Re:Can't fish Ethernet? Use "invisible" fiber instead
by zamadatix on Monday November 02, 2026 @05:54PM
(#50345214)
With an important note that the real purpose of plenum cable and the cause of its stiffness is for meeting fire safety regulations when used in plenum spaces. It just happens to also be convenient that this usually makes it a bit sturdier to work with.
Re:Can't fish Ethernet? Use "invisible" fiber instead
by tylergetsay on Monday November 02, 2026 @06:06PM
(#50345395)
For really long runs in industrial settings they have battery powered pullers that use a really strong string.
Re:Can't fish Ethernet? Use "invisible" fiber instead
by ghostly_s on Monday November 02, 2026 @06:16PM
(#50345507)
> The problem of running Ethernet through existing structures has spawned a bunch of tools, including glow-in-the-dark "fish tape."
None of these tools are new (well, the glow fish sticks I think are a recent innovation) or unique to ethernet. Electrical wire is installed the same way, eg. in conduit. There's even a special lube for making your wire slide through the conduit easier.
That is often exactly what is meant. The problem of running Ethernet through existing structures has spawned a bunch of tools, including glow-in-the-dark "fish tape."
The process is often brutal, and looks like tug-of-war when it takes a couple men to pull the bundle through a couple 90 degree turns. As such, we have "plenum" cable, which is much tougher than typical patch cable, because the latter would just get shredded inside the structure, or snap when pulled with a few hundred lbs of force.