Thread: Cable FTA

After reading all this, I too tried hooking my cable to a small portable TV, the one I use when adjusting dishes, and yes, there are about 20 channels. Nothing spectacular in there to watch, my OTA gives great reception for most of these channels, but there were a couple that I can't get OTA.

IF I put a splitter from before the router to my livingroom TV, will that affect my cable for internet? I seem to be reading several thoughts on that within this thread.

Anyway, if I AM going to try this, I'll have to wait till my next day off, Wednesday next week, to go get a splitter. Which/what splitter do I need for this?

Photto

The splitter in mine was there when I bought the house 13 years ago. Haven't ever tried the internet without it so I don't know if or how it would affect it.

Last night I hooked up to the main TV and only got a couple channels. The 7" I tried the other night which got several channels is the only one we have with a ATSC tuner. i wonder if I could go through the Zenith converter box? Didn't think to try that last night.

Originally Posted by Phottoman

IF I put a splitter from before the router to my livingroom TV, will that affect my cable for internet? I seem to be reading several thoughts on that within this thread.Photto

If you google your cable modem you can find out how to access it's diagnostics page which will tell you the signal level it is receiving. From that you will find out if splitting the signal will have any significant impact on your cable modem performance.

The cable company can always find out if you have more devices on your connection. With a cable diagnostic tool, they send a signal down the cable and watch for the reflections coming back. They will know if you have the cable split, and how many splitters you have. You need to check your contract with the cable company to see if they allow you to connect any of your devices or only their cable boxes. It varies with each cable system. If they ever end the analog signals, they can encrypt all of the digital signals requiring a cable box for each TV.

> You need to check your contract with the cable company to see if they allow you to connect any of your devices or only their cable boxes. It varies with each cable system.

Thats covered by the FCC, as long as the device is FCC type accepted, and you are paying for the service into the home. You can connect as many devices to the cable system as long as it doesn't harm the cable providers equipment. (This presuming its a single family dwelling)

Originally Posted by Larobpra

I wonder if I could go through the Zenith converter box? Didn't think to try that last night.

Nope, doesn't work.

Originally Posted by Phottoman

After reading all this, I too tried hooking my cable to a small portable TV, the one I use when adjusting dishes, and yes, there are about 20 channels. Nothing spectacular in there to watch, my OTA gives great reception for most of these channels, but there were a couple that I can't get OTA.

IF I put a splitter from before the router to my livingroom TV, will that affect my cable for internet? I seem to be reading several thoughts on that within this thread.

Anyway, if I AM going to try this, I'll have to wait till my next day off, Wednesday next week, to go get a splitter. Which/what splitter do I need for this?

Photto

You won't negativley impact your Internet signal with a splitter as long as you get one that handles higher frequencies. Internet comes over the coax on a higher frequency band than the modulated TV signal so if you get one of those low quality TV-only splitters it will act like a filter and won't pass the Internet signal through to your modem.

I *think* the splitter needs to be rated up to 2GHz but I don't remember exactly - its been about 5 years since I had cabe Internet.

Originally Posted by K'bick

You won't negativley impact your Internet signal with a splitter as long as you get one that handles higher frequencies. Internet comes over the coax on a higher frequency band than the modulated TV signal so if you get one of those low quality TV-only splitters it will act like a filter and won't pass the Internet signal through to your modem.

I *think* the splitter needs to be rated up to 2GHz but I don't remember exactly - its been about 5 years since I had cabe Internet.

Have to correct a few things here.

The downstream channel is a regular channel slot, below ~850MHz. Mine is currently running at 579MHz. The upstream channel, as Iceberg mentioned above, is below ~50Mhz. Any splitter rated to 900Mhz will work, and that includes all of them. I've never seen one that isn't rated to at least that.

Originally Posted by USDownlink

Have to correct a few things here.

The downstream channel is a regular channel slot, below ~850MHz. Mine is currently running at 579MHz. The upstream channel, as Iceberg mentioned above, is below ~50Mhz. Any splitter rated to 900Mhz will work, and that includes all of them. I've never seen one that isn't rated to at least that.

Today your modem may be locked on at 579MHz but that could change anytime:

The DOCSIS spec (which defines the cable modem line protocol) states that communication frequencies between the provider's Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) and your cable modem is 1) Variable and 2) In the range of 54MHz-1GHz.

If he puts in a 900MHz splitter and his cable co runs the data band higher than this then he has no Internet. If it works with that splitter today and the cable co decides to switch to a higher frequency tomorrow then his Internet drops. So if he is going to put in a splitter then its best to put in a higher frequency one and save the hassle of dealing with potential outages.

Originally Posted by ikki

> You need to check your contract with the cable company to see if they allow you to connect any of your devices or only their cable boxes. It varies with each cable system.

I have my own gateway (combo modem and router) connected for my internet service and they discount me $3 a month for having my own modem.

I called my cable company and asked them about "free" channels. I blocked my phone number and gave no name. My call was eventually transfered to the "right" department for my question. I stated that someone told me about this and I mentioned that on the internet someone said to check with the cable company. The agent said that it is impossible to get any TV channels when you are paying for the internet only because the TV is filtered out.

My TV is not hooked to cable but I guess I better...