Moving Broadband from upstairs bedroom to living room

[Spud]

Hi there,

First of all brilliant site! I'ts answered so many questions and saved me a bundle on my NTL package!

I have a bit of a bizarre request for info ! I have my NTL TV and phone line installed downstairs coming straight into my living room, after 12 months I took up BB but at the time wanted to have it installed in my bedroom upstairs. The engineer kindly took the cable from the brown NTL external box and tacked to the external walls to get the the bedroom! However for various reasons (too long to list) I need to use my computer downstairs (right next to the internal white box where the TV and phone come in). Currently I run a 20m Cat 5 cable down the stairs, however how easy/difficult is it to get just use the connection downstairs (i'm not sure if it is active and I don't know how crude the wiring is). It isn't a permenant feature so I don't want to pay for an engineer to come and change it only to then have to pay again to wire it upstairs again in about 6 months. For the same reason I would rather not pay for a wireless connection. I'm not overly confident with my wiring skills but if it is easy will give it a go, or am I just better of sticking with the Cat 5 cable.

Thanks in advance and apologies if this is has been posted before.

[Aragorn]

If you don't want to go wireless, you are prob best sticking with the cable.

You are not allowed to 'fiddle' with the NTL wall boxes and the internal modem on the STB will not be active on the network. NTL would charge you for any changes they make, prob about the same as buying wireless kit! Using a wireless router would have the advantage of adding extra security to you broadband, but it if is only temporary I would leave as is.

HTH & to CF

[Spud]

You're right...if I start meddling I will only have to call someone out anyway which will cost more than going wireless. I just need to hide my lovely bright canary yellow Cat cable ! Thanks for the quick post

[Ragunboneman]

By the sound of it and If had the problem, my way would be to get a short length of Coaxial cable, copper foil sheathed with a foam core, ( normal tv coaxial RG59 is no good) dissconnect the cable that runs upstairs from its connection to the splitter in the brown outside box. run the new cable from the brown box to the location you need, fit each end of the new cable with an F plug. (from maplin for instance, F Type Connectors, code FU04E)
Ntl use a crimped on F plug, but a screw on one does the same job.
Connect to the splitter with one end and to your modem with the other.
That way your upstairs cable remains intact for when you want to swop back.
Maybe you should'nt fiddle with the boxes, but I have a habit of never doing what I am told !! Anyway the Ntl installers did'nt mind me having already put in my cable runs before they called, saved them a lot of time.
But thats my way, choice is yours..

[Spud]

I think curiosity is going to get the better of me, but if it looks a bit complicated then I'll leave it, thanks for the headsup on the parts.

[Ragunboneman]

Probably easier than putting a plug on your tv ariel,
Just make sure the foam core comes to the inner face of the plug insulating the inner wire from the outside of the plug, the copper outer screen folds back and then screw the plug on..
Trim the outer covering back about 1 inch , fold back the screen foil, trim the inner foam core usually leaving about quarter to half an inch showing, fit the plug and trim the inner solid wire to just proud of the nut on the connector.

PS, would'nt be surprised if your local B&Q or Wickes had the plugs and cable.

[Spud]

I'll take a look at B&Q much closer than Maplin (thanks). I am really hoping that it is much simpler (that's how my mind works). I am assuming that the engineer has just split the BB from the brown box to enable him to route it on the outside, all I want to do is get it inside at the brown box, the TV and phone are already doing that.

[Ragunboneman]

You should find inside the brown box, a small splitter box with probably 3 connections, on one side your incoming cable is attached, on the other, one cable goes out to your tv and one to your upstairs modem. mine has 4 the incoming cable, one to the main tv one a second tv box upstairs & the third to my modem also upstairs all are connected with F type plugs.
The phone connection is separate and on a thinner cable.

Hope that helps.
Hardest part will be finding an easy way in for the cable

[Spud]

Thanks for that, it makes things a little clearer! Now then my plan would be to disconnet the BB cable at the splitter and then hopefully if there is room I should be able to feed the smaller wire from the splitter into my living room, using the route the TV cable takes. The new cable only needs to be as long as the wall is wide and I might be able to get the connector from the white box that is upstairs... Does this make any sense or am I really simplifying things?

[Ragunboneman]

No, that makes sense, the only thing I see there is that the connector upstairs will be crimped onto the cable so not removable, thats why I said get and use screw on connectors for your new cable. Then when you come to switch back its even easier everything is there waiting to be connected.

[Spud]

Brilliant! I'll have a look this weekend and hopefully no nasty shocks and no bright yellow cat 5 cable.

Thanks for all the advice, i'll let you know how things go (or should I say more advice)LOL

[Ragunboneman]

Yes, let me know how you go on.
I don't see you having any problems.

You caught me on a lazy day today, managed to pull a muscle in my back on wednesday laying a drive. Least the sun is shining.

[Spud]

Hi there,

Just thought I'd let you know how I got on...! Really easy is the best answer and I didn't even have to buy additional cable. The main cable from the street was split in the brown box on the outside of the house, the white box on the inside in the living room had an adapter where the main line comes in and it has 1 thread which the tv cable runs from. I just swapped these two over, pinched some cable from the upstairs white box that connected to the modem and hey presto job done, it also means it should be just as easy to swap back when I need... Thanks for all the advice, I would have been gutted if I had paid £50 for an engineer to do a 5 minute job.

[handyman]

That was going to be my suggestion spud, Glad you got it working.

For future reference you might find the kit from this company useful.

http://www.mediachannels.co.uk/cableandfittings.htm

[Ragunboneman]

Nice one, told you it would'nt be a problem. seems it was even easier.
Now you can spend that £50 on something more interesting.