Running cable through modern house

[Bratters]

I live in a 10 year old house, built by Persimmon (I'm only saying this because I don't know the technical term for the building method - typical modern 'housing estate' house, is it called timber frame / wood frame? Plasterboard internal walls, etc).

I'm trying to lay a CAT V network cable through from an upstairs room, down to a downstairs room, and I'd like to hide the cable behind the walls if possible and do as neat a job as possible.

Can anyone point me to a good HOW-TO that gives me a clue how to go about this? I know how to make a CAT V cable with RJ45s on each end, etc - it's the process of physically getting it behind the walls that I could do with a pointer on.

(I realise this isn't exactly 'electrics' as such, but decided as the question centres around routing a wire, this might be the most appropriate forum).

Thanks.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Dunno about techniques, but isn't Cat 5 a bit passé now?

And shouldn't the cables in the walls terminate in RJ45 outlets, not plugs?

 

[Bratters]

Dunno about techniques, but isn't Cat 5 a bit passé now?

Don't know really - if you mean I should be using WiFi instead, no thanks... It has its place, but some of the machines in question are servers running things, and I also run applications that aren't very tolerant of the connection dropping at random every few minutes, etc. Tried WiFi, and didn't like it much - although it's fine for a bit of light web browsing, I decided it wasn't for me.

And shouldn't the cables in the walls terminate in RJ45 outlets, not plugs?

Yes, sorry - that is what I meant. I need to run a cable behind the walls (if possible), then terminate with outlets at both ends. I'm happy with how to do both ends, it's laying the cable tidily that's causing me a problem.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't know really - if you mean I should be using WiFi instead, no thanks... It has its place,

Yes, but that place is not anywhere where you could feasibly have a wired connection.

I meant Cat 5e at least, or Cat 6/6a in case you ever want 10Gb.

Or even Cat 7, but that really would be overkill...

Yes, sorry - that is what I meant. I need to run a cable behind the walls (if possible), then terminate with outlets at both ends.

No - apologies from me - you said nothing about plugs - dunno why I thought "RJ45s on each end" meant that....

 

[Bratters]

Don't know really - if you mean I should be using WiFi instead, no thanks... It has its place,

Yes, but that place is not anywhere where you could feasibly have a wired connection.

Exactly my thoughts - I'm not a WiFi fan, and don't plan to use it anywhere where fixed wiring is the obvious answer. If and when WiFi ever finally stabilises past the current "pre-n" "pre-whatever" "pre-standard" mess, then maybe I'll come back to it. For now, cable.

I meant Cat 5e at least, or Cat 6/6a in case you ever want 10Gb.

Sure, see what you mean. I think the cable I have is 5e - sorry, I'm just using to calling it CAT V... Can't see a need for 10GB at this stage, but maybe if I'm going to go to the effort of routing a cable properly for once...

 

[electronicsuk]

It's all down to the construction of the walls. If it's simply plasterboard dot+dabbed over a breeze block wall then there's a chance you might be able to get something as thin as cat 5 cable down behind it, but no guarantees there. If we're talking about an internal wall with timber frame then there will be more than enough space inside it for cabling, but there will also be horizontal noggins in the wall that you'll need to drill or chisel through to run anything vertically.

If the socket on the upstairs floor isn't to be directly in line with the one below then you'll also need to remove some floorboards to run the cable, and you'll probably find them to be large pieces of chipboard nailed to the joists in a modern house. Depending on which way the joists run, you may also need to drill holes through them to get from A to B.

If you know where you want to position the sockets then your first point of call would be to use a stud detector and locate where (if any) the studwork within the wall is, otherwise you could end up cutting a hole in the plasterboard only to find there's a large lump of wood behind it to prevent you from mounting a box there.

In the case of a stud wall I prefer to use a close quarter hacksaw to cut a hole and then fit a dry lining box, but if it's dot+dab construction then you may have to chisel out some of the brickwork where you want to mount the socket and use a standard single gang metal backbox.

Too many variables to cover everything, but it's a start.

 

[SeanT]

All my cat 5 cabling is currently terminated with a plug on each end - it's easy enough to crimp if you are patient and have the hang of it, and is considerably cheaper than buying about 10 single and 5 double faceplates - am fitting a double faceplate in the lounge though to neaten things up a bit (when I find it, last time I saw it the wife was tidying it away...) good luck with it anyway.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hmmm.

Not 100% sure that you weren't 20 minutes early with that post.....

I expect that where you use the kettle in the kitchen it would be cheaper just to have a flex coming out of the wall with a female IEC320 plug on the end, but you wouldn't do that, would you?

 

[Bratters]

Too many variables to cover everything, but it's a start.

Thanks for the tips and comments. The 'main' room in question (i.e. the one where the majority of the routing is going to be) is going to be redecorated down to (and including) the carpet anyway, so lifting a floorboard or two is certainly not out of the question.

I'll see how I get on - thanks everyone.

 

[SeanT]

I do data wiring and IT for a living, and don't see a problem with it, in fact it's good to eliminate the frankly crap krone connections on all but the most expensive socketry, and the silly patch cables hanging out of the wall behind each pc / router / switch when they could just originate from under the floorboards and through a notch out of the carpet gripper - the same applies to coax in positions where some future occupier may not necessarily have any furniture to cover the outlet plate when they put things in different places - it's unlikely that the next person to live here (not staying in a three bed mid-terrace forever) would have 7 PCs, 5 TVs, 3 wireless routers, an internet connection in the shed, all their cat 5 run to a box in the small bedroom and a server in the cupboard under the stairs, so why spend the money making the infrastructure for this permanent...
The next house will be done properly with faceplates and a proper rack mounted switch and patch panel, but for the time being a pack of 50 RJ45 plugs is about 3 quid and the sort of socketry I need to do it all properly will cost a fortune too - having said that if we stay here longer I'll probably chase up and fit a faceplate to each room as and when we decorate.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I do data wiring and IT for a living, and don't see a problem with it, in fact it's good to eliminate the frankly rubbish krone connections on all but the most expensive socketry, and the silly patch cables hanging out of the wall behind each pc / router / switch when they could just originate from under the floorboards and through a notch out of the carpet gripper

I don't do it for a living, but I often use it in my job, and I have never, anywhere, from the pokiest office to the swankiest corporate HQ, or in any hotel etc, seen captive cables with RJ45 plugs on them coming out of walls or floors.

The idea is irredeemably cheap and nasty, and it's a tacky bodge. Don't do it. There's also Building Regulation 7 to consider.

the same applies to coax in positions where some future occupier may not necessarily have any furniture to cover the outlet plate when they put things in different places

Nor have I ever heard of people having TV or radio coax cables coming out of the wall or the floor.

it's unlikely that the next person to live here (not staying in a three bed mid-terrace forever) would have 7 PCs, 5 TVs, 3 wireless routers, an internet connection in the shed, all their cat 5 run to a box in the small bedroom and a server in the cupboard under the stairs

It's unlikely that they'd have enough appliances to use all the electrical socket outlets either - are you going to do away with those too?

so why spend the money making the infrastructure for this permanent...

Because that is the right way to do it.

 

[jwilliams]

Nor have I ever heard of people having TV or radio coax cables coming out of the wall or the floor.

Ever seen a Sky installer at work?

 

[c128]

Ever seen a Sky installer at work?

Default operation for quite a few TV aerial installers too, from what I've seen and experienced recently i.e. possible problems with existing routed coax to faceplate == get out big drill bit, straight through a convenient wall, pop on a plug.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ever seen a Sky installer at work?

No - I'd rather watch paint dry than Sky.

Default operation for quite a few TV aerial installers too, from what I've seen and experienced recently i.e. possible problems with existing routed coax to faceplate == get out big drill bit, straight through a convenient wall, pop on a plug.

Any installer who did that to me would find he was missing all of his payment.

 

[electronicsuk]

the same applies to coax in positions where some future occupier may not necessarily have any furniture to cover the outlet plate when they put things in different places

Sean, while I can see the point you're trying to make, it seems to me like you've got things the wrong way round. One of the huge advantages of outlet plates is the very thing you've just mentioned - flexibility. If I had a coax cable coming out of the floor in the corner of my living room for the TV, then I decided to move the set elsewhere in the room, there would be an unsightly flying lead coming out of the floor. Presumably your way around it would be to cut it off, but then what happens if I decide I liked the TV where it was before?

I suppose I'm a bit biased as I'm currently in the process of fitting god knows how many TV and network sockets into my house (at least 24 coax cables to head end at the last count, I don't dare to count the cat5). My theory is that this will give me the flexibility to have my furniture, computers, appliances, etc wherever I like in the room without having to worry if the correct wiring is nearby. Perhaps a little overkill, but there aren't enough visible sockets to create an eyesore, so the only premium is a little extra cost in buying the parts, which to me is far better than ripping the house to pieces every time the room gets rearranged!