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Cable Modem Amplifiers?
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?
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.
Here in Ohio, cable modem service through AOL/Time Warner requires an attenuator. It's a 6dB drop--helps keep the Motorola modems from getting signals far in excess of what they can handle. Generally, the 6dB "tap" is made near where the cable comes into the house or apartment and then goes to your modem directly. Find that little deally and see if your cable modem will sync up properly without it. If not, you may need something in between--like a 4 or 5dB drop. Either way, it's not your fault--so they should fix the problem for you. Sometimes it's really worth it to just play dumb and say "It don't work. Fix it."
Long, cute, or funny Sigs are just another form of over compensation, used by geeks, nerdz, etc.
They are completely responsible for the cable outside your home, you are responsible for the cable inside. They are providing you service over their cable. Hook your cable modem up to the outside access point and see if you still have problems. If you do, it is THEIR concern, and THEY are violating THEIR service agreement. If you don't have problems, then you should try using a splitter at that point, with one cable to your modem, another cable to a one-way filter (makes sure signals in your house don't get on the cable line - chances are they already have one in place) then to the rest of your house. Make sure all the connections are really good. A bad connection is often more a problem than one might think.
-Adam
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?