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Who makes the best coax splitters

alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
I am getting ready to re-home run my house...comcast simply spiced RG-6 to the RG-59 at the eave of the roof. I think this 15-25' run of RG-59 is why certain stations are just black.

I currently have a two way splitter going directly to the cable modem and coax splitter for the rooms. Originally he had an 8-way that was a POS, I had to add the 2 way due to the modem not getting good signal...the comcast dude put a cheapy one up there. I don't need two runs in my family room any more, I could lose the living room run and one of the bedrooms really if it would make a huge difference but I am only dealing in cable runs of about 25-30' to each room from the line from the pole.

I would like to have my family, living and 3 bedrooms wired (the living room may never get used so if there is a really nice 4-way over an 'ok' 5 way I'd rather go that route.

I have heard best practice was to split the cable directly to the modem and use the other leg for any additional splitters...if I can get by better with just one 5 way, that would be great.

All the other coax should be RG-6 according to comcast. my modem run definitely is. I plan to replace any RG-59 with RG-6.

Who makes the best coax splitters and how would you guys set this up?

Summary: 1 modem and 5 TV outputs (4 TV outputs if going to 5 puts me in another 'loss' level).

Thanks!

Å
 
I would get a powered splitter. It will have one input and as many outputs as you are willing to pay for. Signal degradation wreaks havoc on cable modems. We used to have our internet go out all the time until we got a powered splitter.

 
Originally posted by: Leros
I would get a powered splitter. It will have one input and as many outputs as you are willing to pay for. Signal degradation wreaks havoc on cable modems. We used to have our internet go out all the time until we got a powered splitter.
Click to expand...

Active splitters are definitely the way to go.
 
Originally posted by: MrPickins
Originally posted by: Leros
I would get a powered splitter. It will have one input and as many outputs as you are willing to pay for. Signal degradation wreaks havoc on cable modems. We used to have our internet go out all the time until we got a powered splitter.
Click to expand...

Active splitters are definitely the way to go.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure on the prices, but at least get a 3-4 port active splitter. Give the modem its own line. You can get 2 way splitters for the tvs and get away with it.
 
You need a active splitter for that many...

Signal degradation is a bitch!
 
I would go with a 3 way splitter and a 4 way splitter. If you are rerunning your cable lines with RG-6, that *should* help also.

A 3 way will have two -7dB legs, and one -3.5dB leg (basically two 2-way splitters internally).
Put modem off one of the -7 legs, digital or furthest run off another -7 leg, then put a 4 way (all four are -7) in for the others. No reason you should need anything powered assuming you have signal within standard specs off the pole, good quality splitters, and proper connectors with quad-shielded cable.

Regal is my preferred brand of splitters, but I also have a giant stash in the basement from when I did subcontracting for Comcast for a year. As long a splitter is rated at 1GHz, and feels heavier in your hand than the cheapo Ratshack ones, it should be fine. I use the PPC compression connectors, but the crimpers tend to be relatively expensive. You can find them on ebay usually under $35-40 total, Ripley brand compression tool.
 
DO NOT put the modem after the cable line has been powered (if you choose to go that route). That will amplify everything, including noise. The ideal solution would be to get a tap (not a splitter) where the one part is losing something like 8dB and the other ports have the same loss.

One excellent brand is Digimax. The ones at the stores are usually garbage.
 
the line comes in from the cable company to a 2 way splitter that the cable modem and a 8 way powered bidirectional amplifier that all the TV's/DVRs are plugged into.

It was $80 off ebay.
 
Originally posted by: boomerang
You should read this.

http://www.swhowto.com/VideoLoss.htm

If you ever forsee the possibility of satellite tv, and you are going to string all new coax, go with RG6 quad shield. The RG6 you have right now may be quad shield.
Click to expand...

my problem may be unterminated jacks (3 now) on that older splitter.

I think I am going to go 2 way to 4 way and be done with it hopefully. If reception is poor rerun the RG-6 lines.

I still need a good non-powered brand...I don't think I need amplification at all.
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Monster
Click to expand...

seriously? I can buy them today if so....they come up a lot and I doubt I'd get that screwed in paying for the label, but in HT monster is usually the last option.
 
Most of the reviews I've read pointed to the Electroline 8-way active return amp.

Text

I got mine for $80 off ebay a couple of years ago, YMMV



Every amp I ever had has failed eventually. This one comes with a 10 year warranty.

btw-they also make a 4-way
 
check it out:

all cable must be quad-shield rg-6. the drop to the house might be rg-11, if the distance from plant to house is 150 - 300 feet.

from the point of demarcation, the cable must be grounded. acceptable grounds are and electric panel or meter, COLD water pipe, or an 6 - 8ft ground rod. the ground wire should be at least 10 awg, and must be shorter than the closest tv, modem or emta. this is the cable company's responsibility.

from the ground block, the cable must go to a 2-way splitter (-3.5dB output). one output will go to the modem, the other will go to the tv's. this 2-way may be used as a ground connection instead of the ground block, if necessary. do not amplify or attenuate the line going to the modem if at all possible. the operating window for your modem is +10 to -10 dBmV (downstream) and +35 to +45 dBmV (upstream). depending on manufacturer, you can check this with 192.168.100.1

with 2 tv's, you can use a 3-way splitter instead (-3.5, -7, -7) with the modem on the low-loss output. with 4 tv's, the 2-way feeds a 4-way splitter (-7).
with more than 4 tv's, the second output goes to a +15dB amp, which is also grounded. the output of the amp goes to an 8-way splitter (-11dB). any unused ports must terminated with non-locking 75-ohm terminators.

i strongly suggest getting the hardware from your cable provider, because retail hardware may not provide required bandwidth, or introduce noise and distortion. you might be able to score an amp of the cable guy for lunch money. if not, or if all he has are +7dB 4-port amps, then i'll recommend blonder tongue equipment. the amp must pass 5 - 50 MHz, and amplify 50 - 860 Mhz, although you might find 1 GHz is a common rating.
 
When I bought an amplified splitter, the thing was crap, introduced so much static into the analog signal that I ditched it & stuck with the cheap-ass Radioshack & Comcast splitters. Picture looks good unamplified, split up to 8 tvs.

I have a 2-way going off to the hdtv & the other gets split 3-way and one of those gets split 4-way. In other words, the tv next to my computer has a 17.5db signal drop through the splitters alone and still looks very good.
 
Originally posted by: Dari
DO NOT put the modem after the cable line has been powered (if you choose to go that route). That will amplify everything, including noise. The ideal solution would be to get a tap (not a splitter) where the one part is losing something like 8dB and the other ports have the same loss.

One excellent brand is Digimax. The ones at the stores are usually garbage.
Click to expand...

I have my cable modem after my amp and I have no problem getting up to 20 Mbps...
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Dari
DO NOT put the modem after the cable line has been powered (if you choose to go that route). That will amplify everything, including noise. The ideal solution would be to get a tap (not a splitter) where the one part is losing something like 8dB and the other ports have the same loss.

One excellent brand is Digimax. The ones at the stores are usually garbage.
Click to expand...

I have my cable modem after my amp and I have no problem getting up to 20 Mbps...
Click to expand...

doesn't mean it always works though.
 
Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
check it out:

all cable must be quad-shield rg-6. the drop to the house might be rg-11, if the distance from plant to house is 150 - 300 feet.

from the point of demarcation, the cable must be grounded. acceptable grounds are and electric panel or meter, COLD water pipe, or an 6 - 8ft ground rod. the ground wire should be at least 10 awg, and must be shorter than the closest tv, modem or emta. this is the cable company's responsibility.
Click to expand...

It's RG-6 from the pole don't know if quad, but they redid this last year.

It's got a ground block and the ground goes directly down to the house ground.


Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
from the ground block, the cable must go to a 2-way splitter (-3.5dB output). one output will go to the modem, the other will go to the tv's. this 2-way may be used as a ground connection instead of the ground block, if necessary. do not amplify or attenuate the line going to the modem if at all possible. the operating window for your modem is +10 to -10 dBmV (downstream) and +35 to +45 dBmV (upstream). depending on manufacturer, you can check this with 192.168.100.1
Click to expand...
at 36db s/n, -6 dBmV down and 44bBmV up.


Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
i strongly suggest getting the hardware from your cable provider, because retail hardware may not provide required bandwidth, or introduce noise and distortion. you might be able to score an amp of the cable guy for lunch money. if not, or if all he has are +7dB 4-port amps, then i'll recommend blonder tongue equipment. the amp must pass 5 - 50 MHz, and amplify 50 - 860 Mhz, although you might find 1 GHz is a common rating.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go retail on this even though I can source the best of the best retail (at a 3-4x markup).

IF you aren't passing at least 1GHz through all connections wouldn't HD cable be limited?
 
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