Running coaxial cable

[SagaLore]

I bought 500ft spooled RJ6 quad-shielded coaxial cable. All of the power, phone, cable lines run underground. The cable and phone terminate outside behind my house. Currently my living room and family room have old cable running to them - there is a splitter, and the cable to the family room runs along the foundation, then up the brick chimney about 6 feet, then around the chimney, then back down, then goes through the brick wall and through a panel with a hole, then under the door footguard with extra cable just laying in the corner. 😕

I'm not going to pay for cable television, but I do use cable modem and need to get cable terminated in my downstairs bedroom. So far I see these two options:

Plan A) Take out the old cable, rerun new RJ6 along the foundation masonry, up along the chimney, across the chimney, over the brick above the door, around the house, back down to the foundation, drill hole through brick 🙁 and properly terminate with wall plate.

Paln B) Follow same path as old cable into family room (downstairs next to bedroom), then once inside bring it up the wall above door, go along other wall, go through both closets, down inside closet, terminate just outside closet.

FYI - this is a split level house. The family room and bedroom are the basement, so I can't get below them. I got into the crawl space to see if I could run it up the inside of the hallway wall and over the ceiling, but it looks impossible without ripping out drywall.

Anybody else been in this predicament? I don't want to be drilling holes in everything but looks like I have no choice. Now I have to pick the less evil of the two.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I think I'd just buy a wireless router.

 

[j00fek]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I think I'd just buy a wireless router.

:thumbsup:

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I think I'd just buy a wireless router.

I have a wireless router. But I'd rather not run the cable back into the crawlspace and hide the router in there. 54mbps with the overhead of encryption and packet loss... I'd need another access point for my network. Plus my crawl space is criss-crossed with electric wire, copper plumbing, and lots of ductwork.

I'm setting up a computer lab. My main pc with Windows XP, my wife's MacMini, and several boxes running Linux. Also have a laptop.

 

[dullard]

I'd take option C. Do it right, and pull out a little drywall. Its cheap and easy to replace. Yes, it is messy and yes it will take a week or two. But it'll be worth it.

 

[daveymark]

Who will be providing your service? I had comcast do that for free.

 

[Lizardman]

run along outside of house and through hole in drywall.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: dullard
I'd take option C. Do it right, and pull out a little drywall. Its cheap and easy to replace. Yes, it is messy and yes it will take a week or two. But it'll be worth it.

It wouldn't be a little. I'd have to route the cable under the crawlspace to the laundry room, up the wall, in the ceiling, along the ceiling across the hall, back down the wall in the room.

I have Roadrunner. I already had the cable modem connected temporarily using the connection in my living room. At my last house I had the cable installers do it for me and they used a huge drill bit and went right through my carpet and floor, then drilled another gaping hole through my stone foundation and ran the line sloppy. Won't depend on any cable installers to do it for me again.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: dullard
I'd take option C. Do it right, and pull out a little drywall. Its cheap and easy to replace. Yes, it is messy and yes it will take a week or two. But it'll be worth it.

It wouldn't be a little. I'd have to route the cable under the crawlspace to the laundry room, up the wall, in the ceiling, along the ceiling across the hall, back down the wall in the room.

I have Roadrunner. I already had the cable modem connected temporarily using the connection in my living room. At my last house I had the cable installers do it for me and they used a huge drill bit and went right through my carpet and floor, then drilled another gaping hole through my stone foundation and ran the line sloppy. Won't depend on any cable installers to do it for me again.

It is a pain but it is worth it. I had do something similar, but fortunatly all the sheetrock I had tear up was in my garage. You will need those long drill bits and some fishtape.