What is a cable installation for internet like?

They will run cable to your house from the street if there is none installed yet. The cable goes to a demarc box, normally mounted on the outside of the house so the installer can access it there in future to connect/disconnect cable service without entering the house.

But the issue is to run the cable from there to wherever your internet modem is in the house if you have no cable yet. Most houses of the last 50 years were built with cable pre-installed and already run to the demarc box. If your house doesn't have that, they will have to drill through the outer wall behind the demarc box to run the cable into the house, and then run cable from there to the modem. They will try to run it concealed if they can, but there is a limit to what the installer will do inside your house in a short free installation call. They will string cable through attic or basement, but they aren't going to crawl over the rafters. They might fish the cable a short distance, but they are not going to open up and then repair interior walls. The best bet where there is no existing cable in the house might be to place the demarc close to the room where the modem will be and then got straight through the outer wall into that room.

Alternatively you could place the modem as close as possible to the demarc and then run ethernet inside the house. But if you have no existing ethernet, that just replaces the problem of running coax with the problem of running ethernet.

Scote64 wrote: ↑ They will run cable to your house from the street if there is none installed yet. The cable goes to a demarc box, normally mounted on the outside of the house so the installer can access it there in future to connect/disconnect cable service without entering the house.

But the issue is to run the cable from there to wherever your internet modem is in the house if you have no cable yet. Most houses of the last 50 years were built with cable pre-installed and already run to the demarc box. If your house doesn't have that, they will have to drill through the outer wall behind the demarc box to run the cable into the house, and then run cable from there to the modem. They will try to run it concealed if they can, but there is a limit to what the installer will do inside your house in a short free installation call. They will string cable through attic or basement, but they aren't going to crawl over the rafters. They might fish the cable a short distance, but they are not going to open up and then repair interior walls. The best bet where there is no existing cable in the house might be to place the demarc close to the room where the modem will be and then got straight through the outer wall into that room.

Alternatively you could place the modem as close as possible to the demarc and then run ethernet inside the house. But if you have no existing ethernet, that just replaces the problem of running coax with the problem of running ethernet.

I really appreciate your detailed response. I looked into it and the house was built in the 50's, given what you said I searched and there is indeed the cable access port and box outside. Does that mean installation should be quick and painless?

dealo'day wrote: ↑ I really appreciate your detailed response. I looked into it and the house was built in the 50's, given what you said I searched and there is indeed the cable access port and box outside. Does that mean installation should be quick and painless?

Yes, you should be good then, but you should figure out where the existing cable outlets are in the house, because the installer will ask you where you want to connect the modem.

The Rogers technician will only ensure the signal works up to that box. Their job is to only ensure there’s a signal at that box. Beyond that box and inside the house will be your responsibility.

Some telcos do not install cables or jacks inside the house for their third party customers. So if the jacks inside the house do not work, you have to be prepared to call up a private contractor to perform the install, or switch to Rogers for a month to install hardware and then switch back.

Spinner wrote: ↑ The Rogers technician will only ensure the signal works up to that box. Their job is to only ensure there’s a signal at that box. Beyond that box and inside the house will be your responsibility.

Some telcos do not install cables or jacks inside the house for their third party customers. So if the jacks inside the house do not work, you have to be prepared to call up a private contractor to perform the install, or switch to Rogers for a month to install hardware and then switch back.

Amen to this. Back when my family first got cable internet in 2000 (kids these days will never know the joy of going from dialup to broadband ), we found that the pre-existing cable in the house wasn't really suitable. It was fine for analog TV, but internet would've been sketchy. They ended up drilling a hole in the wall and installing a completely new line into the house, and we just bypassed the pre-installed wiring entirely. And yeah they'll only ensure the line gets into the house in working order, they won't do any additional work on wiring or jack installation.

tritium4ever wrote: ↑ Amen to this. Back when my family first got cable internet in 2000 (kids these days will never know the joy of going from dialup to broadband ), we found that the pre-existing cable in the house wasn't really suitable. It was fine for analog TV, but internet would've been sketchy. They ended up drilling a hole in the wall and installing a completely new line into the house, and we just bypassed the pre-installed wiring entirely. And yeah they'll only ensure the line gets into the house in working order, they won't do any additional work on wiring or jack installation.

I have a feeling it might be the same case here since cable hasn't been used for decades. At first I felt happy but now it seems like it's going to be a headache.

Going to add to the alternative discussion - you could place your router as close to the demarc box as possible - but if that is the furthest point from where the majority of the usage is going to be then it's not a good idea. You also have to take into account what your walls are made of as these will interfere with the wireless signal.

Also - this is DSL so they will be using your telephone cable not coax cable. The cables inside the house are probably quite old so that will probably interfere with the quality of the signal. You may as well just ask them to run a new cable along the baseboard to where you want your modem instead of having another provider come by to do more work. It's not the ugliest thing but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Either that, get a signal repeater.




[quote=Scote64 post_id=35980543 time=1650474129 user_id=1417991]
They will run cable to your house from the street if there is none installed yet. The cable goes to a demarc box, normally mounted on the outside of the house so the installer can access it there in future to connect/disconnect cable service without entering the house.

But the issue is to run the cable from there to wherever your internet modem is in the house if you have no cable yet. Most houses of the last 50 years were built with cable pre-installed and already run to the demarc box. If your house doesn't have that, they will have to drill through the outer wall behind the demarc box to run the cable into the house, and then run cable from there to the modem. They will try to run it concealed if they can, but there is a limit to what the installer will do inside your house in a short free installation call. They will string cable through attic or basement, but they aren't going to crawl over the rafters. They might fish the cable a short distance, but they are not going to open up and then repair interior walls. The best bet where there is no existing cable in the house might be to place the demarc close to the room where the modem will be and then got straight through the outer wall into that room.

Alternatively you could place the modem as close as possible to the demarc and then run ethernet inside the house. But if you have no existing ethernet, that just replaces the problem of running coax with the problem of running ethernet.
[/quote]

Spinner wrote: ↑ The Rogers technician will only ensure the signal works up to that box. Their job is to only ensure there’s a signal at that box. Beyond that box and inside the house will be your responsibility.

Some telcos do not install cables or jacks inside the house for their third party customers. So if the jacks inside the house do not work, you have to be prepared to call up a private contractor to perform the install, or switch to Rogers for a month to install hardware and then switch back.

I've had a Rogers tech come inside to test and verify that a cable line is "live". It only takes them a few minutes.

umadbrah wrote: ↑ I've had a Rogers tech come inside to test and verify that a cable line is "live". It only takes them a few minutes.

Which Internet provider were you using?