Hiding ethernet cable down side of house - ducting/trunking

[Jakg]

In the process of fitting ethernet around my house, and need to get it from the loft to an external wall on the ground floor, and to the garage as well.

The easiest option looks to be down an exterior wall (red line).

I would like to run 6x cables so clipping them all to the wall would look a bit rubbish - but I'm using outdoor rated cable so they don't need any protection, it's just aesthetic.

I thought about using a fake downpipe, but there's no gutter or soffit, I'm not sure what detail I could put on the top (e.g. a 90° bend?), or how I'd run the horizontal section.

I've got an air con unit in my conservatory with all the pipework running outside to the external unit, so I thought I could try that ducting instead as it wouldn't look too out of place.

But it (Inaba Denko) is about £25 per 2m length, which means nearly £100 on trunking which seems mental considering how much was used on my conservatory.

Apparently you can use D-Line trunking outdoors but I'm not convinced - https://www.screwfix.com/p/d-line-pvc-black-tv-trunking-50mm-x-25mm-x-1-5m-2-pack/28388

Any other options?

 

[foxhole]

Solvent Weld PVC Overflow Pipe 30m

www.toolstation.com

Spray brick red or brown to match gutters .

 

[Mottie]

I would like to run 6x cables so clipping them all to the wall would look a bit rubbish

I’m no expert on this but why run 6 cables? Why not run one cable, clipped to the wall, going into an ethernet switch downstairs?

I've run one cable up to my loft (for the CCTV dvr which is housed up there) but when I eventually drop a couple of cables down into each of the bedrooms, I plan to just add a switch in the loft and drop down from there. No need to run 7 cables up there as I understand it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've run one cable up to my loft (for the CCTV dvr which is housed up there) but when I eventually drop a couple of cables down into each of the bedrooms, I plan to just add a switch in the loft and drop down from there. No need to run 7 cables up there as I understand it.

Correct, unless there is a special reason to run from one single switch, the usual way is to just put a switch central to each area which needs one.

As an alternative to running externally, is there not a route to be had indoors? For example my indoor route for such cables - drops down from the loft via the airing cupboard, crosses under the landing floor, then drops through to the ground via some boxed in heating pipes. The bottom of the airing cupboard also gave me access to run additional cables which were needed to the boiler some years ago, pulled into the small but useful gap behind the coving.

I hate to see cables unecesarily draped outside buildings.

 

[Mike13]

Rather than run 6, It might be cheaper to run 1 off 10G fibre down the wall, with a switch at each end of the run, even 6 off 1G fibre might be easier to run down some small conduit.

 

[SFK]

to get it from the loft to an external wall on the ground floor

I cable tied them to back of drain pipe.
Cannot be seen unless you look for them.

 

[sammerz]

I would run one cat7, then switch at the end. Cat7 for external environment is about 7.5mm.

If you need to run 6, perhaps some conduit coloured to match the wall or plain black.

 

[old duffer]

I would run one cat7, then switch at the end. Cat7 for external environment is about 7.5mm.

If you need to run 6, perhaps some conduit coloured to match the wall or plain black.

cat5e is the same as any other cable for runs under 60m

 

[old duffer]

cat5e/cat6 external shielded cable (very thin) and run them down the wall as you would a tv cable.
The advice for using a simple switch rather than dedicated cables is amusing.

External SHIELDED CAT6 Outdoor Use COPPER Ethernet Cable FTP Reel 50m

Our kenable Cat6 FTP outdoor cable is designed with FULL COPPER 23AWG twisted pairs and is Foil Shielded to ensure any interference is kept under control it also has a drain wire so can be earthed! Our cat 6 FTP cables also have a divider to separate the twisted pairs reducing cross talk...

www.kenable.co.uk

 

[Astra99]

Is there a stormwater downpipe you can use as a "hide"?