How to locate a cable in the wall

[ukmercenary]

Hello

So I now live in my refurbished house great! The problem is that I decided to install lots of few cabling into the wall to bring my house into the 21st century.

So for example the two bedrooms have three Ethernet cables running from them to the Zero Node under my stairs.

Now this is where im confused I planned to install Free Sat into my house I currently have alot of coaxial cable in the wall which my dad helped install but its unclear what goes where.

I assume I can use an Alter meter to run a current through one end of a cable and use another Altermeter in another room to see where it comes out ?

Cheers
Paul

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Well there's your first lesson- mark your cables (and check for continuity) BEFORE you decorate.

I hope you mean MULTImeter not an Altermeter (dunno what that would do). At the bedroom end of your coax, strip back and ensure that the centre core is not in contact with the screen. At the other end, strip back as above then use your MULTImeter on Continuity setting between core and screen- all cables should be open circuit (infinite impedance). Go back to the bedroom, twist the core and screen of ONE cable together and MARK it (any unique ID will do, usual deal PVC tape and a Sharpie). Go back to the other end, again use multimeter on Continuity (or Ohms) until you find the cable showing a short circuit (zero or near enough impedance). Mark that with the same ID as the other end. Repeat for all cables.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I don't know what an alter meter is but for tracing cables then a tone + probe set is the dog's wotsits:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/cable-finder-with-tone-generator-n74cc
just connnect the toner to one end and wave the probe around to find where the wire goes.

 

[ukmercenary]

I meant a multimeter ok yes that looks good thanks!

 

[Sam Gangee]

That Maplin device doesn't seem to be for coaxial cables. This one is:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/accs/page6.htm#cabtest

 

[OwainDIYer]

But you'd have to fit connectors on both ends to use it and it only works at the ends where you make connections. Much simpler and quicker to croc clip the toner on to bare ends at one end and wave the probe around the other, plus you can use the probe anywhere along the run even if the cable is buriedn in wall.