Quick answer: In-wall coaxial cable is ordinary 75 ohm RG6 with a jacket rated for the space it runs through, which in North America means a CL2 or CL3 marking and in Europe means compliance with local wiring rules. Pull solid-copper centre conductor cable rather than copper-clad steel, keep the bend radius at ten times the diameter, never staple through the dielectric, and run a separate cable to each outlet instead of looping from room to room. Length matters less than connector quality below 30 m.
Cable buried in a wall is expensive to change, so the decisions that matter are made before the plasterboard goes up: how many runs, which grade, and whether the route keeps the cable away from mains and sharp edges. After that, the installation either passes signal cleanly for twenty years or produces an intermittent fault that nobody can find.
Choosing the cable
Jacket rating comes first
A cable in a wall or ceiling void is subject to fire and building regulations. In North America, look for CL2 or CL3 on the jacket; in Europe, the relevant reaction-to-fire class is printed as a code. An indoor patch cable with a thin PVC jacket is not compliant in a wall, and an inspector may require it to be removed.
Conductor and shield
Solid copper centre conductor has the lowest loss and does not corrode at the connector. Copper-clad steel is stronger for aerial spans and acceptable for short in-wall runs, but it adds resistance at low frequencies, which matters if the same cable powers an amplifier. Foil plus braid shielding is worth the small extra cost in a wall, because the cable cannot be replaced if ingress appears later.
Routing rules that actually matter
| Rule | Value | Reason |
|---|
| Bend radius | 10 x diameter, about 68 mm | Tighter bends deform the dielectric |
| Distance from mains | At least 50 mm | Reduces induced hum on the shield |
| Staples | Insulated saddles only | A crushed dielectric reflects signal |
| Runs per outlet | One, home run to a splitter | Daisy chaining adds loss and reflections |
| Service loop | 300 mm behind each plate | Allows re-termination |
What to plan for
Television, satellite and MoCA
Terrestrial and satellite distribution both want home-run RG6 to a central point where the splitter lives. MoCA, which carries ethernet over coax, needs the same star layout plus a point-of-entry filter for some installations. If you think a room may need MoCA later, pulling a second coax to that room costs almost nothing during the build.
Power passing
Splitters and wall plates that pass DC are needed when the same cable powers a masthead amplifier or a satellite LNB. A power-passing splitter on one leg only is normal; putting power through every leg can overload the supply. Check the plate too, because a cheap F-to-F plate may not pass DC even when the splitter does.
Terminating in the wall
Use compression F connectors at the plate and at the central splitter, and torque them by hand plus a quarter turn rather than with pliers. Leave the cable jacket inside the connector body so the shield is captured by the compression ring, not folded back over the jacket. Fit a proper wall plate with an F barrel rather than pulling the cable through a bare hole, which looks unfinished and lets dust and draughts through.
Where the cable is likely to be moved, such as behind a television that swings out, protect it with a short flexible tail and a service loop. For the distribution end, the 75 ohm RG6 coax reference covers the cable specification, the coaxial connectors and adapters page covers fittings, and the RG6 cables overview covers shield and jacket options.
Permits, inspection and fire stopping
Concealed cabling is inspected in most jurisdictions, and the points that fail are fire stopping and support. Where a cable passes through a fire-rated wall, the hole must be sealed with an approved compound or a fire-rated grommet, not left open or filled with expanding foam meant for windows. Support the cable at least every 300 mm horizontally and keep it off ceiling tiles. Keep a simple drawing of the runs with the distances, because the next owner will need it and an inspector may ask for it.
Practical scenarios
- Renovation with six rooms: pull two RG6 to the main television position and one to each other room, all home run to a central point in the loft or utility cupboard.
- Satellite with a communal dish: confirm the multiswitch output is powered and that each run is continuous, because a mid-run splitter will break the LNB control signals.
- Loft conversion: use a CL3-rated jacket if the cable passes through a ceiling void, and keep it away from downlight transformers.
- Adding MoCA later: label the coax runs at the central point by room, so a MoCA adapter can be patched without tracing cables through the house.
FAQ
Can I use indoor coax inside a wall?
Only if the jacket is rated for it. A standard patch cable jacket does not meet fire requirements for concealed spaces and may also be too thin to survive abrasion against studs and noggins. Look for a CL2 or CL3 marking or the local equivalent.
How long can an in-wall coax run be?
For television distribution, 30 to 50 m is normally fine because the signal budget allows several dB of loss. Satellite and MoCA are more sensitive, so keep runs under 30 m where possible and count every splitter in the budget rather than only the cable.
Can I join two coax cables inside a wall?
Avoid it. A barrel connector in a wall is inaccessible, adds loss and is a common point of ingress. If a joint is unavoidable, use a proper F barrel inside a service box with an accessible cover, and never a twist-on connector taped up.
