Long story short … a friend has an B&O multiroom system, he has been won over by Roon, but there are two limiting factors. First, his LAN is predominantly over the mains; and second, the B&O master controller works intermittently with Roon.
I suspect the problem lies with the LAN. Therefore, as I have some spare CAT 5 & 6 cable left over from my installation, I have suggested that he runs a length of cable from the ISP box over the roof into the room where his B&O controller is located.
My friend’s cottage is listed and the internal walls are very thick, hence the reluctance to run a cable between the two rooms. Therefore, are there any considerations, such as trunking, I should consider when running the Ethernet cables outside?
For our house the guy that fitted and services our alarm put trunking around the house for the ethernet cable, overall the cost was pretty low and it gives extra protection. They are used to running these cables for alarms so were well adept at doing rj45 connections etc.
I have very similar barriers as your friend, listed cottage, thick walls etc. I have managed to run some cat6 through roof spaces and where this wasn’t possible have ran it externally in trunking, all good works great.
I used Ethernet over mains for several years unbelievably one went bang and caught fire luckily I was home at the time.
I found a Satellite Engineer that also installed external ethernet cables and he has run one round to the back of the house and one upstairs the external cable is very compact.
The difference is amazing the amount of noise that the mains adaptors were creating was staggering well worth looking into.
Great ideas guys, if I’ve read your thoughts correctly I sum up by considering:
Thanks @Gazza for confirming that trunking is a good solution, considering the alarm services people.
Use a satellite installer for the trunking runs (thanks @pcd - I used one for my letting refurbishment and it was half the price of the electrician);
Consider Mesh WiFi rather than over the mains (thanks @anon39880737 worth a thought); and
As @glasnaim suggests external trunking seems to be the solution. The layout of the cottage is tricky; it was a weavers cottage, and the office room is in the attic, but the ISP comes into the front room, which is the middle of three rooms where both walls are thick. The room behind this is an addition abutting the rear external and this is where the B&O setup is.
You need to consider heat and light an Ethernet cable designed for indoor use cannot simply be lobbed over the roof, uv light will put to pay to it within a year.
You need to run trunking really. I have black plastic trunking from screwfix. Not sure if it’s ideal but Ethernet I have on the outside of the house has been in it for years. But I did also get external cable in there.
Make sure you get solid core and terminate at both ends with a proper socket I suggest excel ones are very good quality.
None of this stuff is expensive the black trunking is pences, just requires some effort
Chances are if you run ordinary Ethernet cable outdoors it will be fine for a long time, just like coax cable from the TV aeriel, but there’s always the chance it will degrade or get damaged. Better to use exterior grade cable with UV resistant outer. Of course you could use trunking for a higher level of protection, but would you really want a hideous plastic pipe running along your exterior walls? Especially on a listed building - would that even be allowed?
Ethernet outside will be absolutely fine as long as it is protected with some purposed weather proof aluminium conduit. It’s commonly used for IP camera runs our outside WAPs to protect against vandalism, and looks nice and neat.
Mesh systems and other solutions won’t perform as well.
A good electrician should be able to sort that out for you.
