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Need4Speed
@ameritech.net

Need4Speed

Anon

Roughly how much for new line? Charter ISP / Directv

We have Directv (DTV) and are more than happy with it after making the move from Charter 4-5 years ago. Since moving to this residence we have always had ATT DSL. The DSL is horrendous for the price so we are making the switch to Charter for our ISP but still keeping DTV as our broadcast provider.

When we made the switch from Charter, DTV simply used the existing Charter line as our cable into the home. When Charter came to install our internet connection we were given a couple of options that we simply don't want to do (drilling more holes into the home), or have an electrician come out and install a new line. According to the Charter installer, DTV was supposed to install their own new line and not "bogart" the Charter line. Of course I have no idea if that is truly the case and it wouldn't surprise me if DTV would say the same if the tables were turned. I'm not terribly interested in getting in the middle of a....'urinating match' between the two unless one is actually in the wrong (DTV in this case) and we can get some money knocked off a bill. Regardless, we didn't exactly budget for an electrician to come into the mix so I'm wondering what a rough estimate would run us?

It's probably about 30' from the utility box in the yard to the access point / Charter Box on the side of the house. Not sure if anything needs to be done beyond that by the electrician? We live in Madison, WI. I'm assuming this is something I can't do, myself. If I'm wrong, I'm all ears.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

You should have had DirecTV run new wiring as DirecTV specs call for solid copper coax and most cablecos use copper clad steel coax. I had my installer reuse Comcast wiring since running new wiring would entail a wall fish so I bought DirecTV approved wire online and ran new wire myself and I did notice a difference in picture quality.

DirecTV specs call for solid copper all the way but many installers reuse cableco wire and it works but some cheap wire will have issues.

If you have a Genie system, then it calls for a clean install.

I would just have Charter run a new line. Having holes drilled in the house is a necessary evil in having cable/satellite. Maybe you could see if the installer could reuse an old hole or an unused outlet.

Need4Speed
@ameritech.net

Need4Speed

Anon

Thanks for the reply!

We have Genie but that was recently added. So, if I'm understanding you correctly, the original DTV installation should have been a clean install per their specs assuming the original install by Charter wasn't using the spec'd coax. That said, if Genie should have been a clean install, why? Should we touch base with DTV about their install? Would that 'clean' install also mean an electrician is needed or would DTV take care of that?

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

The Genie houses all of the tuners and the clients (additional TVs) pull their programming off of the Genie and use the tuners in the Genie when watching live TV using MoCA. So if there are any imperfections in the wiring (old or substandard wiring) then it can cause problems. So DirecTV usually prefers that installers run new wire with Genie setups to avoid callbacks.

You might be on your own though because based on the OP you didn't want additional holes drilled in your house by charter so I'm assuming you didn't want DirecTV drilling to run wires either.

If you want them wall fished or hidden, your best bet is an electrician or home theater installer. I would personally go for the home theater installer since they are more familiar with DirecTV. Most DirecTV/Cableco installers just have basic training and don't have the tools or the training for wall fishing or halfway decent installs.

Just poke around DSLR or Google "Sloppy cable install" or "sloppy satellite install" and you'll see thousands of horror stories of installers trashing people's homes, poor workmanship, and even a few where they've burned the house down by hitting wiring or gas pipes.

If I owned my own house, I'd hire a private contractor to install my cable wiring. I could also install my own satellite system as well too.

But there are countless hard working good installers out there. They are unfortunately overworked and underpaid.

Need4Speed
@ameritech.net

Need4Speed

Anon

Thanks, again.

This gets me back to my original premise of this post. What would be a rough cost to bringing in someone to add the new line? I really do appreciate all of the info.
westdc
join:2009-01-25
Amissville, VA

westdc

Member

Depends on who you call and what they charge for a service call plus parts (cable) - You need a Rg6 cable - Charter can do it or any "low volatage Wire installer" or any Electrician can do it.

Or you can run it yourself if able. if not - then get estimates (google)or local yellow pages.

Need4Speed
@ameritech.net

1 recommendation

Need4Speed

Anon

Update: the Electrician came out, installed second line. All he needed to do was pop a cable through the existing hole (where current line goes through) and into the Charter cable box on the side of the house. Much less involved than what I thought I was being told. "Charter techs are notoriously lazy" were the words of the electrician. He really wasn't needed to do the job and indicated the Charter tech could have done it. For future reference if the topic is ever searched, the cost was $59 and some change....which will be sent to Charter since we really didn't need this guy to come out.

Thanks again for the replies.
westdc
join:2009-01-25
Amissville, VA

westdc

Member

Glad you got it fixed - Happy Holidays!

ysf
@rr.com

ysf to Need4Speed

Anon

to Need4Speed
Glad you got that fixed. As a Time Warner installer (same as CC, Cox..), if you come to a house in which you have to run a new line that can supposedly take you at least 2 hours for a neat job, and ending up making around $20 of of all that. Will you do it?
It's an ugly truth the technician have to hide away from the customers, especially the contractors as that $20 can mean probably $4 and hour after cutting gas, expenses..

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup to Need4Speed

Member

to Need4Speed
At the point it enters your house, it's your wiring not "Charter" or "DirecTV" wiring. Ask them if they'd fix it for free if you had a problem inside your house and you'll quickly find out they won't.

If the wiring was RG-6 in the house, and would support the DirecTV service, then the installer can re-use it. They're not going to rewire your house if they don't have to. You could have had the DirecTV guy run new lines, but that would have cost money. Anything above drilling directly through the wall/floor costs extra.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

1 edit

rody_44 to Need4Speed

Premium Member

to Need4Speed
GL with getting charter to pay it. Im not sure why you feel they should be paying for your lines but GL anyway.

Pauly
join:2004-05-29
canada

Pauly

Member

satellite dish cable wire is rated for 3ghz while cable tv wire is rated for 1ghz, not just that but the splices and barril connectors are also inferior and must use higher quality f81 barrel connectors if he doesn't see this, too bad he will refuse to use inside wiring until you fix this.