Passing (CAT6) cable over loft from below ?

[Jethro_uk]

Finally admitted defeat (passim) with wireless anything to my utility- cupboard stashed server and want to run a proper CAT6 cable to it.

It's in a space which already has a small hole in the plasterboard (where I fitted a isolator switch for a fan).

I have about 1.8m away another (small) hole in the ceiling which used to carry a telephone wire.

If I wanted to avoid clambering around in that side of the house (the roof angle is very low, so it's a crawl-all-the-way-on-joists job, can anyone think of a magic way to get the cable from hole A to B from below ?

(I also don't want to risk getting trapped in an enclosed space where there may be wasps nests .....)

[Bob Eager]

I'd attach a light cord to a coat hanger and push it in one end, bending as I went to keep it flat. Assistant at the other end to grab it in a loop (e.g. a cable tie).

[Andrew]

+1. I ran some 1 inch flexible conduit down inside the cavity of the gable end of my house (with rockwool insulation) using a number of straightened wire coat hangers, all twisted together to make a long piece.

A proper electricians fibreglass rod would have done it, but not for a one-off diy job.

Conduit carries cat5 and coax, not power.

[Bert Coules]

Probably not a terribly helpful suggestion, so apologies, but I have heard of it being done with a pet hamster, some light twine and an enticing bowl of food at the other end.

[Andrew]

When I was a kid, hammy the escapologist used to get under the sink unit.

The cat always told us when he was eating the cats food by staring intently at his bowl, allowing recapture.

[Tricky Dicky]

Before acquiring a set FG rods I often used the capping off mini trunking tied to the cable which was flexible enough to bend but stiff enough to give direction. Aiming from one small hole to another is going to be difficult, you may be better pushing draw wires through each hole directing them to a place in your loft you can comfortably position yourself. Join the two draw wires together then feed your cables through.

Richard

[nothanks]

Apologies if you've already tried something like this but ... I solved a similar problem (in a large house) with a TP-Link AC1750. I plugged it into various mains sockets until I found the best place for full-house coverage and where it was still able to connect to the router.

[Brian Reay]

I've not tried this in a large loft space but it works in a cavity wall when 'dropping' something from above and in the space between a ceiling and flat roof.

Take one of those flexible metal tape measures, the kind that retracts into a roll. Pull out a good length (several metres). Fold in half push the bend through the hole at the bottom, all the way, holding the end and body. Give it a wriggle. The idea is, the loop will unfold and the thing you are dropping will fall into the loop. Pull out the loop, with the drop string. (In the case of a flat roof, push a wire along etc.)

The basic idea isn't mine, a work colleague suggested it to me 20+ years back and I've used it a number of times.

[Brian Reay]

We've recently acquired a pet hamster. Our (adult) daughters are home this weekend and it escaped.

Having seen the fun we had capturing it, I don't recommend that approach ;-)

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Trouble with wireless is, that they sometimes just inexplicably drop of the network. I struggled with an IP cam for years, before I finally gave up and wired it.

[Martin Brown]

Not entirely from below. The least bad way is to feed a semi-stiff cable up through the more remote hole curving in the direction of the target hole. Then insert a much stiffer wire up from the more accessible hole with a hook on the end. You might get lucky at catching the other but in all probability you will need to go up in the loft and nudqe the first wire into the hook of the second with a bamboo pole then pull it down.

If the first wire is too stiff it will damage the ceiling plaster and if it isn't stiff enough it won't go where you want it at all. Some trial and error needed to get the right properties. And possibly someone on the end of the other wire to wiggle it for you under direction.

CAT6 cable might be OK used as the stiff cable but it might be a bit too big to pull double width through the other hole and obviously you would have to write off the length beyond the kink.

I have used variants of this needle and thread approach to run my fixed cables inside wall cavities. I generally solder the required cable onto the initial probe cable and tape or heatshrink wrap it to get a nice smooth tapered leading edge.

Nothing worse than having it catch on something half way through.

The other solution is make the apprentice do it - which is what the guys who sprayed my loft anti-woodworm did for the most awkward tight spaces.

[ARW]

Ta. I sent one into a space I could not fit through. But he takes ages to do a simplest of jobs and was stuck in a red hot loft for over an hour and half.

Been the kind person I am I went to the shop and got him an ice cold can of Coke. He came down from the loft and the can was then confiscated by the staff (and if they do not want cans fetching in then I should have been informed when I started the job).

[newshound]

I had a sort of parallel problem where I had to thread a 1mm^2 t&e about five metres across a non-load-bearing ceiling, although in my case one end was through vertical plasterboard above the "joists". I did that using the standard cheap fibreglass "cable puller" rods. It turned out to be easier than I expected given the distance. I realise your access might not permit this.

[brian]

In message <qiomqp$b77$ [e-mail], Jethro_uk <jethro [e-mail] writes

I've done this with an initial thread with a iron nut on it and a strong magnet. If there's a joist in the way, the games a bogey.

Brian

[Jethro_uk]

+1,000,000

Wireless is OK for the transient type connections at McDonalds and the like. But it's just not reliable enough for 24/7 usage in a domestic setting.

[nothanks]

I disagree. In a previous role I designed WiFi networks for large corporates and have used WiFi in my home and office for many years. My present house was a challenge because of the length and wall thickness but, as I said, a survey and some experimentation have resulted in a rock-solid system.

[Jethro_uk]

So ignoring the bit where I said "domestic setting" ? :)

*shrug*

For the first <x> months *my* system was rock solid. Right up until it wasn't ....

I can't just blame wireless, to be fair - no matter what distro, and what subsystem I use for managing networks, I still find Linux has a one in two chance of coming up back on the network when power cycled.

Part of the issue might be using wireless adapter cards, instead of a wireless router than then looks likes a wired connection to the boxes. But that would need a wireless router in 4 places - 4 routers.

Hence my using powerline adapters. But over the years I have had 4 (out of 4) fail in various ways. The most recent being the most "interesting" as all the lights insisted it was fully functional, despite the connected box being definitely off the network. Swapping it for another plug made the dead box work and the previously working box dead.

It was at that point that I decided wireless is just not worth the hassle at my age and when I want my system units headless and really out of the way. As said, OK for fripperies - the odd smartphone/iPad connection (SWMBO hasn't had a single issue in years). But not when I need to have the 100% faith I can always remotely access a box.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes this can be very frustrating though if it catches a joist and buckles before it gets near the second hole. I once did this with a large coil of quite stiff wire in the inaccessible hole. Went in the loft where there was more room and used a crooked stick to hook some of said rope so I could actually reach it. Once this is done of course and poked down the other hole you can join on the real cable. Of course if both holes are in a cramped space all bets are off unless you can find a trained animal! Brian

[jleikppkywk]

Depends on whats between the holes. I use plastic electrical conduit in that situation where there is nothing much between the holes. Just use it to get the wire thru, not left there permanently. Cheap and easy and rigid enough so its easy to poke it thru and move the end around to get it thru the second hole.

[Bill Wright]

Ha!

Bill