All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down

[Hiroki]

I was going to make a topic about this but I didn’t feel the need when we have this one so I was wondering if someone could answer my question.

I went out today and when I returned I found a white cable coming from the brown box on the wall (which is new today) and it goes along the bottom of the house (loosely tucked behind the paving slabs) through the hedge and into the neighbours house.

Now I know they have one of these micky mouse boxes as they were heard bragging about it in the pub so I was just wondering if I cut this connecting wire could I possibly get an electric shock from it?

If so is there a safe way of disconnecting the wire and cutting it?

Thanks

[MovedGoalPosts]

The wire wouldn't normally carry high voltage power. But if it's simply cut you risk a short circuit on the wiring which would then affect the signal.

Has this wiring been done by a Virgin Media Installer? If so you should be complaining to Virgin Media as you haven't granted an easement (legal right) for routing of a service to a neighbouring property via yours.

If it's not been done by Virgin Media then you want to be getting it properly removed, a.s.a.p. It may well be possible to simply unplug the cable from within the brown box.

[Hiroki]

I know it's not a VM install as the last time they had cable in they ran up a large debt and are not allowed to get it back in.

Would it be connected by some kind of splitter inside of the brown box?

Thanks for your quick reply

[TheDaddy]

I'd be tempted to get the police involved, I hate people like this, it's bad enough they do it but to be bragging about it down the pub is just an added slap in the face. Give 'em hell mate

[frogstamper]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

I'd be tempted to get the police involved, I hate people like this, it's bad enough they do it but to be bragging about it down the pub is just an added slap in the face. Give 'em hell mate

Perfectly said Daddy, cocky people like this deserve all the grief they get. I suggest putting a pair of rubber gloves on before getting the bolt-cutters out, also for extra effect do it early evening when the thieves are settling down for an evenings free viewing.
Mind you though mate, Daddys idea of calling in the police sounds equally appealing, either way don't let them get away with it.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Hiroki

I know it's not a VM install as the last time they had cable in they ran up a large debt and are not allowed to get it back in.

Would it be connected by some kind of splitter inside of the brown box?

Thanks for your quick reply

There's no voltage on it. Push a small needle through the cable so it touches the inner core and the braid, Then cut of the excess from the needle with a pair of snips, They will be scratching there heads as to why its not working and will not be able to see why

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Sirius

There's no voltage on it. Push a small needle through the cable so it touches the inner core and the braid, Then cut of the excess from the needle with a pair of snips, They will be scratching there heads as to why its not working and will not be able to see why

Remind me never to annoy you

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Remind me never to annoy you

I used it in the past to annoy a radio ham that would not fix his rig.

[Graham M]

That may well do the trick but would probably cause awful signal problems for you and maybe your neighbours, so I'd go down the reporting to VM/Police route.

[PeteTheMusicGuy]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

I'd be tempted to get the police involved, I hate people like this, it's bad enough they do it but to be bragging about it down the pub is just an added slap in the face. Give 'em hell mate

I would not worry too much about getting the cops in to be honest. Cutting the cable should be enough

[Kymmy]

If you short out the cable then you could blow the card in the box and your modem (it's like transmitting a radio with a shorted out antenna, your outputs soon overheat (so it was you Sirius who is to blame...I'll get you back )

Just open up the box and you'll see a solid block with 3 or 4 F sockets on it, with one of them taken up by the cable going to your house (an F socket is the same style socket as on your modem and the back of your STB that the cable plugs into) The offending cable will be plugged into one of the other sockets. Just untwist it and then if you want to just get some araldite and put a bit in each spare socket, it won't do any harm and if you need to expand your own cable in the future the VM installer will have lots of these spare.

Though this will not stop them buying a new splitter and replacing the block... You could also get a small padlock as the new grey boxes are lockable if you have one of them.

Just make sure you cut the right one!

[Fatec]

Though as you have no actual proof VM didnt do it...you cannot touch it, its not yours and VM will charge you if u end up breaking something...

[Graham M]

They have no right of way on his land though so it's up to him what he does with it surely?

[soicky]

Originally Posted by TraxData2

Though as you have no actual proof VM didnt do it...you cannot touch it, its not yours and VM will charge you if u end up breaking something...

VM would have told him about it if they had done it.