dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
2817
tranceFusion
join:2010-04-18

tranceFusion

Member

[Connectivity] Special coax required for cable modem?

Installer ran a new line but didn't bother to put in a walljack, which I would like to do.. he just left a hole in the drywall and plugged the cable into the modem.

Do I need any special cable between the wall jack and the modem (it will only be a few feet), or will any old coax do? I assumed it was all the same, but the reason he ran the new line is because he said the type of existing cable was "antiquated".

Also, Is there a resource with the different materials/gauges/specs for coax and their purposes?

Thanks.
beavercable
Premium Member
join:2008-05-11
Beaverton, OR

beavercable

Premium Member

The standard coax used with all of our installs is rg6 tri shield. Its what all installers recommend.
El Gaupo
Premium Member
join:2006-07-15
Buckhorn, NM

El Gaupo to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
A real installer would of installed flush mount outlets.Call and complain about the job
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

1 edit

rody_44

Premium Member

Change that to a nice installer would have done that. I know plenty of good installers that do exactly whats paid for and that would be no wall plate and straight thru the dry wall. Any complaining should have been done at that time.
tranceFusion
join:2010-04-18

tranceFusion

Member

said by rody_44:

Change that to a nice installer would have done that. I know plenty of good installers that do exactly whats paid for and that would be no wall plate and straight thru the dry wall. Any complaining should have been done at that time.
Well first of all, the dude dropped the line down the wrong stud and punched a new hole instead of redropping it he just punched a new hole! There was already a wall plate 16 inches over.

2nd, how do I know what I paid for? It is a flat install fee...

lastly, I complained at the time, like several other problems, and the guy basically gave me a bunch of crap about how he was out of time and they would have to come back another day. Given that he was the 3rd installer to come out before actually getting anything working at all, I am a little hesitant to have someone else in here punching holes.
tranceFusion

tranceFusion to beavercable

Member

to beavercable
said by beavercable:

The standard coax used with all of our installs is rg6 tri shield. Its what all installers recommend.
How can I tell if a particular piece of cable is rg6 tri shield?

ric
@comcast.net

ric to tranceFusion

Anon

to tranceFusion
Well first of all, the dude dropped the line down the wrong stud and punched a new hole instead of redropping it he just punched a new hole!
Comcast does not do that. We do not fish cable.

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er to tranceFusion

Member

to tranceFusion
said by tranceFusion:

said by beavercable:

The standard coax used with all of our installs is rg6 tri shield. Its what all installers recommend.
How can I tell if a particular piece of cable is rg6 tri shield?
copper-dielectric-shield-braid-shield- jacket
tranceFusion
join:2010-04-18

tranceFusion to ric

Member

to ric
said by ric :

Well first of all, the dude dropped the line down the wrong stud and punched a new hole instead of redropping it he just punched a new hole!
Comcast does not do that. We do not fish cable.
Don't do what? Re-use existing holes? So you only punch new holes right next to existing ones? A little odd bit of policy, huh, unnecessarily damaging the homeowner's wall?

Wayne99021
Premium Member
join:2004-12-28
Mead, WA

Wayne99021 to ric

Premium Member

to ric
Don't mean to hi jack this thread, but I have a question about coax and fishing walls.
Why won't Comcast do that? is it a time constraint thing or what is the reason?
When I worked for the Bell system and AT&T that was the normal thing to do.
You can even fish insulated walls, it's not like brain surgery
tranceFusion
join:2010-04-18

tranceFusion

Member

Well, I don't really mind doing the wall jack myself, if I knew how to do so without losing signal.

The modem downstream signal strength is -9.4 dBv if I plug the cable directly into the modem. If I go through a walljack it turns into -10.5 dbV. Seems like I shouldn't lose that much signal adding 3 ft of cable.

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er to tranceFusion

Member

to tranceFusion
its all system dependant...some fishe walls some dont.....here, we dont....if ya want it done, talk to an electrician....

reason: we are not license and bonded and insured to be working inside of walls....

also dont have all the tools to do it...lol.....

i use to do first floor fishes into basements....but second floors, your SOL.....

Canezoid
End of line
join:2001-02-16
Powder Springs, GA

Canezoid to Wayne99021

Member

to Wayne99021
said by Wayne99021:

Don't mean to hi jack this thread, but I have a question about coax and fishing walls.
Why won't Comcast do that? is it a time constraint thing or what is the reason?
When I worked for the Bell system and AT&T that was the normal thing to do.
You can even fish insulated walls, it's not like brain surgery
How long ago was that? Not that way now partner.
Canezoid

Canezoid to tranceFusion

Member

to tranceFusion
said by tranceFusion:

said by ric :

Well first of all, the dude dropped the line down the wrong stud and punched a new hole instead of redropping it he just punched a new hole!
Comcast does not do that. We do not fish cable.
Don't do what? Re-use existing holes? So you only punch new holes right next to existing ones? A little odd bit of policy, huh, unnecessarily damaging the homeowner's wall?
If you really wanted to just get this done, pull the wire back up from where it's coming from, retap there and just fish new coax to the wall plate you're talking about. Yes, hole will have to be patched, but it's spilt milk now already.

I had a coax run that I cut dead to move a connection to another room for satellite at the time, it was just quicker that way. When I got HSI just ran another coax to the tap in the basement ceiling and all was well.

I would call and complain regarding the install anyway, might get some credit out of it.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

4 edits

rody_44 to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
Flat rate install is not down walls. Its drill thru and thats it. If you want fished walls thats custom work and billed hourly. Its the same way as the phone companies work today. Sounds to me like the installer went above and beyond just running it down the walls. I know if i was doing it ide feel like a existing wall plate is probably in a box and as such i probably wouldnt be dropping it down the same stud. cable and telephone use wall caddies and caddies dont work so well in the same cavity as a existing box.
rody_44

rody_44 to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
How much was the install? The price should have told you what you were paying for and if that didnt the fine print does.
Expand your moderator at work
tranceFusion
join:2010-04-18

tranceFusion to rody_44

Member

to rody_44

Re: [Connectivity] Special coax required for cable modem?

said by rody_44:

How much was the install? The price should have told you what you were paying for and if that didnt the fine print does.
There's no fine print. Nobody told me anything. I called on the phone and they told me the installation price, and the guys showed up and started drilling. This is pretty standard practice, from what I have experienced in the past. I would have been happy to pay exta for a "proper" install if I knew it was an option.

Anyway, it wasn't my intention to complain. I just wanted to know what cable to use. Turns out it is RG6.

tjbmmb
join:2009-04-13
Fort Wayne, IN

tjbmmb to ric

Member

to ric
said by ric :

Well first of all, the dude dropped the line down the wrong stud and punched a new hole instead of redropping it he just punched a new hole!
Comcast does not do that. We do not fish cable.
Wish someone told my supervisor that, Had a install today with 4 wall fishes.

Wayne99021
Premium Member
join:2004-12-28
Mead, WA

Wayne99021 to Canezoid

Premium Member

to Canezoid
Yes, I understand things change over the years and it's more of a $$ thing now.
I started with Bell in 1965 and retired from AT&T in 2002.
When I started we still had open wire leads and had to shag 90 foot poles.
I much prefer how things are now with the new technology.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
Very few comcast systems dont do wall fishes. Its known as a custom installation. It allows you to have a tech come out and have as many walls fished as you want. You pay by the hour instead of a flat rate. Rates are usually around 40 to 50 dollars a hour. Its very common for a tech to go out and go over what he is willing to do for the standard install. If what he is willing to do doesnt satisfy what you want you schedule a custom install. This practice pretty well runs across the board with all companies. Its not like the old days where people pay for every outlet per month in the house. Telephone, cable, satellite pretty well all go by these practices.
rody_44

2 edits

rody_44 to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
Now to get back to what you wanted. Go to a Lowes, Home depot or similiar store. Ask for a wall caddiie and a short piece of rg6 cable. Go home and scribe the wall and put it in leaving the connector on the rg6. Hook the rg6 to a wall plate and install it. Probably take you 5 to 15 minutes and you have a custom install without the custom install fees. Wall caddies really work great. Just shove the extra rg6 thats out of the wall into the wall. The tech really did do you a favor. When using a wall caddies just make sure you are between the studs and not over them. You can cut the drywall with a drywall saw or a utility knife.

nerdburg
Premium Member
join:2009-08-20
Schuylkill Haven, PA

1 edit

nerdburg to tranceFusion

Premium Member

to tranceFusion
OP, You're getting all kinds of crazy advice here. The bottom line is that you are unhappy with three different techs, extra holes in your walls and no wall plates. That's not unreasonable, I'd be unhappy too.

Drop a note to the folks in the Comcast Direct forum »Comcast Direct You'll be talking to Comcast corporate employees that can help you.

Comcast's work and service is guaranteed, (»www.comcast.com/Corporat ··· tee.html) so if you're not happy, let them know.

edit: this post looks like I'm replying to rody_44, but I'm not, his advice is solid.
jhaygood86
join:2005-03-01
Hiram, GA

jhaygood86 to tranceFusion

Member

to tranceFusion
I'm very glad that the Comcast installer that did my house actually spent some time on it. He fished a new drop for the cable modem (through conduits that were there already for phone and ethernet though at least, and I helped), and he redid some of Dish Networks wiring (I had the whole 2 room DVR, so he replaced their fancy combiner/decombiner with a splitter in the attic).

Extra cost to me? $0
Total install cost? $0, since it was some special they had for triple play.