Honestly, I think people overcomplicate this stuff. I just stapled my cable along the fence and ran it through some cheap PVC—no foam, no silicone, nothing fancy. Two years, not a single chew mark. Maybe I just got lucky with lazy squirrels, but sometimes simple works fine. Overengineering can be its own headache...
I get where you're coming from—sometimes the simplest solution really does the trick. I’ve seen a lot of people go all out with weatherproofing and rodent-proofing, but honestly, PVC is a solid barrier for most backyard critters. That said, I’ve had clients who ran into trouble when their cable was exposed at the ends or near the shed entry point. Squirrels seem to love chewing right where the cable pops out, especially if there’s any food nearby.
If it’s working for you, no reason to overthink it. But if anyone’s dealing with more persistent wildlife or moisture issues, a little silicone at the entry points can save headaches down the line. It’s all about balancing effort and risk, I guess. Sometimes “good enough” is actually perfect for the job.
NO MORE DEAD ZONES: HOW I GOT WIFI IN MY BACKYARD SHED
That’s a solid point about the cable ends being the weak spot. I’ve noticed the same thing on a few projects—doesn’t matter how heavy-duty the conduit is, if the entry points aren’t sealed up, you’re basically inviting in moisture (or critters with nothing better to do). I usually walk folks through a quick checklist: 1) run your cable through PVC or flexible conduit, 2) seal both ends with silicone or even duct seal, and 3) make sure there’s a drip loop outside before the cable enters the shed. That last bit helps keep water from tracking down the cable and into your gear.
Funny enough, I once had a client who skipped the sealant step, thinking the PVC alone would do the trick. Squirrels chewed right through the gap at the shed wall and used the cable as a shortcut to get inside—guess they liked the warmth more than the wires. We ended up re-running the cable and packing the entry with steel wool before sealing it up. Not pretty, but it worked.
I’m curious, for those who’ve done this—did you go wireless with a mesh system, or did you run actual ethernet? I’ve seen mesh setups work surprisingly well, but sometimes the old-school hardwired approach wins out, especially if you’ve already got conduit running out to the shed. Wondering if anyone’s tried both and noticed a big difference in speed or reliability.
NO MORE DEAD ZONES: HOW I GOT WIFI IN MY BACKYARD SHED
That checklist is spot on—especially the drip loop. People skip that and then wonder why their gear’s fried after a storm. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of mesh systems for outbuildings, to be honest. Tried one last summer just to see if it’d save me the hassle of trenching... It worked okay for streaming music, but anything heavier (video calls, big file transfers) was lag city. Maybe my yard’s just too big, or maybe there’s too many trees in the way.
Ended up running Cat6 through conduit anyway. Yeah, it was more work, but zero dropouts since. I did get lazy once and didn’t seal the shed end well enough—mice chewed right through and made a nest. Lesson learned: steel wool plus silicone is ugly but does the trick.
Mesh is fine for quick fixes or if you’re not picky about speed, but hardwired’s still king if you want reliability. Just my two cents.
NO MORE DEAD ZONES: HOW I GOT WIFI IN MY BACKYARD SHED
Funny you mention the mice—had a similar run-in last fall, except mine went after the insulation around the cable. Never thought I’d be patching up holes with leftover hardware cloth from my chicken coop, but hey, it worked. I’m with you on hardwiring, though. Mesh is tempting, but once you’ve dealt with lag during a Zoom call, it’s hard to go back. Plus, running conduit gave me an excuse to finally use that trenching shovel gathering dust in the garage.
