Cable Splitter questions for my internet and tv

Which one of these Cable Splitters are better? for my internet and tv? I recently got Roadrunner cable and i want to use an splitter on the coax cable so it will make it one for my router and one for my tv. having higher DB better or worse? here i have two different splitters

Monster Cable 2-Way MKII RF Splitter Low-Loss output

5mhz-1ghz 3.5db 1-2ghz 4.9db

PREMIUM 2 way Splitter F type Screw - 5~2400 MHz (for Video VCR Cable TV antenna)

Frequency Range (MHz)

5~47 47~950 950~2150 2150~2400 Insertion Loss In Out 4.5 dB 6.0 dB 6.8 dB 7.0 dB Isolation Out - Out 8 dB 18 dB 18 dB 18 dB Return Loss In 8 dB 8 dB 8 dB 8 dB Return Loss Out 8 dB 8 dB 8 dB 8 dB

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Reply to
vvilliamm
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The lower the DB number the beter the splitter. That is a number that relates to loss. It is a log type scale. One db is about 25% loss. Three DB is about 50% loss. Ten DB is 90% loss.

The best splitter would have a 3 db loss. This is not obtainable in practice. 3.5 to 5 depending on frequency would be ok. Anything more than

5 db would be a poorer quality splitter.

As with anything , the advertising does not always mean you will get it.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Heh! Monster Cable has a little side business: Intimidating other for intellectual property infringement. They protest the issuance of trademarks containing the name "Monster," including:

  • Snow Monsters (a kid's skiing group)
  • MonsterVintage, small used clothing store
  • Monsters, Inc., an animated feature film
  • Monster Garage, a television series
  • Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
  • Fenway Park's Monster seats
  • Monster.com employment website
  • Monster Mini Golf
  • Monster Balls Paintballs manufactured by JT Sports

Some time back they sent a cease-and-desist-or-pay-royalties letter to the head of Tartan Cables. He wrote back:

"I am "uncompromising" in the most literal sense of the word. If Monster Cable proceeds with litigation against me I will pursue the same merits-driven approach; I do not compromise with bullies and I would rather spend fifty thousand dollars on defense than give you a dollar of unmerited settlement funds. As for signing a licensing agreement for intellectual property which I have not infringed: that will not happen, under any circumstances, whether it makes economic sense or not.

" I say this because my observation has been that Monster Cable typically operates in a hit-and-run fashion. Your client threatens litigation, expecting the victim to panic and plead for mercy; and what follows is a quickie negotiation session that ends with payment and a licensing agreement. Your client then uses this collection of licensing agreements to convince others under similar threat to accede to its demands. Let me be clear about this: there are only two ways for you to get anything out of me. You will either need to (1) convince me that I have infringed, or (2) obtain a final judgment to that effect from a court of competent jurisdiction."

Monster Cable done farked with the wrong person.

Read the whole letter:

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Reply to
HeyBub

Don't know if this will help but - we have both Road Runner and TV cable. The wire comes into a bedroom from outside - and connects to the cable modem box and then to the router and then to the computer. There was no cable box for TV --- choice of occupant. He decided he wanted a TV in his bedroom so we hooked up a cheap splitter that we already had to see if it would work ... and it does. He gets basic cable - which is what the other bedrooms have. There is a digital box on the large set in the family room with more channels. Suggest you try an inexpensive splitter before going to any large expense.

Reply to
Dorothy

Lower dB is better.

However, for internet use, it should be a 'bidirectional' splitter, since data needs to go both ways. In most cases a normal one-way splitter will work, but a bi-directional one is best. They are also the hardest to find. Also, terminate all unused ports on whatever splitter you do get - to keep CATV signals in and stray signals out, resulting in a better picture. Termination caps are available at Home Cheapo. They don't cost much, maybe

50 cents each.
Reply to
Bob M.

They make special splitters for that application. There is a high pass filter for TV and a low pass filter for the internet connection. By doing it this way, there is lower loss on each output. But a regular splitter would probably work in most houses.

Reply to
Art Todesco

vvilliamm had written this in response to

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: Hmm how much Mhz should i buy? or should i just go with the monster one it seems the best 0.0 i saw this one also
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Reply to
vvilliamm

Have you checked with your cable company? They have splitters that they use for your purpose. You may be able to get one free, and it will work.

Beyond that almost any splitter will work. You definitely don't have to pay the ridiculous prices that Monster charges for their products.

Bill

Reply to
BillGill

AFAIK, ALL splitters are bidirectional. Perhaps you're confusing splitters and amplifiers.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

True. A splitter is also a coupler depending on how it's installed.

Reply to
Tony

Monster does charge a very high price for what you get. I would look at any other brand first. The Monster company has many items that are really sucker items.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

re: "i want to use an splitter on the coax cable so it will make it one for my router and one for my tv. "

Please explain what you are trying to split.

A typical installation splits the incoming cable to the cable box/TV and the cable modem for internet (and phone if included). The cable company usually provides a splitter spec-ed for their equipment for this purpose.

You said you want to split the cable for the TV and the *router*. The router usually gets connected to the cable modem, not the incoming cable.

Reply to
DerbyDad03
[snip]

For several years, I've used one (a cheap 2-way splitter) as a combiner to distribute video. From any TV in my house, I can watch any (analog) cable channel, a DVD on channel 90, or the camera at the front door on channel 94.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

Not talking about amps. If splitters are bi-directional, then why do they have one "In" and many "Out" ports?

Reply to
Bob M.

For the most part you will have only one IN device and many out devices. It makes the labeling simple. The splitter for the cable modem is marked that way but itis bi-directional.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Get the cheapest one you can find (i.e., maybe 98¢) and give it a try. I think you'll be satisfied.

I've got two TVs hooked up to our cable and these TVs have to meander through about three (cheap) splitters each. Download speeds vary between

5Mbs and 10Mbs.

If you try a cheap splitter and your TV's fuzzy, missing channels, whatever, or your computer acts flakey, well, you can try the recommended splitter (certainly not the Monster Cable brand).

Reply to
HeyBub

re: "If you try a cheap splitter and your TV's fuzzy..."

My solution to fuzzy TV's on the second floor was to run a single cable from the splitter in the basement to an amplifier in the attic and then split the amp's output to the 3 bedroom TV's.

It's just basic cable in the bedrooms, so I don't need bi-directional components.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Hi, To keep in mind, amp. amplifies signal as well as noise. In many cases cable signal is too strong rather than too weak. Use good component and cable. A month or so ago, I couldn't order a pay per view program all of a sudden. No other problems watching any channel including HD and internet was working fine too. Lo and behold I traced the problem to a 3 way splitter at the cable entrance in the basement. Replaced it and problem was gone.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Most people are intellectually-challenged and couldn't tolerate the more correct (but slightly more complicated) naming.

I have seen one where one of the connections is labeled "in/out" and the others are labeled "out/in". The thing itself is no different from any other splitter.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd
[snip]

True. For an amp to be useful, you need a good signal at it's input (an amp won't correct a weak signal coming in).

True. Do you have a good way to tell which problem (too weak signal or too strong signal) you have?

I've now replaced all the old (RG-59) cable in this house. It made a lot of difference.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

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