Amplifiers/Filters

[louisdp]

Does adding a Filder or Amplifier to your cable connection increase performance in any way ?

Thanks.

[MosDef112]

Speed performance in a cable modem? No. Cable modems operate in a different spectrum from analog reception, or your TV reception, thus will make no difference at all.

[oakfan52]

Accualy it can. If your signal is too weak they will put an amp on the line. So if you are borderline on the high specturum it could make a small diffrence.

[ace]

if you are not getting enough juice from the first split something is wrong. the only kind of amp that will work with cable modem is the electroline..

[rbt_coll]

an amp sometimes F's us up when when we install the basic 7db amp is ok but i normally hookcable modems up at anything between -16 and +4.5 but they sync up good at -3 really goo d

[wee96]

I've seen a couple Radio Shack return amps in the field that actually do work, but amps are only used if your signal is weak causing you to loose block sync. They in no way whatsoever increase speed. Ace420 is pretty much correct though that electroline is the only amp you should ever use with a cable modem (they make return-specific amps).

[jthecoolest]

If your connection is good, using an amp will do no good, it may actually create a problem. Amp's boost signal and noise on the line and higher signal to noise results in poor performance for the modem.

[hazmatcar]

Thats the first thing I asked the tech from Comcast,he said dont do it.I have a 4 line amp for my TVs. I wouldnt recommend it. Like the the others said.

[Voldar8u]

Cable guy told me if you have more than 3 TV's in the shack, you need an amp. They offered it along with the installation. Being paranoid due to phoenixnet, I told him no, we only got one TV when he asked. I thought like in the old days, they would drop a dime to TV cable billing and charge per TV. After talking it was apparent that no extra charge will be made for more than one TV so he hooked up the amp. Ya never know. By the way, I noticed if I unplug the amp the TV cable goes away.

[rbt_coll]

you could have a 100 tv's but they would not make a difference to your billing

[rbt_coll]

oh bye the way he's full of it

[Indy]

As Wee said, very specific amps are used for modems...generally speaking tho, using them is frowned upon when possible, because of the issues that they can cause. Even the amps that we use that are supposedly reverse friendly, not all will work completely.

The best solution is to split the incoming line with a two way splitter, one line going to the modem, the other to an amplifier which then in turn goes to another splitter and off to the other tvs in the house. This way, you have a clean, unamplified signal hitting the modem. If there is still not enough signal coming to the modem after a single two way split, then there is an issue with the signal coming in, either in the wiring itself, or the filters out at the pole/pedestal, or fittings...