Broadband Applications & Construction Manual - Public - CommScope

10.3 Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs)
One and Two Story Buildings
One and Two Story MDUs
For one or two story buildings, follow the same guidelines for running your cable as Section 9. A visual inspection
of all proposed cable outlets is strongly recommended and will help you plan the best route for the cable.
Use the Crawlspace, Basement or Attic to Run Cable
For the ground floor, plan your installation so that the cable runs through the crawlspace or basement and then
up through the floor or an interior wall to the outlets. For the upper floor, run up to and through the attic and
then down through the walls to outlets.
If the crawlspace or basement present problems, another option is to run the cable around the outside of the residence.
Be sure to use an outdoor-rated cable. Try to follow the architectural lines of the house and run the cable
in places like where the foundation meets the bottom of the exterior walls, or vertically along the corner trim, or
under the soffit. You can even bury cable next to the foundation (keeping in mind the burial depth per NEC 820).
Avoid placing cable in direct sunlight, as that will accelerate cable aging. Consider a non-metallic raceway to
hide and protect the exterior cable.
In this example, Apartment #1 is reached
from the outside, running along the foundation
and then upward to enter the wall.
Apartment #2 is reached through the basement.
Apartment #3 is reached through
the attic. Apartment #4 is reached from
the outside, with cable for #4 running up
an architectural feature on the exterior wall.
Riser-rated cable is being used for
Apartments 2 and 3 since a floor is
being penetrated.