Old coax cable

[glennzo]

I've been in my current housing location for almost 20 years. When we first moved in we had cable installed, TV, Internet, etc. Unhappy with my current Internet speeds I was thinking about contacting Comcast to see if there is a newer cable modem available, and assuming there is a newer modem, should I be using it to enable me to get the fastest speeds available to me. At the same time I wondered about the old coax which leads me to the question, is there, or would there be any advantage to "upgrading" the coax or has that stuff not changed much over the last 20 years? For that matter, do they still use coax or is there something different these days?

[Dan]

No, it hasn't changed a heck of a lot, but the stuff actually does have a life span, mostly determined by leakage, oxidation, physical damage and decay of dis-similar metal contact surfaces. One of the biggest problems is moisture leakage at screw-joints. Way back when, they used to apply a insulating sealer to such junctions, but these days ... not so much. Installs tend to be haphazard at best. Probably the best way to determine the skills of the installer is the presence of (or lack thereof) well considered rain loops on external runs.

Further info. http://www.arrl.org/feed-lines

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Techn...df/8411019.pdf

If you've got a leaky joint in the system, you can have quite a bit of signal loss, and any place along the cable run that is kinked, punctured or squished will cause a definite drop in signal strength and quality.

[Dan]

Addendum:

It might actually be worth while to locate a HAM Radio operator, or go to the library and borrow/read the ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook chapters on feedlines and cable installation. Not all of it will specifically apply here, but the knowledge base sure is helpful when troubleshooting stuff like this.

The ARRL Antenna Compendium is a good resource, too.


It's also quite helpful in dealing with wireless issues.

[glennzo]

Interesting reading, those links.

I don't suspect issues with the cable. Just wondered if it was a worthwhile venture to replace it because of age. That, I suspect, will come at considerable cost. Although I could do 90% of the job myself I'd bet there would be issues if I climbed the pole to work that end. I'd probably get arrested. I think I'll have (ask) the war dept (©® Dan) call Comcast to
A: See if we need a new modem
B: See what it would cost to replace cable from pole to house

[Dan]

Might be worthwhile to drop out other devices/change the splitters in the system, or use barrel connector/new cable chunk to do a single straight run to the modem. Any significant increase in speed at that point will tell you if the problem is inside the house.

[glennzo]

This will turn into an adventure real quickly! I will take your advice under consideration Dan and will do some research. I think I might just be acquainted with one or two ham radio hobbyists. In the meantime, the war department (©® Dan) has consented making the phone call to Comcast. She's wonderful

[Dan]

That she is! Tell her I said, "Hi, and hang in there!"

[AndrewSerk]

One of the things that is probably worth looking into that I didn't see mentioned in this thread is new splitters with a lower resistance. Replacing the splitters from the 1980's as well as a dedicated line for the modem made a big difference here.

[cazo]

I recently replaced the 15+ year-old RG-59 cable in my attic with RG-6, because the signal was too weak for most of the HD channels. The old cable was fairly corroded (probably the heat & humidity). The price was about the same (maybe a dollar more for a 100 ft. spool). It was definitely worth the effort.

P.S. The cable from the pole to the house was replaced a few years ago, thanks to a hurricane.