How To Run Ethernet Cables On The Outside Of Your House

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Part 1. How to Run Security Camera Wires in House: With Detailed Steps Setup Videos

Installing security camera wires inside of your house, such as the attic, soffit, siding, etc. is much easier than the outside job.

You can follow this security camera wire installation guide to hide or run the wires in your house.

Step 1. Design the central surveillance hub before snaking security camera cabling. The place where you place your NVR/DVR — the central surveillance hub —in your house determines the route of wiring. Placing your NVR/DVR smartly in your house can help you get rid of messy wiring disaster.

The place should be easy to access so that you can hardwire your security camera comfortably from anywhere in your house. Attics and your Internet router are .

Note: You can get helpful tips here to place your security cameras (systems).

Step 2. Turn off the power when running security camera wires, which can protect your personal safety and avoid damaging your devices.

Step 3. Drill a hole in the position where the outlet will be (for wireless security camera & analog security cameras), and use a straightened metal coat hanger to feel inside the wall for any unforeseen obstructions.

Drilling is undoubtedly one of the best and easiest ways to run security camera wires through walls, soffit, vinyl siding, etc.

If you run a Cat 5/6 Ethernet cable of your security camera, you can just drill a hole to run the Ethernet cable from the camera to your home router or NVR. If the distance between your camera and router/NVR is too far away, you can add a PoE injector.

Step 4. The gap/hole should be larger than the maximum amount of wires you expect to ever run. Allow a few feet of extra wire inside for both termination, and future reorganization if needed. Labeling the ends of the cables will help you figure out which security camera works with which cable.

Step 5. Go to where you want to install your security cameras, such as attic, soffit, basement or crawlspace, and drill a hole in the top or bottom wall plate in the same wall cavity.

Step 6. Attach the wires with the fish tape to fish your security camera wires.

Step 7. Run security camera wires or cables to the destination (you may need a partner to feed the wires for you). Remember to use the security camera wire protection cover or conduit to protect the cables.

Hope the above step-by-step guide has answered the questions like How to run home security camera wires through the attic/wall? How to run security cameras for my two-story house?

How to Hide Security Camera Wires Inside Your House

If you don’t want the security camera wires to ruin your current house decor, you can try the below tips to hide security camera wires inside.

Solution 1. When you drill a hole to run the IP camera wiring, like wiring cameras through the ceiling, you can hide the security camera cable with the wire guards.

Put the cable into the guard, and attach the guard to the wall inside of your home or trail them to the back of your furniture. So no wires are plain in sight.

Solution 2. Paint the wires. You can staple the wires to the corner and the paint over them using the same color as the walls.

Solution 3. Run security camera wires behind the baseboard in your room.

Solution 4. Another feasible way to hide CCTV cables is to use a plastic tube, which allows you to conceal the security camera wires from plain sight and protect them from dust and external damages.

A DIY lover posted a video on YouTube, showing his security camera installation guide inside his house. (He hides the security camera wires under the desk. What a smart idea!) You can check the video below.

When you need to install outdoor security camera wiring, you can get the detailed guide below to run security camera wire outside.

Bump: If you want to how to hide security camera wires outside, skip to Part 2.

Using your HVAC conduit

Many buildings and campus environments already have a system of HVAC conduits in place. How can you leverage this existing conduit system for laying down some Ethernet cabling through it? One colleague suggests using a string, some washers and some fish tape. You start by turning off your furnace and air-conditioning system including any fans used in the conduit. Tie some of the washers onto one end of a string to make a “pull string” and locate the duct that is nearest to the “up tube” of your system. Then tie the rest of the washers to another piece of string that will be your “drop string.” Also, tie the fish tape to your drop string using a slipknot. Now push the fish tape along until you reach the up tube. It helps to have someone watching the up tube to let you know when you’ve reached it. Now pull the drop string that has the slipknot to drop the washers with the pull string attached to them. If you did this right, your pull string will case out until it hits the bottom. Once you’ve figured out where it landed, use the fish tape to hook the pull string and then use the pull string to pull your network cabling through the system.

Hiding Cables in Your Yard

If you are installing a pond, fountain, lighting, or any other electric device in your yard, you will, of course, need longer cable wires and thus more coverage. There is really only one way to go about hiding them: bury your cable wires underground.

Consider the soil composition of where you will need to dig and how much cable you need to run. If you have incredibly tough ground to run wire through, you may only need to dig 6 inches deep. The lighter and less dense the soil, the farther down you will be able to dig. Plus, the deeper you bury your cable wires, the cheaper the conduit.

Choosing Cable Wire Conduits for Digging Underground

To install cable wires underground, you will need to choose the appropriate conduit. Whatever the case, both conduit and cable must be waterproof. The following table can act as a starter guide.

Cable Depth	6 inches	12 – 24 inches
Conduit Material	Rigid Metal Conduit – Galvanized Steel	PVC Pipe

Steel is used for shallower depths to prevent the conduit and wire from melting in the event of a fire or explosion, as the damage from each can reach below ground.

Depending on your type of cable and the depth, you may not need to use PVC pipe past 6 inches. Consult an expert or look more into the kind of coating your wires have, such as:

• Thermoplastic High Heat-resistant Nylon-coated (THHN)
• Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter protection (GFCI)

Does Cold Weather Affect Ethernet Cable?

If you live in a particular cold part of the world, a valid concern you may is whether the cold weather can affect ethernet cable; even those that are exterior-grade and designed specifically for outdoor use. 

Cold weather can affect ethernet cable, even those that are exterior-grade. Although the cold weather will not affect the performance of the cable itself, it can make the cable stiff. Bending the cable too much could result in damage, so it should be left alone once in place. 

As new standards of ethernet cables are introduced, better materials for both the insulation and the outer jacket are used to improve the chances of the cable continuing to work in both hot and cold environments. 

This isn’t to say you should go out and buy some Cat8 cable to run outside, though, as the cold weather can affect ethernet cables, especially those that are not designed for outdoor use and should be reserved for use indoors. 

When running cable outside, particularly if you experience cold weather throughout the year, you will want to make sure that you are using exterior-grade cable given how it is double insulated. 

Being double insulated, the cable is typically thicker than the regular ethernet cable you are used to using indoors. 

This makes the cable quite stiff, which is especially true if it has already been left out and exposed to the cold weather for an extended period of time. It may not be as stiff when you receive it new, but it will certainly stiffen over time. 

For this reason, it is recommended that you try not and bend the cable more than you need to as this could result in it being damaged. You should be fine when installing it for the first time, but still try and keep the cable as straight as you can during the initial installation and leave it well alone once it has been installed wherever possible. 

Cold weather won’t affect the performance of exterior-grade ethernet cable as this is simply what they are designed to withstand, but UV exposure is a different story. 

UV light is more likely to damage ethernet cable over time, so it is recommended to bury the cable underground in a conduit where possible so that the light cannot reach it. If this isn’t an option, you should still try and place the cable somewhere that is a bit darker, like a shadow, to minimize the chances of the cable getting damaged.  

Most people will look to run their outdoor ethernet cable along the exterior walls of the home where shadows are more likely to be cast, so this isn’t something to be overly concerned about, but still make sure the jacket is designed to protect against UV light. 

Using Direct Burial Exterior Ethernet Cables

Use exterior waterproof direct burial Cat 6 cables for outdoor runs rather than ordinary Cat 6. Direct burial Cat 6 cables cost more but are designed for outdoor use. The protective jacket is made of either PVC on the cheaper end or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) on the more expensive and protective end. In addition to being sealed against moisture, they often have shielding against radio frequency (RF) interference.

Test the network cable connections before burying the cable to avoid wasted time and effort digging the cable up if there is a problem.

Exterior-grade Ethernet cables are waterproof and can be buried in the ground without a conduit. If you aren't burying the cable, choose a waterproof Cat 6 cable that has a UV protective jacket to prevent damage from sunlight exposure. This is important when running the cable up the side of a house or across a roof.

Ordinary and direct burial Cat 6 cables attract lightning strikes to some degree, and burying the cable doesn't necessarily lessen that risk. Install surge protectors as part of any outdoor Ethernet network to guard against lightning strikes and prevent damage to indoor equipment.

The 7 Best Surge Protectors of 2022

Recommended Outdoor Ethernet Cable 

If you are looking for an ethernet cable to run outdoors, this one by Maximm can be found on Amazon. 

The cable is Cat6 rated, features a UV resistant LLDPE jacket, and is 150ft long, so is perfect to be placed outdoors. 

The jacket is thick and sturdy, so you could probably get away with burying it on its own or even leaving it exposed outside, but again, I would recommend placing it in a weatherproof conduit just to be on the safe side. 

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