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mnkyboy
join:2006-04-23
New Orleans, LA

mnkyboy

Member

[LA] Only "dedicated" cable lines can have a computer

Below is what a relative was told when he called Cox to see about adding a cable line in (2) other rooms.

He currently has a cable line in the living room with a cable modem hooked up, computer hooked directly to the cable modem. No router since he only has (1) computer. (I talked to him about adding a router as a NAT firewall). Well, Cox said if he wants the computer in one of the other rooms that will be getting new cable lines, he would have to pay $80 and dedicate that room as the "Computer line". Ive never heard of this before and every house I've had, I simply plugged the cable modem any room that had a cable line. He thought the Cox CSR was feeding him BS, so he asked to speak to a Cox Tech. The tech suggested he get a router if he wants to move the computer to another room.

So, here is my question. Has Cox changed its policy on are filtering lines in a house for specific purposes, while doing this to make more money? Seems a bit far fetched but I wouldn't put it past Cox to do something like this.... OR was this all a big misunderstanding and my relative was given bad info?

DDR329
@cox.net

DDR329

Anon

Re: [LA] Only "dedicated" cable lines can have a compu

Does your relative have a phone/internet modem? If so the charge is likely for the tech to not only install the cable outlet but also a phone outlet to connect the rest of the house wires and relocate the phone modem.

There should not be any filters on the seperate outlets but you would want to keep the modem outlet as close to the service drop in terms of splitting as possible.

So basically have the relative have the lines installed then swap ports on the spliter from where the modem is now to the new outlet you want it on and everything should work alright.

kv2009
join:2009-09-14
Kenner, LA
·Cox HSI

kv2009 to mnkyboy

Member

to mnkyboy
said by mnkyboy:

Below is what a relative was told when he called Cox to see about adding a cable line in (2) other rooms.

He currently has a cable line in the living room with a cable modem hooked up, computer hooked directly to the cable modem. No router since he only has (1) computer. (I talked to him about adding a router as a NAT firewall). Well, Cox said if he wants the computer in one of the other rooms that will be getting new cable lines, he would have to pay $80 and dedicate that room as the "Computer line". Ive never heard of this before and every house I've had, I simply plugged the cable modem any room that had a cable line. He thought the Cox CSR was feeding him BS, so he asked to speak to a Cox Tech. The tech suggested he get a router if he wants to move the computer to another room.

So, here is my question. Has Cox changed its policy on are filtering lines in a house for specific purposes, while doing this to make more money? Seems a bit far fetched but I wouldn't put it past Cox to do something like this.... OR was this all a big misunderstanding and my relative was given bad info?

I can plug my modem into any outlet in my house and it will get a signal lock. Though with any house, the lengths of wires for each room will be different and connections may not all be of the same quality. One line may have a much lower power level or vice versa and this may cause the modem to not lock to a signal. If you don't get proper service when you switch the modem to another room, the signal quality may be at fault and Cox would need to come out to address the issue. That's the only cost I would imagine you would incur.

On that note...I believe the signal levels for internet service and TV service must be calibrated for each service to work properly - and they aren't the same, so the term "computer line" may be appropriate to describe what the rep told you. Here I have a main line coming into the side of the house, and it is split. There is one output line going to an amp and then to the TVs in the house, and one output line dedicated to the cable modem, hence "computer line".
mnkyboy
join:2006-04-23
New Orleans, LA

mnkyboy to DDR329

Member

to DDR329
He does not have Cox for telephone.

So, is this BS that the CSR is telling him? You should be able to hook the cable modem to any outlet in the house.

DDR329
@cox.net

DDR329

Anon

So long as the line the modem is going to be moved to is not split a bunch of times they should be good. I would just have the order set for the 2 outlets to be installed and just let the installer know you plan to move the modem to one of the outlets being installed.

I would imagine to move the equipment and run a dedicated line would cost extra but in this case the line is already being installed your relative will be moving the equipment themselves.
signcarver
join:2005-03-20
Phoenix, AZ

signcarver to mnkyboy

Member

to mnkyboy
According to what was asked, the customer inquired about getting cable lines added to 2 rooms. What wasn't answered was is the house prewired for every room with cable? and are those outlets active? Occasionally a new install might just run one dedicated line rather than install into the home distribution especially if they are just getting internet service and no TV so just because there may be a jack there doesn't mean its active.

Cox does charge to add cable lines (especially after service has been originally installed... its more likely to be waved on the initial install) and the $80 fee is about right, in fact it may be $80 + a visit fee + any wall fish fees etc. In many cases, they would like the line to the modem to only have 1 split before it to have the best signal (a 2-way or a tap) so yes if they were installing these new outlets, I would tell them where the modem is going the $80 isn't for a special "computer" line but rather for the install of the cable itself .

I have some big houses and they will occasionally install a dedicated line for the modem and/or two lines to the house but I've been told this isn't normal practice for most areas but in these subdivisions it is rare to find a house under 6000 sq ft and they would rather have 2 lines distributed in the homes rather than one line split 16 ways.

alchav
join:2002-05-17
Saint George, UT

1 edit

alchav to mnkyboy

Member

to mnkyboy
said by mnkyboy:

Below is what a relative was told when he called Cox to see about adding a cable line in (2) other rooms.

He currently has a cable line in the living room with a cable modem hooked up, computer hooked directly to the cable modem. No router since he only has (1) computer. (I talked to him about adding a router as a NAT firewall). Well, Cox said if he wants the computer in one of the other rooms that will be getting new cable lines, he would have to pay $80 and dedicate that room as the "Computer line". Ive never heard of this before and every house I've had, I simply plugged the cable modem any room that had a cable line. He thought the Cox CSR was feeding him BS, so he asked to speak to a Cox Tech. The tech suggested he get a router if he wants to move the computer to another room.

I think all Cox was trying to say is one Modem will be connected to a computer for the house. If you want to connect more computers that's up to the home owner, and that's with a Router either Wireless or Wired. It sounds like your Relative wanted Cox to run Coax and hook up more computers. That would mean extra Runs and Modems. So you have to explain to your Relative you connect your Main Computer and Modem in a Central Room, and then from there you can connect a Router and connect to other computers Wirelessly or run Cat5.
mnkyboy
join:2006-04-23
New Orleans, LA

mnkyboy

Member

yea, maybe the customer service rep misunderstood him or vice versa. He only has (1) computer, nothing else will be hooked up. I just wanted to make sure it wasnt some new Cox policy.