Duct Taping Ethernet Cable?

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mk04

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Nov 15, 2013
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Hello all.

First, I hope I'm asking this in the right section but if not, could someone please move this to the appropriate forum?

So I've been wireless gaming (PC) for a while now but I think it's time I buy an ethernet cable as I think it'll be much more efficient while gaming as there are times when my connection won't be so great.

Problem is, my room is at the end of my apartment while the living room is where my modem is. I was wondering if the best option is to duct tape every feet or so and make it run on the ceiling? I think this may be the best option for me as I do not want it on the floor and I don't want to be stapling an ethernet cable.. Sounds like too much work anyway lol. And I'm sure duct tape wouldn't have an effect on connection.

Has anyone tried this before? Would appreciate and hope for some positive feedback.

And also, this will be the first time I'm hooking my gaming PC directly to the modem. Are there settings I need to change? Or can I just get off WiFi and plug in the cable?

Thanks!
 
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Well as long as it's fine for the cable then I don't mind too much. As for the ports.. Shouldn't I plug it directly from the modem to my PC? Not the router?

 
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Ehh.. There's quite a gap in terms of price. I don't mind putting up the cable haha, wouldn't take longer than 15 minutes or so. I may look into more of that in the future though, just not atm
 
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Nope, needs to be the router. Only one device can use the one IP your ISP gives your internet connection; the router shares it out.
 
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Plug cable from ISP from wall into Modem. Router plugs into modem, then PC plugs into the router. Should be a diagram install sheet or something from your ISP.

However, to get to your original question...
I am going to make an assumption that you are of a male gender, and straight. Pardon me for stereotyping, but very few outside of that would consider using duct tape on the ceiling for routing cables.

Something to consider... if you are going to ever have a girl over, then don't duct tape cables to the ceiling. It's just plain ugly. Whether or not it works won't be a consideration for the girl you've invited over, because she'll be thinking to herself, "Someday, when I get married, I don't want a husband with this bad of handyman skills." You'll get dumped real quick.

However, if that's not a concern of yours, then consider what duct tape will do to the paint in your rental apartment, and that your landlord will charge you for having to repaint when you move out. You'll lose your deposit for sure.

Other than that, sure, duct tape will hold for a while, but not permanently. Moisture and heat will cause it to peel away, and you'll end up constantly having to rework it, a little at a time, until you decide to do something different. The glue backing may never come off without scraping and repainting.

Seriously, consider the powerline adapter solution already mentioned. It will cost a bit more than a roll of duct tape, but you'll also save on how much ethernet cable you have to buy. It's going to look better, girls will be better impressed, and your landlord won't keep your deposit over it. Also, when you move, it will make cabling the next place that much easier. Good investment for the future.


 
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Wait a second.. It's still better than gaming off WiFi though right? Since there are other users in my household that need the internet.

And I would consider doing it on a lower level but the thing is I have a cat and I don't want her to be anywhere near the cable.
 
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Wired will always be better than wireless. This of course does not solve the problem of not enough internet bandwidth. If you only have say 10m connection and someone in your house runs torrent and uses it all up it really doesn't matter how your PC is connected.

Running the cable along the ceiling will technically work fine. It is more how you attach it without damage to the ceiling. If this was a house you owned the fairly standard trick is to pry off the base boards and put it behind, many have a gap or grove in them...you can always cut a grove. Still that is a lot of work if you do not own the property since you would likely have to do some minor paint touch up.
 
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I was looking into Powerline systems too since I wanted to improve my latency, but they really don't do very well on that area with a 10+ms ping being normal on average. Which is pretty bad for an average, not sure how bad it spikes since I'm skipping out on this technology.

I still vote for putting the cable on the floor since I doubt that cat will try to eat it.
 
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Yep. I checked out Powerline Adapters and I mean.. I won't know until I try it out on my own of course but many are saying it's unstable like WiFi as opposed to wired, I almost see no complaints which makes sense. Powerline Adapters are basically wireless in my eyes lol

And eh.. I'll see.. I would prefer it on the floor but you never know with cats. Anyways, I'm going with my original method if anything. Thanks for all your opinions :)
 
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They take the ethernet packets and encode them (similar to wireless) and transmit them over the electrical lines at a given frequency. The lag comes come the encoding/decoding process and less then ideal electrical conditions/lines.

Also they won't work as well if they have to cross the breaker box and old lines may cause issues.

Real life speeds range from 1 to 400 Mbps and latency varies depending on the model, the buildings wiring and the electrical devices being used.
 
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I used this method for running an ethernet cable, but I did it along the base of the wall not the ceiling so I am unsure on how well it will work. I would just keep looking around, there has to be something better than duct tape. Any reason why you would want to run it along the ceiling and not the wall?
 
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Yeah I looked into them for a bit and to me it sounds like it'll come with issues. I'd rather go with wired.
 
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They stick to the wall just fine, however they are designed for a vertical install and not a horizontal install so they might not work for you if you going the ceiling route.
 
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