The cable company put a non watertight splice in the cable when they came and buried the cable across the yard. Didn't realize that until the first rain storm and the internet went out. They fixed that and put a box on the house but didn't slope the cable down coming out of the house for a drip loop so I moved the box slightly and had to bend the cables around. The previous installer ran the larger cable into the house so was dealing with two large cables (RG11?) in the box connected to a grounding block. Had to make some fairly tight bends and now the internet is out again. One end of the cable in is their pedestal which requires a special key so haven't been able to open it. Bend radius is about 2.5inches I am guessing. Probably messes with the impedance some but I doubt it would short out. Are the short bends enough to cause problems?
how tight can I bend RG11 without damaging it?
- Thread starter JimS
- Start date
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
It could affect impedance if the center polyethylene insulation is crushed. Seems 2.5" exceeds the minimum bend radius specification (see attachment).
I thought briefly about taking out the attenuator they installed at the last tech visit. Then called in the outage and was surprised to get some good support. They could see the modem trying to connect. They started asking about the wiring and I mentioned the attenuator. They said they can cause problem so try it without. It works now.
As for the bends I could make them less tight with a straight through coupler but I would need to get one that is longer with a smooth section after the threads for the cable end boots to seal against and those aren't common. Guess that's why they used a grounding block even though the ground bond is in another location.
As for the bends I could make them less tight with a straight through coupler but I would need to get one that is longer with a smooth section after the threads for the cable end boots to seal against and those aren't common. Guess that's why they used a grounding block even though the ground bond is in another location.
pete_c
Guru
Are you doing a combo package with Television and Internet?
Is your cable all underground or does it go to a telephone pole?
Here had issues with re cabling in the last two homes. I have had XFinity redo the cable twice here in the last two years.
Both times the cables were left on the lawn for a couple of weeks before they were buried. That said that caused issues with cutting the lawn and my landscapers avoiding cutting the cable).
IE: both homes they rewired. Both homes they nicked the cables when they buried them.
In this house the original cable coming in to the basement went to a splitter which I removed. They installed an attenuator splitter which sort of worked the I installed an attenuation at the modem. The signal is within specs.
I had similar issues when wiring for fiber with Verizon FIOS many years ago. I took over the installation there and had the installer do what I told him to do and then checked his work.
I took care of the interior wiring and looked over the shoulder of the tech testing signals at the box away from the home and at the box at the house. It is RJ11 (fat cable) to the box on the side of the house and RG6 to the inside of the house. All of my dealings were vial the XFinity forum and direct contact with XFinity employees. Very good communications and all service tickets were opened by XFinity employees on the XFinity forum.
Is your cable all underground or does it go to a telephone pole?
Here had issues with re cabling in the last two homes. I have had XFinity redo the cable twice here in the last two years.
Both times the cables were left on the lawn for a couple of weeks before they were buried. That said that caused issues with cutting the lawn and my landscapers avoiding cutting the cable).
IE: both homes they rewired. Both homes they nicked the cables when they buried them.
In this house the original cable coming in to the basement went to a splitter which I removed. They installed an attenuator splitter which sort of worked the I installed an attenuation at the modem. The signal is within specs.
I had similar issues when wiring for fiber with Verizon FIOS many years ago. I took over the installation there and had the installer do what I told him to do and then checked his work.
I took care of the interior wiring and looked over the shoulder of the tech testing signals at the box away from the home and at the box at the house. It is RJ11 (fat cable) to the box on the side of the house and RG6 to the inside of the house. All of my dealings were vial the XFinity forum and direct contact with XFinity employees. Very good communications and all service tickets were opened by XFinity employees on the XFinity forum.
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pete_c
Guru
BTW the instrument that they use provides signals for all of the channels just like the modem. So that is where you look yourself at their signal meter outside at the point where the cable is run to your house and at your house and then finally inside before it connects to the modem. If the signal is too strong the attenuator will not work that well. I purchased 6 of different values here and have only one in place that hit the sweet spot with the modem. I did find out that the network beyond my house is not backed up power wise so an area outage still takes down my internet. In the house the telco wall (modem, firewall et al) is UPS backed up.
pete_c
Guru
The RG11 should go to a new box on the side of your home and then inside with regular RG6 cable.
Here is the way mine was:
Box in yard 300 plus feet from house box with RG11. IE: box to box. New box or coupler in the box for the RG11 to RG6. Then a new run (they should provide the cable) from the inside to the modem. The signal should be all the same outside at the most distant box, then the box adjacent to your house then the modem. Here it was easy because the modem is in the basement telco wall. Its that cable that goes to the modem that has to be checked. If it is old and split a few times that will cause issues. My telco wall is about 20 feet from the ingress of the cable and only goes to the modem here. I do not have cable TV.
Here is the way mine was:
Box in yard 300 plus feet from house box with RG11. IE: box to box. New box or coupler in the box for the RG11 to RG6. Then a new run (they should provide the cable) from the inside to the modem. The signal should be all the same outside at the most distant box, then the box adjacent to your house then the modem. Here it was easy because the modem is in the basement telco wall. Its that cable that goes to the modem that has to be checked. If it is old and split a few times that will cause issues. My telco wall is about 20 feet from the ingress of the cable and only goes to the modem here. I do not have cable TV.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
I'm guessing the cable was damaged and caused some attenuation. Removing the end terminator is a Band-Aid but I'm betting you are getting all kinds of reflections that could impede performance.
They need to do a frequency sweep test from the origination to your end connection. Hopefully they have the equipment. Only that will tell you the true integrity of the coaxial connections and cabling. Hopefully they have that type of diagnostic equipment.
I'm with Pete, have them repair it correctly, then ask for this type of test.
They need to do a frequency sweep test from the origination to your end connection. Hopefully they have the equipment. Only that will tell you the true integrity of the coaxial connections and cabling. Hopefully they have that type of diagnostic equipment.
I'm with Pete, have them repair it correctly, then ask for this type of test.
The last guy did do a frequency sweep of the cable. But that was before I bent the cables around to get a drip loop in the cables.
The first visit (after they installed to the pedestal in the yard) ran the line to and into the house. I have a heavy ground bonding wire just inside and for phone ran the bond wire out the same hole the phone came in. Planned to do the same on the cable. The way houses are built these days and NEC recent code calls for a grounding block mounted outside to make ground connections easy. The installer didn't even have a box on his truck. He ran the RG11 into the house and put the ground block there.
When they came to bury the line across the yard I wasn't there and they cut the line near the house to run through the cable plow. Then put in non-waterproof connectors.
The last visit the guy had a box and put it on. He seemed to know what he was doing and I was trying to get some other things done so I didn't micro manage what he was doing. Put line from the street behind the box coming in the back instead of the bottom which held the box way away from the wall and the line into the house sloped toward the house. I lowered the box running the incoming line in the bottom and bending the RG11 into the house so it sloped away from the house. Should have had then change out the line into the house for RG6 - it's only about 4 feet long and goes to the internal ground block. Then RG6 to the modem.
I hear what people are saying about getting them to redo it but at some point it gets easier to do it yourself than try to get others to do it. If I have trouble again I will see what I can get them to do but at this point it works and everything should shed rain fine.
I could use a F connector straight splice that has some extra length but all I have seen are short and threaded all the way. The attenuators and ground blocks they use have a bit extra length that is smooth for the connector boot to seal on. Like the picture (Amazon). I found them but they are $20 in single qty. I can get 100 for twice that but don't need 100!
The first visit (after they installed to the pedestal in the yard) ran the line to and into the house. I have a heavy ground bonding wire just inside and for phone ran the bond wire out the same hole the phone came in. Planned to do the same on the cable. The way houses are built these days and NEC recent code calls for a grounding block mounted outside to make ground connections easy. The installer didn't even have a box on his truck. He ran the RG11 into the house and put the ground block there.
When they came to bury the line across the yard I wasn't there and they cut the line near the house to run through the cable plow. Then put in non-waterproof connectors.
The last visit the guy had a box and put it on. He seemed to know what he was doing and I was trying to get some other things done so I didn't micro manage what he was doing. Put line from the street behind the box coming in the back instead of the bottom which held the box way away from the wall and the line into the house sloped toward the house. I lowered the box running the incoming line in the bottom and bending the RG11 into the house so it sloped away from the house. Should have had then change out the line into the house for RG6 - it's only about 4 feet long and goes to the internal ground block. Then RG6 to the modem.
I hear what people are saying about getting them to redo it but at some point it gets easier to do it yourself than try to get others to do it. If I have trouble again I will see what I can get them to do but at this point it works and everything should shed rain fine.
I could use a F connector straight splice that has some extra length but all I have seen are short and threaded all the way. The attenuators and ground blocks they use have a bit extra length that is smooth for the connector boot to seal on. Like the picture (Amazon). I found them but they are $20 in single qty. I can get 100 for twice that but don't need 100!
