Cable splitter

[DaleW1]

To help me understand things a little better, can anyone explain the cables associated with my V6 box and my router?

Just after the point where the thick white fibre cable enters my house it goes into a splitter. One branch goes to the V6 box; the other branch goes into the super hub router

There is an ethernet cable that goes from a port labelled ‘Internet’ on the V6 box  to the router.

My understanding is that:

~ the fibre cable into the V6 box carries the TV and radio channels.

~ the ethernet cable from the V6 box to the router connects the V6 box to the internet for additional services like catch up and on demand.

My question is why there is a fibre cable from the splitter into the router? What does it do?

Many thanks.

[nodrogd]

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@DaleW1 wrote:

To help me understand things a little better, can anyone explain the cables associated with my V6 box and my router?

Just after the point where the thick white fibre cable enters my house it goes into a splitter. One branch goes to the V6 box; the other branch goes into the super hub router

It’s not fibre it’s copper coaxial cable. This applies even in new areas. Fibre converts to coax via a powered external box in FTTP areas. Otherwise you are on HFC, with coax outside as well.

There is an ethernet cable that goes from a port labelled ‘Internet’ on the V6 box  to the router.

My understanding is that:

~ the fibre cable into the V6 box carries the TV and radio channels.

~ the ethernet cable from the V6 box to the router connects the V6 box to the internet for additional services like catch up and on demand.

And all the EPG updates & firmware updates.

My question is why there is a fibre cable from the splitter into the router? What does it do?

It provides your internet connection. Virgin cable works on radio technology. The radio spectrum in the coax is split into frequencies carrying broadband traffic, & others carrying broadcast TV. The router accesses up to 32 downstream data channels for incoming data, & up to 8 channels are then returned up the cable for the upstream data. The V6 box carries 6 cable tuners (similar in operation to a satellite receiver or Freeview box), that select the channels you require from the 200 or so constantly broadcast on the TV part of the spectrum.

Many thanks.

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[Roger_Gooner]

VM is a cable operator, so everything including TV, VoD, apps and broadband comes down the single cable into your home. As it's only one cable* it must be split for the hub and V6 (and split again if you have multiple V6s), but the hub and V6(s) process only with what is applicable to you. The V6 needs a connection to the hub for several reasons including streamed content (like On Demand, Catch Up, apps and games), EPG and software updates, remote button pushes for streamed content and "phoning home" to stay activated.

* In legacy installations this will be a coaxial cable but in newer areas it is a fibre cable but the internal cable is always coaxial as any fibre will be converted to coaxial at the customer's home using a customer's power socket. So, any cable to a hub or TV box (TiVo, V6, 360 or mini) is always coaxial and is always mandatory.

[Anonymous]

Simply.

TV and Internet comes in on one cable.

The V6 figures out the TV bits.  The router figures out the internet bits.

The V6 also needs internet so it gets this off the router.

Although connected in a triangle the router and V6 can't talk to each other via the coax cable, only the ethernet (or wifi) cable.

[Sofia_B]

Hi @DaleW1.

Thanks for your post 🙂 

I'm glad to see the community was able to advise you on this.

If you have any further questions, please pop another post on this thread and we'll happily assist. 

Thanks, 

[DaleW1]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[DaleW1]

Thank you for the information. Very helpful.

[DaleW1]

Thank you for the information. I understand things now.

Much obliged.