Hi All,
Currently have 3 TV's and Comcast cable modem. The splitter in the
cross space has a total of 5 ports.
1. Comcast in
2. Cable modem
3. TV
4. TV
5. TV/DVR
I would like to add an additional TV.
Can I just purchase a 6 port cable splitter ?
Will it reduce the quality of the signal ?
Any input would be appreciated.
Hi,
You may be interested in a Cable TV amp. I bought one on Ebay. The is
a guy with a shop there called "Cable TV Amps". The one I bought is an
Electroline 8100. It has one input and eight outputs. It will boost
your signal. Also the other nice thing about it is that it is two way.
What I mean by "two way" is that signals from your cable modem for
internet stuff and TV controller box will pass though O.K. and back
onto the Comcast network.
Best, Mike.
It would be best to split off the cable modem before an amplifier
(cable modems need a bidirectional connection, and may not work well
with an amplified one). That is, the first thing on the incoming cable
should be a 2-way splitter with one output going directly yo the cable
modem. Then you can connect the 4-way splitter to the other output.
Do you have digital cable?
If he has a splitter in the cross space with the labels Comcast in and
Cable Modem, it is a bidirectional splitter, no? His computer is
working, or he would have mentioned that.
So as you recommend above, he does split off to the cable modem before
adding any other things such as an amplifier, since that's the only
gadget he has now.
Not to me. You seem to want to split the comuputer off twice in a
row.
I get it. You think some amateur labeled the splitter he has now, or
that it's not labeled at all.. I think if his computer works, it has
a port labeled Cable modem.
The OP hasn't posted since this morning, so I think the answer remains
unknown.
Splitters are always bidirectional. I used the word to refer to an
AMPLIFIER, which often isn't.
I said with a TWO output splitter (reducing loss at the cable modem).
I also said to connect an amplifier (or 4-way splitter) to THE OTHER
output of that TWO output splitter. Those 4 outputs go to the TVs.
This is NOT the same is the 4-way splitter coming first.
What???
For the reading-impaired:
|----------| cable
(cable in) | 2-way |------modem
------------| splitter |
| (NOT | |---------| |--------|-- TV
|amplifier)|----|amplifier|--| 4-way |-- TV
|----------| | (if | |splitter|-- TV/DVR
| needed) | |--------|-- TV
|---------|
A lot like my setup. BTW, the cable internet works very well.
A splitter has an input and two or more outputs. Perhaps you're
confusing "splitter" and "amplifier", and shouldn't be doing this.
Why should a port be labeled "cable modem"? It's just an output like
any other.
Given the this is his existing setup:
--------
| + --- modem
in ---| 4 way + --- TV
| + --- TV
| + --- TV/DVR
--------
why not this?
--------
| + --- modem --------
in ---| 4 way + --- TV | + --- TV
| + -------------*----| 2 way |
| + --- TV/DVR | + --- new TV
-------- --------
(with amp at * if needed).
This way, there is no change for the modem, one TV, and the TV/DVR. If
there's going to be a problem, it will only be with one TV and/or the
new TV. Why change the signal path of everything?
Chances are that you could just add another (make that a high quality)
splitter to address your issue. In some cases you ma need an amplified
splitter if the signal is weak.
This is the direction I was thinking. I suppose it's all relative to
the signal strength that I currently have. Have not had any problems
to date.
There has been some discussion in this thread about amplifiers. Do
amplifiers need an external power source ?
You need to get a two way splitter (3 ports and preferably a quality one
from the cable company) and a short coax cable. Connect the incoming
cable to the input of this two way splitter (yes the port labeled input
makes a difference). Move the feed to the cable modem to one output of
the two way splitter. Connect the input to the four way splitter to the
other output of the two way splitter. Connect new TV to the port on the
four way splitter freed by the cable modem connection.
Pete C.
I think by two-way, he meant two outputs (and one input), not a
bidirectional output.
So I think you would agree it should come after the splitter that is
there now.
NO!
Take one of your TV's off and add another splitter.
Yes. Every time you split the signal you will have some loss. Whether or not
it's noticable depends on the signal and hardware you use.
You do not want to add any more loss before your cable modem. A six way
splitter will cause more loss to all the devices connected to it.
Also you do NOT want to use an amplifier as they also amplify noise and
usually block return signals, breaking the cable modem connection.
And that would be wrong. A two way splitter has 3.5db of loss to each
output. A four way has 7db of loss to each output. No idea how much loss
there is in a five way... 7 on three taps and 10 on two?
By moving the modem onto a two way splitter, you're hitting the modem
3.5db's hotter and that could be enough to knock it offline.
Bottom line is don't change it if you don't have to.
An amp is never desireable. If the signal in is really that bad then the
cable company should be troubleshooting it. THEY will install an amp if it's
needed.
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