PoE cable routing in Australian homes

SMarket

SMarket

n3wb
Dec 8, 2025
5
5
Australia
Done a few AU installs recently, figured I'd share since most guides online are US-focused and miss some stuff that matters here.

House type determines your whole approach:

Brick veneer: drill into mortar joints, not the brick face.
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Double brick / weatherboard: no internal cavity. External conduit the entire run — 20-25mm rigid UV-rated PVC, IP66 glands, silicone every wall entry.

Two-storey: ground-floor cameras always go external regardless of construction.
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AU-specific gotchas:

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Possums will chew raw Cat6 in the roof within weeks. Use rigid conduit or HDPE, steel mesh at entry points.

Roof cavity hits 50°C+ by 11am in summer. Do roof work early morning only.

CCA cable fails faster here — heat cycles + higher resistance. Solid copper Cat6 only.

Always drip loops. Storm season will push water straight into the pigtail.

Concealed runs technically fall under AS/CA S009:2020 — not enforced for private residential, but relevant for insurance.

Cable tester before the camera goes up. Re-terminating on the wall is miserable.

I wrote a longer version on our site if anyone wants to see the actual cable runs through an AU roof cavity.

What house type are you working with?

Happy to discuss any specific questions about PoE camera installs below!
 
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Valiant said:
A pretty fair write up, all except 3.H drip loop, No way i'd accept that install!
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Yeah agree, drip loop on its own won't hold up in a proper southerly buster — needs a sealed IP67 box or self-amalgamating tape over the joint to do the job properly. Still a handy tip for the DIY crowd though, costs nothing to chuck in an extra bend as a backup.
 
Any pictures of this UV-rated PVC external conduit you installed or mention often..."For ALL external runs; use grey/black UV-rated" and (Scenario C:).... "Framing is fully enclosed. All cable runs must be external conduit."

How are you able to pull CAT cable out of a box, not off a reel, by yourself and not get twists and kinks....that would be a trick I'm interested in knowing.
 
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