more infrastructure improvements - part 4

With the testing I am satisfied adding a wifi AP to the inner gate is a worthwhile improvement to the property. With this I would have internet covering the circa 3 acres of outdoor area around the inner gate. This would give almost complete wifi coverage of the property from end to end along the 1/4 mile driveway. I need to pull one more ethernet cable for the access point.

I wasn't looking forward to pulling another ethernet cable between the tractor garage and the inner gate through the in ground PVC conduit that already has a Romex, a 24Vac wire pair for the gate opener, and an ethernet cable. It is really not about just adding another ethernet cable. To add another cable, one has to pull everything out and pull the bundle with the additional cable though the entire length of the conduit.

Romex cable is not designed to be pulled through any conduit but that was what the previous owner did. The outer jacket has too much friction. I could replace it with THHN wire but I don't want to waste the cost that had already been incurred. There is about 65 feet of it. The ethernet cables are longer as they both go up to the top of the gateway, so they are about 85 feet.

I got a head start at 6 am to avoid working in the summer sun

everything had to be disconnected or cut inside the garage

I broke out a new pack of 100 ft long ethernet cable spool

I secured the mule tape to the bundle in the garage end and pulled the bundle through towards the gate. The mule tape would be used to pull the bundle with the added cable back into the garage

I tried to avoid to having to cut the mule tape so I worked it off the spool in the wheelbarrow serving as a wire rack

pulling wires without a helper is a major PITA; there is no avoiding walking back and forth and pull in tiny increments

success! I managed to pull the bundle through while keeping the mule tape tidily on the spool

There are more than what meets the eyes. Upon paying attention to the conduit size I notice the end at the gate side is smaller diameter. That means the conduit was reduced in size somewhere underground. I applied plenty of conduit lube as failure is not an option.

As I didn't want the ethernet connectors to get hung up inside the conduit, I cut them off before pulling them through. That means I just made new RJ45 ends which is pretty easy as I have plenty of practice doing them.

Everything works, and the only added cost to me is the TP-Link outdoor access point at under $60.