best way to run wires through your house?

[jjoel]

if we get our second computer working i'll probably networking the two together. what would be the best way to run wires through the walls?

thanks

jjoel

[mjc]

The best way.....get someone else to do it......:D

I guess it is like any other wire run, where are you trying to go, what kind of construction are we dealing with (single story, two story, basemanet, attic, etc)?

Do you have easy access to the areas you want the computers to be located from either the basement or the attic?

How handy are you with saw and drill...?

Are there existing phone lines in both locations...(there are networking kits that will piggyback the network signal and let be carried on the existing phone lines....)

Or you could always go the route that most cable tv installers go, just drill a whole in th floor and pass the wire through it, then drill another in location 2 and do the same......then tack the wire in place in the basement.....(doesn't look as nice, or professional as ahving the boxes in the wall......)

[YODA74]

Precautions:: DO NOT RUN CABLES IN PARALLEL WITH POWER CABLES,DO NOT PUT A SLICED CABLE WITHIN A WALL OR ANY PLACE WHERE IT IS NOT READILY ACCESSIBLE,RUN YOUR WIRES INSIDE WALLS. AVOID RUNNING EXTERNAL WIRES WHEREVER POSSIBLE,NEVER RUN WIRES IN THE SAME CONDUIT AS POWER CABLES! KEEP WIRES AWAY FROM SOURCES OF HEAT.

Personally I run my wires from under the house thru the walls by drillng the holes thru the 2x4 plates and fishing them up the interior wall to my boxes (where ever I have placed them).This can also be done from the Attic fishing down ward instead of upward.Either way it will take two people.

[HewittC4]

Don't forget the other networking options. Wireless, phoneline, powerline. The advantage of each of these are that you don't have to pull cables. If you are only networking 2 computers, these options will be fast enough.

[jjoel]

could i run it through our air ducts? i bet i could lower cable from the living room and it would come out of the air duct right over our computer!

[mjc]

There is a cat5 cable designed to be run through the ductwork, and as long as yoou follow Yoda's suggestions about keeping it away from electrical runs then you probably could...

[YODA74]

Yes sure you can just use the more expensive plenum-jacketed cable if it runs through suspended ceilings, ducts, or other areas, if they are used to circulate air or act as an air passage from one room to another. If in doubt, use plenum. CMR cable is generally acceptable for all applications not requiring plenum cable.
Air ducts do creat static elec. that is why the added expense

[aussieolie2]

I would recommend you check these sites out :D :

http://www.swhowto.com/ - a great guide to structured networking (includes great pictures and plans to wiring your home) - I love it.

Some other helpers:
http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable1.htm - Make your own cat5 cables

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/ - a good all round networking guide site.

Hope this helps,

Good Luck,

Olie
:cool: