Been a Wi-Fi warrior my whole life, finally gonna go Wired but i only have a rough idea on what to do

[manuelito1233]

I researched a bit, but asking questions is always a better way to tackle something new.

 

So, i get a wire, i plug it into my router and my computer. My room's on the second floor and the router is on the first floor beside the stairs.

 

1. What should i know about running the cable throughout my house?

2. Do i need to light carpentry, like nails and hammers for the runs?

3. Are there shieldings or housings for the wire that makes the run easier?

4. Flat or round, does it really matter aside from shape?

5. Is it best to measure precisely, or get the longest one i can?

 

Like, it all seems obvious what some of these answers are, but i wanna ask and double confirm with people who've actually done it lol

 

Thanks yall!

[Elijah Kamski]

This is my input, please wait for others to reply as well.

1) Not sure if there are any doors between you and your computer, but be very careful of doors as the wire can get damaged by doors pinch points. Careful when doing it from the top as it may hang down and get damaged by the door as well.
2) For me I used nail in cable clips for a secure installation.
3) You mean cable sleeves?

Generally they're used for when you have multiple wires at once to group them all, wouldn't be needed as a single cable is pretty small, at least small enough.
4) I used the rounds as it would go into my nail in cable clip. I think the only thing that matters is the shielding inside the cable, got no idea how the flat cables do their shielding so I have no real input for this one.
5) Longer in the event that you need to extend and it also gives you more freedom.

One last note, be sure to plug your cable upstairs something like a switch, so you have more ports to use for other devices.

Hope it helped a bit

[TheBean]

1. honestly, just avoid putting it where people will step on it, over time it can damage the cable.

2. that will all be aesthetics it doesnt matter how/where you put the cable. 

3. not really. shielding will just make the cable thicker which will make it harder around bends. just the basic shielding is fine (to avoid at least some interference). 

4. afaik, it doesnt matter. flat will be easier to use for long straight runs since it will be MUCH easier to keep it on a straight line.

5. measure approximately how much you need. cables come in standard lengths so just get one that is 1 step above what you need. (if you need about 22ft, then get 25. its hard to get specific lengths for longer cables so just be aware). 

[Alex Atkin UK]

46 minutes ago, TheBean said:

3. not really. shielding will just make the cable thicker which will make it harder around bends. just the basic shielding is fine (to avoid at least some interference).

Standard cables are UTP, Unshielded Twisted Pair, you should only use STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) if you earth the shield at one end and are running it alongside mains cabling or other cables that might introduce interference.  Its okay to run across a mains cable with normal cable though, just don't have it run parallel.