How to Hang Ethernet From Joists

Whether you’re installing new wires or adding a wall jack, it’s a good idea to hang your ethernet from the joists. This will ensure a strong connection and prevent damage to the cable.

First, plan out the route you want to run your wires. Scan each wall using a stud finder to locate any blocking that could prevent your wire from running where you want it to.

Drill a Hole

If there isn’t room to run a running board, then the best way to hang an ethernet cable from ceiling joists is to drill holes through them. You can also use a wire staple to hold the cable in place.

To make sure you’re drilling a hole in the correct place, start by measuring where you want to drill. It’s better to have an idea of how big of an obstacle is before you cut, rather than drilling into something that’s too large and causing more damage than necessary.

Then, carefully drill down two inches into the bottom or top of the joist to be sure you don’t hit anything that could cause damage. This is a much safer method than drilling into an entire joist, which could result in a water pipe bursting and causing a flood or a complete electrical circuit ripping out.

Mount the Cable

Depending on the space available in your ceiling or attic, it’s easier to hang an Ethernet cable from joists instead of staple it to the joist. This will give you more flexibility in the future, especially if you have to run additional wires to light fixtures or other electrical appliances.

When mounting the ethernet cable, be sure to position it 16 inches away from any electrical wiring paths. This will help avoid damage or signal interference.

Before drilling, locate the header beam of the interior wall where you want to run your ethernet cable. You can also use your measuring tape to determine the distance from the entrance to the room you’ll drop the ethernet cable into.

Drill a hole in the wall that’s just large enough for your ethernet cable to fit through. This will make it easy to pull the cable through later on.

Run the Cable

When running an ethernet cable from one new wall box location to another, you may need to loop the wire across floor joists in a basement, crawlspace or attic before entering the stud cavity. You can use either a running board or holes drilled in the joists.

A running board is a length of timber that is stapled to the face of the joists to hold wires in place. This can be more visually appealing than drilling holes in a specific place to run the wire through, but it is not always allowed by local codes.

For cable that is not smaller than two 6 AWG or three 8 AWG conductors, the code permits securing them directly to the bottom edges of joists. Smaller cables must be run through bored holes in the joists or on running boards.

Pull the Cable Through

Pulling the cable through is a common task for a lot of different cables, such as electrical and phone wires. It can be a very important step when installing or upgrading a network.

The key to pulling a cable properly is creating a secure pulling string, or pulling knot. This helps prevent the cable from being damaged when it is pulled through the conduit.

Some people recommend using a special lubricant when pulling a cable, especially for longer runs. The lubricant reduces friction between the wire and the conduit, which allows for a faster and easier pulling process.

If you are installing a fiber optic cable, it is very important to use a pulley that is larger than the diameter of the cable being pulled. The bend radius of most fiber optic cables is 20 times the cable’s diameter when under tension, so a small pulley can cause the fibers in the cable to be crushed.

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