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EJ13's avatar
EJ13
Tuning in
6 months ago
Solved

Entry socket point set up and extension query

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, our old entry socket was updated as part of of our installation when we moved into our new flat. We also moved the hub to the hall so it was no longer in the front bedroom. The new entry socket no longer has the ability to screw/ unscrew the extension cable in, but instead the thick coaxial cable is run around the front room to the hall where the extension cable can be screwed in there. Is this correct please? Also the old set up as shown below has a silver box which is now no longer there, is this incorporated elsewhere? There is a small black wire dropping down out of the bottom of the new wall socket and we wondered if this was normal? Lastly, the engineer has left an extension cable to screw into the end of the co-ax in the hall should we want to place the hub on a taller table. However the cable he left does not have the thicker bit in it to protect against current surge, unlike the cable which was sent originally together with the hub. Do we use the cable he left or the one with the thicker bit for surge protection please?

  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    6 months ago

    Can you post a photo of this "black wire" that's hanging out?  Also the bib wall box should have the isolator inside.  If so it doesn't matter if you use the other inline cable as well, it will do no harm.  You may also find the original wall box is now disconnected, as the engineer put in a new wall box, if I understand correctly?  If you are unhappy with the install, then phone up and complain, or ask for a pre-made co-ax extension.  VM will supply these in 1, 2 and 3 metre lengths.

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    • EJ13's avatar
      EJ13
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      Hi, thanks for replying. We’re just not clear why the engineer didn’t connect an extension cable at the entry socket and run this around the skirting. We have lost the ability to connect anything at the entry socket (unless we stick our fingers up inside the socket and see if we can detach the coax). We’re also not sure of the safety of the black wire protruding from the base of the socket. We’re also unclear which extension cable we would be safest using to put the hub on a table as he left one without surge protection, but the original cable that came with the hub had this incorporated as a thicker section inline. Thanks again

      • Adduxi's avatar
        Adduxi
        Very Insightful Person
        6 months ago

        Can you post a photo of this "black wire" that's hanging out?  Also the bib wall box should have the isolator inside.  If so it doesn't matter if you use the other inline cable as well, it will do no harm.  You may also find the original wall box is now disconnected, as the engineer put in a new wall box, if I understand correctly?  If you are unhappy with the install, then phone up and complain, or ask for a pre-made co-ax extension.  VM will supply these in 1, 2 and 3 metre lengths.

  • EJ13's avatar
    EJ13
    Tuning in
    6 months ago

    Hi, we can no longer connect an extension cable into the wall entry socket because the thick coaxial cable has been run straight from it and around the front room to the hall and into the back of the hub. An extension cable can now only be connected to the coax termination in the hall. Is this correct please or should the narrower extension cable have been connected at the entry point and used to run around the front room instead of the coax?

    There is also a small black wire hanging down out of the bottom of the new wall socket and we wondered what this was and if this was normal/safe?

    Lastly, the engineer kindly left an extension cable to connect to the end of the coax in the hall should we want to place the hub on a taller table. However the cable he left does not have the thicker bit in it to protect against current surge, unlike the cable which was sent originally together with the hub. Should we use the cable he left or the one with the thicker bit for surge protection please?

  • jpeg1's avatar
    jpeg1
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago

    Did the VM person leave the Hub in that location? It's a very poor place because the restricted ventilation may cause it to overheat, and the WiFi will be badly screened. You do need to move it. 

    • EJ13's avatar
      EJ13
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      Yes, he did. We have ordered this table with the idea of attaching the extension cable to the coax and then into the hub to allow more freedom of movement of the hub. This should allow the hub to be placed on the lower shelf perpendicular to the wall to allow airflow/cooling to either side (ie placed with thin side with lights facing outwards at front of table)

       

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago

    I would say that the metal isolator box (shown in your first photo) would actually have been inside the VM wall box to begin with as per the third photo from this Amazon item

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/1STec-Isolated-TRIS-1002L-F-Connector-Broadband/dp/B0924DT76Q

    This is how installations used to be done but now VM incorporates the isolator (the white tube in your photo #4)

    You have been left with the black cable poking from the wall and presumably the VM tech has used a F-connector coupler

    https://www.diy.com/departments/slx-coaxial-connector-19mm/5028422001905_BQ.prd

    to link the black cable from the wall (hidden under the lid of the wall box) to the extension coax cable.

    The VM tech seems to have cut the cable almost exactly to length so you have no slack at the end where the hub connects.

    You could use another coupler (as linked above) to join on the pre-made lead with the isolator (your photo #4) to the existing coax extension cable. This would give you a bit more cable length at the hub end of the cable and also an isolator in the connection via the pre-made lead. In that arrangement you could forget about the original metal box isolator as you would have one in the pre-made lead.

  • nodrogd's avatar
    nodrogd
    Very Insightful Person
    6 months ago

    The first picture can easily mislead you if you don't look at it in detail:

    The signal attenuator is not required due to the increased resistance of the longer cable run, so is omitted.

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago

    Hadn't noticed the attenuator but isn't photo 1 a 'before' photo and has now been replaced by the VM tech with an 'after' arrangement in photo 3 where a straight piece of coax cable links the wall box direct to the hub in photos 5 and 6?

    The OP wants to extend the cable length at the hub to put the hub on a table and incorporate an isolator by using a coupler to the cable in photo 4 to the end of the coax at the hub in photos 5 and 6?

    • nodrogd's avatar
      nodrogd
      Very Insightful Person
      6 months ago
      goslow wrote:

      Hadn't noticed the attenuator but isn't photo 1 a 'before' photo and has now been replaced by the VM tech with an 'after' arrangement in photo 3 where a straight piece of coax cable links the wall box direct to the hub in photos 5 and 6?

      The OP wants to extend the cable length at the hub to put the hub on a table and incorporate an isolator by using a coupler to the cable in photo 4 to the end of the coax at the hub in photos 5 and 6?

      The OP was asking what the purpose of the "box" was & why it was removed from their current setup. I just posted to clarify. Single path attenuators are harder to spot as they are smaller & have a female input to ensure they are inserted in the correct direction.

    • EJ13's avatar
      EJ13
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      Thanks everyone for your replies, much appreciated. I think the small loop of wire poking out of the bottom of the wall socket may be whatever this set-up is above?

      So, if I understand correctly from replies, the attenuator is no longer required because of the greater distance from socket to hub; the isolator metal box may or may not be included in the wall socket, and so we might be best to use the cable with one included inline to be safe, as having 2 is not an issue but having none may be; the short extension cable to place the hub on the table shelf can only be connected to the coax and hub by purchasing a connector; and the reason the engineer has run coax around the room to move the hub position into the hall is because extension cables only come in a max length of 3m

      Thanks again 🙂

       

      • Adduxi's avatar
        Adduxi
        Very Insightful Person
        6 months ago

        That's one of the newer Euro sockets.  They accept all sorts of outlets in those plates. If you are not sure of the isolator, best to use the in-line one.  The "joining connectors" are fine to use, however any good engineer can absolutely make cables of any length on site.  The 3M ones are supplied as a goodwill gesture from VM to end users, not really for engineers to use.