[kwlug-disc] Recommendations on ethernet cable tool sets, kits?

[John Van Ostrand]

On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 11:32 AM, CrankyOldBugger <crankyoldbugger at gmail.com
> wrote:

> I have a wiring question, not so much about the cabling itself but about
> conduits..  I need to run a cable across the ceiling of a room in the
> basement.  There's no good way to put it in the ceiling without having to
> tear down drywall and drywall is way above my pay grade..  Regular conduit
> would look ugly in this case.  So my wife had the idea of running a
> "steampunk" conduit, one that's actually made of copper pipe (with
> appropriate fittings, bends, etc.).  What I need to know is if there's any
> chance a copper pipe might interfere with the signal or cause EMI or
> anything?
>
> Does anyone know?
>

Cable installers are quite crafty in finding ways to route a cable. Some
things you can look for are:

1. Run cable behind baseboards. There's usually a gap left between the
floor and baseboard. If carpeted you can sometimes do this without taking
the baseboard off. Maybe you could do this on the floor above.
2. Run through air ducts or return air spaces. When you get to an end you
can drill through the duct and continue down a wall or along a joist.
You're supposed to use special "plenum" rated cable for this.
3. You can purchase long drills, 4' and longer which have flexible shafts.
If you're planning on installing a wall plate cut an appropriate sized
hole, put in a mounting bracket and you can use the drill to drill through
studs and floor.
4. Running outside is a bit of an issue. There is special shielded cable
which is infused with silicone to handle weather. It's expensive and you'd
be drilling through walls or through window frames to get out and back in.
5. Running in spaces like basements, crawlspaces, garages, under cabinets,
or in closets might work too. There the cable can be left exposed or
enclosed in a surface mount raceway.
6. I've even gone under carpets in places here there is low traffic.
7. Attics can be used too, but don't expect to have easy access to outside
walls. On most houses there is only a few inches of gap between the top of
a wall frame and the roof.
8. More invasively you can cut small holes in walls to gain access for a
drill and to run fish tape to pull cable. You'd have to be okay with
patching and painting.

Things you'll need are fish tape and twine. You use the stiff fish tape to
push twine through spaces then use the twine to pull the cable back
through.

It helps to know how framing is done and how ducts are run so you can
imagine your options. Being able to tell which way joists run helps because
maybe you can run the cable above the drywall ceiling along the joist.
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