Can this coax cable be used for internet?

[Thomas01]

Can this coax cable be used for internet when connected to a cable modem?

https://a.co/d/fWzyGNR

 

[drinkingbird]

Can this coax cable be used for internet when connected to a cable modem?

https://a.co/d/fWzyGNR

Any RG6 quad or even tri shield will work fine as long as it isn't a crazy long run or bundled with AC power cables. Most cable companies will give you whatever length you need. I have a drawer full of comcast tri and quad shield coax patches with nice PPC connectors on them that came free with various modems and self install kits, so $8 is pretty steep.

 

[Thomas01]

comcast

I bought this thinking it might be better than the one from Xfinity/Comcast. Should I just return this and use the Xfinity one?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Can this coax cable be used for internet when connected to a cable modem?

https://a.co/d/fWzyGNR

Any healthy RG-59 or better (RG-6, etc.) coax should work ok. (Coax has a minimum bend radius, so don't wrap it up in a knot.)

I would also confirm that the ISP cable shield is grounded to the building ground system at the demarc where it enters the building... look for a coax grounding block with the ground wire connected to it.

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

Any RG6 quad or even tri shield will work fine as long as it isn't a crazy long run or bundled with AC power cables.

The concentric conductors in coax should be immune to EMI. A guy marking buried utilities once told me coax is sometimes buried in the same trench as the electric supply cable coming to the building... me, I'd avoid that but who knows.

OE

 

[drinkingbird]

I bought this thinking it might be better than the one from Xfinity/Comcast. Should I just return this and use the Xfinity one?

Not going to make any difference, both are RG6 tri shield most likely.

 

[drinkingbird]

The concentric conductors in coax should be immune to EMI. A guy marking buried utilities once told me coax is sometimes buried in the same trench as the electric supply cable coming to the building... me, I'd avoid that but who knows.

OE

That's why you don't take tech tips from dig safe guys.

There would be no reason for tri or quad or even dual shield in that case.

When they run it with power they use at least RG11 quad, and only when no other option.

Coax is far more prone to interference than twisted pair. Heck even fiber can be affected by really strong fields.

 

[drinkingbird]

Any healthy RG-59 or better (RG-6, etc.) coax should work ok. (Coax has a minimum bend radius, so don't wrap it up in a knot.)

I would also confirm that the ISP cable shield is grounded to the building ground system at the demarc where it enters the building... look for a coax grounding block with the ground wire connected to it.

OE

No sense in using RG59 when RG6 tri and quad is readily available. Why add a weak link?

 

[OzarkEdge]

That's why you don't take tech tips from dig safe guys.

There would be no reason for tri or quad or even dual shield in that case.

When they run it with power they use at least RG11 quad, and only when no other option.

Coax is far more prone to interference than twisted pair. Heck even fiber can be affected by really strong fields.

I'll take tips from whomever I can get them.

I learned of coax noise immunity in school when I got my BSEE. The 'dig safe' guy was commenting on where cables might be buried... not their noise immunity. Like I implied above, I'd avoid routing data with power.

OE

 

[OzarkEdge]

No sense in using RG59 when RG6 tri and quad is readily available. Why add a weak link?

The OP can use any RG-59 or better cable they can lay their hands on.

I find quad shield a pain to terminate sometimes... I may have needed better tools.

OE

 

[drinkingbird]

I'll take tips from whomever I can get them.

I learned of coax noise immunity in school when I got my BSEE. The 'dig safe' guy was commenting on where cables might be buried... not their noise immunity. Like I implied above, I'd avoid routing data with power.

OE

There is no such thing as coax noise immunity. Nothing is immune to noise. Coax has a certain amount of noise blocking ability, which gets better with larger cable (more spacing between center and shield) and more layers of shield. No different than any other type of cable. It is better than untwisted/unshielded copper, worse than most types of twisted pair (especially STP).

 

[OzarkEdge]

There is no such thing as coax noise immunity. Nothing is immune to noise. Coax has a certain amount of noise blocking ability, which gets better with larger cable (more spacing between center and shield) and more layers of shield. No different than any other type of cable. It is better than untwisted/unshielded copper, worse than most types of twisted pair (especially STP).

Anyone interested can Google it.

OE

 

[drinkingbird]

The OP can use any RG-59 or better cable they can lay their hands on.

I find quad shield a pain to terminate sometimes... I may have needed better tools.

OE

RG 59 is not going to handle the higher frequencies and modulation that modems are using now. Sorry but this is terrible advice.

They aren't terminating anything. They have the RG6 tri patch that Comcast gives to everyone, and another RG6 tri that they bought. There won't be any difference there, Comcast uses PPC coax and ends, they are actually quite good patches (though I wish they hadn't swapped from quad to tri like 10 years ago, it is still fine).

 

[drinkingbird]

Anyone interested can Google it.

OE

No need, I have an EE degree also and have worked with coax for datacom for 25 years. Google will tell you 10 different things, maybe one will be right.

 

[drinkingbird]

, I'd avoid routing data with power.

OE

Why, if coax is immune to noise?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Why, if coax is immune to noise?

I got your point already. Thanks for the advice. I'm off to rewire my house to RG-6.

OE

 

[drinkingbird]

I got your point already. Thanks for the advice. I'm off to rewire my house to RG-6.

OE

If you're at it anyway go for 11 between side of house and your media panel/main splitter.

 

[OzarkEdge]

If you're at it anyway go for 11 between side of house and your media panel/main splitter.

If only it were so easy! Honestly, I'm running 300/10 service over about 50' of inwall RG-59 and MoCA 2.5 over similar and can not see any negative affects, soooo... on to other chores.

I do appreciate you sharing your experience... I did not have a career in data comm, so thanks!

OE

 

[drinkingbird]

If only it were so easy! Honestly, I'm running 300/10 service over about 50' of inwall RG-59 and MoCA 2.5 over similar and can not see any negative affects, soooo... on to other chores.

I do appreciate you sharing your experience... I did not have a career in data comm, so thanks!

OE

I greased the cable guy $20 years ago to run RG11 from the pole, but I had RG6 quad running to the 2nd floor. He left me the rest of the spool. Changing from RG6 to RG11 on just a 30-40 foot run gained me +3db of signal and a significant increase in SNR (combo of increased S and decreased N). I no longer use cable but at the time it made a big difference as my signal was -10 which is acceptable but borderline. Between the RG11 from the pole (which brought it to -6, which was probably a combo of replacing the old cable and upgrading to 11) and the RG11 to my main splitter, I ended up around -3 at the modem (which came off a -3.5 splitter port).

RG-59 may cut it for short runs up to 1Ghz but with 1.8 and >3ghz coming, it isn't going to cut it (not to mention the attenuation it introduces, the faster speeds require better signal). So while existing RG59 that is not causing problems doesn't have to be replaced for no reason, nobody is deploying new RG59, it is obsolete (especially since it is rarely tri or quad shield which again becomes even more important for higher frequencies and complex modulation like 4K or even 1K QAM).

Even if you don't think you have a problem, you could very well find that upgrading increases your speeds or decreases your latency/packet loss.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Even if you don't think you have a problem, you could very well find that upgrading increases your speeds or decreases your latency/packet loss.

I agree. If I ever afford more speed, I'll bypass the older cable and try to test things and go from there... unless fiber to the house or some other technology comes along to bypass the older cable.

OE