Broadband Tech > Networking > Ethernet Jacks vs. Drilling under floor

Ethernet Jacks vs. Drilling under floor

Might try something like this »www.tigerdirect.com/applications···odZ0AARg
I've used 'em in three rooms in my house. They pass all the bandwidth I need. I can even stream HD video across 'em with my Slingbox.

Yeah, I have looked into those, I know that they have gotten much better over the years. But if I could run the Ethernet cable it would save me a lot of money, and would probably be more dependable, you can't really beat just plain old Ethernet cable, but I would rather use a power line adapter than wireless for sure. Thanks for your advice.

From the crawlspace you should be able to drill up through the bottom plate of the wall and mount reno wall boxes for a clean looking install.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey

I'm sorry, I am definitely not very smart in this area, but what exactly is a reno wall box? Is that different from a jack? And how hard is that to install? Thank you.

They are boxes that have small wings with a screw that pulls them against the sheet rock to hold them in place. You can then mount the wall plates to them just as you do a regular stub mounted electrical box.

I would highly recommend that if you can access the crawl space that you drill through the bottom plate of the wall and run CAT5 cable.

So you are recommending using the reno boxes, then cutting a hole in the wall big enough for the plate? I know it would look much better and much cleaner doing it like this, I can get to the crawl space very easily, its just a matter of how difficult this is to do, I have never attempted anything like this before. Can you please post a link of these boxes? Thanks.

»www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-B120···-1-fkmr0
is the box, should you need to drill inside the wall, this exists
»www.amazon.com/Greenlee-09-03-54···&sr=1-10
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I tried to remain child-like, all I achieved was childish.

reply to m12345s
If you plan it out carefully, measure twice-cut once. And take your time cutting, you should be fine. Watch out for cross bracing that could block your path to the crawlspace. I always like to drill four pilot holes in the corners first, make sure nothing bad is behind it. You can always put a piece of bent wire in those pilot holes to feel around as well if it's not near another electrical box.

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reply to m12345s
So I would have Ethernet cable between the jacks with female connectors inside the walls? Thanks for the help, sorry I have zero experience with any of this, we had an electrician do all the wiring, but at the time we weren't thinking we would need jacks in those rooms.

I think you'll find this guide very helpful. »www.pcworld.com/article/205913/w···net.html

You can also search on: how to run ethernet cables from room to room and find some more on your own plus specific videos. Be sure to get the wiring pattern correct. It's not hard but you do have to pay attention.

Looks very helpful, my problem is going to be locating where the walls are from the crawlspace, I have a stereo system and ran wire from behind my couch in the living room to the entertainment system once, I made some very tiny holes just big enough for the small cable, I thought I was coming up in the right spot in the floor right next to the wall but I ended up going up into the wall. If this for some reason doesn't work out, I know those powerline adapters are expensive, but I have read up on a lot of reviews on the newer ones, and people have said that they didn't see much of a difference between powerline and Ethernet, the newer ones offer speeds up to a gigabit. Do you guys think Ethernet still has a huge advantage over powerline (besides cost obviously). Sorry, this should be my last question lol.

Went back and looked at your post, sorry I didn't catch that earlier, that's great, I didn't know those existed, thanks for the link. That will help me out a ton.

reply to m12345s
Wall locations can often be determined by the nails driven down through the bottom plate and also by wire penetrations. Drilling down though the opening cut in the drywall for the reno box works well too but there's a chance you'll hit one of the nails.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey

reply to m12345s
You should be able to find a low voltage electrician to do the work for you. I had a thirty foot run installed for right at $100, including cable and plates. Well worth the money as far as I was concerned. I asked him to take pictures of the install and he did. I could see he didn't just let the cable hang from the floor joists. It was properly attached to each one.

reply to jimbopalmer

reply to m12345s
If it's just for Ethernet, you don't need a box - a low-voltage ring works fine...

Thanks for that, I'm definitely going to have to drill from the top down. One question I have is that I plan on having the modem and router in the living room on top of the entertainment center at the phone jack, I have heard it is better to have the modem at the jack closest to the NID, does it really make much a difference where I place the modem? Thanks.