wireless signal boost to help low signal from cable tv ?

JimJoe

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We have a nice signal from the router until about the same time each day. Only cable tv modem is available. Evidently the country neighbors do lots of internet during the afternoon.

Is there a way to boost the signal coming down the cable line ? The cable tv company has installed new cables from the pole into the house. We have installed all new cables in the house.

All of the boosters I've seen are for after the wireless signal gets to the cable modem.

Thanks !

Jim
 

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This is a known issue with cable connections. When its not heavily used the signal, speeds can be good, but when it is used heavily things can deteriorate.

However, how do you know that the cable signal is changing? Unless someone from the cable company has measured the cable signal you don't know that is what is causing the problems. I don't think the signal level on the cable side will affect the wi-fi signal level on that side. They are two separate functions. If your wi-fi signal is deteriorating it has to be some other interference.

Going back to the cable signal level, I had a change every day around 1PM and the cable modem would lose sync. It turned out to be a bad underground cable between the main cable distribution amp and an intermediate amp in our neighborhood (every thing is under ground). It took a special crew to find and fix this, the tech that came to the house knew "nothing". I had to keep calling everyday when it went bad and after the problem went "chronic" then they got the cable crew on it.
 

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My brother-in-law has worked with the cable company over a couple of years for this problem. The house is in a rural area, and the cable company has said the signal to the house does decrease, they just have no idea how to fix it.
 

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Can't the cable company boost the signal? They did that for mine as it was low. This was after they fixed the problem I mentioned, they did some testing and found the signal level low. They raised the signal level from the distribution amp.

I don't know of any amp you could get to boost the cable company's signal level. Even if you could, when you have the problem, it would also be boosting the noise and the signal to noise ration may be affected.
 

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The OP would have to get a Zero Gain Amp. But the problem is that without the company that owns the CATV plant to do something. They are stuck in a fight that they cannot win.
 

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Can't the cable company boost the signal? They did that for mine as it was low. This was after they fixed the problem I mentioned, they did some testing and found the signal level low. They raised the signal level from the distribution amp.

I don't know of any amp you could get to boost the cable company's signal level. Even if you could, when you have the problem, it would also be boosting the noise and the signal to noise ration may be affected.

From what my sister said, they are paying extra for a boosted signal.

None of the other ISPs like AT&T DSL and a new one I don't remember the name of off-hand are available here.
 
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Can't the cable company boost the signal? They did that for mine as it was low. This was after they fixed the problem I mentioned, they did some testing and found the signal level low. They raised the signal level from the distribution amp.

I don't know of any amp you could get to boost the cable company's signal level. Even if you could, when you have the problem, it would also be boosting the noise and the signal to noise ration may be affected.

From what my sister said, they are paying extra for a boosted signal.

None of the other ISPs like AT&T DSL and a new one I don't remember the name of off-hand are available here.

What they are paying for is more bandwidth, most cable companies sell cheap 3 mb down .5 mb up, then there are tiered up to whatever maximum they support. Mine maxes out at 50 down 3 up. You must be out beyond the Fiber Optics cable and on copper which does lose strength over length from the nearest substation. Not really sure, here after Katrina the cable company rebuilt with fiber optics.
Your other option would be satellite that's everywhere.
 

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Yea, it's not the strength of the signal it is the bandwidth. The cable can only support so much throughput at any time. What you are experiencing is what we satellite internet people live with 24/7.
 

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I think they are paying for 50 megs. There are several splitters in the basement to make connections for the tv and the internet.

If we do buy a zero gain amp, it will be placed at the first splitter.
 

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Hi there

What about one of those WIFI extenders -- just plug it anywhere you can receive WIFI in your house and it's a ZERO configuration thing -- they really work well on boosting even a tiny Wifi signal.

I see you really want to boost the Cable companies INPUT signal -- however if you have your Wifi extender right NEAR the input box you can still boost a very weak signal (and you can daisy chain these - so you could have another one if you need to boost yet more further away). - Degradation (i.e speed loss ) is minimal on TWO boosters -- I haven't tried 3 --I don't have THAT big a house or grounds !!!!.

If your normal network name is DOGSDINNER then you'll see another network with the name DOGSDINNER-EXT. 2nd one if you use more than one is DOGSDINNER-EXT1. You just ensure you connect to that one if the signal is stronger --same password / firewall / port forwarding etc as your "Base" network. Just Plug 'n Go.

Works brilliantly. Doesn't matter if it's a Cable router or "Classic telephone Broadband" into a bog standard router.

This is the sort of device I mean -- you could probably source it cheaper than the UK -- UK always hideously expensive PLUS 20% VAT as well !!! but you should get an idea of the device.

NETGEAR WN3000RP Universal WiF... | WN3000RP-100UKS | £44.99 | Insight UK

If this isn't the problem then I've mis-understood the question -- from your post I assume that your signal is too weak in some places in your house --this device will boost it enormously.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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I was going by his comment about it going south about the same time each day. Thought it meant a bandwidth thing more than signal strength issue.

As Jimbo says, lots of ways to improve signal at various locations as long as you have good strength at one spot.
 

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I think they are paying for 50 megs. There are several splitters in the basement to make connections for the tv and the internet.

If we do buy a zero gain amp, it will be placed at the first splitter.

Well if your paying for 50 down and not getting it, I think this would require a conversation with the cable company. I can't imaging having enough TV's/DVR recording running to use up that much bandwidth?
 

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I think they are paying for 50 megs. There are several splitters in the basement to make connections for the tv and the internet.

If we do buy a zero gain amp, it will be placed at the first splitter.
The Internet modem needs to be placed at the first splitter, which should be no more then a -3.5db per output. If the splitters are not the proper ones for CATV. You can get them from SolidSignal.com.

I would check all connections, move the modem to the first splitter and see what happens. You can get one large splitter for all lines from Solid Signal. They go as large as 24 tap. I would not do anything with the Zero Gain amp, until you know that is what you need.

Connect your modem to the incoming CATV line and post the signal levels from what you get at that connection point. Then we can help you redesign your infrastructure to make sure all outputs are getting the best signals at all tvs.

You may also want to go outside and undo the coax connection at the Static Block and check for corrosion. If it is showing signs, then you may want to replace the Static Block, properly ground it to the Electrical Earth Ground Rod at the Power Meter on the home. You do not want any other ground connections anywhere after that. Due to it will cause a Ground loop.

You can get the Compression Connectors from Lowe's (get the Ideal tool & connectors), or order them through solidsignal.com or Partsexpress.com.
 

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My relatives have worked with the cable company. All cables from the pole and in the house have been replaced, all conne tors have been replaced.

The outage didn't happen yesterday.

My relatives think that once school starts the weak signal, from the cable company, will go away and we will have a strong signal. They had the same problem last year.

I get 1-2 bars in my storage shed/hobby building. In the house, typical is 4-5 bars. The building is about 65 feet from the wireless outer.

No stucco walls, just lumber framing with sheet rock and paint.

They have evidently had a number of phone calls, and cable tv repair people, coming out here. The house is out in the country.

The only other Internet would be Hughes, but that is download only.

I have a cable company compatible modem, and my relatives and I did talk about putting my own connection out there, pole to shed installed by the cable tv company. I have to spend some bucks and get power out there first. Just running on a power cord for now.
 

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Had to inject that Hughes is NOT download only, it is two way communication up and down. Although upload is only about 1Mbps and data is capped pretty low for today's internet. Satellite ISP is pretty much a last resort for those with no cable or WISP options available.

There is also Excede satellite.
 

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The cable Node & quality of signal, does not magically get better when school starts. You can look up the FCC filing with the CATV company, for how many subscribers they have, how many nodes, how many sub's per node at https://apps.fcc.gov/coals/forms/search/cableSearchNf.cfm

Post the information from the modem on the signal levels from the signal page. Also what is the manufacturer & model number of the modem/gateway that you have. Who is the CATV company that is also your ISP.
 

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As for the wifi signal. Only way to improve that for outdoors, would be to install an outdoor grade Wifi A/P that uses POE (Power Over Ethernet). Or just a really good indoor wireless Access Point.
 

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The cable Node & quality of signal, does not magically get better when school starts. You can look up the FCC filing with the CATV company, for how many subscribers they have, how many nodes, how many sub's per node at https://apps.fcc.gov/coals/forms/search/cableSearchNf.cfm

Post the information from the modem on the signal levels from the signal page. Also what is the manufacturer & model number of the modem/gateway that you have. Who is the CATV company that is also your ISP.

If fewer people are using it, it does get better. No magic involved.
 

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My brother-in-law suggested splitting off a cable to my hobby shed. So I wouldn't need WiFi out there.

I don't see how that would fix the drop out during the afternoon of any usable connection from the ISP, which is cableone.net.
 

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If fewer people are using it, it does get better. No magic involved.
No it does not. All that happens is that the load lightens up. It works the same way as traffic on a Freeway. Less vehicles using the Freeway. You can move at a constant speed with no slow down or having to take detours to get around construction.

More traffic on a Freeway, the slower vehicles are moving and possibly you end up not being able to take a detour to get around construction.

What I just described is how the Node works, along with the routers at the Head-end & through your ISP's I-Bone and the other backbones.

The majority of problems is signal issues. The other is overloaded/congested nodes.
 

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