Running Cable

Hi All,

I need to run broadband coax cable up a wall across the living room roof and down into another room. I have looked at fishing tape etc but I don't know how this would work for this project. I have also looked at the rods and although they would get the wire into roof, I would imagine trying to steer it across the roof and down the other wall would be a nightmare. Anyone have any ideas? Are there such things as magnets that I could use?

Cheers

@imalwayshappy - broadband coax, do you mean a cat5e type cable or a tv/sat cable? Not that it makes a difference to the actual running of the cable itself.

Are you in a house or bungalow? Do you have access to the ceiling above the rooms? If not, it'll be hard to get the wires across the ceiling joists.

Can I ask what you are trying to do in relation to the Broadband, assuming it's a cat5/6 type cable? Do you just want to activate broadband connection to another room ? Is your router currently in the living room? There are alternatives to hardwire (not always the fastest, but all depends on what you are using it for in relation to download speeds etc). Just let us know.

An alternative to going up into the ceiling, is to go around the skirting boards (either take them off and route the wire behind or on top of the board itself), through the architraves into the other room.

yes as the poster said whats the motivation as there will alternative solutions.

1. Would running the cable under the floorboards be an option?
2. Most modern skirting boards have channels for cables. Would you consider changing skirting boards?

Hi All,

I am looking at placing the modem in this room as its the most central part of the house. It is a Coax cable (virgin cable) to extend the modem to the next room. I have tried using the powerline adapters etc and get limited results. I am in a semi D house also.

My theory is that if I move the modem into the most central area I can utilize the 5ghz network more as currently given the location of the modem (corner of the front room) it cannot reach upstairs. Alternatively, I could get virgin to maybe put in another point in the landing area perhaps and connect the modem to that point. Am I better off having the modem upstairs or downstairs in peoples opinion.

Thanks!!

Get a mesh wifi system, you'd connect one to your Virgin box and the place the others upstairs or attic etc. They work much better than powerline adapters and you'd avoid any messing with running cables etc (and tying yourself into Virgin). For a semi-d 2 units should be enough, maybe a third if you have a converted attic. Plenty of examples , though you don't need to spend too much really, something like the Tenda Nova https://www.amazon.co.uk/TENDA-Whole-Wi-Fi-System-White/dp/B07D9J5DTP/ref=pd_lpo_147_t_0/259-6685810-8757622?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07D9J5DTP&pd_rd_r=58771eb3-ce41-463c-8cae-986c0a9613a9&pd_rd_w=q6Efz&pd_rd_wg=ANzJM&pf_rd_p=7b8e3b03-1439-4489-abd4-4a138cf4eca6&pf_rd_r=SA4T6EA25YYPB478ZFD9&psc=1&refRID=SA4T6EA25YYPB478ZFD9 (MW3) or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenda-Coverage-Compatible-100Mbps-Configured/dp/B07H2MZV54/ref=sr_1_3?crid=311373PLG8H9K&dchild=1&keywords=tenda+nova+mw5&qid=1599664216&s=computers&sprefix=tenda+nova%2Ccomputers%2C134&sr=1-3 (MW5) should do the trick.

imalwayshappy said:

It is a Coax cable (virgin cable) to extend the modem to the next room.

Click to expand...

Is it fibre package you have with Virgin? If so, that cable from the outside of your house to your modem/router would be the fibre cable, not a coax cable.

You can use cat5e cabling from the router to another room (but you will need to crimp/terminate that line and know how to wire it etc) That will give you high speed to another room, where you could place a wireless router acting as a wireless access point. You would need some knowledge of setting up the wiring / additional router.

As Coldwarrior mentioned, the mesh network might be the easiest solution for you. You could also use to help push the wireless signal to other areas of the house - haven't used these myself, they do vary in price so shop around, but check the spec.

In relation to the powerline sockets - from my understanding, they really work well on the electrical wiring before that physical wire goes back to the main fuse board.

Great ideas, many thanks guys.

@imalwayshappy feel free to reach out on this forum if you need help with the set up - there loads of info on youtube / forums, etc but sometimes there is too much info, if that makes sense. I've just finished setting up a (very basic) network here at home, so things fresh in my head at the moment.

Best of luck with it.

Some quick thoughts -
1. While you definitely can extend the VM coax and move the modem, I did it in my last place, just be aware that VM will not like it and any time you have support issues if they see it they'll be asking you to put it back to the place where they terminated the cable etc etc
2. Coax can be a bit tricky to terminate well, as others have said you'd be better to leave the modem where it is and get onto CAT5/ethernet which is much easier to deal with as a regular person .
3. The Wifi is generally not great in these modems. Personally I would buy a decent access point (you need to spend at least €100 to get something decent) with external antennas and plug it directly into the back of the modem, then disable the Wifi on the VM modem. Could well cover your whole house without any cabling/meshes/ethernet-over-power adapters. An access point like this would serve you well I'd suggest - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-RT-AC59U-Dual-Band-Wireless-Parental/dp/B07WLSFN6K/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=asus+wifi+access+point&qid=1599733365&sr=8-7 (linky)