Networking / Beginners

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Handling Cable Correctly

Be careful about the way you handle cable as you run it through the chase. (A chase is the opening through which you place the cable, like inside a wall, in a hollow space above the ceiling, or along the baseboards of a room.) Keep the following tips in mind:

• The bigger the hole (within reason), the better. When you drill holes to run cable between rooms or floors, make the holes slightly larger than the connector at the end of the cable. Connectors are delicate, so you don't want to force-feed them through small openings.
• Keep everything neat, just like your mother taught you. When you run cable from the entry point in the room (the entrance hole) to the computer, snake the run along the baseboard or the top of the quarter round until you're close to the computer. Keeping the cable tucked off to the side helps to ensure that no one trips over the cable.
• Be nice to the cable. Avoid bending cable at a sharp angle. If you have to run the cable around a corner, don't pull it taut.
• When in doubt, staple like a madman. You can use cable staples, which are U-shaped nails that act like staples, to attach cable to a surface. Use cable staples that are large enough to surround the cable - do not insert them into the cable.
• Use an artist's touch. You can paint the cable to match your baseboard or wall, but don't paint the concentrator.