RE: newbie question - how to get cat5 cabling into walls?

[Keith Doxey]

Hi Gyre

> -----Original Message-----
> From: gyre [mailto:<a
href="/group/kat5-users/post?postID=PsplhuXGSLFDj-3vrYfv1F6nvVxRNeNdqUX94EmNRlgShRTRBC6fjVX90eY4MAKz1eE">gyre@k...</a>]
>
> Thanks Keith and Kevin.
>
> Excellent replies, and a great way to cope with a newbie.
>

We are all newbies at some stage. Sadly, particularly on Newgroups, people
tend to forget that, but we are a friendly bunch here. We have even been
known to meet face to face ( which given some of the faces can be a pretty
scarey event) :-)

> I had thought of doing something fairly naive as I have
> concrete floors downstairs.
>
> I was going to put node 0 in the loft, as I have lots of space.
>

No problem with that at all. Several people have done just that. The only
thing to watch is that if you put active electronic equipment up there like
PC's etc they are subject to extremes of temperature, particularly at this
time of year.


> Then make 2 batches of cat5 cable drops somehow down the
> cavities in the
> walls from the loft down to the lounge and office.
>

I like the use of the word "batches" - it indicates more than one
cable, you
are learning fast :-)

> Several problems/questions with that approach.
>
> Firstly, I don't know how accessible cavities are in general
> from lofts.
>
> Secondly, I don't know whether there are a nice clean drops,
> without ties or
> things in the way. Heck, I don't even know if there are any cavities.
> However, I'm guessing as the house is only 4 years old, that
> this is the
> case.
>

There will definately be cavities BUT building regulations for a house of
that age means they will be stuffed full of insulation. Could be difficult
to get cables through. If the inside walls are timber framed studwork you
also have the cross bracing battens to deal with partway down the wall.


> Thirdly, I don't know if I'm violating 100s of building regs
> by using the
> cavity for cat5 cable. Should I be sending down trunking as
> well inside the
> cavity or just the wire? Am I in danger of making a bridge
> between inside
> and outside wall that will cause damp inside?
>

You may find it easier to push a solid length of conduit through the then
feed the wire through that.

> Fourthly, I suspect that trying to get the dangling wire
> visible from a
> suitable hole drilled in the wall might be trying to find a
> needle in a haystack.
>

Been there... done that... lots. If the top of the cavity is open and
easily
accessable it may be easier to push a fish tape up from the hole. Wven if
you cant get it all the way up before gravity makes it fall down again
there
should be a loop of it that you could then hook from above. Its easier with
two people. An illuminated LED on the end of the cable you are feeding up
or
down the wall can also help as you can see it in the darkness.

> Fifthly, are the distances involved going to cause any
> problems with AV signals with KAT5?
>

I very much doubt it unless you are going more than a few hundred metres
:-)

> Options, abuse, etc, very welcome :)
>
> -- gyre --
>

No abuse here.... some gentle leg pulling now and again though :-)

Keith

www.diyha.co.uk
www.kat5.tv