Adding Cat6 to old home

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Jebusfreek666

New Member
Feb 6, 2020
13
1
3
I have spent the last several days googling tips on how to install ethernet cabling in a home. Unfortunately, most of the information I am able to find is all on fresh installs in new construction. My home is over 100 years old, and ripping open the walls is not really an option. Luckily, I am in the process of renovating a small area of my home. And in that area is the main wet wall. So I have unimpeded access from the basement to the attic along this run in a 2 story plus basement.

The network closet will be located on the first floor. So all of the first floor runs will drop from the closet into the basement, then come up inside interior walls. All of the second floor runs are currently planned to run down to the basement, then up this open area to the attic. At that time, I will locate the bays inside the interior walls I want the jacks on and drop down from the attic. This makes using any form of conduit very problematic.

I understand the reasoning for conduit, but as I have an open run with no impediments, if I do ever have to rerun cable it really would not be that hard in these areas anyways. My biggest concern is how do I support the cables during long runs?

The current plan is to have around 6 drops in each room, 2 behind TV height and then 4 behind media shelf height all within the same bay in the walls. So I will bundle 6, with 2 to be cut shorter on the drops upstairs as they will terminate a couple feet shorter. I am planning on using the single gang mounting brackets, with face plates for multiple keystones.

So my main questions are as follows:

1. What is the best way to support the cables on long horizontal runs? This will start out as 12 bundled cables (2 rooms upstairs, 6 drops each). It will drop from level 1 to basement, run to open access area, then up through level 1&2 to the attic at which time it will split into 2 bundles of 6 and go to the individual insertion sites.

2. How do I support the weight of a large bundle (12 cables) running from the basement to the attic in a straight run? I would like to avoid all the stress of the entire weight of the cables hanging on one point where they transition from vertical to horizontal in the attic.

3. Should the cable in the attic be strapped up to the roof trusses, or ran along the 2nd floor ceiling joists under the insulation?

4. I assume a large stress point will be where the cable transitions from horizontal along the attic run to vertical into the 2nd floor walls. How to I decrease stress at these points?

5. The only hole I plan on cutting into the walls is for the single gang bracket. I am concerned that the weight of the extra cable (that I plan on leaving in case repairs are needed) will be pulling directly on the termination points on the back of the keystones. I have no way to get inside the wall to support these as far as I can tell?
 

csementuh

Member
Oct 7, 2019
36
10
8
Pittsburgh, PA
I have about 6000 feet of CAT 6 in my house supported only with cable zip ties with eyelets screwed to framing and an occasional leftover loose romex staple. I fireblock spray foamed the holes through top and bottom plates so I guess that also. Only about 4 years in but zero issues. Don't stress over it.