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I am living in a house with concrete walls (no attic, no basement) and I want to run Cat5e or Cat6 Cable from the router which is downstairs to my office which is upstairs. Right now running cables through the walls is not an option.

previously I have been using these little nail things with a bracket on them to hold the cables down, but they tend to fall out, so that is not a useful option.

What is the best way to run ethernet cable so it stays in place and not spend too much money

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  • regular old tape works just fine, that's what I did in college. Long ethernet cables cost like $30 , so if you don't already have one, than I'd just buy a wireless adapter for your desktop computer instead.
    – user24242
    Nov 12, 2014 at 10:55
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    An RJ-45 crimp tool can be found online for $10-20 (though you'll spend another $10 on bad crimped ends while you learn how to use it) and once you have that, bulk cable is very cheap and you can make any length you want (plus it fits through a much smaller hole without an end on it). Alternatively, there are ethernet-over-power adapters which are a decent option if you have a dodgy wifi signal.
    – gregmac
    Nov 12, 2014 at 15:00
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    The "nail things with a bracket on them" are not designed for use in concrete. If you drill a hole with a masonry bit and stuff a dowel into it so they go into wood, they'll work much better)
    – Ecnerwal
    Nov 12, 2014 at 15:23
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    It's always helpful to know if you own the building as it affects the community's recommendations ...
    – Keith Hoffman
    Nov 12, 2014 at 21:28
  • Of course it also may be worth trying WiFi rather than wired... for what I'm doing, the uplink is usually the limiting factor so the difference in speed between WiFi and CAT5 is minimal. I have been in buildings where the 2.4GHz signal just won't go through the walls, though.
    – keshlam
    Nov 12, 2014 at 22:10

3 Answers 3

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There are various types of cable clips that use adhesive to hold them in place, such as these

cable clip

If you are concerned about damaging the finish when they are taken off, some brands have pull strips that claim to avoid paint damage.

Images and links are for illustration only, not an endorsement of goods or sources.
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  1. Buy cable in bulk. The best deal is probably an online supplier.
  2. I'd suggest raceways. You can get raceway for about $4/lf. It should be easy to install with an adhesive or you can probably find some with a peel and stick backing. If you rent, you should be able to remove it and take it to the next place or if you did a nice job, the landlord might not care that you leave it.
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You need some plastic anchors, you can see some here. You can buy mortar screws that come with plastic anchors. Simply drill a hole into the concrete with a a concrete bit and then glue the plastic anchor into the hole then drill the screw into the plastic anchor. You can get ones with a cable brackets.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-12-x-1-1-4-in-Blue-Ribbed-Plastic-Anchor-75-Piece-804092/204273427

Heres a better example of the pair: https://www.homedepot.com/p/4-6-x-7-8-in-Yellow-Ribbed-Plastic-Anchor-with-Pan-Head-Combo-Drive-Screw-50-Pieces-804122/204273419

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    Oct 24, 2019 at 11:30

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