What is the proper way to install wire onto the roof of a building? One of my customers has been talking about extending their network to a new building that they bought, so now that it is very cold they want it done. I was able to come out on to the roof around a heating unit, for now. Is there a proper way, install a gum box run a piece of EMT pipe down to a something and install a weather head on the top end. I am sure that there are going to other wires on the roof in the future.
The IT dept. head wants a proper install done this summer, that can be re entered. Thanks for your help.

The best way would be fiber.

I agree with Mike, bad idea bringing a data cable outside, let alone on the roof!

Lightening hits roof top units all the time, could take out the entire network.

any time Ethernet leaves a building it should go to fiber

like mike said

Are they adjacent? Ariel span? Line of sight? Distance?

We are always wary of penetrating a roof surface. Whenever possible, we penetrate a wall near the roof and go up the outside. You DON'T want to be on the hook for a leak!
Mike

Any time you have to penetrate a roof just provide the conduit and sub out the work to a roofer. Like was said, you don't want to be responsible for any leaks.

-Hal

"Lightening hits roof top units all the time, could take out the entire network."

FYI, It does not need to hit the roof, anywhere in the area that lightning stikes will affect the network. EMF........same is also true for CCTV. Don't ask how I know this, very painful and costly lesson.

Walter

I put radios on poles stick them way up in the air and plug them into the network all the time. But always use lightning protectors.

You will probably find if the building gets a direct hit the cabling will be at risk if it’s on top of the roof or under it anyway. The likely hood of this happening is pretty low.

What about the carrier’s network that’s on poles and in the ground and connected to your network have you protected against lightning there?

If you’re still worried do one of two things

Use a fibre without a metallic armour or strength member.

Use UTP with lightning protectors at the building entry points.


If it were me I'd just get on with it and run an outdoor UTP copper cable on a catenary wire until you can replace it.

I agree with many others about the fiber. Its the way to go. I have installed several aerial Fiber drops at the hospital because the copper got hit constantly. I used non metalic water proof conduit,to a weather head and from there used of course aerial tension mounts to the wall ((Im under the roof line so no leaks, by the way))and this spans about 300ft to the other building. Fiber was multimode so can support years of added bandwidth needs by IT.

Theres 2 more cents for ya. =)

Good Luck

Lightning is not THAT big of a concern guys. Proper bonding and grounding will prevent virtually all lightning problems.
The Power Companies and TelCo's run copper lines into/near roofs on an almost daily basis
I worked for IBT and I have probably put at least a few dozen copper drops into weatherheads over the years without issue. I see one of them everyday on my way to and from work still working 10+years later. I have atached hundreds upon hundreds of copper drops to the sides of homes near the roof line without issue.

Do whatever you think is appropriate for your data transmission rates be it copper or fiber.

Roof leaks however, are an entirely different issue. If you're not comfortable with your roofing skills listen to the previous poster that said sub out the weatherhead/conduit install.It'll save you alot of grief.

Lightning is not THAT big of a concern guys. Proper bonding and grounding will prevent virtually all lightning problems.

Holy COW you've never been to Florida!

I've seen lightning hit a tree, travel through a root to the buildings earth ground then blow everything connected to that ground. It melted the power supply and 2 adjacent cards in an iDCS 500 and smoked all the gas fuses in the telco demarc.

In another location I saw where it hit a pecan tree, jumped to the cable companies cable and took out an entire network, switches, routers, network cards, and motherboards with integrated nics. It even crystalized most of the cat 5e cabling in the building. The cat 5 would crumble in your hands.

Use fiber to go outside your building.

I lightning wants it it will get it

I am speechless. I am replacing over 50K worth of gear in the next two weeks from lightning damage resulting from the storms over the last 10 days.

Boy,It must be nice to live where there is no lightning,Is Ill. protected by an overhead lightning grid ,

Wiring is in my house, not on the roof or even near being outside. A nearby hit fried the ethernet port on my printer and an extension port on my Partner system.

We use 5 pin protectors for all our customers CO lines and lots of times the covers get blown off of them clear across the room.

And this is New York, I can only imagine Florida. Guess they don't have lightning in Illinois.

-Hal

Southern California is considered a smaller risk for lightning strikes (less than 6 thunderstorms per year). The geographic region definitely affects the likelihood of a strike, but anything that leaves or enters a building should always be "protected" regardless.

The last wireless radio install that I just finished, we pulled a #6 ground to the roof and grounded the box, the tower and the radio. The customer is getting an in line surge protector. The radio is mounted on the tallest building downtown. The maint. guy got struck three years ago on the roof.
Grounding should be done even if lightning is not a problem. As I was told that something that operates on +5 and -5 volts it needs a good reference point.

As I was told that something that operates on +5 and -5 volts it needs a good reference point.

That has absolutely no basis in fact. Used to hear that about computers all the time too, usually from sparkies, CGs and IT people all of which have no idea what they are talking about.

Properly grounded yes, but not for that reason. And notice I said properly.

-Hal

True, the +/- 5 volts needs a reference point electrically, with regard to the circuit. The reference point has to do with the power supply, not with the surrounding environment.

The -5 volt output needs some place to find a positive in order for current to flow. Same thing applies with the +5 volt output, except that it seeks a negative. Basic electricity; a center-tapped 10 volt supply with the center tap being the "reference point".