I respect this group's input: New to cabling : - Running cables from attic down walls
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Posted by Bryan E on December 21, 2006, 9:36 pm
Please log in for more thread options Hello, my computer office is dangerously hot with 1 server and 6 workstations that all run 24*7, To cool them, I need to place workstations in various other remote rooms throughout the house. I would like to run CAT6 cables from an 8 port Gigabit router, out the office wall. My plan is to run 4 - CAT6 STP Cables (all less than 100 feet) straight up the wall , across the attic and then down the walls of 4 separate rooms to socket plates. I understand everything about crimping, color coding, and attaching the wires. I know how to test the connections. However I have no idea how to get from a point in the attic straight down to where I want the connector panels to be. How do I find the spot? GPS? (Joke) I don't know how to drill down at the right spot and drop the wire so I can find it at the hole where the connector plate will be, and pull it out the wall I would also like to avoid drilling into plumbing pvc pipes, 110 volt wiring, or similar things that would kill me in the process - or later by creating an electrical fire one night. I can't find a good site on the subject of dropping the wire at the right spot and knowing I am safely drilling and avoiding damage to electrical or plumbing wires. Can anyone suggest a site with detailed instructions, pictures or diagrams? Perhaps a good book? I need to learn how to do this and exactly what tools I need to guide the wires down. Judging from the posts this is the crowd that is best suited to offer me advice that I trust. If you have any links, book titles, or ideas please let me know. I would be much in your debt. Lost with a powerdrill in the dark. Bryan E. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Carl Navarro on December 22, 2006, 3:58 am
Please log in for more thread options On 21 Dec 2006 18:36:01 -0800, "Bryan E" Yeah, that sucks when you drill through working things. In house construction, studded walls are pretty easy to find in an attic, since you get reference points from the previously mentioned electrical and plumbing. A good drill, long bit, flashlight,tape, stud finder, razor knife and/or drywall saw, chain, coat hanger, flexible sticks, and a tape measure become your friends. Inner walls are good, outer walls are bad. Usually most inner walls are hollow. You can check that out by removing the electrical outlet covers next to where you are going to put your data drops. Your local home improvement store will carry the set of flexible sticks, usually Greenlee brand. I don't like them much for going down side walls because of the size. www.pushpullrods.com has a set for about $80 but for a single job, you might just get the Greenlees for half that amount. I grab any good small chain and guard it pretty closely. They run about $1 a foot for the really good kind that's heavy and smooth. A Greenlee nail eater bit runs about $20. A helper is good. You need to be careful when you drop your chain down the walls. The other trick is to drill a small hole behind the baseboard to check the wall before you cut a hole at outlet height. My builder frined likes to drill through baseboards instead of drywall, because baseboard setions are easier to replace than repairing drywall and wallpaper. Anyway, hope this helps. Carl Navarro | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Bryan E on December 22, 2006, 10:30 am
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Thanks Carl, I appreciate the time and advice. I've already printed it for my attic notebook. BSE Carl Navarro wrote: > On 21 Dec 2006 18:36:01 -0800, "Bryan E"
> > >Hello, my computer office is dangerously hot with 1 server and 6
> >workstations that all run 24*7, To cool them, I need to place > >workstations in various other remote rooms throughout the house. I > >would like to run CAT6 cables from an 8 port Gigabit router, out the > >office wall. > > > >My plan is to run 4 - CAT6 STP Cables (all less than 100 feet) straight > >up the wall , across the attic and then down the walls of 4 separate > >rooms to socket plates. I understand everything about crimping, color > >coding, and attaching the wires. I know how to test the connections. > > > >However I have no idea how to get from a point in the attic straight > >down to where I want the connector panels to be. How do I find the > >spot? GPS? (Joke) I don't know how to drill down at the right spot and > >drop the wire so I can find it at the hole where the connector plate > >will be, and pull it out the wall > > > >I would also like to avoid drilling into plumbing pvc pipes, 110 volt > >wiring, or similar things that would kill me in the process - or later > >by creating an electrical fire one night. I can't find a good site on > >the subject of dropping the wire at the right spot and knowing I am > >safely drilling and avoiding damage to electrical or plumbing wires. >
> Yeah, that sucks when you drill through working things. > > In house construction, studded walls are pretty easy to find in an > attic, since you get reference points from the previously mentioned > electrical and plumbing. > > A good drill, long bit, flashlight,tape, stud finder, razor knife > and/or drywall saw, chain, coat hanger, flexible sticks, and a tape > measure become your friends. Inner walls are good, outer walls are > bad. > > Usually most inner walls are hollow. You can check that out by > removing the electrical outlet covers next to where you are going to > put your data drops. > > Your local home improvement store will carry the set of flexible > sticks, usually Greenlee brand. I don't like them much for going down > side walls because of the size. www.pushpullrods.com has a set for > about $80 but for a single job, you might just get the Greenlees for > half that amount. I grab any good small chain and guard it pretty > closely. They run about $1 a foot for the really good kind that's > heavy and smooth. A Greenlee nail eater bit runs about $20. > > A helper is good. You need to be careful when you drop your chain > down the walls. The other trick is to drill a small hole behind the > baseboard to check the wall before you cut a hole at outlet height. > My builder frined likes to drill through baseboards instead of > drywall, because baseboard setions are easier to replace than > repairing drywall and wallpaper. > > Anyway, hope this helps. > > Carl Navarro | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by decaturtxcowboy on December 22, 2006, 6:20 pm
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Bryan E wrote: > However I have no idea how to get from a point in the attic straight
> down to where I want the connector panels to be. How do I find the > spot? GPS? (Joke) I don't know how to drill down at the right spot and > drop the wire so I can find it at the hole where the connector plate > will be, and pull it out the wall Alarm installers almost always drill UP into the attic from the wall below with a five foot somewhat bendable bit and a right angle brace...but they usually are way above the 18" level from the floor of electrical wiring that runs horizontal for the twelve foot or so required spacing of electric outlets now - a building code thing). Since most of the non-drop ceilings encountered out here are actually two layers: zone of darkness and things to trip on plywood cross braces and electrical wiring plywood painted ceiling I don't have a reference point where the walls are, so I drill a small pilot hole up to the attic from from the point directly above where I'm going to drop the cable. A small 3/16 bell hanger bit or a length of stainless steel radio antenna with a angle ground at the tip to act as a drill bit also works. A dab of white caulk hides the hole. Incidentally, I did ask an alarm installer how often they drill into electrical wire (remembering how I've seen electric cables stapled to the top of the horizontal studs above a wall). He said a visual inspection addresses that, but the biggest issue is drilling up through the roof to the outside sky. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by D.R. on December 27, 2006, 11:48 am
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We use a GOOD toner (check Ebay and tool supply houses). Tape it to the wall at thr ceiling where we want the hole (make sure you are between studs) and go into the attic with the probe and hunt it down. A buddy tapping on the ceiling will get you in the neighborhood. Also, we may drill a 1/8 inch hole at the ceiling/wall sheetrock intersection and fish up a wire to spot. You can see once moving the insulation that the top of the wall is right next to it (obvious difference between sheetrock, and wood). Fill the 1/8 hole with caulk. On 21 Dec 2006 18:36:01 -0800, "Bryan E" >Hello, my computer office is dangerously hot with 1 server and 6
>workstations that all run 24*7, To cool them, I need to place >workstations in various other remote rooms throughout the house. I >would like to run CAT6 cables from an 8 port Gigabit router, out the >office wall. > >My plan is to run 4 - CAT6 STP Cables (all less than 100 feet) straight >up the wall , across the attic and then down the walls of 4 separate >rooms to socket plates. I understand everything about crimping, color >coding, and attaching the wires. I know how to test the connections. > >However I have no idea how to get from a point in the attic straight >down to where I want the connector panels to be. How do I find the >spot? GPS? (Joke) I don't know how to drill down at the right spot and >drop the wire so I can find it at the hole where the connector plate >will be, and pull it out the wall > >I would also like to avoid drilling into plumbing pvc pipes, 110 volt >wiring, or similar things that would kill me in the process - or later >by creating an electrical fire one night. I can't find a good site on >the subject of dropping the wire at the right spot and knowing I am >safely drilling and avoiding damage to electrical or plumbing wires. > >Can anyone suggest a site with detailed instructions, pictures or >diagrams? Perhaps a good book? I need to learn how to do this and >exactly what tools I need to guide the wires down. Judging from the >posts this is the crowd that is best suited to offer me advice that I >trust. > >If you have any links, book titles, or ideas please let me know. I >would be much in your debt. > >Lost with a powerdrill in the dark. >Bryan E. | |||||||||||||||||||
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>workstations that all run 24*7, To cool them, I need to place
>workstations in various other remote rooms throughout the house. I
>would like to run CAT6 cables from an 8 port Gigabit router, out the
>office wall.
>
>My plan is to run 4 - CAT6 STP Cables (all less than 100 feet) straight
>up the wall , across the attic and then down the walls of 4 separate
>rooms to socket plates. I understand everything about crimping, color
>coding, and attaching the wires. I know how to test the connections.
>
>However I have no idea how to get from a point in the attic straight
>down to where I want the connector panels to be. How do I find the
>spot? GPS? (Joke) I don't know how to drill down at the right spot and
>drop the wire so I can find it at the hole where the connector plate
>will be, and pull it out the wall
>
>I would also like to avoid drilling into plumbing pvc pipes, 110 volt
>wiring, or similar things that would kill me in the process - or later
>by creating an electrical fire one night. I can't find a good site on
>the subject of dropping the wire at the right spot and knowing I am
>safely drilling and avoiding damage to electrical or plumbing wires.