Outside plant - prewire customer demarc preference

Fri Dec 1 01:55:36 UTC 2023

> On Nov 30, 2023, at 16:50, Brandon Martin <lists.nanog at monmotha.net> wrote:
> 
> On 11/28/23 12:43, Owen DeLong wrote:
>> I’ve never used ENT (never even seen that name, TBH). 1” EMT is readily available at Home Depot and Lowes out here as well as several reputable supply houses.
> ...
>> Interesting… ENT is apparently plastic and has interesting snap fittings. Until this email, I’ve never even looked into it. Used plenty of the “ENT” boxes, but always just called them PVC (since that’s what the ENT stuff is apparently made of). EMT is way more common out here than ENT, and even where plastic is used, most seem to use straight electrical PVC (grey stuff usually) instead of of the ENT brand stuff.
> 
> It really comes down to if the path is straight or complicated.
> 
> If it's just poking straight through a wall to something adjacent on the inside or nearby, rigid pipe works fine, is easy enough to work with, and is readily available.
> 
> However if the external "demarc area" and inside "media aggregation area" aren't nearby or are separated by a convoluted path once running inside walls and ceilings is taken into account, flexible conduit is obviously easier, and ENT is a readily available option most electricians are going to be familiar with for that.  It's literally where the term "smurf tube" came from AFAIK.  It's not itself a brand-specific thing (indeed multiple manufacturers make it) and is just yet another type of raceway defined by NEC, but the blue Carlon stuff is well known.

Interesting… I’ve always thought of that super-thin flimsy corrugated plastic cut side tubing (similar to this): https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Panduit/CLT50F-C3?qs=gyp5g9lXdE5smA3BAFqGhA%3D%3D&mgh=1&gad_source=1 which (originally) came in a very bright blue and later black, orange, and many other colors.

However, apparently ENT was a predecessor to that, I just hadn’t encountered it until now. I don’t recall even seeing it in the aisles at local HDs. I’ll have to look for it.

For the most part out here, if it’s going behind sheetrock, contractors/electricians just run Romex or whatever in bare stud holes without any form of conduit.

Owen

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