Can I run Cat6 ethernet cable along same path as existing coaxial?

wally_7777 · Jul 7, 2015

I'm planning on wiring my house with Cat6. The places I need to run to wall jacks are essentially the same places I have existing coaxial, so it seemed to make sense to me to simply follow the same path down the wall from the attic. My understanding is I don't want to run network cable along same path as electrical wires, but I think it's okay to run it side-by--side with my existing coaxial. Is this correct?

Dunlop0078 · Jul 7, 2015

I believe so coaxial cables are usually pretty well shielded and i doubt it will cause any interference for the Ethernet cable. But im not entirely sure on that.

Saberus · Jul 7, 2015

Should be safe, coax is shielded by design.

bill001g · Jul 7, 2015

The reason you do not run ethernet cable next to power cable is mostly for safety reasons. Say something crazy happens like a rat chew on the cables you could get electical power on ethernet. The twist in ethernet cable shield it form simple induced interference from electrical wires.

It is against electrical codes to run in in the walls but you will see massive amounts of ethernet cable and power cable in very close proximity in high density server racks. We have put 30-40 dual power 1U high servers in a rack. These type of racks are packed with cables by the time you are done and I have never seen interference so coax cable which is also shielded will have no impact at all.

Dunlop0078 · Jul 7, 2015

bill001g :

The twist in an ethernet cable is to keep the wires in the ethenet cable from interfering with each other it does not keep out EMI from other sources. The main reason ethernet cables are not run next to power cables is because of interference not safety hazards.

jsmithepa · Jul 7, 2015

Best Practice: Signal and power cables at least 6 inches apart, that's it.

Saberus · Jul 7, 2015

jsmithepa :

In a tightly packed server rack this is impossible sometimes. But in the meter or so max where the power and data cables have to be together in a management arm, there'd have to be some massive noise on the power to cause interference.

But where you can, hell yes do it. Coax though isn't usually power.

If you're really paranoid, Cat7 includes it's own shielding in the cable, but it might not be cost-effective.

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Can I run Cat6 ethernet cable along same path as existing coaxial?

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