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Cable Modem Amplifiers?

Posted by Cliff on from the digital-snake-oil-solutions dept.

A concerned Anonymous Coward asks: "Now that my cable modem system is filling up with users I cannot always get "online". The service provider's tech support says that my upstream signal power is borderline acceptable. They suggest that I buy a signal amplifier from them. I'm assuming they're trying to rip me off to offset capital investment costs. I've searched google for half and hour but cannot find anyone selling or anyplace to purchase a cable modem amplifier. Does anyone know where a cable modem amplifier can be purchased? Any advice on price, specs, quality, setup?" Cable modem amplifiers? I haven't heard of such things, but of course, that doesn't mean that they don't exist. Have any of you heard of such things, or is this just another attempt to separate the consumer from their money?

3 of 13 comments (clear)

  1. Ask Google: Cable Modem Amplifiers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Does no-one ever look at a search engine for results before asking Cliff?

  2. Nutty by T. · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There is no such thing as a cable *modem* amplifier. This is baseband. Accept it. Reducing S/N is the only thing you can do. Why not just unplug the 32 TV sets you already have connected to your home cable service? Or get the cable company to remove the odd staple or two from the cable drop over your roof that might interfere with you favorite dub-dub site?

    Either way is is probably just a ground loop attenutaing signal. It is their problem. But you seem to simpy to deal with it. Think DEMARC here. You have a PC, you subscribe to a service, it fails.

    Grow balls. Call them. Tell them to FIX MY F'IN' CABLE INTERNET...NOW!

    That's what you pay them for. It is likely simple physics and it not your concern.

  3. My cable company installed one by JumpSuit+Boy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My cable(ATT@HOME) company installed one for the very reason you discribe. I was getting prgressively lower bandwidth and then irratic connections at peak usage time. So they put an amp in. Basically it's a nine volt wall wort power supply connected to a little booster in the cable box outside. They did this for free to return my servces to normal. YMMV

    BTW for normal analog cable Radio shack does sell a cable amp for abut 20$US

    --
    Oh really?