need a longer cable

[Mair]

sorry if I'm posting in the wrong place or if someone has already posted similar. I need to move my pc 5 feet to the left but the cable from the box on the wall to the back of the modem won't reach. I rang up to ask for a longer cable but for this they will charge me £75 call out, plus the cable. This to me seems a ridiculous amount for 5 feet of cable. What is this cable - is it standard coax? Could I buy some and extend it myself? Virgin say I can't but surely it can be done? If anyone knows what cable I'd need to buy and how to do it please let me know! I was previously an ntl customer - Virgin media's customer support is worse than theirs was, IMO

Buy a longer ethernet cable. Do you have any local pc shops? do not buy from pcworld as you will be fleeced.

http://svp.co.uk/products-solo.php?pid=2046 this one with standard postage comes to less than 4 quid

[Halcyon]

As David says, leave the box where it is and just have a longer Ethernet cable.
Much cheaper and you can have upto approx 100 metres.

I buy mine from here:

http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catal...tch-cable.html

[Mair]

its not the ethernet cable is it? That's what connects the modem to the pc, this is the long cable that comes from the box into the back of the modem, which looks like a thick white wire, just like an ariel lead. I have a long ethernet cable but I need to move the modem, otherwise its going to be sitting in the middle of the room with a long cable running to the pc !

ok the cable from the white box on the wall goes to the modem. Stick some double sided velcro to the base of the modem and to the wall mounting the modem next to the white box . I am guessing you have a plug socket near there also as it was living there before was it not then route the longer network cable to the pc would still be a neat job

[Ken W]

Originally Posted by Mair

its not the ethernet cable is it? That's what connects the modem to the pc, this is the long cable that comes from the box into the back of the modem, which looks like a thick white wire, just like an ariel lead. I have a long ethernet cable but I need to move the modem, otherwise its going to be sitting in the middle of the room with a long cable running to the pc !

Make sure that you use satellite quality cable, I am sure you can get it at Maplins

[Mair]

guess I didn't explain things very well - the pc is around 6ft away from the actual box on the wall, the cable from the box runs along two walls of the room to where the pc is - there's no mains plug sockets anywhere near the main box - the whole point is to move the pc to a different place to a) save running a 6 gang extension lead for 8 ft around 2 more walls, and b) as the room is being re arranged. Difficult to explain without drawing a picture lol

[Halcyon]

Changing the length of cable or adding your own cable anywhere on modem side back to the wall is not a good idea. You can change your signal levels and also cause problems to othe people on the network.
I'm not saying it isnt possible, but that it cancause problems if not done correctly.

That is why I reccomend that if you can leave the modem next to your wall point do so and instead use a long ethernet cable, or indeed wireless access point if desired to connect from modem to your PC.

EDIT:

Ok, in that case you will need to have the coax cable extended. If you see a Virgin engineer down your street, bake him a sandwhich, give him £20 and he may do it for you. You never know.

its not as simple as buying a cable and fixing the f type connector to the end they should be crimped or and fitted correctly of you could create yourselves problems

[Kymmy]

Just get a decent quality 75 ohm co-ax and two F-plugs (most are twist on and you just have to make sure that you do NOT short out the conductor to the shield)..If in doubt how to do it then you'll have at least one friend who will know as it's standard cable/sat wiring..

Kymmy you know your not supposed to do that

[Mair]

Lol - s'ok. No, I don't have at least one friend who would know hence me having to learn to do these things myself now. Also different messages here, yes I can do it no I can't, it may cause problems...... probably cheaper to get an electrician in to put a mains socket near the cable box! Maybe I won't re-arrange the room...........the cable to the V+ box might not reach either :s

[v0id]

Just put a couple of screws in the wall
At least that's all it took to mount the EPC2100 modem they sent me.

Then run an ethernet cable to the PC

[Mair]

ermmmmmmmmm as I said - no power socket nearby

[v0id]

That was a bit silly to have the cable point where there isn't a socket now wasn't it?