Currently I am using my mac pro in the basement(in my room) However, when I go to play games like Rise of Nations it lags. I am told this is because of airport. How can I get a ethernet cable run through two floors of a house? The room that has the airport has no cold air return. However, I could run it too a room that does. But what is the best method of doing this? Is there any other options other then wireless? Something that is faster then wireless?
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Running cables or alternative
- Thread starter trainguy77
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Your best methed is to run ethernet cable or move to another room that is easier to run the cable instead of running it through 2 floors
the best way to do this is to find out what rooms are above/below each other and/or next to each other. after doing this, find a corner and make a small hole to insert the cable through from your router and then wind down to the basement.
i know some company makes a very thin ethernet cable (check out home depot or lowes if in the u.s.) - if you can get your hands on this and run it along any crown molding or baseboard, this might work best. it's likely the least destructive method.
it's difficult to help you wire your house without knowing much about it's layout. you're just gonna have to figure out the easiest and least destructive way to get from your router to your basement.
i know some company makes a very thin ethernet cable (check out home depot or lowes if in the u.s.) - if you can get your hands on this and run it along any crown molding or baseboard, this might work best. it's likely the least destructive method.
it's difficult to help you wire your house without knowing much about it's layout. you're just gonna have to figure out the easiest and least destructive way to get from your router to your basement.
OK well moving the machine is not an option, as my parents want it in my room. My parents don't want the airport and cable modem moved either. So should i start by trying to find a route that i can run just like fishing wire through first?
EDIT: thanks pianoman but how do i get it through the other side likes lets say i drop it down a floor through a cold air return how do i find it and pull it out on the other end? Especially if its enclosed already?
http://arstechnica.com/guide/networking/installation-4.html
Fishing is the term for guiding wiring into existing internal walls
Google on "installing Ethernet wiring"
The two essential tools you may have to buy or rent are a long drillbit (16" - 24" long) that allows you to drill through the sole plate of a wall into the cavity of the wall below.
and a Fish Tape - a reel of spring-steel strip that's flexible enough to go around corners, yet rigid enough to push and guide from one end. It also typically has a hook on the end of it, so you can use it horizontally through a wall plate, to catch a hanging cable coming from above, and pull it out through the wall plate. If you don't have a fishtape, a modified wire coathanger can pinch hit on the second task.
For horizontal runs, you can often get Ethernet cable jammed into the gap between the carpet and the wall-floor moulding or baseboard. You don't usually need to open the wall to drill down to the lower floor, you can go in at an angle from the corner of the wall. If you can remove the moulding to do this, then replace it when done, it'll be invisible. If crossing the floor is impossible, you can run it along the corner of the ceiling, or up and around doorframes. Leave yourself beaucoup length of cable to handle pulling wire and making these routings. CAT-5 is good for about 1000 feet, so don't sweat an extra 50 feet. Just don't nick or crimp the cable.
Hint: When you do pull in a cable, along with it also pull in a length of sturdy nylon twine. Then, when you find out later you have to pull a second cable through the wall, you attach the cable to one end of the twine and by hauling on the twine, you pull it through in jig time.
But then, you protest, you don't have your twine anymore? Simple, when you pull through your new cable, you also send another length of twine at the same time.
Fishing is the term for guiding wiring into existing internal walls
Google on "installing Ethernet wiring"
The two essential tools you may have to buy or rent are a long drillbit (16" - 24" long) that allows you to drill through the sole plate of a wall into the cavity of the wall below.
and a Fish Tape - a reel of spring-steel strip that's flexible enough to go around corners, yet rigid enough to push and guide from one end. It also typically has a hook on the end of it, so you can use it horizontally through a wall plate, to catch a hanging cable coming from above, and pull it out through the wall plate. If you don't have a fishtape, a modified wire coathanger can pinch hit on the second task.
For horizontal runs, you can often get Ethernet cable jammed into the gap between the carpet and the wall-floor moulding or baseboard. You don't usually need to open the wall to drill down to the lower floor, you can go in at an angle from the corner of the wall. If you can remove the moulding to do this, then replace it when done, it'll be invisible. If crossing the floor is impossible, you can run it along the corner of the ceiling, or up and around doorframes. Leave yourself beaucoup length of cable to handle pulling wire and making these routings. CAT-5 is good for about 1000 feet, so don't sweat an extra 50 feet. Just don't nick or crimp the cable.
Hint: When you do pull in a cable, along with it also pull in a length of sturdy nylon twine. Then, when you find out later you have to pull a second cable through the wall, you attach the cable to one end of the twine and by hauling on the twine, you pull it through in jig time.
But then, you protest, you don't have your twine anymore? Simple, when you pull through your new cable, you also send another length of twine at the same time.
My basement is finished so that makes things harder.
Thanks CanadaRAM that really helps filling me in on some of those terms I sure did not understand them before
So it looks like i will start by just getting some string and starting checking cold air returns and such to see how would be my best route then once I find a good route i will go out and by some ethernet and go for it. I will keep you all posted.