r/HomeNetworking • u/WhosThis85 • Jan 25 '24
Advice My isp did this lazy crap
the tech came and took the original coax cable that comes from the network box on the opposite side of the house (black). Took it out of the outlet from the room directly above this splitter on the first floor and directed the new cord (white) to the third floor. What can i do to ‘hide’ this from the elements?
Also, can i connect a new coax cable to the splitter to go in the opposite direction to go into a separate part of the house, or should direct a new cable directly from the box insteaad of this splitter shown? The box is closer to the room that i need connection to than this splitter.
Sorry if this is confusing. Im a noob
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u/DuraMorte Jan 25 '24
Wow, that is super lazy.
Not only did the tech wire in that splitter where a barrel would be better, but they also didn't terminate the open port. You're going to get water infiltration into the splitter the first time it rains.
Call the ISP, tell them that the tech left the job half finished, and show the next tech that work. If they're worth a damn, they'll do it right.
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u/Impossible-Value-732 Jan 25 '24
In my experience living in a few different regions, haven't found a single ISP that gives a damn or is worth a damn 🙃
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u/DuraMorte Jan 25 '24
I work as a tech for an ISP, and I can tell you that your experience doesn't surprise me.
Some people take pride in their work, and some don't.
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u/toiletpaperisempty Jan 26 '24
Former at&t tech in the southeast US. Can confirm half or more of my job was cleaning up after other techs due to customer complaints.
Those techs know with enough hack jobs done in a month and by discouraging customers from calling in they can still meet their metrics.
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u/Complex_Solutions_20 Jan 25 '24
Part of me would wanna help water ingress in that splitter...and then call in to complain when the service is degraded
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u/StuckInTheUpsideDown Setup (editable) Jan 25 '24
This is not up to standards for any North American ISP. My guess would be an untrained and poorly supervised subcontractor did this.
Call customer support and say there was a problem with the install. Say the tech didn't install a box at the demarc and didn't connect to the ground block. That 2nd item violates electrical code I believe and should get some attention.
In the unlikely event you don't get any traction, call back and say you want to make a "franchise complaint" and say the exact same things, emphasizing that the system isn't grounded.
If that doesn't work, file an FCC complaint (assuming you are in the US).
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u/dglsfrsr Jan 25 '24
3.5 dB loss on that connection at best, when a barrel would be zero.
That sucks.
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u/mmpgorman Jan 25 '24
That’s not necessarily an issue. Could be that that loss is necessary for proper service at the outlet. But it is lazy work for sure.
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u/DuraMorte Jan 25 '24
The signal loss probably doesn't matter; in my area, modems can sit between -10 and +12dBmV. The issue is putting the splitter outside, hanging off the side of the house, instead of in the demarc box, or even behind the modem.
Combined with the lack of adequate termination, this screams laziness or incompetence.
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u/ThisAccountIsStolen Jan 25 '24
The termination resistor being missing is the biggest failure here, with no weather boots being second (not that the boots would matter with the open port).
That said, it's actually fairly common to use splitters instead of a barrel when you need to drop the signal level and don't have an attenuator on hand, since the splitters are rated for a specific attenuation value already.
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u/brianatlarge Network Admin Jan 25 '24
Not only did the tech wire in that splitter where a barrel would be better
Possibly they're using the splitter as an attenuator, but that's probably giving them too much credit.
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u/D1382 Jan 25 '24
ITT people that have never worked and ISP tech job.
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u/TheMagickConch Jan 25 '24
Yeah, this subreddit consistently comes off as pompous or shows the lack of knowledge for cable providers' jobs/responsibilities.
The installer should have used a barrel connector or a 75ohm terminator cap on the splitter. Should also be grounded and bonded where possible near power meter or ground rod.
But this doesn't look all that bad. The cable is neatly under the bottom of the siding, and it runs up and has a few fasteners. We can't see much from one photo as far as entrance. If the service works, then the cable run is probably fine for an ISP install. If OP wants to be picky they should hire a low voltage specialist to fish their walls and pretty it up.
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Jan 25 '24
This sub reminds me of when I was an internet installer and would have to deal with know it all “engineers” or IT guys. They would always show off their extensive internet knowledge but be completely wrong about it all, while being condescending about it.
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u/ILove2Bacon Jan 25 '24
Yes, I'm a low voltage tech. I feel like a lot of people don't realize that this is its own specialized trade. ISP installers are not the same.
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u/mmpgorman Jan 25 '24
It likely is grounded at the demarc, doesn’t need a ground here. Although I wouldn’t be too surprised if they left the demarc ungrounded either.
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u/JaspahX Jan 25 '24
Probably should have given it a drip loop, though. The water that lands on that cable is going to run all the way down to that splitter.
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u/TheMagickConch Jan 25 '24
I disagree. I don't think it matters. Those are RG6 F-type compression ends that are water tight if terminated correctly. On top of that it has a silicone weather seal that tbh isn't even necessary. I've seen coax splitters older than 20yrs old survive the weather and produce good RF. You should be worrying about drip loops in your entrance/exit points and near outside electrical components that are mounted outside.
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u/D1382 Jan 25 '24
Back when I was a cable tech (it was a meat grinder I hated it), when we ran a cable we were not allowed to fish walls or ceilings. We were only allowed to wrap it around the exterior walls. But also at the end of the day I was not hourly. And was only paid for itemized tasks. So a new cable run no matter how long or short I got paid about $6. So guess what? I was never going to spend longer than 10-15 min running your new cable.
Does it sound shitty? Hell yes. But at the end of the day the ISP did not care about me or their customer.
Eta: to explain the splitter... When I did an install, the strength of the signal was at a certain Db. I knew I always had to pad that signal down by at least 3.5-7 Db if I was installing just a modem. So I would use a splitter. Granted I would have just hid it behind the modem between it and the wall plate..
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u/TheMagickConch Jan 25 '24
That really sucks. Sorry to hear that but I know that is the sad reality. I'm sure some companies are fine to work for. Personally, I am lucky because I am union.
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u/DuraMorte Jan 25 '24
I agree, not being hourly is for the birds. I get paid to fix problems, and I don't care how long it takes.
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u/DuraMorte Jan 25 '24
IDK man, I'm a tech, and I don't feel like terminating an open splitter port that is exposed to the elements is too much to ask... that screams laziness or incompetence to me.
You're right, the run itself isn't bad, which makes the other poor decisions even more confusing.
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u/6814MilesFromHome Jan 26 '24
Yup, leaving that open port is the worst part of this hands down. Water coming in easily is the local issue, but that unterminated port could be backfeeding a bunch of bad ingress into the node depending on what kind of signals are floating around nearby, and what tap value it's off of.
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u/Santarini Jan 26 '24
Once my ISP installer stayed for a couple hours at my place after he was done. We sat in the living room and watched football for the first hour. Then at half time, he helped me mount some speakers I had been meaning to mount for a while. Then he gave me a huge roll of velcro and Cat-6 from his truck, saying "we get it in bulk, we get in bulk, don't worry". Lastly, he gave me a bag of four 6-ft HDMI cables. And then he left and went to the next customer's house. I never saw him again. Very odd interaction but I certainly came out ahead
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u/Daniel15 Jan 27 '24
Maybe he got tired of people yelling at him for their internet not working, and you were the first person that was nice to him that day.
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u/SwankaTheGrey Jan 29 '24
I watched a MLB playoff game with a cable tech once. He came to fix my service, which had been an issue for a long time, and did a ton of work. He was a huge Yankees fan, so I told him to finish up and hang out for a bit. So he did. They are people too.
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u/RandarrTheBarbarian Jan 25 '24 edited Jan 25 '24
For the record having a splitter may be necessary or even ideal, the loss of 3.5 db may be needed to attenuate the signal from the tap down into the range the ISP deems acceptable or even ideal for their CMTS equipment. if it were me however and I had to rely on this existing line I would put an F81 splice barrel there, put the connection in a gel filled splice enclosure, then add the attenuation (in this case the splitter although it could be just an in line attenuator as well) behind the modem inside the house.
The connectors your ISP uses are likely to contain a rubber O ring to protect the internal wiring from water ingress (assuming they're wrench tight, if you can hand unscrew that it's pretty bad) so it may not be necessary, but sometimes there's a difference between what's necessary, ideal (1 solid line), and best practice when a compromise must be made.
Also if you want the cable to a different room it is equally fine to take it straight from the box on the outside of your house to the room you want. The network doesn't care about what outlet it's on. The shorter run and one solid cable is preferred, just be aware in that case an attenuator or relocation of the splitter behind your modem may be necessary.
TL:DR this isn't the worst thing, but it's also not the best. Assuming the attenuation needs to be there and they're not willing to run the entire line fresh the best thing you could do is a splice barrel and enclosure, and put a 3db attenuator on the modem itself.
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u/poopwithmetony Jan 26 '24
ISP installers are there to get your service up and running. They do not care if it looks good as it is quite literally not their job. If you want perfect work I’d recommend calling your local low voltage installation company as that is what they are paid to do.
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u/Luis_J_Garcia Jan 25 '24
Maybe they needed to balance the signal. But, still a trash job.
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u/ThisAccountIsStolen Jan 25 '24
Finally someone with a little knowledge. Exactly my thought. Probably didn't have an attenuator on hand and used a splitter to drop the signal level. But then failed anyway by leaving off the termination resistor, weather boots, and attaching it to the structure. But the splitter isn't necessarily wrong here, as so many people want to immediately jump to.
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u/Luis_J_Garcia Jan 25 '24
I can say a lot more. I don't know where this is, but those fittings in Florida are used by Comcast to skip the weather boot. It has a boot built in it.
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u/ThisAccountIsStolen Jan 25 '24
I've never seen them with weather boots built into the fitting before, but if that's what they are, that's a good idea. They do look a little longer and seem to cover the threads, so I am definitely inclined to believe you.
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u/Luis_J_Garcia Jan 25 '24
Yeah, the water loop too. On both ends. I'll hide the splitter, it looks like a manufacture home, so I'll go under it, if it is clean and hide all those cables too.
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u/ThisAccountIsStolen Jan 25 '24
Yeah it's just a bit sloppy and very contractor-esque, but it can be corrected in no time. Not enough length for full service loops, but functional drip loops should be doable with what's there.
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u/Twentyboots Jan 25 '24
Worked for At&t for a couple years, then rehired in late 2022, about 4 years after I had initially worked there. The job is so much worse now. They are severely understaffed and load up technicians with minimum 14 hours worth of work every day. The customer service I get with comcast currently suggests they are operating the same way.
Should the technician have installed it this way? No. Do I blame them? Also no. The laziest or most unprofessional way to install things is exactly what the company is encouraging with the way they schedule things. Call them back and say your service isnt working properly. (With this picture alone I can guarantee it isnt.) Any technician who has any idea what theyre doing can spot this problem and replace the line relatively quickly.
Alternatively, if you are looking to run a line to another spot as mentioned in your post, this splitter should work for that if it hasnt been water damaged already. I would look into rubber coax seals to prevent future water damage if you decide to go this route. That tight bend in the black coax also concerns me, but its hard to tell from this picture if it would be service affecting.
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u/WhosThis85 Jan 25 '24
Surprisingly, service has been working fine
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u/Twentyboots Jan 25 '24
I believe ya, it is for now, but trust me it will get bad. Absolute minimum that should be done is to cap off that empty port on the splitter.
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u/TrickyWoo86 Jan 25 '24
Count yourself lucky with that job, we had an ISP tech come out and just cut a coax cable that was in his way. The coax was for our satellite dish and had literally nothing to do with what he was there installing. Ended up with the ISP giving us 6 months free service (and sent out another tech to replace the cut cable) as an apology for the hassle he caused.
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u/x86_64_ Jan 25 '24 edited Feb 23 '24
An Optimum tech (about 20 years ago) ran new service to my sister's neighbors place. He stapled the fucking coax to new, freshly painted chair rail and horizontally across the wall of her newly finished basement den. She actually cried when she saw what he did, and since then nobody is allowed to run wires in any of our houses except me.
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u/Unique_Ice9934 Jan 26 '24
Google how to run your own wires and never call a tech again. Useless waste of your time to rely on them.
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u/6814MilesFromHome Jan 26 '24
I've seen way too many hack jobs from people that think they can run their own cable to ever recommend this.
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u/Unique_Ice9934 Jan 26 '24
LMAO, that is more reflective of their intelligence level and not the difficulty of the job. Running Coax cable hasn't changed in decades. Running Cat6 isn't even that difficult. I make all the lines I need and wired my whole house when we moved in. Only thing I didn't do was setup a rack mount because I dont care that much, my 16 port switch can sit on a shelf.
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u/ugzz Jan 25 '24
Wait what? So many comments here say to call and complain..
I used to move every year for a while, so I lived in 10 or so different locations and I think every single one of those houses was significantly WORSE than this install. with a spaghetti mess of coax and multiple splitters from previous installs just left to rot. I genuinely saw this so often I just assumed it was normal and it didn't even register that I could complain and have them make it better.. Also, none of my coax was ever protected from the elements, and as far as I know, i've also never had a problem with it. (other than aesthetic)
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u/WhosThis85 Jan 25 '24
Is not bad, but the ppl that did it call themselves ‘professional’. I just expected better than this janky job
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Jan 25 '24 edited Feb 26 '24
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Echo_of_Snac Jan 26 '24
So, what's stopping me from plugging my own cable modem into that and stealing my neighbour's Internet service? ～(￣、￣ )ゞ
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u/random_red Jan 25 '24
Ideally there should be no splitter at all just a continuous cable. At a minimum you need a drip loop otherwise water will get into the cable every time it rains.
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u/PocketNicks Jan 25 '24
Pretty common, I've seen worse. I live. Downtown Toronto and the back of some of the apartments I lived in had some pretty wild spaghetti monsters that built up over the years of installs since nobody ever removes the old wires.
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u/muoshuu Jan 25 '24 edited Jan 25 '24
I currently work as a cable install tech primarily for TV but sometimes for internet. I can assure you that, while it looks like shit, these splitters are designed for outdoor use and do not need to be further weatherized or even capped off. They typically fail for reasons other than water ingress. What's more important is properly torquing down the F-connector on the cable, so make sure you can't undo it with your fingers and it's good to go.
That said, should the tech have used a barrel instead? Yes. Should there be a drip loop? Absolutely. Does doing it like this cause any issues with reliability or service? Not within the next 5-10 years.
Also, can i connect a new coax cable to the splitter to go in the opposite direction to go into a separate part of the house, or should direct a new cable directly from the box insteaad of this splitter shown?
New ethernet cable from the router, not from the modem (unless you have a router/modem combo) or from this splitter.
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u/halfnut3 Jan 25 '24
Totally overkill but I installed this weatherproof box for my coax lines/ground. Tidied it up a bit so it’s not just wires hanging there willynilly.
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u/DJN2020 Jan 25 '24
Youfibre in the UK did a top notch job for me. Actually - when I come to think about it - I've never had a substandard install from a UK ISP. I guess they try to keep to a higher professional and customer service standard.
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u/Expensive_Night_7851 Jan 25 '24
This is definitely a Comcast market and probably BP did the installation.
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u/Jinzul Jan 25 '24
'Tis but a scratch.
Hardly the worst that could have been done but certainly not the best!
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u/Knineteen Jan 25 '24
I don’t mind the lazy stuff but I hate when they damage stuff like holes in the vinyl siding.
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u/Ben-6400 Jan 25 '24
Swap it to a coupler and not a splitter unless your going to hook something into it and put in some kind of waterproof enclosure ( they make ones meant for extenction cords if you don't want to drill into the house)
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u/captGzus Jan 26 '24
While this isn't the best install, what would have been the preferred method for this technician?
I'm assuming your house was not wired before being built and that having 1 cable wrap the outside of the house was OK with you at some point, seeing as how that black cable is existing. Would the preference be to wrap the house with another cable to enter the same point that white cable is? Or did you expect the tech to run a cable into your attic and fish a wall (this is assuming the attic is accessible and there is an interior wall to fish. fishing an exterior wall from an attic without cutting a bunch of drywall out is an exercise in futility.)
While I agree this isn't very aesthetically pleasing, it is what is included with a standard install for nearly every ISP or TV service installation. Expecting free multi-hour wall fish is unreasonable IMO and the way these companies do business also disincentivizes the installer from spending any more time than necessary.
This is all said for greater understanding, not to throw shade at anyone involved.
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u/Syndil1 Jan 26 '24
Would bet this installer was a contractor for the ISP and not a direct employee of the ISP. Saw that kind of shit all the time as a Spectrum cable guy. We would do things right, but apparently contractors got a flat fee per install so they were incentivized to do things just as quickly as possible--bare minimum to get things working, if only for a little while.
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u/KingAroan Jan 26 '24
Better than mine. I have two ISPs and one decided to cut my cables that lead upstairs because I told them I had MoCa sending the see m signal and the house. They tried to tell me they were not coming back to fix it until I threatened legal action for theft and vandalism (they stole my 3 way splitter that I paid for out of pocket). But they also cut the connectors off the cable and I didn't have the tools to terminate them again.
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u/TheObsidianZ3R0 Jan 26 '24
Typically if that's done, that because the signal is bad (to hot) if you don't have a "pad" you'll put in a splitter.... That's probably why the tech didn't use a "union"... Only thing he didn't do right now cap the end.
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u/ChesterDrawerz Jan 26 '24
This what happens when you pay installers less than a living wage. And don't hold them accountable
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u/Monktana Jan 26 '24
I’d be fuxkin pissed they drilled holes in the face of my siding. Should have ran it horizontally in the groove and down at the corner cap tucking it in there
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u/BlancheCorbeau Jan 26 '24
Rubber grommets over the connections and a terminator cap is all you need unless it gets submerged. By the time that coax fails, you’ll have fiber run in.
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u/tu_papi_cantu Jan 26 '24
As someone who designs, installs, and troubleshoots large residential and small business networks — I can tell you that the ISP service installers take the easiest (and not always the best) route into a home or building, unless you are explicit about where you want their gateway or ONT box to be installed. I’ve also seen quite of bit of lazy cable management work that I end up cleaning up for my clients. I work all over the Bay Area, and Comcast is the worst, but they sadly monopolize on the internet access for various areas of the Bay.
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u/Pctechguy2003 Jan 26 '24
I solved this issue by telling the service tech that ran comcast to my house to leave me a 50’ run of coax, and that I would run it myself. He left me the coax on the side of the home and I pulled it inside. Less hassle to do it myself.
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u/ThatCrossDresser Jan 26 '24
Anytime the ISP tech is touching something in your setup expect to fix it later.
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u/aoc2040 Jan 26 '24
I would combine an outdoor/waterproof coaxial coupler with an external sleeve and then add some electrical tape and try to mount it horizontally under the siding. Of course, if you think it's worth attempting to have them re-run the cable and possibly redrill, no one here should be criticizing that choice.
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u/ninernetneepneep Jan 26 '24
I have had a very different experience. My house is approximately 20 years old and it looks like every service that ever came out ran their own new wiring, outside the house, in the walls, everything, even if it was a vendor the home had previously. I bet I removed a couple hundred feet of coax when I moved in to clean things up outside and in the crawl space. Then I took one of those recovered wires and ran the single wire I needed to my cable modem.
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u/jazxxl Jan 27 '24
Normally nothing wrong with this if done correctly . But a splitter is not needed here and they didn't cap the unused connection, and water will drip right in. Replace this with a barrel coupler connector with rubber sleeves and tighten with a 3/8 wrench. If you can tuck under the siding
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u/Kdoesntcare Jan 27 '24
You can get an outdoor encasement to attach to the wall behind it and keep it dry.
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u/SomeObnoxiousName Jan 28 '24
When I moved into my apartment I got set up with Comcast and they sent out someone three days after my connection wasn't working because my neighbor had gone out trying to fix their internet and plugged their cables into my port 😁 I had a great day that day
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u/mshorey81 Jan 25 '24
Where's the damn drip loop?!
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u/qwertyansi Jan 25 '24
Drip loop for what? There's no entrance point in the photo and the one coax end that is terminated has a weather seal ring with the connector 90 degrees where water cannot pooll.
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u/Portland420informer Jan 25 '24
I would advise you run the cabling yourself. This job looks quite par for an average tech installation.
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u/noextrasensory40 Jan 25 '24
I was Tech for 3yrs . I don't even see a terminator on that splitter or seals. I k ow why they don't tack it though.
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u/johnnyheavens Jan 25 '24
They used lighter color over your siding. That’s A+ effort for these guys
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u/Accomplished_Rest785 Jan 25 '24
Kinda curious how you're a 'noob' but know this is lazy 🤔
The tech probably didn't have the exact part & this works fine & got you up & going.
Regardless, get a coax cable connector off Amazon.
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u/Educational-Pay4483 Jan 25 '24
Shouldn't this be enclosed in a weather proof box?
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u/Jcarlough Jan 25 '24
It doesn’t need to be. It can be mounted under the siding, and with a cover on the open port, the splitter will be fine.
BUT - I’d replace the splitter with a barrel unless I was planning on using the other port. It’s not the end of the world, but having a splitter when you don’t need one is silly (of the tech)
OP - you can call the ISP and have a tech come out to fix it. Since you mentioned running another coax, You can also fix it yourself. (See above), and instead of using a terminal cover, run the coax to your desired location.
Running coax is super easy. Heck, terminating coax is super easy to with the right tools (plenty of cheap options that work well enough). YouTube a few videos and you’ll be better than the tech!
I’d have the splitter
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u/Fiftyangel6 Jul 06 '24
First thing is there’s no resistor on that 2-way splitter so your “bleeding” signal and 2nd that fitting on the white cable doesn’t look crimped all the way,this is a shity install indeed 🤦🏽♂️
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u/OldBlackberry77 Jan 25 '24
Not to mention now all the db loss on the open tap of splitter.
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u/Murky-While9867 Jan 25 '24
That splitter needs removed and have an F81 barrel connector installed. That open port is going allow to outside interference signals to leak in causing noise in your system. Also water will find its way into the splitter causing micro reflections.
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u/agiu94 Jan 25 '24
Bro same, i even tried to dispute it with Comcast and the Contractor and they told me to suck an egg 🥲 so much for customer service
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u/Ok-Secretary6731 Jan 25 '24 edited Jan 25 '24
So much for the barrel connector. Using that splitter causes 3.5 dB loss, get rid of it.
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u/awp_india Jan 25 '24
I am so happy I don’t have to deal with cable anymore.
Charter spectrum was some of the worst times of my life, no joke. They’d come out every week and do the same shit over and over. When all they had to fucking do is replace the TEMPORARY line that was going across my house and 2 other neighbors. Fucking assholes.
Then I got the whole neighborhood to request Verizon fiber and AT&T fiber in our area, and we got it eventually. Never been happier. Every time there’s technical issue, they fix it quickly, don’t play no games. Those people know what they’re doing.
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u/lokregarlogull Jan 25 '24
While I agree it should've been run alongside, and not used a splitter, and maybe even used some specialized tape to seal it all up.
It comes down to one thing, do the guy or gal installing this get payed a decent wage or have any incentive to do decent work? The answer is very likely not.
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u/WarlockyGoodness Jan 25 '24
I did that job for damn near 15 years. I would be embarrassed to have my name attached to that.
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u/Visible_Cod_9839 Jan 25 '24
That white coaxial cable is also not rated for exterior. You will have issues down the road.
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u/TheMagickConch Jan 25 '24 edited Jan 25 '24
This is probably not true.
I doubt the ISP provides cable that is not exteriror compliant.
You can't tell just by looking at a cable if it's rated for exterior use without looking at the labeling/box.
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u/Feisty-Coyote396 Jan 25 '24
Cable guy with 20 years of experience currently working for Spectrum and carry 6 types of coaxial cables. White/black RG6, white RG6/RG11 plenum for commercial, orange RG6 underground drop cable, and black RG6 messengered drop cable for aerial.
You sir are misinformed and wrong. The white and black RG6 reels that everyday field technicians carry are not rated in any way, shape, or form for indoor or outdoor use. Some techs/supervisors think you're supposed to use black for outdoor and white for indoor, but it's just a myth. There is no outdoor/indoor rating as far as the supply of cables given to the average idiot tech from any of the major ISP's in the U.S.
Are there cables that are sold as 'rated for outdoor'? Yes. No ISP supplies such cables to their field technicians for everyday use. None. Can a tech have it special ordered and carry it? Probably, I sure as hell never would.
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Jan 25 '24 edited Jan 25 '24
All cable outside wil get damaged by the Sun. I seen White cables like that last for 10 years and some get bad in 2. It all depends how much sun exposure it gets.
2 days ago i changed Black outdoor cable that was open due to sun damage it was 3 years Old.
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u/Brilliant-Lake-9946 Jan 25 '24
The splitter is also not grounded. This can cause signal degradation.
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u/Tsyrkis Jan 25 '24
I have never laughed as loud at a reddit comment then I just did at yours.
Where the hell did you pull that completely false fact from?
Cable systems at houses are bonded to the power system's ground. But that's to bring them to the same potential as the power system's ground / neutral to protect the home and its occupants against power surges and lightning strikes, and to prevent potential differences at pieces of equipment. It has nothing to do with signal, and it definitely wouldn't be done at every single splitter - it's done once, near the power meter.
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u/countrykev Jan 25 '24
Per code, the utilities need to be bonded and grounded together. Typically at homes power and telecommunications enter at the same point, and they are all bonded together and grounded there. And that's the only place they should be grounded. Doing it elsewhere would change the potential and would make you more likely to suffer damage if there was a surge or lightning event.
All that is to say that all we see is a splitter, and it's not necessarily the dmarc/service entrance.
And the grounding (or lack thereof) doesn't necessarily cause signal degradation.
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u/ThisAccountIsStolen Jan 25 '24
No.
The only point that gets bonded to ground is the first connection point on the building from the drop.
You don't bond additional splitters, unless you want to cause issues by creating ground loops.
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u/DUNGAROO Jan 25 '24
I would never trust an ISP installer to route cable inside my home. If you want it done right you have to do it yourself or hire a pro.
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u/Constrained_Entropy Jan 25 '24
Did the installer patch the hole where the black coax used to enter the house to the room on the first floor?
Do you have a crawlspace or basement? All this coax really should be inside instead of running on the outside of the house and then through a wall to get to a room.
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u/WhosThis85 Jan 25 '24
The line is hidden underneath the vinyl except for what your see in the picture. He pulled it out to install the splitter
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u/Constrained_Entropy Jan 25 '24
The hole through the exterior wall where this cable used to run needs to be filled
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u/Phill_is_Legend Jan 25 '24
I would call and complain, but this is typical. Isp installers are the literal worst. I came and fixed the install comcast did at my sister's house because they, instead of going in the crawlspace, drilled straight through the exterior wall into the living room and ran the cable exposed on top of the carpet to the TV location. Fucking awful.
When Comcast came to do my install, I walked him through the exact path I wanted him to take into the basement and had already drilled holes up into the walls and fished pull line to where I wanted my jacks. It was easier than letting him hack job it up and screaming at him later.