Hi

after info regarding on if there are any legal reqts/standards on how broadband etc cabling should be installed to a private residence.

Signed, new owner of property who has just started digging the garden.

I suspect not. I have seen a plastic pipe used, cable zip tied to a fence, cable run along on top of the ground beside a fence and nailed to a wall using those cable holder things.

They were paid per property when installing so it was whichever was quickest, I think.

Not armoured cable then 🙁

Nope, its all low voltage stuff, so no regs.

We use outdoor grade CAT5/6 cable for installing our products, it has a weather proof UV sheath over the normal cable. You can buy it from loads of places eg Google turned up http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/CAT5ecable10ME.html

We buy it by the Km from China direct….

As above, the cable is normally routed the quickest way possible and they normally use external grade cable so in theory it doesn’t need protecting by any ducting.

Is it virgin coax cable or a copper phone line?

having watched them install my new mains electric cable from the street to mine and my neighbours house next to my hedge buried not very deep after the mole failed to work ill be surprised if your phoneline was even buried – it wont even make a bang when you dig into it.

As for Zip ties, they’re a big no-no. No Mobile Network Operator allows them for cable management outdoors as the cables flap in the wind and cut through against the cable tie. You are supposed to use comfy clamps (RH side of photo).

How not to fix cables to a mast… by brf, on Flickr

However, cable ties are widely used as riggers are lazy (or rather the rigging work is sub contracted out at below cost, so you get a cheap job).

As you’re digging up the garden in readiness for laying the cables you may want to install a drain pipe or similar to pass the cables through. Then for future additions/repairs/alterations it shoulod just be a matter of digging up either end and pulling cables through.

I’d use plastic conduit, easier to install than drain pipe and a lot cheaper….

virgin media nailed mine to the wall with cable ties, routing it over the top of the BBQ. Good work chaps.

Armoured cable is a bugger to cut through!

Digging up old tree roots one day I came across a particularly resistant ‘root’. Took ages to get the spade to cut through the devil. Pulled the root ball out and realised that I’d chopped right through a Virgin Media cable. 😳
Cue running into the house and checking everything worked.

Luckily I’d cut through an old cable that was installed before an extension was built on the house. We had a new cable fitted when we moved in. I’d have been a little miffed if I’d cut through that one.

mmm
I seem to have two seperate cables (both are sort of a large joined to a small in a single black cable) one (which I’ve just discovered) comes through the bottom layer of the wall and then underground (well 2″ underground),the other comes through literally the middle of the wall (**** me) goes into a green plastic sheath and that appears to run around the edge of the gravel to the house – you can probably see it on google earth

currently pissed of with gardeners as well – as I’m digging out big roots that are next to a wall, have a drain pipe underneath them and have sodding broadband cable running across them , don’t you realise that plants grow ???????????

as we don’t use virgin can I get them to remove their wiring ?