Any cable guys in the house?

[JeepFreak21]

I'm rewiring the cable tv outlets in my house and have a few questions. I'm trying to get everything rewired BEFORE turning the cable tv service on, so asking the cable company will probably be a waste of time.

At the green box/dome outside my house, there are 4 "ports". One runs directly to my cable modem. I was told splitters are a no-no on that line and that they'll kill my internet signal. So, are the other 3 "ports" for me to use for the tv's? Do I just run 3 lines to that box and let the cable company hook them up when I subscribe? Do I run 1 line to the box and use splitters to go to my 3 tv's?

Thanks to anyone that could shed some light,
Billy

 

[xjkid99]

Im not a cable guy(thank god) but i deal with this stuff at work. In most cases the cable company will only run one line from the street to your house. And you are right in saying that you shouldnt use a splitter. What you need is called a tap. It strips the appropriate bandwith off the cable and sends the remainder to the rest of your house. After the pedestal(where the cable company hooks up) the tap should be the next thing in line(the cable company usually supplies these). Then after that, one line from the tap to your modem and one line to your splitter to the rest of the house. Hope this helps.

 

[red91]

call this guy

 

[Ivan]

My setup has a splitter from the cable feed...one lead goes the cable modem, the other to a TV. Even before that, there's yet another splitter that feeds yet another TV. Everything works fine...the cable guy even check my signal strength at my cable modem and I have a strong signal...

Just make sure you have the splitter connected correctly, ie source and load...

Ivan

 

[RichP]

If you get your own cablemodem, like a motorola surfboard, it has a web interface that will show you the signal strength. If you have weak TV signals and only plan on staying analog service then consider getting an amplifier, it's a plug in box with one input and 4, 6, 8 ouputs depending on the size you buy, it will boost the signal to the tv's some. The cable modem though should be the first device on the coax as it comes into the house, you can split from there but you want the strongest signal to be feeding that modem.

 

[hunna]

if you can i'd run separate wires to every room. i just got comcast's broadband and my house is on splitters, when i use my internet to download big files it messes up my tv's.
i just used at signal amplifier to fix it but some channels still fuzz up.

 

[JeepFreak21]

Awesome. Thanks guys.
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

call this guy

I'm shocked this wasn't followed by a "OOOOOooooh Billy!!" joke!! :laugh3:
Billy

 

[Rev Den]

The mis-information is strong in this thread.

Bill...Run a liner from each outlet to a central point, usually near the incoming cable line. let you cable co. handles the splitters or any amps. Installing or incorrect fittings, splitters, directional couplers, or amplifiers can affect you reception and you internet. Fittings better be proper sized crimp-on connectors, crimped with the proper tool. watch your bend radius on the cable, no tighter than 10X the diameter, thats about 3" min.

Want more info...PM me.

Rev
20 year cable guy.

 

[olivedrabcj7]

Git-r-dun!!!!

 

[Kejtar]

Bill...Run a liner from each outlet to a central point, usually near the incoming cable line. let you cable co. handles the splitters or any amps. Installing or incorrect fittings, splitters, directional couplers, or amplifiers can affect you reception and you internet. Fittings better be proper sized crimp-on connectors, crimped with the proper tool. watch your bend radius on the cable, no tighter than 10X the diameter, thats about 3" min.

Yup, what he said.

20 year cable guy.

OK, now that explains a LOT Of things!

 

[RichP]

Well, when I do a whole house or business I cable back to a closet, the coax goes into a patch panel that has f connectors on the back for the cable itself and bnc in the front, those that are going to be used for video get put into either a switch or go to amplifires for a signal boost provided it's all analog. The switch gets cable input, direct tv sat and or dish plus any others the customer wants, they may have a couple or dozen vcr's or dvd players. The 'F to BNC adapters' make life a bit easier if a patch cables need to be moved or realigned. I also put 'F to BNC' adapters on the coax connections at the wall and the tv for quicker disconnects for the big rolling tv's that move around from conference room to conference room.
The biggie with cable modems is they have to be the first device directly off the incoming cable. I normally use a Kaigon DS3G-B 5-1000mhg digital splitter, take the cable modem of the first 6.0db ouput to the cable modem and use the other one or two to supply an analog amplifer or go direclty into a digital settop box. I don't like using passive splitters with more then 3 outputs.

 

[xjcrawlr]

RichP, Revden, and Kejtar are right. Run seperate lines for each outlet to a central point, like a closet, or even your garage. Do not terminate any of the lines unless you have the proper stipper and crimp tool for the size coax you used. For a cable signal to work properly the DB loss is the most important factor. This loss is calculated by size of coax, length of coax, number and type of splitters, and strength of source.

So, what kind of coax did you use? RG-11, Rg-58, RG-59? What are your building codes? Does the cable have to be Plenum rated? How many outlets do you plan to have? Might as well add some Cat 5 or Cat 6 wire while your at it.

Heres a link to site that sells distribution panels for telephone and cable;
http://www.futurehomesystems.com/w242.shtml

Something similar to that is what you need to do the installation RIGHT.

 

[Kejtar]

Do not terminate any of the lines unless you have the proper stipper and crimp tool for the size coax you used.

So does the proper stripper hand you the tools or what?
Actually you don't need a stripping tool you can do that with a knife

Lastly if you split the cable on a splitter and don't use a particular outlet, you can cap it off with a terminating resistor (about $1.50 for a pair at radio shack and it looks like a plug that screws on the female coax connector)

 

[JeepFreak21]

OK, how does this look?

Before I made any changes (no splitters):

.
.
.
After only rerouting the wire (1 less coupler, no splitters):

.
.
.
After installing 1 splitter before the cable modem:

Thanks,
Billy

 

[Rev Den]

Fine

 

[JeepFreak21]

Fine

 

[xjcrawlr]

:twak:

Actually you don't need a stripping tool you can do that with a knife

:twak:



So let me guess, you can fix anything with a hammer, a cresent wrent, and a screwdriver. :gag:

Different connectors require different methods of stripping the sheath, wire braid, and dielectic. If you know how to do that with a knife and get all the measurements right, then I've got to shake your hand. I've been a telecommunications Tech for 10 years and the best thing I know is to use the right tool for the job.

 

[RichP]

Actually I get a kick out of walking in with a ultra small leatherman tool that microsoft gave us for a road show build out. I've used that little guy for more stuff.....and the led flash light makes a nifty light source when I'm polishing a fiber connector.... :laugh3:

 

[Rev Den]

In the old days, you could use a knife, when the limit was 450MHz. In the 1GHz world now with digital and telephony, the knife days are over, use the proper tool.

Rev