Easiest way to find ethernet cables in walls?

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Easiest way to find ethernet cables in walls?

BinaryLimited

787 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 79

Trusted

Topic # 129327 10-Sep-2013 21:45

anyone know of an easy way to find cat5e cables in a wall/house?
.... without ripping out the wall?

Binary Limited - Safe. Secure. Simple. ™
www.binarylimited.co.nz

InstallerUFB

810 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 207

Reply # 892952 10-Sep-2013 21:55

One person supports this post

Very very Quick Answer - A Tone Generator and a Radio Detector

connect the tone generator to both legs of a pair in the cable and pass the radio detector over the wall to pick up the transmitted signal and locate the cables path in the wall

Now all you need is to find someone who has both and will lend/hire them to you ( Telephone/Cableing techs have and use them)

BinaryLimited

787 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 79

Trusted

Reply # 892955 10-Sep-2013 21:58

One person supports this post

InstallerUFB: Very very Quick Answer - A Tone Generator and a Radio Detector

connect the tone generator to both legs of a pair in the cable and pass the radio detector over the wall to pick up the transmitted signal and locate the cables path in the wall

Now all you need is to find someone who has both and will lend/hire them to you ( Telephone/Cableing techs have and use them)

Sounds great,want to lend yours to me?

Binary Limited - Safe. Secure. Simple. ™
www.binarylimited.co.nz

knoydart

861 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 137

Trusted

Reply # 892971 10-Sep-2013 22:26

You could possibly make your own tone generator by looping a track of tone - 1 KHz is the usual, onto an mp3 player and then drive your cat 5 with the audio output / headphone jack.
Then use the radio to find the cable.

Thinking about it, I'm sure the tone could be replaced by any audio track but might suffer with not being a continuous source of audio to help with the cable location. Use suitably geeky music like Daft Punk's technologic for instance to aid to the ambiance

raytaylor

3259 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 643

Trusted

Reply # 892984 10-Sep-2013 22:57

I love the ones that jaycar sell
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=XC5083

Trademe has one
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/other-electronics/other/auction-636847758.htm

I have left my fancy fluke networks one in someones attic
That was a real expensive mistake

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

There is no place like localhost
For my general guide to extending your wireless network Click Here