NTL Cable fittings

hurstnicholas · 22-09-2005, 15:09

I need to shorten (to tidy up and re-route) various of the cable TV cables that NTL have wired into my home.
Having had just too many engineers visits to bear, over recent months, I want to do this myself.
The plugs on the co-ax cables that NTL use seem to be unremovable, so I assume that I will have to cut the cables and fit new plugs.
Does anybody know what spec plugs I need to buy and what special tools might be necesarry?
Many thanks.

quadplay · 22-09-2005, 15:14

It's really not a good idea. You can introduce noise into the connection which can cause problems not only for your own connection, but for others' as well. It's also against the Terms & Conditions, and if you have any issues with a service after you've tampered with the cables, ntl will probably charge you to put it right.

hurstnicholas · 22-09-2005, 15:16

What a nightmare then - NTL seemed to decide to route all their cables the longest possible distance through my flat, with cables on just about every wall - i just wanted to reroute it all through one section of trunking.

Hey ho........

quadplay · 22-09-2005, 15:20

If you ring Customer Services, an engineer can be sent out to do it, and the work will then be ntl's responsibility to fix should anything go wrong. The charge varies depending on a number of factors - might be worth ringing just to check.

jrhnewark · 22-09-2005, 16:02

It's ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£25 for an average telephone extension socket, so they won't charge you much more than that.

It all depends on how cheaply you can get the FT100/CT100 or FT125/CT125, and if it'd be cheaper to do it yourself.

Do make sure that you know what you're doing before you make a start, though - it's not rocket science, but you can make a balls-up of it if you haven't done it before.

SMHarman · 22-09-2005, 16:09

If you are considerably shortening cables then it is also worth getting them out as the shorter cable will have less loss so the signal at the termination to the equipment may end up too strong and cause problems.

__spc__ · 29-09-2005, 15:03

Last time I had an engineer out, I got hime to leave various lengths of cable as I was going to be moving stuff around the house - he was happy to oblige.

jrhnewark · 29-09-2005, 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by __spc__

Last time I had an engineer out, I got hime to leave various lengths of cable as I was going to be moving stuff around the house - he was happy to oblige.

Wasn't happy to oblige with our neighbours - according to him, when he installed the digital TV, he only had a length of coax in his van to reach the wrong corner of the room - let alone give spare lengths!

You've got to know what you're dealing with with NTL.

SmileyMan · 09-10-2005, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrhnewark

Wasn't happy to oblige with our neighbours - according to him, when he installed the digital TV, he only had a length of coax in his van to reach the wrong corner of the room - let alone give spare lengths!

You've got to know what you're dealing with with NTL.

Cables are cut to length as needed so that is not true, Your neighbour should have insisted on location

As for leaving extra lengths thats down to the engineer

jrhnewark · 09-10-2005, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmileyMan

Cables are cut to length as needed so that is not true, Your neighbour should have insisted on location

As for leaving extra lengths thats down to the engineer

I know she should've done - but that's where some people need to tell companies and their employees that they're the ones keeping them in jobs, not the other way round!

I know they're cut to specification, but I also have a feeling that Mr. Technician made a mathematical boo-boo and wanted to get rid of his spare piece of coax. Even people in white vans can be tight, it seems!

Oh, and welcome to CF SmileyMan. Always nice to see new NTL staff.

SmileyMan · 10-10-2005, 12:33

Sounds more like it was a difficult route to where she wanted TV and it was 'Blagged'

Had one saturday that was back of front room, Mid terrace house with laminate flooring, Informed customer that there was no way i could neatly install at that location due to no side access to property, Explained to cutomer he would need to place cable under beading (We will not lift flooring). Left extra length on cable for this.

Returned later to connect telephone (Property needed repull as both telco pairs dead) and he had hidden cable completly

handyman · 10-10-2005, 12:44

I have a number of lengths of proper ntl cable fitted with proper ntl plugs going spare for a contribution to the postage. I also have for the highest bidder 2x digital splitters (1 in 2 out) that can *legally* and *safely* be used to gain access to the 10-13 fta analogue channels that are carried along with your broadband signal

Before anyone complains I was tech support at ntl and made these cable up daily so know that they are right. I also know that the splitters are in working order (and where not stolen from ntl they where given by tech's) having had them working in 2 locations and can confirm neither had the slightest impact on my bb signal.

jrhnewark · 10-10-2005, 12:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmileyMan

Sounds more like it was a difficult route to where she wanted TV and it was 'Blagged'

Probably. It was just easier to go in through the front wall and straight to the TV rather than through the front wall, over the doorway, and to the opposite corner.

spike7451 · 13-10-2005, 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrhnewark

I know she should've done - but that's where some people need to tell companies and their employees that they're the ones keeping them in jobs, not the other way round!

I know they're cut to specification, but I also have a feeling that Mr. Technician made a mathematical boo-boo and wanted to get rid of his spare piece of coax. Even people in white vans can be tight, it seems!

Oh, and welcome to CF SmileyMan. Always nice to see new NTL staff.

Sorry mate,but as a ex-NTL tech who got made redundent as we were'nt cost effective compared to the contractors,i can honestly say your talking out of your bum!!The customers were'nt keeping me in my job,the least cost per job was & when they added up our cost per job + van lease + man hours ,we were'nt the cheapest.(the contractors lease their vans on a monthly basis so NTL did'nt have to pay for that!)

jrhnewark · 13-10-2005, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by spike7451

Sorry mate,but as a ex-NTL tech who got made redundent as we were'nt cost effective compared to the contractors,i can honestly say your talking out of your bum!!The customers were'nt keeping me in my job,the least cost per job was & when they added up our cost per job + van lease + man hours ,we were'nt the cheapest.(the contractors lease their vans on a monthly basis so NTL did'nt have to pay for that!)

The reason why you guys weren't the cheapest out of the two options was that proper NTL techs have always done their jobs properly - at least it the main!

The contractors can be dubiously bad sometimes, as in this case. But less coax = less cash, and all that.