Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Hi all,

forgive if I am not too technical about this.
Is it possible to order NTL digital cable (I'd like to run it myself, rather than an engineer) from somewhere?

Also, anyone knows about any signal booster I can purchase for NTL digital

Thanks a lot
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

:welcome:
What do you mean. You just want the cable to put it in place and then get an engineer to install the STB or CM?
Most engineers are very accomodating when it comes to running cable where you want it, after all it's your house, they are also very good at suggesting where it runs to minimise the visual impact, mine were.

What do you want a signal booster for, to run the TV picture to multiple rooms?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Thanks for you help.

Long story. Bought a flat with already cables passed under the floorboards. But, they are not NTL digital cable, therefore NTL signal is pretty poor (cannot watch many channels at all).
I'd like to re-run the cables myself.
NTL engineer came around and says he cannot provide me with the cables (even paying for it).

For what concern the signal booster, I was just thinking whether that could improve the situation, withouth having to re-run cables.

Any suggestion is much appreciated.

Thanks again
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Sorry, but I still don't get it - do you subscribe to an ntl digital television package?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Yes I currently have NTL digital.
But, becuase of a loss of signal (signal is good outside flat, but bad once reaches the box) only few channels are working.

Thanks
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

That's ridiculous - if you have ntl and your signal is poor, the engineer should be able to do something - what area are you in?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Hiya, welcome to cableforum!

I don't think a signal booster will help as it's a digital signal, not analogue.

Did the engineer not say he could help with it? You might have a small box on the back of your STB that is reducing the signal for you, as too much can damage the box...

Why can't the engineer replace the cable for you?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

The fact is that the cable is running under the floorboard.
Engineer would come to the flat in a rush and wants to do it pretty quick.
I'd like to lift the floorboards in my own spare time and do it myself.

Thanks
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Orangebird, I know it is ridiculus.
as I have explained, the signal is good outside the flat.
It is when it gets to the STB that it is bad.
Engineer thinks this is due to the fact that the cable running from outside the flat to the back of the STB is a STANDARD COAX cable rather than NTL digital cable.

That's why I am trying to purchase this cable myself.

Thanks

Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Couldn't you lift the floorboards ahead of the engineer arriving, have the engineer lay the cables and then put the floorboards back after he leaves?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

What area of the country are you in? You shouldn't have to do anything yourself - if ntl saw fit to lay the cable under the floor boards in the first place, they should be prepared go under the floorboards again to fix any problems you're experiencing.....

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

I am in London.

It is quite difficult to lift floorboard easily.
It is a brand new flat with a very complicated parquet flooring design.

Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

You are all kind, but are not answering my question.

Do you know if it is possible to purchase the cable?

Thanks
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Yes it is possible, but not from NTL .... Maplins etc should be able to provide you with it.

What length are we talking about ??

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Yes, ntl cable is just satalite grade co-ax, you would have to lay the cable, then get a ntl engeneer to connect it up, with all the connections.

-Chris

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Ok so i think the time has come... from the terms and conditions...

you are best of lifting the floorboads and then having an engineer change the cable, and replacing them when he (or she!) has gone

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Is the cable deemed "equipment" ??

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Maplins CT100 cable should do the trick. That said you can send digital cable signals down standard coax without difficulty, sounds like lazy engineers. The signal he should be concerned about is the one at the TV, not the one at the box outside the house. Perhaps there are some poor terminations on the internal cables but an engineer can move the cable to a stronger signal feed at the green box near the house and check all other terminations are good, you are in a flat, so the cable run from outside to the TV can't be that long.

When did this engineer turn up, Friday PM?

Some more useful engineers will give you a reel / the rest of a reel of cable for this purpose. If you see one in a van on the street, ask they may oblige, the furthest run on my house is completed with TV coax (not Sat) and I get a picture just fine, the signal loss was driven more by distance than the cable, however this cable runs along the side of teh building and into the roof space of the extension. The engineer pointed out that this cable will break down over time as it is of a lesser quality and left me a cable drum to replace the cable through the ceiling etc as and when I feel like it. In the mean time this STB gets a perfect DTV signal and full interactive (well full NTL interactive).

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Just a few questions that might help resolving your problem.

1. Who laid the cable under the floorboards?

2. How do you know the signal is good outside the flat but poor at the STB?

3. What NTL services do you have?

NTL will not sell you the cable because according to your contract you are not allowed to interfere with NTL equipment and cabling. NTL have an obligation to ensure that you have an acceptable quality of service in return for the subscription that you are paying. NTL should sort the problem out for you and NTL associates who post on here can help you in giving you the right contacts within NTL to ensure that this is done to your satisfaction.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Engineer check the signal, both outside and inside flat. I didi actually see with my eyes that the singlen strength is ok outside and not inside.

Cable from the outside the flat to the back of the box must be no more then 5 meters long.

Engineer actually showed me that NTL cable has a kind of hard "core" in it, while coax does not.

He mentioned that Maplin does not seel that.

The funny bit is that the NTL guy who came and check when I companined suggested I should ask some NTL engineer I see on the road to sell me some. :)

Do you know any NTL installation engineer in London.

Thank you all a lot.
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

I have a quantity of "NTL" cable that I can send to you .... PM me some details.

You will need to get an engineer to put the correct 'ends' on it though.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

1. I bought a flat which has already cables passed in "channels" inside the wall and under the floorboard. It is standard coax cable.

2. I complained to NTL about this problem, and they sent an engineer around.
He had an electronic tool to check the strength of the signal . He plugged the NTL cable outside the flat into that tool, and he said everything was fine.
Then he did the same at the back of the STB and saw that the signal was not strong enough.

3. I have NTL digital.

Thanks a lot.

Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

erm - why didn't the engineer fix the problem for you?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

i think I have already answered this.
this guy said he came just to check the problem.
in order to fix it he said I need to call NTL, ask for an installation engineer, and either lift the florboards (which is very difficult in that flat) or have him pass the cable around the skirting boards (which i would not like if possible)

that's why

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Apologies, I didn't realise he was only there to diagnose.

Much clearer in my head now!

Good luck with your problem, let us know how you get on.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Usually when new flats are pre-cabled with co-ax this is taken to the loft space where it is connected to a communal aerial or distribution amplifier outlet. Have any of the other flat owners in the block got NTL and if so, what is their reception like? How did the NTL engineer that did the initial installation of your equipment identify the cable to your flat?

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

I think the guys upstairs just have cable running on top of skirting boards.

The engineer that initial didi the installation saw the cable outside the living room...and entering "inside" the wall of my flat.

Unfortunately there is not common loft area (and not even basement!) :(

thanks
andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Well I think NTL ought to sort this out for you for free with no problems at all. Get the lazy arses to lift the floor boards.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Basically Andre want's to get a piece of sattelite coax, fit it under the floorboards himself & then get an NTL engineer round to fit plugs to the ends & sort out the problem.

Although, discussing this with the NTL CS who is arranging the engineer, should organise either the engineer to fit it or someone to supply the correct cable to do it.
As NTL have not provided the correct cable in the first place, then he should not be charged for this.

Someone is a lazy arse & needs a kick! Stop paying your bill due to insufficent service being provided :D

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Hi, I see your point, but stricly speaking they did not provide the cable initially as the flat was wired already.
I do not mind paying for this, just would like the thing to work properly.

Thanks
Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Even though the flat was already wired, it wasn't wired with cabling suitable for NTL DTV use. More than likely a cheap co-ax for an outdoor aerial. The NTL engineer that did the initial install should have recognised that the existing cable was inadequate and replaced it with the correct quality of cable. I would presume that the existing cable isn't tacked under the floor so it should be possible to use this as a pull through for a new cable. NTL should come back and do the cabling again to the correct standard that they should have used in the first place.

As you say that it is a new flat that you have bought the builder should be able to tell you what quality of cabling was used, what it was intended to be used for and where it was routed.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Not quite, Andre(a) (he or she?) wants the cable under the floor not around the skirting. The floor is not easy to pull up and it looks like the previous owner put the cable under the floor buying it from Do it all or the like.

What NTL need to do is provide the cable, or Andrea needs to buy the right cable from Maplin pull this through under the floor (you may not need to rip the lot up) and then get an installer to reconnect. If an installer saw good quality coax under this floor, I'm sure they would have no hesitation using it in the install to fix the problem.

NTL should be fixing this FOC as Andrea has only just moved into the property so for her (him) this is a new install / contract.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

SMHarman,

very good resume on the problem.

Andrea

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

And are you a he or a she (or do you just not want to tell)?
If you want to change your user name as you missed the a when you set the account up just send a private message to one of the CFTeam.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

TBH, I doubt that 5m of even the grottiest coax will make an enormous difference to the signal levels. My guess is that there will be a problem with the terminations (ends). What, exactly, have you got at each end of this mysterious cable and do you know that the two ends are connected directly with nothing else in between?

Anyway, if all else fails, I would recommend installing some nylon tubing (such as used in pneumatics) instead of an actual cable. That way you can replace the cable whenever you like.

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Nylon tubing doesnt conduct electricity very well last time i checked :D

Re: Is it possible to order NTL cable?
 

Cable has been sent ... and I think, received.