What are the cables called that are used for comcast cable/internet?

[PoPPeR]

Need to buy some extenders and a splitter, are they coaxial cables? Would radioshack be the best place to purchase these things, or would there be a cheaper place

 

[Anubis]

you mean like teh normal cable ones? yes they are coax

 

[PoPPeR]

thx

 

[aircooled]

Yep. Standard coax up to the cable modem.

 

[ActuaryTm]

Typically RG-6 coaxial cable is used.

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: ActuaryTm
Typically RG-6 coaxial cable is used.

either that or RG6 quad shield (double sheilded RG6). DO NOT use rg59 for cable modem.

 

[mobobuff]

You can get coax cable of varying lengths pretty cheap at pretty much any large supermarket store (K-Mart, Meijers, Target, Walmart, etc.) They carry splitters too.

Too bad you can't take some off my hands, I'm up to my ears in coax and coax splitters (I used to prep people's houses for cable internet and cable TV, and I accumulated a whole crap load of this stuff).

 

[psiu]

Make sure you get 5-1000 Mhz splitters, though.

 

[psiu]

In fact, I will post some pics I think of proper cable fitting craftsmanship....will have links in a few minutes.

Edit:

Not a good splitter: Cheap Splitter

Good splitter: Good splitter

Quad shield RG-6 coax: Cable

Tools of the trade: Strippers-cost $10 at Home Depot, Crimpers

After spinning the strippers around: Kinda blurry

After removing the stripped cable stuff: Not so blurry

Brush the hair back: Bad hair day

Make sure the dielectric is flush with the base of the fitting. Here's two bad pictures demonstrating this: first one, second one.

Crimp the sucker. My crimpers (fittings/F-connectors) are different than the standard "hex" crimpers/fittings you will usually see, but just do a nice, firm crimp with those and you should be okay.

Crimping in action: Ooooooh, squeezing

Finally, make sure the stinger is about a nickel's width in length. Too short, and it might not make enough contact, too long will damage the port it's plugged into and leave it susceptible to ingress.

Picture of finished cable end: Ta-da!

 

[psiu]

Oh, and cable is like a lot of other things, like power supplies: cheaper is not necessarily better.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: psiu
Oh, and cable is like a lot of other things, like power supplies: cheaper is not necessarily better.

Monster Cable is not necessarily better either.

 

[psiu]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: psiu
Oh, and cable is like a lot of other things, like power supplies: cheaper is not necessarily better.

Monster Cable is not necessarily better either.

Definitely true. Super expensive just for a logo is definitely not better.

To the OP: Just find a cable guy and accost him for some cable cut to length and a splitter. Give him a fiver for his time.

Or a :beer:, they usually like those too.

 

[PoPPeR]

find a cable guy... I take it I can't just call up Comcast and hope the technician they send accepts beer? Yellow pages?

 

[PoPPeR]

omg ok that looks too complicated for my handyman challenged self

 

[WannaFly]

Holy blurry pics batman!

 

[Colt45]

RG-6 with type F connectors, bitch!

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR
find a cable guy... I take it I can't just call up Comcast and hope the technician they send accepts beer? Yellow pages?

not necessarily...if you call up comcast and complain that the picture quality is bad, they'll send someone out to fix the problem. I did it last year, the guy was pretty cool so I gave him a ten for his time and the extra materials he gave me (cable + ends + Regal splitters).

 

[Praetor]

Originally posted by: psiu
In fact, I will post some pics I think of proper cable fitting craftsmanship....will have links in a few minutes.

Edit:

Not a good splitter: Cheap Splitter

Good splitter: Good splitter

Quad shield RG-6 coax: Cable

Tools of the trade: Strippers-cost $10 at Home Depot, Crimpers

After spinning the strippers around: Kinda blurry

After removing the stripped cable stuff: Not so blurry

Brush the hair back: Bad hair day

Make sure the dielectric is flush with the base of the fitting. Here's two bad pictures demonstrating this: first one, second one.

Crimp the sucker. My crimpers (fittings/F-connectors) are different than the standard "hex" crimpers/fittings you will usually see, but just do a nice, firm crimp with those and you should be okay.

Crimping in action: Ooooooh, squeezing

Finally, make sure the stinger is about a nickel's width in length. Too short, and it might not make enough contact, too long will damage the port it's plugged into and leave it susceptible to ingress.

Picture of finished cable end: Ta-da!

Looks like your fittings are a wee bit sucked out. And I hate those crimpers to no end. Crap, I'd have to go grab my tools to see who actually makes the ones we use, but when we were testing out the various compressors (?), I liked this one the best and kept using it.

PPC fittings though, from the looks of it.

Anyway. I've been at work too long.

 

[TechnoKid]

I hate those connectors. The SNS ones from Thomas & Betts are MUCH better, imo. I have never had problmes with moisture and the center conductor using thomas and betts SNS connectors, but with those ones you show, I have had to replace many ends and strip back quite a bit of cable to expose non corroded copper. I think that the ones you show do not produce a good enough compression around the coax sheath and allows moisture to creep in.

I don't install cable for a living, however, i was tired of getting crappy siganl and decided one day to order stuff, and put on better connector ends in all the cable in my house.

I use a compression tool, though i only paid about $35 for mine, and thomas & betts SNS connectors; which can be had relativlely cheap off of ebay.


edit: oh, and its all 'bout rg11 coax baby RG11

 

[Praetor]

Originally posted by: TechnoKid
I hate those connectors. The SNS ones from Thomas & Betts are MUCH better, imo. I have never had problmes with moisture and the center conductor using thomas and betts SNS connectors, but with those ones you show, I have had to replace many ends and strip back quite a bit of cable to expose non corroded copper. I think that the ones you show do not produce a good enough compression around the coax sheath and allows moisture to creep in.

I don't install cable for a living, however, i was tired of getting crappy siganl and decided one day to order stuff, and put on better connector ends in all the cable in my house.

I use a compression tool, though i only paid about $35 for mine, and thomas & betts SNS connectors; which can be had relativlely cheap off of ebay.


edit: oh, and its all 'bout rg11 coax baby RG11

lol I'd love to see you try to wire a house with 11.

Scary thought, I actually ran into someone who DID wire their house with 11. I wished him good luck in trying to get the wallplates to stay flush against the wall.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR
find a cable guy... I take it I can't just call up Comcast and hope the technician they send accepts beer? Yellow pages?

Best bet. The cable guys are usually contractors and the supplies are supplied by the cable company.