superkdogg
Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2004
- Messages
- 743
After much anguish and debate, I've decided that my computer workshop needs to go out to the garage from its current spot in my basement. The last straw was when the bat flew out of the air vents and was not only flying right at me but I swear he was smiling too!
So, after I unloaded my pants, I decided I'm moving to the garage (which will allow for some great OC action in the Wisconsin winter.
I've been thinking about the best way to run my wired network out there. I could work it out wirelessly, but I have currently zero N devices, and G may not be fast enough for me if I'm working on something and need to download an app or get a tool off one of the machines in the house.
So, since I'm going wired, I have been thinking about how to get the cable out there. I have to go under only 18" of sidewalk to get a clear shot at the garage, which is about 50 feet from the house. Distance will not be a problem.
The issue I kept coming up against was a convergence of the need to protect the cable, and the need to protect the wallet. Burying Cat5 is possible, and while everybody warns it's stupid, I didn't find any reports of it actually failing (but then again, why would you open yourself up to that mockery?). So, it was decided that there must be protection for the cable beyond the simple indoor sheath.
PVC pipe is probably the most common and I have no doubt that it would do the best job. Being the cheapskate/creative person I am, that was crossed off. Corrugated tubing was the next possibility. Again, requires purchase and is pretty mainstream. Cheaper than pipe, the tubing wins the award as the fallback choice if the chosen way fails.
What did I pick?
GARDEN HOSE.
It has a big enough ID to allow a single cable to comfortably pass (I only need one, and if it needs replacing, there will be a twine guide in the hose with the cable). It also is cheap, as in basically free since I have a couple I'm not currently using. It's very waterproof (duh), it's very smooth inside/flexible for making the cable run through it easily, and did I mention it's free!? Any machine digging would rip through PVC as easily as a hose, and any person digging would have a hard time piercing a hose at depth with one shot before they would notice they're into it (unless they think it's a root, but I'm the only one going to be doing any digging and that's unlikely in and of itself, let alone forgetting I have cable buried there).
The one potential problem would be if an animal decides it wants to eat through my hose. I really don't see that as a problem, because I've never had the hose eaten above ground, and I don't think moles or worms are expecially hungry for belted, vulcanized rubber.
Basically I'm just sharing in case anybody else needs to protect themselves on the cheap using old rubber (pun intended). Feel free to comment/ignore/mock me now.
So, after I unloaded my pants, I decided I'm moving to the garage (which will allow for some great OC action in the Wisconsin winter.
I've been thinking about the best way to run my wired network out there. I could work it out wirelessly, but I have currently zero N devices, and G may not be fast enough for me if I'm working on something and need to download an app or get a tool off one of the machines in the house.
So, since I'm going wired, I have been thinking about how to get the cable out there. I have to go under only 18" of sidewalk to get a clear shot at the garage, which is about 50 feet from the house. Distance will not be a problem.
The issue I kept coming up against was a convergence of the need to protect the cable, and the need to protect the wallet. Burying Cat5 is possible, and while everybody warns it's stupid, I didn't find any reports of it actually failing (but then again, why would you open yourself up to that mockery?). So, it was decided that there must be protection for the cable beyond the simple indoor sheath.
PVC pipe is probably the most common and I have no doubt that it would do the best job. Being the cheapskate/creative person I am, that was crossed off. Corrugated tubing was the next possibility. Again, requires purchase and is pretty mainstream. Cheaper than pipe, the tubing wins the award as the fallback choice if the chosen way fails.
What did I pick?
GARDEN HOSE.
It has a big enough ID to allow a single cable to comfortably pass (I only need one, and if it needs replacing, there will be a twine guide in the hose with the cable). It also is cheap, as in basically free since I have a couple I'm not currently using. It's very waterproof (duh), it's very smooth inside/flexible for making the cable run through it easily, and did I mention it's free!? Any machine digging would rip through PVC as easily as a hose, and any person digging would have a hard time piercing a hose at depth with one shot before they would notice they're into it (unless they think it's a root, but I'm the only one going to be doing any digging and that's unlikely in and of itself, let alone forgetting I have cable buried there).
The one potential problem would be if an animal decides it wants to eat through my hose. I really don't see that as a problem, because I've never had the hose eaten above ground, and I don't think moles or worms are expecially hungry for belted, vulcanized rubber.
Basically I'm just sharing in case anybody else needs to protect themselves on the cheap using old rubber (pun intended). Feel free to comment/ignore/mock me now.