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I want to put my internet router into the loft and then use multiple Ethernet cables from it that are dropped to every room and Wi-Fi access points. I live in the UK.

The network provider has a socket at the ground floor and the router is connected into it at the present time. In order to move the router to the top of the house, I need to have an ethernet cable that is going to connect from bottom of the house to the top.

I believe that doing the cable vertically from the living room, into its ceiling, out of the 1st floor bedroom, into its ceiling, out of the loft floor (between joists), is probably the shortest and best path. Do you agree?

What I need to know is, how hard is to to create a groove inside the walls of the living room and bedroom (masonry walls) for the cable going from living room up to the loft? How large should the grooves be? Is some sort of canal required to contain the ethernet cable? and how will they be filled in once the cable has been installed?

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  • You've given few details about the building so nobody can say if the proposed method is the best way or not. Presumably cables in channels in the plaster would be done in the standard way that those are done there, which I won't propose to comment on as that is not how we do them here, and I don't know the standards well just from seeing a few posts mentioning them. Would have to be done in a way and on a path that avoids cutting line voltage cables already embedded in the plaster, for instance. Shortest distance is not required, so consider using outdoor rated cable up the outside wall.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Dec 27, 2023 at 18:17
  • I'm not an internet mason, but I usually see cables in conduits attached to the outside of masonry walls. I assume it's very difficult to cut channels in the wall.
    – user20574
    Commented Dec 27, 2023 at 18:35
  • Chasing channels to bury cables into a masonry wall is very messy, and without the right tools, also very time-consuming. You'd be much better-off getting some cable-hiding ducting instead.
    – brhans
    Commented Dec 27, 2023 at 19:41
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    @user253751 there are saws made for the exact purpose, in the places where that's a common method of putting wiring in the wall, and then it's patched with more plaster over the channel or chase. Messy and loud, but not particularly slow or difficult with the correct tools, per people who do that as a usual method.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Dec 27, 2023 at 20:24
  • I see several issues… Unless you're still on old-style ADSL, which uses your old BT two core phone cable, which is simple to extend*, then your router should be on 75Ω co-ax coming into the house, not Ethernet. You need the correct crimpers & cable connectors to work with that stuff. You also need to test the line SNR/attenuation values after changing the cable length - this is best done by your ISP. 2) How dry & temperature-consistent is your loft? Electronics, damp & wildly varying temperatures don't really mix well. *If what you describe is an old POTS splitter, it's best to move the box.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Dec 28, 2023 at 11:34

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Its going to very difficult and messy to bury it into the wall and plaster over it. The chemicals in the plaster may effect the cable sheath. Also if there is a break that you discover later, it will be a messy job to fix.

Suggestions -

  • If you want a direct route, put it in a conduit, you can get self adhesive (white) which makes the job easy.
  • But realistically, unless you are really into ultra fast gaming or nano-second stock market trading, the length of the cable will not have much effect. They are rated for 100m. I doubt if you will exceed 30m, if you take it in the garage from the socket to under a closet and take it up inside a closet. You will only have to cap it in the garage.

Notes -

  • Warning : if the loft gets very hot, it may not be too good for the router/switch
  • What I would do is to leave the router in the garage to boost the signal, rout it to the loft and put a switch there.
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  • How hot is too hot?
    – quantum231
    Commented Jan 2 at 18:55

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