Running cables is always a puzzle, especially in older homes. I’ve worked on a few remodels where the original floor plans made zero sense for modern tech—like, who puts the only phone jack in the laundry room? I get why people love wireless, but honestly, nothing beats a hardwired connection when you’re dealing with thick plaster walls or those weird little nooks that just eat signal.
I’ve had clients ask if we can “hide” Ethernet runs behind crown molding or baseboards, and it’s actually not as tricky as it sounds if you plan ahead. The real headache is when someone wants everything invisible but also wants to avoid cutting into any walls... that’s when you start getting creative with furniture placement and cable covers.
Wi-Fi mesh helps, but there’s always that one spot—usually right where someone wants to stream or work—that just refuses to cooperate. At this point, I just expect to spend half a day crawling around attics or under floors whenever we do a tech upgrade.
That’s the story of my house—built in 1923, and I swear every wall is like a bunker. I tried mesh, range extenders, you name it, but there’s always that one spot in the den where the signal just vanishes. Ended up running Ethernet through the old laundry chute (which we never use) and hiding cables behind some really chunky baseboards. Not pretty, but it actually works. Sometimes you just have to accept visible wires or lose your mind chasing a perfect setup.
I hear you on the old house struggles. I’ve flipped a few places from the 20s and 30s, and those plaster walls are brutal for wifi. Honestly, sometimes I just give up and run cable too—at least you found a clever route with the laundry chute. Ever tried powerline adapters? I had mixed luck with them, but they saved me once in a basement office where nothing else worked. Curious if anyone’s actually managed to get mesh working in these old houses without drilling holes everywhere...
Curious if anyone’s actually managed to get mesh working in these old houses without drilling holes everywhere...
- Mesh is tricky with thick plaster—signal just drops off a cliff sometimes.
- Had some luck placing nodes near doorways instead of in the middle of rooms. Not perfect, but better than nothing.
- Powerline adapters worked for me, but only after I mapped which outlets were on the same circuit. Old wiring = unpredictable results.
- If you’re remodeling anyway, consider running conduit for future-proofing. Not the greenest short-term, but saves headaches (and drywall) down the road.
- For dead zones, I’ve used low-profile ethernet runs along baseboards, painted to match. Not invisible, but less intrusive than drilling everywhere.
Tried mesh in my 1920s place—total nightmare with the lath and plaster. Ended up tucking flat ethernet cables under rugs and behind furniture instead. Not the prettiest, but it beats drilling a million holes or dealing with spotty wifi every day.