Running network cable from the loft....

[Type_R]

Apologies for this being more of a DIY question than networking but I figured if anyone would know it would be you guys.

So I am running Cat6 UTP cable from the loft (got a switch in the airing cupboard) down to one of the bedrooms (upstairs study). I want to hide the cable in the stud/false wall and have a RJ45 faceplate/box to put in the wall. I have watched several youtube videos and they all say you can drill a hole from the loft and drop the cable down. My quesiton is do stud walls not have horizontal studs in them? If so, there is a power outlet next to where I want to put the network box but most internet sites are advising against placing ethernet cable next to/close to power cables due to EMI?

Any thoughts or advice, as always, much appeciated. The run will be a maximum of 3m in close proximity to the power cable. Currently on VM 585/35 although dropping down to 200/20 next month.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

The studs should have horizontal breaks in them you may need to cut an additional hole in the stud wall to fish the wire past it. You’ll likely need make the hole big enough to be able to fill a hole through the stud if no existing cabling pass the same area.

You might get lucky and are able to fish the wire through the same hole the electric cables use if they come up to the attic.

I run mine through the same hole in the stud as a power socket, works fine but I’m sure there may be occasions where it doesn’t.

If you cut a hole in the plasterboard make sure you save the ‘plug’. Once your done you can just pop it back in and fill around it and paint over, you’ll never know it was there. In theory you should be cutting the hole over the break so you don’t even need to add any extra support behind it. I just stuck it down with a bit of no nails to hold it while I filled.

 

[WJA96]

I've seen lots of attempts at doing this and personally I would either quote on an open time-frame to just mess about fishing for cable or I would suggest external routing in 25mm conduit or surface mounting the drop in 25mm conduit with a surface mounted paten box.

Our installers know what they're doing and when they get asked to do this the general response is 'I hope you quoted PLENTY for my time because I could be HOURS routing about for this'.

 

[Type_R]

Thanks guys...fortunately I do have plenty of time (well maybe not that much as I am working on ITU) but nonetheless don’t mind spending some time fishing around.

Will give the electrical route a go first and hope I don’t get much EMI. An alternative I guess would be to use STP which would probably help if the interference is too much.

Thanks for the help...will let you know how I get on.

 

[bremen1874]

You can get away with many things that you shouldn't really do. Having a cable run near a mains cable for the couple of meters it'll take to get down the wall is unlikely to be a problem.

 

[Eliot]

What about fiber?
I thought it was out of reach myself (price wise/feasibility) until i was looking at a similar situation the other day and found these "ipolex Gigabit Ethernet Multi-mode LC Fiber Media Converter"
At rainforest.

for 100quid you can get 15m of fibre and two media convertors easy, as theres no copper or anything conductive in the cable i'm sure it should be fine?

 

[bremen1874]

Although it's true that fibre isn't stupidly expensive, the only place I'd be using it is running between buildings. Massive overkill for the OP's situation.

 

[Eliot]

But the cost is so low, and if hes worried about EM interference, then problem solved surely?

Also way easier to route through walls, £100 was more of a safe estimate figure, could probably get everything needed for £75.

Edit:

Infact, i have 20m of MM fibre, and a set of two convertors in a basket now, total cost of 60 quid.

Decent STP cable is over 20quid for about 15-20m anyway, and that's before you've done any termination at either end (the media converters do that for you).

 

[bremen1874]

Preterminated fibre is not going to be easier to route that solid core Cat6 UTP.

The EM he's worried about isn't going to be a problem anyway.