Question for people with cable modem (1 Viewer)

[Andres Munoz]

Time Warner is the company offering cable TV and cable modem in my area. I only got cable modem through them, not cable TV (I have satellite).

My question has to do with the splitter that they use. Once the coax cable was inside the house, the tech used a splitter with one input and two outputs. The input comes from the outside. One output goes to the cable modem and the other has this cap thingy that I can't seem to remove. It spins but it doesn't unscrew.

Does anyone how to remove this? Do you know what I'm talking about?

 

[LewB]

Does it look like this ? If so, it should just screw off.

 

[NickT]

If it looked like the picture in the previous post, you could just screw it off by hand, but he said he couldn't. That means it's a security teminator which you need a special tool to remove. I supose that whoever put the splitter there did so because your cable signal was too strong for the cable modem and the splitter is lowering the signal. If everything is ok, then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Maybe it works like a medicine bottle? Push and turn?
Beats me.

Glenn

 

[MikeAlletto]

I bet you its there so you don't just plug a tv in and get basic cable for free.

 

[NickT]

Could be, but all you have to do is get a new splitter and plug everything into to that. If it's done right, there should be a filter at the tap to block out the TV channels.

 

[Randy Tennison]

My installer just put a common splitter. It's not anything special.

 

[Andres Munoz]

I was thinking the same thing. Those people don't trust nobody do they?

Anyway, it looks like I do need a special tool because the splitter my cable guy installed is not a common splitter.

 

[Jason_Els]

Well, since some people look for tools to remove it so they can get free basic cable it would seem a prudent move. :rolleyes

 

[PhillJones]

Correct me if I'm wrong 'cause I'm not too sure about this but I think if you do remove it, be sure to connect something else to it beacuse leaving a cable untermiated is somehow bad.

I do know it's bad to leave those network cables, the ones with the BNC cables on the end unterminated and can crash the network but I'm not sure how much that caries over to catv.

 

[JustinCleveland]

Phill,

It can disrupt your signal reception. We had a problem at my work where we moved one TV and just left the wire disconnected, and suddenly didn't have enough signal to run the cable modem or get a decent signal on another TV. Hook back up the original TV to the un-connected cable, and everything worked. Weirdest thing.

 

[McPaul]

sounds to me like it's one of those filters that blocks the higher pay channels?? if so, only the cable guy can take it off with his special tool

 

[Dave Morton]

alternatively, you can buy a new splitter from RS and use that instead of the one that is currently being used. That way, you can get rid of the old one or keep it for when you need service.

One thing I hate about stuff like this is that if you wanted to buy another cable modem for another computer, then you're at the mercy of the cable company who will charge you $50 to come out and remove the cap from the current splitter. I had this happen to me when my kids were born. I was using one of the spare bedrooms as my computer room. Since my daughter was born, the computer room moved to the downstairs. I couldn't just move the line, so I wanted to use the other line from the splitter. There are legit reasons for wanting to tap into this extra line, not just to steal cable TV. Since I have satellite TV, I would never want to go back to cable, ever!

 

[Jeff Loughridge]

It sounds like they have a security shield over the connector. Go
here for more info.

BTW, basic cable, that uses your TV tuner instead of an external box is usually less than $15.00. I have a cable modem from Cox, and the discount I get by subscribing to basic cable offsets the cost of the basic service. In other words, I get cable modem and basic cable for the same price as cable modem alone. You might look into it. It is good for those rare occasions when rain fade knocks out satellite.

 

[Michael*K]

Wish I had that sweet a deal. My basic service from Comcast just got bumped to 42 bucks a month and I was also notified that they were pulling six stations from the lineup including Sci-Fi, ESPN Classic and four others (gotta get digital cable now if I want those.) I get a measly $5 discount on my cable Internet service (another fifty bucks a month) because I get the television programming. While I like my Internet service, the time is fast approaching from me to dump my cable television service in favor of satellite.

 

[LewB]

Use splitters that go above 1GHz for 'cable' applications.
For satellites use splitters that go to 2GHz. A lesson learned the hard way.

 

[Andres Munoz]

Well, I'm very happy with my satellite and I wouldn't even dream of going back to cable. And like Dave said, I'm sure there are legitimate reasons for wanting to remove this security shield (going by the link above, it looks like that's what it is).
I was just curious to know what it was as I never saw one of those before.

 

[Jason_Els]

That's only half-true in NYC. TWC only rents modems. If you want to buy one from somewhere else and use it on the system you're welcome to. What TWC will do though is charge you for a second account if you use a second modem and charge you for installation. It's really not worth it. Best bet is to get a wireless router and use that instead. You'll save money, improve security, enhance usefulness of your computers by being able to share files and printers, and the cost more than pays for itself even if you have it professionally done. TWC of NYC does not restrict the use of routers (wireless or otherwise) and actually encourages them for multi-computer homes. The only ones not permitted are the combination router/modems offered by Cisco and others as they allow unauthorized access to the cable modem network itself.