I want to expand my network and transmit it wired through my home and office (in another floor). I know the IT part kind of well, but don't know how to push the network cable through a conduit (already know where's the entry and exit). Do you need a special tool for this?
How to push a cable through a standard conduit inside the wall
cabling
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To help you with the terms, what you're looking at from above is the top plate. Frequently there are two 2x4's for a top plate. Two boards are used for added structure at the joints and extra fire proofing. This gives you about 3" of wood to drill through.
As ChrisF mentions, you should run a stud finder up and down the wall cavity near the halfway point to see if any fire blocking has been installed. This would be a single 2x4, and will almost always be in a wall if the ceilings are over 8' tall.
You'll significantly reduce the odds of insulation in the wall if you are doing this project on interior walls. You should also be avoiding any electrical in the same wall cavity (between the same two studs). You would see an outlet, switch, or wire coming out of the top plate if this were the case.
As for the actual wiring, I've used these low voltage mounting brackets for the hole in the wall. Place the bracket on the wall where you want the opening, mark the corners and sides, and cut out the drywall with a drywall saw. Test fit the bracket and file back any spots that are blocking you until you get a snug fit. Then bend the tabs back into the wall and tighten them with a pair of pliers. On that bracket, I use a modular plate (these comes with more openings if you need them) and then an ethernet jack mounted in the plate. You can also get jacks for cable, phone, stereo, etc.
Cat6 is capable of very high speeds (by today's standards; hi 2021!), but only within a bunch of additional constraints over lower-speed cable.
Especially difficult is terminating the cable. When you untwist enough to terminate, it's easy to expose yourself to interference. Some people buy long, pre-terminated Cat6 and pull that, instead of pulling bulk cable, for this very reason. You'll need larger conduit if you take this approach.
Another difficulty is strains during the pull. If you tug hard to get around a corner, you can damage the cable enough to stop top speeds from working. Limiting the number of elbows, wide sweeps, conduit bodies, larger conduit, and having someone push while you pull all help.
You may decide that you don't need 10G speeds. In that case, save the money and pull Cat5e. Since you're running conduit, it's easy to upgrade later if you change your mind. It's a good idea to leave a pull string, but if you forget, just suck a new one through with a shop vac.
If there is any EMF in the same trench, a shielded cable will help. Ground the shielding at both ends.
If you are sure you need maximum speed, consider using fiber. You'd put a fiber-to-ethernet converter on each end. Very long runs and EMF are non-issues. Cost scales well with distance.
To make sure I've covered your questions:
- Is there a specific kind of Category 6 cabling I should use?
Solid conductors, since these cables will be immobile. (Stranded is for wires that move often, like from your laptop to the wall.
Shielded is good for protecting against EMF, especially for long runs or if there is a power cable in the same trench.
Gel-filled cable protects against water intrusion that could cause corrosion.
Direct Burial cable has a tough jacket that can tolerate abrasion underground. If you're in conduit this matters less, but you might choose it anyway.
UV-resistant jacket is important if your wire comes out of the PVC where sunlight can get.
- Can I simply run the cable through PVC pipe for most of the way?
Yes, and this is a good idea. Schedule 40 gray is the normal choice around here.
- I read that Category 6 needs special grounding?
I dunno about that.
- Is there any major benefit to running more than one cable through the same ditch or pipe?
You can run multiple low-voltage cables through the same conduit if you want, but don't put power cable in the same conduit as low-voltage. Use a large enough conduit that you can pull additional cables later.
- Are there any pitfalls I may not be aware of?
Many, but I can't think of any more.
EDIT: Since power will be in the same trench, I recommend staking the conduits to their respective sides before filling, to make sure they keep a good foot space between them. I wish I had known to do that!
For future-proofing, consider installing an additional conduit. A contractor friend likes to install an extra 4" conduit, which can be used for a lot of stuff. Other people think he's nuts. I think they're both right. :-)
Related Topic
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- Fittings for conduit passing through ceiling/floor
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- Electrical – How to ground residential network equipment
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- How to and what tools do I use to cable between 3 floors at the house.
- Wiring – How to run data cable in an attic with blown fiberglass insulation
Best Answer
You don't push, you pull. If you have an assistant, they can push while you pull.
Rather than waste money on a fish-tape for a job with conduit in place, just connect a vacuum cleaner to one end and feed string from the other end. You can tie a bit of plastic bag to the end of the string to make it vacuum in better, but a bare string will work for short runs.
Check at the vacuum cleaner end and stop when the string is there. If you need more of a pull, use the string to pull in a rope - either way, attach to the cable and pull it through. Braided hollow poly rope is good, but if the pull is not unreasonable a strong string will work. Tie in and tape on well, keeping it smooth.
I have done this rather a lot. The only place I want fish tapes is if I'm trying to hook two of them in a wall without conduit that I can't just rip open for access. Pulling tape is more useful, but likely overkill for a job in your house (it's a flat, flexible tape somewhere between string and rope, often marked so you can measure distance with it, too.)
In most cases if a conduit has other wires in it, you will be better off pulling those out (use them to pull in a rope) adding the new cable, and pulling all of them in at once - adding a cable is considerably more difficult with other cables in place.