Questions about cable connections
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive June 2007:
Questions about cable connections
Does anyone know - or have a DH or friend who would know - exactly *what* would make your cable internet connection slow down to a speed that is slower than dialup????
This is our situation: As most of you are aware, we've had a lot of work done on the house this year. The last thing we had the contractor do was to move the cable internet connection into our *office*. It was originally in the dining room because that was the only place we had room for it, but after doing all this work, and with only one *child* living at home now, we had space to make an office.
So, the guy actually ran a splitter through the attic and created an internet connection in the small bedroom which has become our office. Problem is, since that has happened, our connection speed has plummetted. Some days we simply can't get online, it just won't connect, just *hangs* there trying to open a website. Sometimes we connect at a high speed, then it slows down to the lowest speed possible. VERY frustrating.
So a couple weeks ago when we went to pick up the DVR, etc. from Cox we asked them what was up with that. The Cox rep said it was *definitely* the splitter, but set up a service appt. for last Saturday anyway. The Cox serviceman came out, tells me no way, the splitter has nothing to do with that, it would either work or not work, it's my cable modem - 5 years old, obsolete, they have upgraded those 3 times since I first got cable internet, yada yada yada. So in goes a new modem for $50, and he assures me that will do the trick. When I asked *what if* it doesn't, he tells me to tell the Cox guy that was set up to come out yesterday to change our phone service over.
Well, it didn't solve the problem, so when the guy was here yesterday, I dumped the internet problem in his lap. HE tells me yes, it's *definitely* the splitter, but also makes calls to Cox and discovers there is a *problem* with the line on OUR side of the street, beginning with the house next door to us and going past us down the street. Supposedly the line is receiving too much signal and ours cannot handle it. WHAT?!? Makes no sense to me, but whatever....
So now, Cox is scheduled to come out AGAIN, NEXT Saturday, AFTER they are supposedly going to make repairs on the main line that is supposedly sending the signals at a speed that is too high. Makes no sense to me, but what do *I* know. They are going to replace all of our cable lines (TV and internet), at our cost, of course, because the original lines have been there over 20 years, and with digital and wear, etc., supposedly they NEED replacement. Plus, when I moved in this house, this neighborhood was still basically under construction, and for some reason, Cox refused to run lines through the attic, and my very attractive (NOT!) lines are run around my house and we look like total white trash with all these cables on the outside of the house.
So I guess my question is this: What would be the REAL reason for our suddenly slow internet connection speed? This is costing a pretty penny, and I am at the point where I don't know who is B.S.'ing me or not. Does anyone's DH or a friend know anything about this stuff??
TIA!
We had a problem with the signal on our old house & all Bresnan did was connect something to the line that would regulate the signal better. It cost us nothing.
We are getting a booster for the line, but even that is costing us money! :-(
Oh, I so share your pain! We are on our eigth visit from Comcast repair men and no one can seem to fix our problem. We even had someone here today on a Sunday. Our phone keeps going out, the internet drops out, and as soon as they get one fixed, the other one goes out. Our cable gets fuzzy sometimes too. All this started happening when we upgraded to digital TV and got the DVR last November. Every person tells us something different. I refuse to pay to have my whole house rewired at my expense when they offer free installation for new customers. I'm at the point where I am going to switch to DSL and SBC for my phone. I'm sure they offer free installation too. If I don't like it, then I'll go back to Comcast as a new customer and see how it goes. It's so frustrating! We have so many wires now and splitters I don't know what goes where! Each guy who comes here blames the guy before him on how everything is hooked up wrong. I haven't even started the battle yet to get a reduction on my bill for the lack of service that we've had for the past month. I honestly think all this digital stuff is overloading their wires/cables. I heard that by 2010, everyone will have to be rewired anyhow because the current stuff will be obsolete and all they will offer is digital. Let me know what solves your problem. Maybe I'll share it with my next Comcast visit!
We don't have trouble with our internet, or our cable tv. The only thing we have changed, was going from 384kbps to 5MBps with speed, since with sharing an internet connection, it seemed like there wasn't enough to go around, with the 384.
I don't have cable internet, but I do have DSL. I do know that in order for it to work properly, the signal for the phone (analog) has to be separated from the signal for the internet (digital). This is accomplished with a filter that is attached to the telephone line where the phone plugs into the outlet. Once I changed phones and forgot to plug in the filter. I couldn't believe how slow the internet was! When I checked all the connections I realized my mistake, plugged the filter in, and then it worked fine.
I would think that the same principle would apply to cable. The signal for the cable tv should be separated from the signal for the internet data stream. Isn't there any such filter for cable? Maybe the guy didn't use the correct splitter. I wouldn't think that a regular cable tv splitter would work. There is probably some kind of special splitter for internet. Or maybe it's just a bad splitter.
Good grief. You could probably replace the splitter yourself. Just go to Radio Shack and ask them. I am sure that since you said that the problem never existed until after the guy ran the cable through the attic and split it, that has to be the problem.
LOL - we have NO CLUE how to do anything electronic or electrical. The Cox guy DID say the correct splitter/wiring was used, however, he also said that when you split it affects the connection speed. But apparently the old wiring affects it too, as well as their main line *problem*. Who knows..............that's why I was asking! LOL!!!
Ditto the filters on any phone that is plugged into a jack.We also found 2 copper wires touching together on the main work in our basement.We seperated them and have had no problems with connections since.Good Luck,I know how frustrating it can be.Everyone wants the money but nobody wants to find the problem.....its always someone else's fault
Anyone else? No one? LOL
Just sort of desperate to get the real story here.......
Karen, both here and at the old house we had to have the cables upgraded because they were older cable and not rated high enough to carry the required rates for the modem to function properly, the cable worked fine but not the modem (connection was slow and/or spotty). At the old house the installer, ran a separate line in for the computer.. Said a splitter has to be rated at 2ghz or higher to split a cable to a modem and he had cable splitters but not one rated high enough to split for the modem. At the new house, the guy had the proper spliter.. BUT he said that you shouldn't split more than once when running to a computer.. So if you have a splitter and then you attach another splitter down the way, Every time it splits it drops bundles and every bundle dropped slows the connection. So he put the splitter with a
higher range just inside the house.. He ran all the cable to the TV's off one side of the splitter, splitting every so often to go into another room.. Cable TV doesn't require as high of a current as the modems do and that line can be split with out an issue. But the computer is a main line from the primary splitter and runs straight to my computer. I haven't had an issue since.. But the cable here is handled, if it is out side of the structure they cover the cost. If it is inside the structure you do, but if you have line insurance it is also covered..
My issue is that your line worked fine while it was in the other room?? I am wondering how many splitters they are running across your line... Because even if the splitter is rated high enough but the line has already been split it may cause connection issues, from my understanding.
Another issue I have had in the past... The cable had still worked but it had a lot of static on it, on the lower channels. The tech had checked out the whole house, couldn't figure out what was wrong and dug up the old cable in the yard... We had a line that had a small split in it as if it had been accidently cut when it was installed, it was buried in the yard and it had taken in water and corroded the cable. So the current was still traveling but not at a strong enough rate... Replaced the line and it fixed the issue..
I wish I could help, more.. I actually know how to run cable, being raised as my fathers son has had a lot of positives benefits in my life. LOL but not being able to look at what the issues are first hand, I have no clue.. Best of luck...
That makes a lot of sense, too. Old cables and too many splits on the way to the modem.
Good luck!
I know our cable is split from the tv cable, on the other side of the basement and then comes directly to my computer. The network router and modem, are right by my computer, too. I think Gary ran the cable over here, by himself. He didn't want the cable installer guys doing it. LOL!
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