thanks MHC that's helped loads.


I Googled your signature quote which made me chuckle

In reply to a post by eckiedoo:

Afternoon Ian

Assuming you are running basic cable without ends on, slide suitable lengths of semi-flexible tubing such as for car windscreen washers, on to the cable as you reach each corner.

Each bit of tube should be around 6 inches (150 mm) and anchored towards the ends only on a simple, single-corner bend, about 1 inch (25 mm) in from the tube ends.

On that basis, the assembly will loop out at an external corner slightly, looking slightly untidy.

On an internal corner, it will be scarcely noticed.



Judging by your diagarm, you may have close double-bends, internal followed almost immediately by external.

Adjust the tube length accordingly.

Again anchor about one inch in from each end, with one or more additional anchors on the intermediate stretch.


If the cable already has plugs on it, slit the tube along its length, preferably on a slow helix, so that it tends to close over the cable. You may find some insulation tape helps.


You may also be able to "hide" the cable by taking advantage of existing aspects, such as down-pipes.


If the cable is distinctly different in colour and "exposed", try spraying with a garden ornament/flower tub type of paint of suitable colour.

I used a white/grey/black, flecked version on my cable.



If the cable has to go through a wall, drill the hole to take the tubing if without plugs.

Alternatively if with plugs already on, drill the hole large enough to take a standard diameter piece of conduit, about 23 mm if I remember correctly.

I have done this for the cables from various meteorological instruments in the garden and on the roof, with a standard double-outlet box on the inside, which is large enough to take the smallish, multiple-way junction box, with a single lead to connect onwards to the controller-memory unit interfacing to the PC.

Could I add a query. I am in a similar position to Ianfuture but am just a beginner (and not in my first flush of youth!). I want to connect my computer upstairs to a computer socket downstairs so my wife can have computer access there on a second machine. The distance would be about 20 m. I have been told that an external ethernet cable would be the best method and I follow the way the cable should be laid - no sharp bends in the cable. I have also found a website where I can get two plugs with the cable so that I can drill a smaill hole in each wall and fix the ethernet plugs inside the house. I did however want to ask two questions:
First Is all outdoor ethernet cable the same or should we go for a certain type of cable e.g. CAT5
Second Some of the answers on the site talk about using two cable. I do not quite understand why or indeed how they are wired. I might say that basically we use the computer for emails and searching; we do not use any gambling or videos or really even music.
Any help or comments would be appreciated (included any helpful tips before I start this project!).
Many thanks

Infrastructure cable is NOT suitable for terminating in RJ45 plugs. The solid conductors can either be missed or sliced causing a missing termination and with external cat5e - it will be too large.

Get a standard electrical backbox, modular faceplate and an RJ45 socket for each end. Terminate the cable in the IDC connectors of the socket. You must use External Cat5e - to get the right twist ratio and protection against UV.

At each end, get a ready made Cat5e patch lead and connect from the socket to the router at one end and PC at the other.

Evening rjgw

I suggest that you should consider using "ethernet over mains" devices such as Homeplugs, rather than the lengthy cable.

This would make it much easier to change location within the room and house at any time, although with the slight limitation of having to be within reasonable reach of a mains socket.

-------

Alternatively, most routers have WiFi built-in and also laptops etc. This is usually set up and connected to with minimal problems. No extra cables, use laptop almost anywhere within range etc.

If circumstances permit, do the initial WiFi setting up and test use in the immediate vicinity of the router/WAP before moving it upstairs.

----------------------

If you do go for the outside run, you'll generally find that a good supplier will provide suitable cable.

Make sure you buy more than sufficient for the job, with the basic run properly measured etc; and installing with some extra at each end.

Also buy extra connectors, so that you can practise crimping them on to the cable.

Basically it is not difficult; but must be done almost pedantically, no short-cuts.

Definite care needed when removing the insulation, both overall and from the individual wires. If you have connected up 13A Mains plugs, very similar BUT on a much smaller scale and six wires to contend with.

When I was doing it on a frequent basis, I allowed myself 5 minutes per end.

Once in my absence, two colleagues took two hours (4 man-hours) to do the two ends of one cable, the latter already in position and no access problems.

I don't know how many connectors they used; or how much the installed cable shortened by!

For your practise cables, allow about 2.5 metres in length - if successfull, they can then be used for other local connections.

As with the WiFi, do a cable-connected local test before moving the second PC/laptop upstairs.

=======================

If using a drain pipe etc, you may find that the weight of the cable tends to pull it down at the highest tie-point.

A way of reducing this is to do an "omega" tie to the pipe.

Put one cable-tie round the pipe only, pulling it very tight. Use a larger/heavier tie if available. At this stage, the cable itself is "no-where near" the pipe.

Lay the cable in the intended position OVER that first tie.

Put a second tie round the pipe and the cable, tightening just above the first tie.

Put a third tie round the pipe and cable, tightening just below the first tie.

This creates a small omega loop in the cable, giving a much better grip etc.


Assuming the pipe surface is the left-hand margin:-

o
o Onward cable
o| Second tie round the pie and cable
|o First tie round the pipe only, with cable passing over the "top".
o| Third tie round the pipe and cable
o Onward cable
o

This method of using the ties is very effective, if you want to avoid Ethernet and similar cables being jerked out of sockets - depending of course on the actual location, equipmet etc.

I used it a lot to prevent multi-way cables being jerked/pulled out of Ethernet Vampire taps - something that fortunately you won't have to contend with.

All too frequently, thee Vampire Taps were about 25 feet/8 metres up on roof girders and the like, requiring very long ladders or scaffolding to be erected, so I devised this method to minimise the risk of later problems.