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cable and splitters - Time Warner says I can't watch TV and surf at the same time

G

glen

Lifer
I subscribe to both cable TV and internet access form the same company.
There is a dedicated line in my computer room for the internet.
I have a TV tuner card in my PC.
I put a splitter on the line so I could run one to the TV Tuner card, and one to the modem.
The cable guy told me the signal is fine before the splitter, but right on the border of being too weak, so after the splitter sometimes during the day, I can't connect to the internet.

DO I really need to pay Time Warner more money so they can run another dedicated line into the room, so that I will have one for the PC and one for the tuner card inside the PC? Why does the splitter degrade the signal so much? Why would it make any difference if TimeWarner installed the splitter on the side of my house and ran it inside rather than the way I have it with the splitter next to my computer?
 
That does not sound right. I have split a couple of lines like that before, without losing internet connectivity. There are better quality splitters that will minimize the loss incurred. Hopefully someone will come along with a link for you, I do not know where to get them except at a local electronics store (not radio shack).
 
The cable put a new splitter one that he said was a better quality.
How? copper is copper, right?
The problem is durrign the day; in the evening and at night, I can use the splitter, but in the day i need to plug directly into my cable modem.
 
The splitter itself isn't making the signal bad on its own. If the signal strength is low before the splitter, then each branch off the splitter is going to be even worse. Could be lots of things causing the signal strength to be lower during the day: heat on the cable equipment around town, work being done during the day, et cetera. There's simply a physical limit to how many times you can split a cable feed without degrading the signal too much.

Whether it can be fixed depends on exactly what sort of wiring you have. The cable comes in on one coax cable from outside, into the building. Does it get split off immediately to go to a TV room and then off to another splitter which then carries it to your room where you have another splitter on it? Is it going over a hundred feet of coax to get there?

You don't HAVE to have them run a new line for you, you can do it yourself. They're just going to split it off the originating cable where it comes into the house anyway, not run an entirely separate line outside.

As for "copper is copper", tell that to all the people who buy Monster Cable products. 🙂
 
Splitter, coax F terminators (plugs) and the coaxial cable itself all have different properties.

The cable company actually probably uses pretty good quality splitters/ends and cable. Its in their best interest to do so as it keeps you from calling in problems.

Did the tech measure signal strength and noise? If so he should be able to tell you what to do or how to fix it. Ideally you would have all your coax cable going to a single splitter and no others.
 
Could a cable signal booster help out here? I know that the cable modem uses different frequencies than standard TV cable but if you got a signal booster that did 10dB and ran that on the modem's line post-splitter it might work? 🙂

I have Time Warner cable and have put a splitter on the cable modem's dedicated line. A really old Radio shack one that I have caused the modem to not get a good signal. A new Radio Shack or Fry's one works just fine.

Gaidin
 
I would probably get a cable amplifier. I currently use one from RadioShack, but there are many out there. Many company make them and some even "MARKET" them for cable modems. I had a cable tech from cox come to my house and install my cable modem and cable tv. They said they had to since I was a new customer.

I already had a cable signal amplifier and he recommended I use it after he tested my lines. Never had any problems and I have 6 Tv's and a cable modem. If you have several jacks like me this could help. Also try a better splitter, I use the 15 dollarish one from radio shack, not the cheapest one.
 
Originally posted by: Chucko
I would probably get a cable amplifier. I currently use one from RadioShack, but there are many out there. Many company make them and some even "MARKET" them for cable modems. I had a cable tech from cox come to my house and install my cable modem and cable tv. They said they had to since I was a new customer.

I already had a cable signal amplifier and he recommended I use it after he tested my lines. Never had any problems and I have 6 Tv's and a cable modem. If you have several jacks like me this could help. Also try a better splitter, I use the 15 dollarish one from radio shack, not the cheapest one.
Click to expand...

Everytime I come into a cable modem thread, I always say this: Don't use F'ing Radio Shack splitters, fittings or especially amps!!!

<-- more than competant service tech for Cox. 😛 Not one of the lazy ones. hehe
 
The other problem with the amp is putting it in the right spot. If you put it where the signal is already weak (like at your computer), all you've done is made a "louder" crappy signal...it (usually) doesn't help. The (bidirectional) amps you see at Rat Shack are not rated for outdoor use.

If you use an amp, you have to put it at the entrance; amplify the signal BEFORE it dives down towards the noise floor. The other thing to expect is when you have a "cable problem," it will be (whether it is or not) because of your amp ... because it's yours, not theirs. They may even make you take it off (because it's your, not theirs) or maybe even cut it off and (if you're lucky) leave it on your door step.

Normally, there is enough headroom on the cable company's distribution amp that they can kick in a little more gain (gonna cost you a service call), perhaps, due to whatever circumstances, they don't have anymore gian to kick in.... so you're SOL.

Your other option is to put the Cable Modem closer to the entrance (stronger / better signal) and feed your computer via UTP (i.e., CAT5) from that location, then use the existing coax cable (minus splits) to your tuner card.

IMHO, you're hosed.

FWIW

Scott
 
Cable signal amplifers works, have one at home to feed the 4 TV's with cable and 4 computers with Cable internet, splitting from one line coming in
 
Originally posted by: Praetor
Originally posted by: Chucko
I would probably get a cable amplifier. I currently use one from RadioShack, but there are many out there. Many company make them and some even "MARKET" them for cable modems. I had a cable tech from cox come to my house and install my cable modem and cable tv. They said they had to since I was a new customer.

I already had a cable signal amplifier and he recommended I use it after he tested my lines. Never had any problems and I have 6 Tv's and a cable modem. If you have several jacks like me this could help. Also try a better splitter, I use the 15 dollarish one from radio shack, not the cheapest one.
Click to expand...

Everytime I come into a cable modem thread, I always say this: Don't use F'ing Radio Shack splitters, fittings or especially amps!!!

<-- more than competant service tech for Cox. 😛 Not one of the lazy ones. hehe
Click to expand...

Ive used a Radio Shack splitter before and man did it suck....I went and got another one (non radio shack) and it worked great. Also I have a Radio Shack amp ....but it has worked fine though. It does exactly what I wanted it to do....take the snow out of the cable tv signal.
 
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