Cat6 Installation

I know this is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, but anyone have a rough estimate for what you'd pay to have cat6 installed from a downstairs room to the room directly above through the cavity wall?

A bit too larger job for diy, but probably too small for most electricians and communications companies to be worth their while.

Thanks.

Cavity walls rather than solid walls or do you propose they surface mount in trunking? It’s nigh on impossible to give you a reliable estimate without some details on length and installation context.

At a minimum I think you’re looking at a few hours. There may me a minimum charge out depending on whom you get to do the work.

Cant you just drill through the external wall and run the wire up the outside? Buy some black network cable and it wouldn't look out of place tacked to the wall with cable clips

In reply to a post by Azzb85:

A bit too larger job for diy, but probably too small for most electricians and communications companies to be worth their while.

A good local electrician will happily quote you for it - just the same as they'd quote for putting an extra power socket in, for example.

Assuming you have plasterboard walls which are painted rather than wallpapered and still have the paint it isn't beyond a DIYer.
Most if not all interior walls will have noggins (dwangs) between the studs so whether you do it yourself or employ someone, a hole will need to be cut in the plasterboard to get through the dwang. (cut a notch in it)
In the room above, a similar hole would need to be cut out to enable a hole to be drilled through the bottom wooden wall plate. Alternatively, remove the skirting board and notch the bottom wooden wall plate and/or drill it.
A mouse (a weight on the end of a long thin cord) would then be dropped down. It will come to rest on the dwang. Pass this through the slot in the dwang and fish it out of the hole you have already prepared downstairs.
Tie the cord on to the Cat6 and from upstairs pull the Cat6 up. Have someone pass the cable through the dwang slot while you pull. Use rj45 wall plates where the Cat6 enters and leaves the wall. Patch the walls and repaint.
Honestly it isn't as difficult as it sounds. Remember, a contractor would follow the same steps and would need to repair the walls too.

All depends on type of wall. If you live in modern brick built house the cavities will be full of insulation best bet is to drill through and run cable externally.
If house is built earlier than the '80s cavity might be empty and your idea might work but there will be many brick ties across cavity to navigate .
Some modern houses might have an internal insulated timber frame with just a skin of external weathering brick so cavity migt not be so wide and again some ties might obstruct direct drop.
If internal wall is plastered direct to brick/blockwork and you need to run cable internally then to 'hide' cable you need to chase slot in plastered brick/blockwork wall and replaster.
If plasterboard is used on timber framing or dabs then easiest way is again to cut slot in plasterboard with sharp Stanley knife and replaster.
Drilling through external wall and running cable outside is easiest.

If anyone is seriously considering taking on the job as DIY the very first thing I would do is to isolate and unscrew a mains plug socket on the wall in question to see whats going on behind. If its a plasterboard back box it will easily come out to give you space to see whats going on behind.

Not all walls are constructed the same and although advice is good its hard to predict whats going on behind every wall.

In reply to a post by Rytenuff:

Most if not all interior walls will have noggins (dwangs) between the studs so whether you do it yourself or employ someone, a hole will need to be cut in the plasterboard to get through the dwang. (cut a notch in it)

You only cut the plasterboard as a complete last resort. The more sensible approach is to use a suitable drill bit to drill through the noggins and base/ceiling plates. Not cheap but much much better than cutting patches out the plasterboard and repairing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HEF54VE/

Ignore the reviews they are from the uninformed IMHO. It does the job as described if used properly. I have one and have used it extensively in the past.

A set of cable rods is also essential, but you can get these for ~£10. An endoscope for your phone is also invaluable to allow you to see what is going on. These are pretty cheap on eBay certainly under £20, mine was a present.

The only thing to check is in some modern houses the studwork is in fact metal sections and it will have holes in for running cables through.

I would go for the outside approach, and go up into the roof space if possible. An unmanaged switch on the end and you have the possibility of further ethernet runs for other upstairs rooms if needed. Also if you use a PoE switch, you can also avail of PoE ceiling mounted AP's.
External cable can be hidden to some extend behind guttering, or soil pipes etc.

Well so far your equipment is going to cost £90! Might as well pay someone who has the tools to do the job.
Getting a drill onto the cavity may not be practical. However, each to his own.