btownguy
@bellsouth.net | I assume RG6 for in-home cabling?
I've never had Comcast at my home before and I'm about to order it for Internet only. I assume all cabling from the outside of my house to the cable modem location should be RG6. Am I correct? |
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K Patterson
Premium,MVM
join:2006-03-12
Columbus, OH | Correct, quad shield. Comcast should install it, aand you should expect them to. I think the install charge will be $99, unavoidable. |
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brianl703
join:2004-02-26
Manassas, VA
| reply to btownguy
If you have RG59 installed in the walls, that will usually work. (Some houses, for whatever reason, were prewired with RG59, mostly those built between about 1985 and 1995). If you do have existing RG59, Comcast will probably use it, especially if it's prewired (installed in the walls when the house was under construction). |
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beachintech
There's sand in my tool bag
Premium
join:2008-01-06
The Beach,US
clubs:
 ·Mediacom
| reply to K Patterson
said by K Patterson  :Correct, quad shield. Comcast should install it, aand you should expect them to. I think the install charge will be $99, unavoidable. 1. We don't usually install quad shield. My office doesn't even use it unless it's already in a house. A good RG6 will work fine. We can even make 59 work if it's in good shape. Otherwise, it gets replaced if we can.
2. I do installs all the time that are free, 19.99, or 29.99 depending on the promotion and house wiring.
Hope that helps the OP.
--
Tech at the Beach. |
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btownguy
@bellsouth.net
| All very helpful. I have DirecTV for my television and will be keeping it because I have a weekend getaway with a satellite dish - I just carry my receiver from one house to the other. So I'll be keeping my DirecTV which uses my existing in-home cabling.
I'm just going to run a single RG6 cable directly from the outside of my house where Comcast will terminate over to the location inside the house where the cable modem will be. Won't be a big deal - I'm pretty good at cabling and I don't have to worry about anyone falling through my attic other than myself. |
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runnoft
Premium
join:2003-10-14
Deerfield, IL
·Comcast
| reply to btownguy
Quad shield is mainly needed in settings with lots of electrical interference. In the vast majority of home settings, the extra expense of RG6-QS is usually overkill. But RG6 without the QS is not overkill compared to RG59. RG59 was designed for 60 channel analog cable TV. You don't need to replace RG59 with RG6 if you already have RG59 and you're getting a solid, no-dropout signal everywhere. But if you're having signal quality issues particularly with digital and HD cable TV and HSI, and you have an older RG59 installation, it becomes a leading suspect as at least part of the problem. Replacing it with new RG6 may solve your issue. If you're installing new, now, the savings benefit of using RG59 over RG6 is not worth it, IMO. RG6 is a better match for today's HSI, digital, and HD cable signal from Comcast. |
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DarkLogix
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX
·Comcast Workplace
·Comcast
| I would and have gone with RG6QS
rember the cable can ether be an investment or a hinderance
if you have RG59 then it might work might now and down the line will likely cause problems
if you have RG6 its fine for now but you never know when they start upstream channel bonding they may need to lower the noise and QS might be needed then
next in 5 ormore years (maybe less at the rate things are going) some tech might need even beter so then RG11 might end up being needed
if your going to rewire your house go with the best reasonable cable (RG6QS) (RG11 is currently super overkill) |
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andyross
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL
| reply to btownguy
One other minor issue: length. Short runs of RG59 should be OK, especially for hookups from the wall to equipment. The longer it is, the more attenuation you will get at the higher frequencies.
It may also depend on your area. Some areas are still only 750 or even 650MHz. It's more of an issue for 850MHz or the rare 1GHz areas. |
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runnoft
Premium
join:2003-10-14
Deerfield, IL
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to DarkLogix
said by DarkLogix :I would and have gone with RG6QS rember the cable can ether be an investment or a hinderance if you have RG59 then it might work might now and down the line will likely cause problems if you have RG6 its fine for now but you never know when they start upstream channel bonding they may need to lower the noise and QS might be needed then next in 5 ormore years (maybe less at the rate things are going) some tech might need even beter so then RG11 might end up being needed if your going to rewire your house go with the best reasonable cable (RG6QS) (RG11 is currently super overkill) Yes, good point, QS's extra shielding might become more useful with future technologies and its extra cost might be justifiably spent now on that basis to forestall the need for an upgrade later. Most homes don't need it yet, but then, most didn't need RG6 25 years ago when everybody was installing RG59 for 60 channel analog cable TV. |
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nate1234
join:2008-08-21
Moorestown, NJ | reply to DarkLogix
How much does RG11 cost for 75ft? |
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K Patterson
Premium,MVM
join:2006-03-12
Columbus, OH | Not sure, but not much.
The issue is the connectors, stripper and crimper. Figure around $100 for a decent set. |
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nate1234
join:2008-08-21
Moorestown, NJ
1 edit | not too bad... I might go for that at some point. I found some online for ~$90-100 |
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DarkLogix
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX | reply to nate1234
I'd have to relook it up but about .35 per foot more where I bought mine
and the tools cost more than RG6 tools
I paid about $60 for 100FT w/ 4 connectors and no tools |
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RG11overkill
@videotron.ca
| reply to nate1234
You don't install RG-11 in a regular house. RG-11 is use for very long service drop (150'-300') from the pole to the house. There's no difference in signal strength between 75' of RG-6 and 75' of RG-11. We will only see a lower lost on higher frequencies when the cable drop is very long, not on short distance.
Connectors are bigger and difficult ton install behind a wall plate, it's really overkill for 75'. |
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nate1234
join:2008-08-21
Moorestown, NJ | well, should they use it for my new drop that is happening soon? it is 180ft |
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RG11overkill
@videotron.ca | reply to btownguy
Probably, depending of the signal strength at the pole and the local cable system operator's policy. |
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DarkLogix
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX
·Comcast Workplace
·Comcast
| reply to RG11overkill
All cable has a percent loss per foot
with RG6 its lower than RG59
RG6QS even lower
and RG11 even lower
the common use of this is that with less loss per foot you can run it a longer distance
when you use RG11 in a place where RG59 could work then the loss is simpily so low because of the distance that its not currently enough to make a differance
and it is currently super overkill for 98% of cable runs
maybe in 10-20 years we'll get to the point that the loss on RG6QS is enough to cause a problem but at the same time in 20 years we might have left copper in the dust |
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rody_44
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA
1 edit | reply to nate1234
no they wont use rg11, they should and probably will use qr320. much much better than rg11 and about the same diameter as rg11. rg11 is so old school these days. |
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keepgoing
join:2006-09-08
Clinton Township, MI | reply to btownguy
I would hardly say that RG11 is old school. And where I work we use RG!! if a drop is over 150ft. |
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metal80772
join:2009-07-12
Pittsburgh, PA
| I don't know how it is in other regions, but its Comcast's policy in my region to use ONLY rg6qd. It's also our policy to proactively replace any rg59 cabling in any home that we come across. The shielding on rg59 is far from adequate and allows all too much ingress/egress.(I swear rg59 works better as an antenna than a cable) When we have our FCC fly overs, that's the number one thing that causes signal leakage from residential homes.
You get some handy-man-jack-do-yourself'er that decides to use cheap rg59 coax with badly crimped f-connectors and radio shack splitters, then all of a sudden the whole neighborhood is having ingress problems.
In short, rg6 and rg6qd seems to work pretty good for your average joe household. Going beyond that tends to be overkill...atleast at this point in time. Who knows in 5 years... |
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