POE camera installation - how are you guys running wires?

T

Torreyphoto

n3wb
Nov 2, 2018
3
2
USA
Working on a brand new exterior camera setup here...I've only previously played with the crummy cheapo Yi cameras off Amazon.
I've seen a lot of 'friends don't let friends use WiFi cameras' and it does seem like the majority of WiFi capable ones are pretty low end or proprietary app versus the nice capability of wired cameras...and I get the idea of better bandwidth, etc.

The thing I'm stuck on is - how are you guys running the wires? I don't see any easy way to just start punching holes through multiple walls exterior & interior with who knows what's behind it or how to route it to get to an interior room where the POE switch and NVR/Blue Iris server could be. Is this just a new-install thing only or what do I not know about running internal ethernet?
 
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You have to get creative.

Most of us here are putting up our cameras on existing homes.

A low volt technician would have all the tools and resources to get to lots of places I can't, so running cable behind downspouts is one way to bring it to the height you need by coming down from the roof or up from the basement.

I have spent some time in the attic and in the basement figuring out how to run ethernet from one room to another without having to tear up finished walls or ceilings.
 
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Thanks...I'm fortunate enough to have a 2 story home plus a finished basement so everything interior would be punching through a finished wall....doh!

Never thought about running exposed cable like behind a downspout--good to get me thinking out of the box. I guess I was thinking all high security/completely enclosed wires but it's not like we're Fort Knox ;)
 
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I'm a 2 story and finished basement as well and was able to make it work. Some of the runs aren't ideal and probably could be a lot shorter done by someone knowing what they are doing LOL, but it works.
 
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Long drill bit with small hole to fish wire through, fire stop sealer.

If in high lightning area will want to protect in and outside connections to quality unit like Tupavco going to ground. Real copper wire ethernet cable with ground. Important so lightning don't kill camera or switch/nvr.

No CCA heat only makes it worse.
 
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My 2 favorite situations when running wires in a house.
1. Unfinished basement.
2. Accessible (duck/crawl) attic.

And into the open soffits I went.

If you have siding you could pop that and run wires behind. But my house is all brick so unfortunately my cameras are not at the recommended height.
 
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Torreyphoto said:
Working on a brand new exterior camera setup here...I've only previously played with the crummy cheapo Yi cameras off Amazon.
I've seen a lot of 'friends don't let friends use WiFi cameras' and it does seem like the majority of WiFi capable ones are pretty low end or proprietary app versus the nice capability of wired cameras...and I get the idea of better bandwidth, etc.

The thing I'm stuck on is - how are you guys running the wires? I don't see any easy way to just start punching holes through multiple walls exterior & interior with who knows what's behind it or how to route it to get to an interior room where the POE switch and NVR/Blue Iris server could be. Is this just a new-install thing only or what do I not know about running internal ethernet?
Click to expand...

If you have an attached garage facing the sidewalk, you typically can mount most of your front facing cameras and front / side camera from there.

if the garage is finished, you can use a stud finder to help determine the best options, and often with some careful drywall cuts you can get a lot of good work done when routing cat5e/6 in the garage.
 
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Inside the house, baseboards are your friends. Outside, the expansion joints in concrete sidewalks can be deepened with a diamond disk on an angle grinder. Wooden fences are a great place to mount cameras. The cable can run inside the fence, then back to your garage through the expansion joints.
 
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A fish rod set is a good tool to have for running low voltage wires. Klein tools and others make them, and they can be a real time saver and get wire to places you thought were impossible. I would also invest in some good low voltage drill bits, 18 inch or longer. These bits have a small hole at the tip to allow wire to be looped through for back pulling through a wall.

Obviously, there's no substitute for experience, but there are many videos on YouTube that show the process of running and hiding low voltage wiring using fish or "glow" rods and other tools. You'd be surprised all the tips and tricks there are from experienced installers to get wire from one place to another. Even places that seem impossible. I still learn from these and say, wow, I never thought about that!
 
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@Holbs started a thread with some useful info...

Holbs

Thread 'Cabling: Tools rough draft #1. Opinions/Suggestions desired.'

due to this being a IP camera website, I thought it would be nice to have some kind of DIY guide to cabling a house. I composed something really quick this evening to share my experiences. Hopefully, when all said and done, we can add "DIY Home Wiring" to the Wiki page.

Breaking things up into chapters, I guess. First, acquiring the tools to get the job done. I would like others to join in and give their opinions and suggestions. I do this professionally so sometimes I over look a non-professional method which involves $$$ and wiring vocabulary.

Home Cabling Suggestions:


Proper...
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My home is single story so most of the cabling is in the attic and I don't care how it look up there. For non attic runs I bought an assortment of tools. A 6 ft drill bit from Amazon and a fiberglass rod set and a cable pulling reel of wire from Harbor Freight. In wall runs are the most challenging but can be done. None of my cams are wireless and never will be.
 
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