Reddit mentions of 33' Electric Fiberglass Wire Pull Rods Fish Tape

If you are looking to do this yourself you need a combination of the following:

• Drywall knife (Something like Stanley 20-556 6-Inch FatMax Jab Saw https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005QVQH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kw7Ezb2HJYX5K)
  
  
• Cordless Drill (Even a regular corded drill will work)
  
  
• Flexbit for drilling through studs if needed (Something like Eagle Tool US EA37518 Auger Style Flex Installer Bit for Wood, 3/16" Shank Diameter, 3/8" Head Diameter x 18" Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTFTORA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5x7Ezb81XWXP0)
  
  
• Glowrods (Something like 33' Electric Fiberglass Wire Pull Rods Fish Tape https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LW4CFG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pz7Ezb7YCC3GD)
  
  
• Stud finder if you don't know how to knock on the wall to find the studs
  
  
• Wire pass through vanity plates (
  DataComm 45-0001-WH 1-Gang Recessed Low Voltage Cable Plate (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00193U3O0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VF7EzbAP6DKCZ)
  
  
• Tension bracket for drywall so you can mount the plates (Low Voltage Bracket Single Gang https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZWJGGE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PH7EzbM4KHX9H)
  
  
  If you are just going to mount the monitors right in front of your desk and don't need to go sideways like OP then you can just cut the drywall where you are going to mount the monitors and then go down to where your exit point will be and cut there and drop your wires through.
  
  If you need to do some fancy stuff - Ideally you would want to see if where all your studs were, measure the distance you'll need to bore through studs and then get glow rods and flex bits with sufficient length to do the job. Also your flex bit will need to be a big enough diameter to fit your cables through. Flex bits are super easy to work with.
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  

Buy some glow rods:
33' Electric Fiberglass Wire Pull Rods Fish Tape https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LW4CFG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tGuhAb26GG3VD

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fiberglass-Wire-Pull-Rods/dp/B005LW4CFG

or

https://www.amazon.com/Fish-Impact-Electric-Communication-Puller/dp/B0025Z81BS

I didn't see anyone else mention them, but since this is low voltage, you don't even need a box at all. You can use nothing more than a mud ring, many of which will secure just through the drywall itself. Personally I prefer the metal versions, but they're not as widely available in single units. Why hassle with a box at all when you don't need one?

You also may want to look at the "fish sticks" which are flexible rods. I like the ones with 18" sections, myself. Start at the bottom and you have more control than a tape in most cases. Home Depot has versions of these as well, OP.

Note that the rods aren't a complete replacement for a tape. They're simply a different tool that sometimes does the job better in certain situations.

> fishsticks

Are you referring to these?

Sorry not familiar with the term.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LW4CFG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

"Fishing tape" is more like a hard, but flexible wire that is used for fishing. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Fish-Tape-Reel-Communication/dp/B01BGZ9TM2/ref=zg_bs_6396129011_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E8KQSF2EQ0B0MFT14W9F

"Fishing pole/rod" is more like a hard, semi-flexible fiberglass rod. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fiberglass-Wire-Pull-Rods/dp/B005LW4CFG/ref=zg_bs_6396129011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E8KQSF2EQ0B0MFT14W9F

Sometimes you want one or the other.

My house was all Cat 3 6 home runs to the exterior. I replaced it all with solid core Cat 6 and added two runs for wireless access points in the ceiling. It was a PITA. I home ran the new stuff to a network enclosure box I added.

Cat 3 is junk I've seen it send 100Mb or more inside a house but if you ever have to troubleshoot issues your wires will always be the unknown.

As others have said you can never plan on just pulling new cat 6 behind the cat 3 it works like 10% of the time thanks to staples. So if you accept that you are cutting drywall and learning to fix those numerous holes then it's a much more realistic job. Basically everytime I got a snag I got the drywall saw out. Transitioning floors can be tricky but not impossible again cut the drywall.

Here are the best tools for the job. Flexibile long drill bit was a major cheat once I started using it. Fishing tape is a waste of the time except for conduit in my opinion use the fiberglass sticks I linked below.

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Tool-EA56254-Installer-16-Inch/dp/B00DNEEYFW/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=drill+extension+wire&qid=1564611470&s=gateway&sr=8-7

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LW4CFG/ref=psdc_6396129011_t3_B07F2LWVDV

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-15-556-Jab-Cushion-Grip/dp/B00002X21W/ref=sr_1_4?crid=12ICHMNHKXEGF&keywords=drywall+saw&qid=1564611505&s=gateway&sprefix=drywall+saw%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4

This. Fish tape will be a pain because it will get caught on every wood lath. If you can tie to an existing cable line do it. If not I would get rods like these.

http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fiberglass-Wire-Pull-Rods/dp/B005LW4CFG

If its an interior wall it may not have insulation. Then you can tie a heavy nut to a string and lower it down.

It's an art- it's helpful if you're familiar with how a building of that era and type is constructed. You can start at the top and drop down, or start at the bottom and push up with a fiberglass fishing rod, or drop a pull-string or fishing tape and pull the Ethernet up, or some combination therof.

Given my house, I'll probably try to drop a string down from the attic and pull ethernet up. If I get lucky I can use the same string to pull from the basement to the first floor livingroom too.

I'm lucky, there's a basement under the first floor and an attic above the second. For people on a slab or 3-story builds there's often little choice other than to go on-wall or do some significant drywall cutting.

I once had to notch drywall and right-angle drill studs for a 30ft length of wall because the client needed drops all along the space and it had to be in-wall. Slab construction and an open ceiling = nowhere to go. Drywall guy bought me a case of beer :D

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fiberglass-Wire-Pull-Rods/dp/B005LW4CFG

If it is a non load bearing interior wall it is very possible there is no stud. Code was very different when that house was built. Studs will not always be 16 inches on center. At the same time, stud finders rarely work on plaster and lath walls.

Do this. Go to where you want the center of the TV mount to be. Drill 2, 1/4 inch holes or so into the wall at as steep of an angle as you can (60 degrees or so) and drill them in opposite directions. Then, get some wire fish fiberglass rods, and stick them in the wall going in both directions and see if you hit something. Click these links below

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-16-inch-x-33-ft-fiberglass-wire-running-kit-65326.html

http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fiberglass-Wire-Pull-Rods/dp/B005LW4CFG

If you can slide the rods in and go in say 13 inches and you hit something, chances are that is your stud. From there mark the rod, pull it out, and then hold the rod flush against the wall and mark your stud. From there, get an 1/8 inch drill bit and drill a series of holes of where you think the stud is. And you can usually map it out that way.

I used to work for a high end AV/HIFI company and installed countless flat screens. That is how I always did it.