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Cable TV problem

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swaterhouse

Electrical
Mar 30, 2010
4
OK, it's been a few years since I did RF work, but I have a question for you experts. Comcast is proposing to rewire all 6 tv's in my house because they say a problem in that wiring is causing the internet modem to periodically reset. Both come in on one cable and split. The cable half goes directly to the modem and the tv half goes to a comcast supplied amplifier then to a 6:1 comcast supplied splitter. Could an imbalance on the downstream side of the 6:1 splitter cause a problem on the upstream side of the amplifier and reset the modem? Sound fishy to me!

Your thoughts?

Steve Waterhouse
 
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I replied to the exact same question earlier... did you post this under a new name?

Dan - Owner
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No Dan,

this is my first time on this forum. Where is the response?

Steve
 
If it's an active splitter probably not. If it's a passive splitter yes.

But why don't you just call the provider? They generally come right out and plug their network analyzers in.

Keith Cress
kcress -
 
Dan isn't delusional. I replied to the same thread too. The gist of my reply was that it isn't the wiring. The low level techs always blame the wiring.
 
Keith,

I did have them come out and the first guy said that 5 of my 6 tv cables were bad. The next guy, who came to replace them (for $400) said that since they were only 5 year old and were the same type that comcast uses, the he doubted they were the problem. Then the first Comcast guy came back and said that the installer was a contractor and did not know what he was talking about.

The splitter is passive, but the amplifier is certainly active and I assume that it would buffer out any problems on the tv lines.

Like Dan and Noway2, I think he ran out of ideas and is blaming the wires.

Steve
 
Ok sounds like the usual CC fun.

But besides all that, I suspect nothing happening Down Cable would have anything to do with the modem rebooting. That is just a clapped-out modem or you have some sort of electrical disturbance that is crashing the processor. Nothing to do with the splitter. Look in that direction.

Keith Cress
kcress -
 
I had a cable / voip modem that kept dropping out. The tech-wannabies kept replacing the line running between the house and the junction box. Finally after about the 4th time that they had to send someone out, a higher grade tech came out and recognized the problem right away. The modem had a battery in it that was supposed to keep it alive during short power fails. Apparently there was a known issue with these, but it was only known to the higher level techs.

Before spending any money on the wiring, have them ring it out with a TDR or other T-line analyzer. I am certain that somewhere in the company they have one.

 
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