Any reason i can't run an ethernet cable like this?

[Wade Lippman]

My computer in attached to the router by an Ethernet cable. Now that I have put an amp on it, it flies. My wife's is wifi and crawls. She is on the first floor, about 25' from the router in the basement. I figure I can drill a hole in the dry wall, push a cable down and connect to the router. If I put a screw a cover plate to the wall, no one will be the wiser. I know there should be a box and all that, but is there anything unsafe/unwise about just running a cable?

[Robert Delhommer Sr]

Ok for a Ethernet cable.

[George Bokros]

There is nothing unsafe about not using a box. I have seen Time Warner drill through the floor at the baseboard and poke your TV cable up that way. As a matter of fact they will not fish walls.

[Malcolm McLeod]

If you want to dress it up, look for "low voltage old work bracket", then put modular cover plate with CAT5/CAT6 snap in connector.
344213

[Robert LaPlaca]

It's ok for Ethernet cabling, the CAT cabling really should be plenum rated when installed in walls or chases..

[Chris Padilla]

It is considered low voltage wiring so you can do almost anything you want with it.

[Robert LaPlaca]

It is considered low voltage wiring so you can do almost anything you want with it.

In Mecklenburg county NC (aka. Charlotte) for new home and permited remodeling there are two separate permits required for Line voltage and Low voltage (datacom and coaxial) wiring, as crazy as it sounds. Even more interesting is most electricial contractors will not install low voltage cabling since it needs a different license, you will need to find datacom cabling installer for the low voltage stuff..

[Jim Becker]

Low voltage doesn't require a box. You'll want to try and not have that Ethernet cable "in the wall" next to a high-voltage cable , however.

[Brian Elfert]

Do you really need plenum rated cable in walls in residential? I know it is necessary for commercial as ceiling space is often used for return air.

My employer's manufacturing plant it is very difficult to run Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable without being near electric wires of some sort. There are some runs that should probably be shielded. One controls vendor use shielded cable when they ran network cables for their stuff as they understand how much interference the machinery and such can create.

[Charlie Velasquez]

I am not an electrician or an AHJ. I can relay what or school district did when we added smart boards to almost all the rooms.

Some spaces that are used as return air spaces get conduit and our low voltage cabling is run through that. A lot cheaper than individual plenum rated cabling.

Some spaces were inspected by the AHJ and certified as NOT being used as return air spaces and we just used open cable hangers and ran our CAT6, SVGA, HDMI, RCA, and USB above the ceiling tile.

You may want to check with you local inspector to verify.

[paul cottingham]

Yes you can. Short answer.

Long answer is is much more complex. So go with the short answer. Avoid being parallel to power lines (within 6") if you can.

[Rich Riddle]

The "box" you want to use for low voltage applications looks like this.

344259