I agree Skip - sometimes there is no choice, and like you say the cable and telcos do it. Do it neat and properly strapped from the outset, and it wont look bad. Probably just me that notices it, I've had customers in seven figure homes with what looks like two dollar installs not really care about the asthetics of exterior cable installs. Around here, the phone looks better than the cable (mostly older homes). I wish I had taken pics of the way the cable was originally installed here at the house, it was pretty bad.

Jack

The question is more important than the answer.