewer cameras.