How exactly is Cable installed?

General Angel · 21-10-2008, 18:37

Im quite interested but have no idea, i know it has something to do with the CATV drain thingy outside my house

chickendippers · 21-10-2008, 18:42

They run a wire from the little drain thingy (no idea what the technical name is) across your front garden and attach a small brown box to the side of your house at ankle height. They will then drill a hole in the wall and pass the cable inside and connect the broadband, phone and TV wherever you want.

The actual routing of the cable depends on where you want things.

Halcyon · 21-10-2008, 19:13

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

The abbreviation CATV is often used to mean "Cable TV". It originally stood for Community Antenna Television, from cable television's origins in 1948: in areas where over-the-air reception was limited by mountainous terrain, large "community antennas" were constructed, and cable was run from them to individual homes.

General Angel · 22-10-2008, 10:59

Two engineers arrived today to do the external part of the installation, they left a fairly long black cable ( i presume for the engineers to install 2moro) in my front garden, however the cable has the end sawn, chopped off, is this normal?

Halcyon · 22-10-2008, 11:47

Yes. Thry will plug it in at the street end and then hoo kthe other end up if they havent already to your little brown box attached to the front of your house.

You should also have a white cable going from the brown box through to your house and to a little wall box for your TV or broadband connections.

JayJay · 22-10-2008, 19:55

Basicly you had the 'pulling team' arrive who ran a cable from the green cabs in the street to your house. The install team will finish the job off

General Angel · 22-10-2008, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayJay

Basicly you had the 'pulling team' arrive who ran a cable from the green cabs in the street to your house. The install team will finish the job off

Nice Nice, and what a rowdy bunch of people they were

JayJay · 22-10-2008, 20:01

Haha. Out of interest, what Is your location (just town/city will do)

General Angel · 22-10-2008, 20:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayJay

Haha. Out of interest, what Is your location (just town/city will do)

Dover

JayJay · 22-10-2008, 20:07

Not near me then, I would of kept an eye out if it was.

Hope the install goes well.

General Angel · 22-10-2008, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayJay

Not near me then, I would of kept an eye out if it was.

Hope the install goes well.

Thanks mate *fingers crossed*

JayJay · 22-10-2008, 20:12

awoligi · 02-11-2008, 19:20

I too would like to know more about this. VM's site says:

Quote:

We run a pencil thin cable from our network, underground through your front garden (where appropriate), to an unobtrusive box which we fix to the outside of your home.

Does this mean they will bury the cable in the front garden? What if i have a block paved drive - will they then run it overground or will they start digging stuff up? There is no way of getting to my house from the front without going on or under this kind of hard landscaping. I dont want a wire trailing across because it will look crap.

The builder who did our house said he was going to get them all connected at the time but at that point (about seven years ago) he was concerned about NTL's financial stability and also level of service. I reckon he was just being cheap.

Once the brown box is on the front of the house, in my case the TV point will be through a hallway and the length of the living room right to the back of the house. Will they run internal wiring from there? Is it generally noticeably (just stuck to the top of the skirting board) and if so how think are the wires - normall satellite cable thickness?

If the cabling is going the be messy i might as well just get sky since the wires will be able to come straight in where the TV goes.

Thanks in advance for any help

Halcyon · 02-11-2008, 20:01

to the forums.

When they did my house many years ago they dug a little trench accross the lawn and then lifted two slabs.

I do not know if they still take up paving but I'm sure if you make them breakfast and are nice they will see what they can do to make it right for you.

The small brown box fits on to the front or side of your property on the wall.
It needs to be accessible. We were lucky as they put it out of sight in the garage next to the house.

From the box you will then have a cable going to a phone line if you have one and a coax satellite cable will go to your TV's box.
They will either go from the brown box through into your home and do it internally or if easier, go along your house wall and in to the exact room straight through the wall.

You don't notice the little box on the wall inside your room. Just have it placed behind your TV. Out of sight.

02-11-2008, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by awoligi

I too would like to know more about this. VM's site says:

Does this mean they will bury the cable in the front garden? What if i have a block paved drive - will they then run it overground or will they start digging stuff up? There is no way of getting to my house from the front without going on or under this kind of hard landscaping. I dont want a wire trailing across because it will look crap.

The builder who did our house said he was going to get them all connected at the time but at that point (about seven years ago) he was concerned about NTL's financial stability and also level of service. I reckon he was just being cheap.

Once the brown box is on the front of the house, in my case the TV point will be through a hallway and the length of the living room right to the back of the house. Will they run internal wiring from there? Is it generally noticeably (just stuck to the top of the skirting board) and if so how think are the wires - normall satellite cable thickness?

If the cabling is going the be messy i might as well just get sky since the wires will be able to come straight in where the TV goes.

Thanks in advance for any help

Our drive is block paved - the installers lifted the blocks, ran the cable. then put the blocks back.

Internal cable runs are avoided where possible, it is much easier to run the cable externally, then go through the wall at the appropriate location.

Where internal cable runs are unavoidable, then yes it is 'normal' coax cable thickness clipped to the top of the skirting.

The main difference for some people is that the Cable connection is usually routed from the front of the property, while a satellite dish may be fitted 'round the back' - this is potentially an issue for terraced properties, as installers will not usually route cable over the roof to reach rooms at the rear, which may mean longer internal cable runs, in such cases. People have dealt with issues like this previously by providing 'pull through' facilities under floor boards, for example..