Gig1 upgrade self install, unsure about current questionable coax.

[hambo360]

Hello!

See pics below! Looking for somebody more knowledgeable about me to help me understand if the current coaxial setup in my home is likely to work.

My "brown box" and two wall sockets are NTL branded (from around 2005 I think), I understand this to not be an issue as NTL became virgin? The coaxial comes in at the front of my house (brown box) and is immediately split, one connection goes directly through the wall behind the brown box to the first wall socket. The other I want to actually use goes round the whole house externally into an upstairs bedroom.

The pictures show the current state.... of the brown box. and the upstairs wall socket I want to use. Would I be correcting in thinking that my new Hub 5 would connect using the modern cable to the TV/Data port on the isolator to get up and running? I see no cuts in the cable despite its terrible state. It seems NTL's external boxes were not great at keeping things out.

I understand why Virgin have offered self installation to me as the coax is there but need some advice about if the splitting is likely to cause issues, any information would be very useful. I am getting the new router some time next week.

Thanks, James.

[jpeg1 · Accepted solution]

Change to a manned installation. They will re-wire to your requirements. 

[hambo360]

Wish I did spend the bit extra now, the router is already on the way annoyingly.

The brown box is still fine, cleaned it and put the front back on with a zip tie. The room its wired too is exactly where I want it to be. Would you expect it to work fine for gig1? Is there anything obvious I am missing?

[jpeg1]

If the cable is physically intact then it should still work fine. The coax VM use is good for way more than 1Gb. 

[hambo360]

Its amazing to me that cables that were installed nearly 20 years ago support gigabit internet+. Here's hoping that everything is still connected and I can enjoy my new internet next week. The splitter in the box was something I was unsure of, was wondering if it could cause degradation of the signal. Think it comes down to me just testing it when it arrives.

Thanks again, James.

[carl_pearce]

I'm on Gig1 with coax cable and wall sockets from the ntl days and no issues here.

[hambo360]

this gives me hope, thanks.

[nodrogd]

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@hambo360 wrote:

Its amazing to me that cables that were installed nearly 20 years ago support gigabit internet+. Here's hoping that everything is still connected and I can enjoy my new internet next week. The splitter in the box was something I was unsure of, was wondering if it could cause degradation of the signal. Think it comes down to me just testing it when it arrives.

Thanks again, James.

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A lot of people seem surprised by this, but there is a simple explanation. Cable Broadband was built on radio technology, whereas the type you get down a phone line is actually narrowband. On a coaxial cable you can carry multiple data channels on different frequencies. A phone line is restricted to one. Add to that more & more efficient compression rates, & a system that was only built to carry TV originally is more than suitable for internet. If anything the TV provision is now getting in the way, as while the download speed capabilities have been tested to 10Gbps, to get the same upload would need the use of the TV spectrum. As long as the connections remain clean there is no reason the existing cable shouldn’t work. I’m only on 350Mb Broadband, but I consistently get the maximum 386Mb down a cable that was originally put in by County Cable in 1993. The cable company name has changed 6 times since then.

[nodrogd]

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@hambo360 wrote:

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When your kit comes, the push on connector goes on the outlet marked TV/Data. The FM outlet is now disused.

[hambo360]

Thanks for your replies.