# Running Hardwire Ethernet



## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

Looking to run hardwire ethernet in the house. I drilled through the top plate in the wall from the attic but hit horizontal supports about 4 feet down between the studs. I can run a flex bit to get through it and then use the bit to fish up the wires. The issue though would be fishing the wires down to the drops. I could again use the flex bit to get through the horizontal supports but I can't figure out a good way to get the wires through the hole. I would have to keep poking around with a fish tape to find the hole I just drilled. Has anyone run wires and have any tips?


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## synergy0852 (Jun 30, 2018)

Have you looked into the magnetic wire pullers?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Sometimes it's faster/easier to open the wall, patch up the drywall, and paint. Especially if I can convince the Mrs. that she didn't really like the color in that room anyways.


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## Jgourley124 (Feb 21, 2019)

daniel3507 said:


> Looking to run hardwire ethernet in the house. I drilled through the top plate in the wall from the attic but hit horizontal supports about 4 feet down between the studs. I can run a flex bit to get through it and then use the bit to fish up the wires. The issue though would be fishing the wires down to the drops. I could again use the flex bit to get through the horizontal supports but I can't figure out a good way to get the wires through the hole. I would have to keep poking around with a fish tape to find the hole I just drilled. Has anyone run wires and have any tips?


You can do a couple things, one would be get a glow stick rods, you'll be able to see them in the dark walls without light. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-15-ft-Splinter-Guard-Glow-Rod-Set-56415/204178243

Second would be purchase something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/MAGNEPULL-Magnetic-Wire-Fishing-Tool-XP1000-LC/313027165 and use it to pull the wires up or down. My advice would be get pull string and tie to the tool and fish that up to down, then tie the ether at cables to the pull wire and pull back through.

Fire blocks are a pita but they are easily conquered. There's an electrician on tiktok that shows how he fishes wires through all different crazy walls and ceilings. https://www.tiktok.com/@brianridge22?lang=en I follow him simply for the ideas to fish wires through walls and ceilings


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

Im not sure a magnet option would find its way through the hole in the fire block. Tying a string to a flex bit might be an adoption though? That way i can make sure there is always something fed through the hole...


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I would seal those holes with quad sealant or foam. That cold/humid/dirty air will travel


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> Sometimes it's faster/easier to open the wall, patch up the drywall, and paint. Especially if I can convince the Mrs. that she didn't really like the color in that room anyways.


^^^ I wired my whole place that very way.

I also had a fiberglass fish pole, (in addition to the steel fish tape) and I would just gently poke around until I found the right spot.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I too have hardwired most of my house with CAT 6 cable and the wife and I developed a string system to help feed the cable through the holes in the wall. I have used both the fishing tape and the fiberglass poles and I prefer the poles. Once we got the pole down the wall, the wife would hook the string(I used 550 paracord as I had a lot of it) and pulled the string back up through the hole and tied it off to a rafter in the attic so as not to lose it. After that it's just a matter of pulling enough slack up for her to pull the cable all the way down the wall. Rinse and repeat until you are done. If you are just running 1 or 2 cables then you can just use the fishing tape or pole. This is something to do between Fall and Spring as it's way too hot up there in the Summer


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## SpencerMaclean86 (May 11, 2018)

Another vote for the fiberglass fish rods, made running cat6 cable throughout my home much easier. Mine came with some additional attachments, one of which included a bright light that could be attached at the end or between sticks of the fiberglass rod. Made illuminating the wall cavity much easier than the glow of the fish rod by itself.

Sometimes I found it helpful to drill a second hole near the first, within the same cavity space, that I could look through while guiding the fish rod into the fireblock.

My house, built in the mid 60s only had fireblock on exterior walls, so in some instances I just decided the low voltage box and subsequent cat6 port was going to be on that wall instead.


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## Ren (Aug 29, 2019)

MasterMech said:


> Sometimes it's faster/easier to open the wall, patch up the drywall, and paint. Especially if I can convince the Mrs. that she didn't really like the color in that room anyways.


I have done the whole flex bit thing and after fighting them enough i agree with the above. Ive got pretty good at patching up openings. I usually cut 3 sides of a rectangle with a drywall saw, fold the rectangle down (still being held by the one side i didnt cut's paper)drill, run wire, ect... then screw some 1x2 sticks into the corners into the backside, fold the drywall back up, screw it into the 1x2s and patch. I even use the horrible spray texture you can get from the big box stores and it usually turns out good enough where i have trouble finding it after paint (and i know where it is).


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## Thick n Dense (May 7, 2019)

Yea im for opening up the drywall to fish. Youll need a mounting/finishing plate anyway.

Id go through the basement though if you have one .

If you open drywall and bot using plate then make sure you have matching paint


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

Fiberglass glow rods work well, or you can also use a thin chain. Going through fire blocking always complicates running anything in the wall.


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## Johnny5012 (Jun 4, 2020)

i got a cheap set from harbor freight. i always wrap the connections in painters tape. I use nylon mason string and fish that through first. then pull cables through with an extra string incase i wanted to pull another wire through. sometimes i have had to make strategic holes in the wall. but all well worth it.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-16-inch-x-33-ft-fiberglass-wire-running-kit-65326.html

i recommend the feed -through rj45 connectors. they are so much easier to wire than the older style.

i recommend these crimpers with the cable testers. i never thought i would really need the testers but they have save me a ton of time trouble shooting.

https://www.amazon.com/Crimper-Through-Connectors-Tester-Stripper/dp/B087JRCCRW/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=RJ45+Crimp+Tool+Pass+Through+Cutter&qid=1627506071&s=hi&sr=1-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyTE5aUDE4QkZOSTRUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDU2ODAzMzVCWkpFSjhYMU5TNiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDM5ODYwMkROQVBMRU1MOEZOQiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


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## Ren (Aug 29, 2019)

if i was wiring a house today i would only pull one wire to the center of the house. Hook up a mesh router, set up the satellites on the edges of the house (look at Orbi and equivalents). Done. Wifi6 will pull data just as fast as hard cable in most everyday scenarios now (there are a few exceptions, but not many generally speaking).


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## Ren (Aug 29, 2019)

MasterMech said:


> Sometimes it's faster/easier to open the wall, patch up the drywall, and paint. Especially if I can convince the Mrs. that she didn't really like the color in that room anyways.


This is my feeling also for the most part. Last couple theaters i wired up it was just way easier to open everything up and fix drywall later.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

Ren said:


> if i was wiring a house today i would only pull one wire to the center of the house. Hook up a mesh router, set up the satellites on the edges of the house (look at Orbi and equivalents). Done. Wifi6 will pull data just as fast as hard cable in most everyday scenarios now (there are a few exceptions, but not many generally speaking).


For someone with a few devices and limited traffic this would work. But for people with the 100+ devices in homes and growing this isn't going to be the best option.


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## falconsfan (Mar 25, 2019)

May work for you but I have seen folks drop string and use a shop vac to suck it thru the hole on the other end. Worth a try.


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## SirWibin (Jul 29, 2021)

If you're doing an outside wall and you have fire stops, which is what it sounds like you're describing, you will probably want to cut the drywall and patch.
Should be clear running on any inside walls though.

If your home is old enough for phone lines everywhere. Those are already ran and you can use them as your pullers. They might be stapled in, so tape them up really good and yank to pop the staples.


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## itsmejson (Aug 20, 2020)

I plan to be running more Ethernet drops since I didn't prewire enough.

Check out this gentleman. I found his instructions to be pretty straight forward and plan to use his methods.

This is his general explanation on different techniques he uses:
https://youtu.be/PF42v-LGAJA

This one is for fire blocks:
https://youtu.be/yDmWpkdSW1Q


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