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I am going to run conduits for Ethernet from the walls of my 1-story house to the basement below. How do I measure and cut in a straight line such that the hole I open in the wall lines up with the hole I open up in the floor below?

Mystagogue
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Usual practice is to find the studs, cut a hole the size of your box or low voltage ring, have a look through the hole with a light and a mirror (or a cell phone camera and flash, or borescope camera - looking for things to avoid when drilling) and drill down into the basement from there.

If trying to work from both ends, you need to measure with care from landmarks you can positively locate on both sides of the floor. Which is easier said than done, unless there's something already passing through the bottom plate of the stud bay you are in.

Ecnerwal
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You use a flex auger bit, available in various lengths up to about 6'. Cut a hole in the wall where your LV box will be and drill down through the bottom plate (and maybe top plate of the floor below if there is one).

Huesmann
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You use a long, thin (say 1/8 or 1/16) drill bit. Then once you are sure both ends are where you want them, you use the small holes as the center of your new larger holes.

Cheery
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You don't (just) measure or cut both holes at once, you listen for someone rapping on the end of the 4' long drill bit on the 1st fl, that the business end is now somewhere behind the basement wall. Which means you need another guy.

Mazura
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  • Going up is no fun, but that's only necessary if the location in the basement is more important than the 1st fl, which would be unusual. – Mazura Sep 30 '23 at 10:58