UPC Wiring Question

Myrddin

Quick question guys,

I've more or less decided to move from Sky & Vodafone, and combine TV/Internet through UPC. There is an existing cable point in the house (the old tv/fm box), and what Im wondering is what's needed in terms of outlets. There is a fair amount of plastering recently done, and I want to work out how the internal wiring should be laid.

I'll be looking at ordering:

Digital+ for main room, Basic Digital Multiroom for bedroom
15Mbs Internet.

Presumably Ill need a UPC outlet in each of the rooms (1 already there), but in terms of their cable internet, I take it that needs its own seperate point? I want the Digital+ & Internet router in one room, so is that two outlets needed in that room?

djimi

Youll only need one outlet; in my room the point has a splitter on it to connect the internet and TV.

Myrddin

djimi wrote: »

Youll only need one outlet; in my room the point has a splitter on it to connect the internet and TV.

Cheers, is it just a normal spilitter? Or something UPC installed which isolates BB frequencies (like a microfilter kind of jobbie)?

djimi

No idea mate; mine came with the TV box. Just a little wee metal box with an input and two outputs. Someone more knowledgable might be able to better explain but it doesnt look like its much more than a signal splitter.

Bazzy

There is a special splitter that they use.

Sometimes if the signal is not strong enough you may have to get a signal cable for your broadband. Noise etc on the network can all be a factor.

Zapho

Bazzy wrote: »

There is a special splitter that they use.

Sometimes if the signal is not strong enough you may have to get a signal cable for your broadband. Noise etc on the network can all be a factor.

I just used a standard f-connector Y splitter - worked grand. Cost €10 from Maplin. You can get them MUCH cheaper off ebay though. I haven't had any trouble with noise issues etc.

Myrddin

Bazzy wrote: »

There is a special splitter that they use.

Sometimes if the signal is not strong enough you may have to get a signal cable for your broadband. Noise etc on the network can all be a factor.

When you say signal cable, do you mean if there are issues with my BB then I'd need a completely seperate line coming in from outside (from the UPC dist. box) purely for my BB?

BostonB

Theres nothing special about the splitter. Only if you have a week signal, putting a splitter on it makes it worse. If you have a good signal it will work fine.

BB and TV are all on the same cable. You don't need two. If you've signal issues they need to replace the existing cable.

Myrddin

Just finished putting the wiring in place. I left two leads tacked up near the dist.panel, one for the tv's (x3 (x2 digital, x1 analogue) & one for BB (just in case, I dont want any issues)).

Will the installer think it strange connecting up two feeds? Or is he likely to think "this lad's after giving me a handy install" and just connect them up, fit the boxes/router and go off no probs?

Also, this is a particularly stupid question - but I've fit standard f-connectors as terminators on the leads that will supply the eventual boxes...do the UPC boxes (HD+ & standard non plus) take the screw on connectors like the Sky boxes do? Or will I need some adapters to change from screw on to push on type?

Sorry for the thickness of the questions, but I'm not well up on cable systems

zilog_jones

Some boxes have F-connectors, some have the normal push-in type (IEC 169-2 or "Belling-Lee connector" are the proper names for this that no one seems to use ). The Cisco HD DVR box has the latter. The modems all use F connectors AFAIK. You're better off using F's for everything else, e.g. splitters and stuff.

Moycullen1

Excuse my stupidity but I have been told that for a new UPC point I need a box with two screw in connectors instead of the old coaxial cable that is currently there. Firstly does anyone know the name of this box and secondly would a layman( ie me) fit it. I want to get multi room for my mother in her kitchen and although UPC will deliver the box before Christmas they cant organise a technician till January.

BostonB

You can just buy a adapter that connects screw thread to the push in connector.

Moycullen1

BostonB wrote: »

You can just buy a adapter that connects screw thread to the push in connector.

Thanks for that. Is there any reason why the sales guy said I needed a two point box on the wall. I would have assumed you only needed one feed for the tv. is the other one fm or bb or something else. on another point in relation to multi room I notice on the ntl box in the attic that the supply is split with a standard splitter but is the signal strong enough to be support three rooms.

BostonB

I'm no expert, but as far as I know...

The ports are labelled TV and FM but I don't know if there is a difference.

How strong the signal is and how strong it is after its split, depends on a range of factors. Quality of cable, length of cable, water on the cable, signal in the road, The UPC engineer can adjust it to suit though, by changing the resistance in the feed from the road. I think they can change it in the exchange (ir the UPC equivalent) it comes from too.

They've fixed my signal a few times, as its dropped for a variety of reasons.

thefishone

In the room with the BB,there is a small white box with two connections,one going to HD box and the other going to the router.In the other room,the same
white box is only connected to the TV and upstairs,no white box,just connected straight to the cable.
As for the cable,the cable was installed by chorus as the house was built,16 years ago and when I upgraded to BB and HD Tv in January this year all the cables had to be replaced,inside and outside the house.The reason,the cables
were to old,is what I was told.

BostonB

I think they are just putting in new boxes to eliminate that as a potential problem. Which is fair enough tbh.

Most people have good experiences with UPC. I have had a few issues, but I don't think thats usual.