Networking / Beginners

---

Keeping your drill holes in the closet

Wiring through closets is a great way to hide the side effects of cabling. If you have a closet in every room that holds a computer, you're in great shape. It's less important to clean up the hole and touch up the paint when you work in a closet, unless you're some kind of decorating fanatic. If every room doesn't have a closet, don't worry - you can still confine the cabling to the corners of the room.

Drill a hole in the closet ceiling or floor of each room that holds a computer (one room also holds the concentrator). Choose between the ceiling or the floor, depending on the location of the chase.

Bring the cable through the chase to each computer. You can use a fish (a tool specially designed for fishing cable that is sold in hardware stores) or a wire coat hanger you've untwisted (the hook at the end grabs the cable).

Of course, a portion of the cable has to run between the closet and the computer or concentrator. If you have enough clearance under the closet door, run the cable under the door and then attach it to the baseboard with U-shaped staples as it moves toward the computers. If you have no clearance under the closet door, drill a hole in the bottom of the doorjamb to bring the cable into the room.