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cat 5 cable running along an external wall...worries??

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  • 11-08-2020 4:56am
    #1
    Masala
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭


    Hi. Am trying to link 2 rooms in the house and the easiest way would be to drill out thru one room (the rooom with router) and drill into another room ( room with the Pc) and then run a Cat 5 cable along the outside wall.

    Is this ok?? Will I have to worry about the outside temperatures on the cable?. Will frost and damp effect the cable and the transmission speeds?.

    ( I can’t use those plug in sockets as the wiring in the house is all criss-cross and the signal keeps dropping!!! )

    Thanks in advance


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,378 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I guess something like this would do the job.

    https://www.megavision.ie/ethernet-cable-cat5e-50m-outdoor.html

    No idea if it's actually necessary to use outdoor cable, though.


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    #3
    Axwell
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,461 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    With neither the issue of extreme cold or extreme sun for long periods of time in Ireland it should be fine. There is weatherproof Cat cable you can get meant for outside either. Depending on the layout of the house could you go up into the attic and use some trunking on the Interior wall and keep it inside?


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    #4
    54and56
    Registered Users Posts: 7,646 ✭✭✭54and56


    Have exactly the same requirement but am crap at DIY.

    Does anyone know a service which would run a cable like this in Sandyford/Stillorgan area?

    I checked with a couple of electricians but they said it's not their gig. I think the main objection was crimping the connectors, they just aren't familiar with how to do it with Ethernet cable.


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    #5
    Masala
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Masala


    54and56 wrote: »
    Have exactly the same requirement but am crap at DIY.

    Does anyone know a service which would run a cable like this in Sandyford/Stillorgan area?

    I checked with a couple of electricians but they said it's not their gig. I think the main objection was crimping the connectors, they just aren't familiar with how to do it with Ethernet cable.

    I was going to buy say 20 meters of pre- crimped cat 5 cable and just hire a powerful drill with a good sized drill bit for concrete and bore out from each room. Then push out the cable and pull it in the far side.

    My rooms are down a siðe alley and so being slightly not a major concern. Might attach a length of conduit along the bottom of the wall to hide the cable and give a tidy look.

    Well... that’s the plan!!!


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    #6
    Farrelk
    Registered Users Posts: 41 ✭Farrelk


    I've had a cat 5 running outside along an external wall for roughly 5 years now with no trouble. It's only exposed for around 5ish metres and is fairly sheltered. I just bought an ordinary one and its holding up perfect


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    #7
    Yellow_Fern
    Registered Users Posts: 2,578 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    Masala wrote: »
    Hi. Am trying to link 2 rooms in the house and the easiest way would be to drill out thru one room (the rooom with router) and drill into another room ( room with the Pc) and then run a Cat 5 cable along the outside wall.

    Is this ok?? Will I have to worry about the outside temperatures on the cable?. Will frost and damp effect the cable and the transmission speeds?.

    ( I can’t use those plug in sockets as the wiring in the house is all criss-cross and the signal keeps dropping!!! )

    Thanks in advance
    What is the wall made of? You probably should use one of these if you can https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com/product/kaflex-cable-grommet


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    #8
    aido79
    Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 5,374 Mod ✭✭✭✭aido79


    Masala wrote: »
    I was going to buy say 20 meters of pre- crimped cat 5 cable and just hire a powerful drill with a good sized drill bit for concrete and bore out from each room. Then push out the cable and pull it in the far side.

    My rooms are down a siðe alley and so being slightly not a major concern. Might attach a length of conduit along the bottom of the wall to hide the cable and give a tidy look.

    Well... that’s the plan!!!

    Be prepared to repair the wall if you are going to do this. Drilling a hole this way will most likely result in a big blow out on the outside wall. Probably best to start with a small drill bit and work up to a bigger bit.

    Can it be done wireless or does it need to be wired?


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    #9
    iwillhtfu
    Registered Users Posts: 6,368 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    Masala wrote: »
    I was going to buy say 20 meters of pre- crimped cat 5 cable and just hire a powerful drill with a good sized drill bit for concrete and bore out from each room. Then push out the cable and pull it in the far side.

    My rooms are down a siðe alley and so being slightly not a major concern. Might attach a length of conduit along the bottom of the wall to hide the cable and give a tidy look.

    Well... that’s the plan!!!

    Just buy cable crimps and a crimper it honestly couldn't be easier to crimp a cat 5/6 cable. Even if you get the colours arse backward once they're the same either end it will work fine. Leave a bit of extra slack and buy a couple of extra crimps. If you were near to me I'd give you the cable and crimps.


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    #10
    54and56
    Registered Users Posts: 7,646 ✭✭✭54and56


    Masala wrote: »
    I was going to buy say 20 meters of pre- crimped cat 5 cable and just hire a powerful drill with a good sized drill bit for concrete and bore out from each room. Then push out the cable and pull it in the far side.

    My rooms are down a siðe alley and so being slightly not a major concern. Might attach a length of conduit along the bottom of the wall to hide the cable and give a tidy look.

    Well... that’s the plan!!!

    Very similar to yourself Masala, I recall the original NTL guys (that's how far back my set up goes!!) sweating as they bore a 12 inch (minimum) hole to allow their fibre cable into the house.

    I now need to run an Ethernet cable back out from the same (or close by) location where the router is straight up to my gutter following the original fibre cable then along the roof, round the front of the house and into my sons bedroom via a new hole to be drilled.

    I know this sounds a bit OTT but the context is one of his Lockdown projects was to spec and build his own gaming PC from various parts ordered online but the powerline adapters he'd hoped would provide decent broadband to his room (as the WiFi doesn't stretch to his room very well) actually don't work due to the way our fuse box is set up so he has this nice shiny gaming PC which he's struggling to use.


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    #11
    54and56
    Registered Users Posts: 7,646 ✭✭✭54and56


    iwillhtfu wrote: »
    Just buy cable crimps and a crimper it honestly couldn't be easier to crimp a cat 5/6 cable. Even if you get the colours arse backward once they're the same either end it will work fine. Leave a bit of extra slack and buy a couple of extra crimps. If you were near to me I'd give you the cable and crimps.

    Thanks iwillhtfu, I'm actually confident enough I'd sort the crimping out myself if the cable was run which is the real challenge I have as I just don't have the DIY competency to do it myself, I'd likely do a lot of damage :o


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    #12
    iwillhtfu
    Registered Users Posts: 6,368 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    54and56 wrote: »
    Thanks iwillhtfu, I'm actually confident enough I'd sort the crimping out myself if the cable was run which is the real challenge I have as I just don't have the DIY competency to do it myself, I'd likely do a lot of damage :o

    If you do drill the holes from the inside out just don't go hammer and thongs keep in mind pipes,cables and when you think you're near to the outside go easy as you'll burst the render off of the outside wall and it can make quite a mess of your wall at times.

    If possible I'd be inclined to go up into the attic than go along the external wall.


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    #13
    kaahooters
    Registered Users Posts: 644 ✭✭✭kaahooters


    outside cabling can be run outside, but its designed to be run in ducting.

    IMG_20180416_164451.jpg

    , as it could carry power (POE). and you should use a cover
    L_950_a376fc03d8e7a99a125574bf1236a11b.JPG
    e
    ither side to stop water ingress.



    itd be far better to run it inside the house, up to the attic and then accross if you can manage to get access.


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    #14
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    I was looking at doing this recently but ended up running the cable up to the attic and down the walls instead.

    A couple of points off the top of my head.
    Crimping the cables is easy enough once you have the tools and the connectors. If you are only doing single cable runs, I can send you 4 or 5 Cat 6 connectors and save you buying them. Cat 6 cables only work with Cat 6 connectors.
    If you are running the cable outside, what you meant to do from a DIY perspective is run the cables through some waven pipe to protect the cables from the weather. They cables will last a few years if you don't bother but if you are going to the trouble of drilling holes in the wall then I would do it.
    When you are drilling the holes through the wall, you need to make sure you drill the holes downwards at a slight angle to stop water dripping back up the cable. You need to make sure you seal up the holes on both sides after too.
    Drilling through bricks is not the same as drilling through wood you need to watch out that when you are coming close the outside brick you dont blow out (create a large hole) the end of the brick.
    Make sure you have an SDS drill with a 14 inch, or so, drill bit to go right through the walls.

    Best bet would be if you could get an electrician to run the cables for you, mount the waven pipe, seal the holes, install the network \ electrical boxes into the walls on either side and then run at least two cables into each room. Even you had to crimp the cables yourself, it's not that difficult at all.


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    #15
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    Hah a lot of good posts while I was writing mine (I need to type faster!). If you own the house then I would look at how it would cost to run the cables through the attic and down to the down to the bedroom. It might cost a little bit more but you leave yourself a lot more wiggles room if in the future you want to cable another bedroom, your front door bell, your outside cameras etc.

    I found that running the cables myself wasn't that hard but I had to end up buying a lot of tools and learning a lot of techniques so it took a lot longer then expected. As above, if I was to do it all again I might have just ended up getting an network \ electrician to do it for me depending on the cost.

    By the way, run Cat 6 cable and not Cat 5 if you are going to do it at all :)


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    #16
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    As the 'job' is mostly 'building' work, with just the crimping of the cable ends requiring a special tool, I would suggest a small builder or 'local handyman' would be best to do drilling, ducting and cable run.
    You could then do the crimping on the cable ends yourself.

    Do not scrimp on the cable length ....... it is much better to have extra cable than be short a few inches!


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    #17
    Masala
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Masala


    If possible I'd be inclined to go up into the attic than go along the external wall.


    I'm snookered as I live in a 2-Story and both rooms are on ground floor!!.... So the attic is just too far away!!
    but the powerline adapters he'd hoped would provide decent broadband to his room (as the WiFi doesn't stretch to his room very well) actually don't work due to the way our fuse box is set up so he has this nice shiny gaming PC which he's struggling to use.
    .... thats my problem too!

    Question.... could I drill out thru the 'double-glazing' surround of the window in the rooms??? I could run my cable up a gutter and across under the roof and down the other side thru the other window surround??? Sounds like a solution 'on paper; !!!


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    #18
    Masala
    Registered Users Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭Masala


    By the way, run Cat 6 cable and not Cat 5 if you are going to do it at all


    What cable is broadband running on these days??? What is difference??


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    #19
    Static M.e.
    Registered Users Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭Static M.e.


    Mainly speed and future proofing.

    Cat 5e can run speeds up to 1000 but is known for speeds up to 100. Cat 6 is made for speeds of 1000. <-- lots of people have lots of interesting discussions \ debates around this but if you are doing to put in a new cable then IMO you should put down the best value for money cable that you can and that is Cat 6 at the moment. By the way you should always run a minimum of two cables too, as if one cables breaks for whatever reason you then can use the 2nd cable without having to rewire the place. Cable is cheap...There is Cat 7 too but I wouldn't bother with it for a lot of reasons (happy to discuss) but I don't want to drag your post too far off topic.


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    #20
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,999 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Masala wrote: »


    What cable is broadband running on these days??? What is difference??

    I use Cat 5e for my 1Gb/s LAN.
    I can do so as I do not have any lengths of cable that exceed the Cat5e spec for 1Gb use. I have no problem achieving 1Gb speeds in all connections.

    For a longer run ..... say from house to garage ..... I would use Cat6 definitely.

    Probably of more importance within the house is to use screened cable to avoid any interference from electrical wiring or appliances.


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