A tip to improve your connection.

I recently learned about this and thought I'd share the info.

Quote :

We all know that our cable internet connection is brought to the house via coaxial cable. Many of us have splitters on our lines that allow us to connect multiple devices. IE, The coax goes into a splitter



and coaxial cables may go into a cable box and then into a cable modem... or two or three cable boxes. This is not a problem whereas most often, signals are able to be split several times without significant loss of strength. However, problems arise if the signal is split into a dead end. For example, you have a three-way splitter and only two coax cables coming off of it. This leaves an open terminal. Open signals means loss. Also, if you have a coax coming off the splitter and it goes nowhere - say you took a cable box out of your bedroom or something - this too is an open signal and therefore, loss.

The solution is SIMPLE and inexpensive. Terminators. They can be found at any electronics stores like Radio Shack, or even provided by your cable company.




These terminate the signal properly so as to return the signal power effective and causing no loss in strength. These can be connected directly to open terminals on splitters or to the end of a coax cable, and should be used anywhere the signal travels to an open connection. Cable boxes, cable modems, etc, are actually effective terminators in and of themselves which is why you can split signals into multiple devices without loss. Check your coaxial signal paths and make sure you have no open terminals and no loose ends - figuratively and literally.

+1. Great info!

Thanks for the post. I am willing to be bet I have 3-4 cable outlets in all the rooms that are lacking terminators. +1 to you sir for thinking of the rest of us and our chronic 3 bar connection.

Im just coming out of one to a cable modem and thats connected to a wireless router. My connection is great depending on where I am playing. If I am in the master bedroom where the Xbox is wired then great, but my problem is when Im using the wifi on the Xbox in living room. Horrible! My problem is a new wireless router.

But thanks for sharing as I am sure it will help all that have this issue!

Great post snow.. I will most definitely be checking all my connections tomorrow I was totally unaware of that

Did this awhile back and it works like a charm .

As ur friendly cable guy, I like this post, however terminating the line is not stopping the loss of signal by any means rf db loss on a splitter is un avoidable, to avoid to much loss, u can do this if u notice that ur cable modem is on a 3way splitter like the one scene above make sure the ur on the 3.5db loss spigot on the splitter on a 3way two of the spigots lose 7db and the 3rd only losses 3.5 also if ur on a 4way splitter which losses 7db on all the spigots buy ur self a two way splitter which only loses 3.5 and run one spigot into the modem and use the other to go into the 4way to make sure you can still watch tv On the Other outlets , also terminating the open lines is a very good idea , what this does is stops ingress into the system, open spigots are still active and to many open spigots causes noise on the line. Their is always going to be noise on the line no matter what RF travels with noise period however the key is to keep ur signal to noise ratio at a level that is in spec. You can check ur noise ration on most modem if u ip config and log onto ur router and have a loon at ur specs page, the SNR should be no more than 37 also you might Wanta have a look at the tx= transmission should be between 37 and 42 and ur rx should be between -8 and +8 if ur no I this specs u got issues. Also with all thi is mind make sure u have a good modem period , the stand alone modems that require u to add a router are no good period their not designed or speeds we are all looking for, make sure you have a modem /router a doccis 2.0 or the newer doccis 3.0 modems, also a lot of cable guys will install a RF amplifier in ur home especially I live in a big house like jsavvy and have a lot of tv's in the house to make sure u enough signal for everything ! However a lot of times the amp the cable going into the modem!!!!! Not good people not good !!!! This causes the signal to noise to sky rocket!!! So make sure the ur Internet cable is not being amped, if it is install a 2way splitter before the amp on the main feed into the house one into the able for the modem an into bl into the amp to power the other lines in the house, if any of u are having trouble with your modems intermittent offline online problems or not getting enough wifi over the house , MSG me and I'll trouble shoot it for ya....

I should not post things Frm my phone it make me look like I can't write or spell lol

LoL, I was about to comment on the fact that you were dropping all this knowledge while using words like, "Wanta".