Solved Splitting the incoming Coax from our POP supplier to support 2 Modems?

[Mike Lynch]

We have Spectrum as out Internet supplier.
We have one Coax Cable that enters our home and goes to the Spectrum Modem.
The Cable comes from a "box" on the rear of our home, with the Cable nailed to the outside wall.
It runs about 50' from the "box" to where it enters our home at the Laundry Room.
In the Laundry Room are the Modem and a Router where our three PC's are connected.
One on a Cable four feet from the Router, another on a 10' Cable in the room next to the Laundry Room.
A third is in a Bedroom about 50' from the Laundry Room, it's Cable runs through the ceiling.
Having this last Cable run was a significant challenge given the lack of attic space in most Florida homes.
Several companies / individuals did not want the job / work.
Finally, Spectrum conceded and did the work at a price.
The installer was almost overcome with heat exhaustion during the effort.
My question, where the Coax exits "box" on the back of our home is 2 feet from where I want another PC.
It needs to go through a concrete block wall and the plaster board in the back bedroom.
"IF" it's possible to split the signal there, I would buy a second Modem and Router and it would be done.

Can it be done?

I do not want Wireless as in past attempts, whatever devices are in the Laundry Room cause problems.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

 

[samuria]

In a word no that would give you 2 ip and unlessyour paying for 2 the isp will stop it also if the equipment is the isp it could be a offence

 

[Mike Lynch]

Thank you!

I will contact Spectrum and ask about a second IP Address and renting the required equipment from them.
I was hesitant to ask them as when I have had a question like this over the years, getting to a "real" technician was difficult.
Many times the conversations ended with, "we don't do that" as an easy way to move on to the next incoming call.
Now that I have a better understanding of what I will need, I'll give it a try.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

 

[townsbg]

I can't wrap my head around that design but it sounds like you need a separate router not a modem.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I tried to draw a diagram of a portion of our home to help explain it.

I am confident the cost of a second service will be much higher that the RJ-45 option.

Finding a person or company to pull the RJ-45 Cable is the difficult part.

 

[dg1261]

Does the concrete wall extend all along the western wall, and is it full height? Even if so, though, there are masonry drill bits made for that kind of task, so I don't see why you'd necessarily be required to go through the attic.

I'd contact a local electrician and see what advice he may have. After looking at the house, he may have some suggestions or spot an easier way.

Besides, attic runs can get messy when trying to drop down walls to a wall plate or jack. Dropping in front of the drywall looks tacky, and snaking down behind the drywall can be difficult if there are fire breaks inside the wall.

My preference would be to run an ethernet line through the laundry room wall to the outside, across to the NW bedroom, and through another hole into the bedroom's interior wall. The exterior horizontal run should be tacked up under the eaves.

You should use CAT-6 or 7 cable, but note the long run should be solid-core wiring. In case you don't know this, the familiar old male-to-male ethernet cable, usually about 6 ft long and terminated in two RJ45 male plugs, is made of stranded wires. To do this right, you want to install keystone wall plates or baseboard jacks in both rooms, with solid wiring, not stranded, running between the two jacks. They make for a tidier installation and the solid cable is more durable for running outside under the eaves. Trying to run a super-long, male-to-male stranded cable from one room to another, with RJ45 plugs dangling free on both ends, is just tacky, so don't ask your electrician to do that. Let him terminate in jacks, not plugs. Jacks also afford you the flexibility to change your interior cable lengths if you decide to rearrange your room in the future.

Here's an example of a wall plate with keystone RJ45 jack, though you should be able to find similar items locally at Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, et al.

The jack snaps in/out from the back (see pic 2). Pic 5 shows solid-core wiring "punched down" into the jack's terminals, using the yellow punch-down tool -- no soldering or screw terminals required. That gray cable is what is going to run outside the house to the other room.

What you want is for an electrician to do the installation from wall plate to wall plate and the wiring between them. You can take care of the rest. At least around here, ordinary electricians do this all the time, so presumably one familiar with Florida homes may have dealt with homes made of materials like yours before.

 

[file3456]

I can't wrap my head around that design but it sounds like you need a separate router not a modem.

I'm with this statement. And I feel very bad for the poor guy that had to run wire through an attic in Florida. Been there done that here in Colorado during the Summer and it's a hell and three quarters, let me tell you. I also had to wear a full face mask and Tyvek suit due to the glass lose insulation.


I'm going to focus on your last part here.

My question, where the Coax exits "box" on the back of our home is 2 feet from where I want another PC.
It needs to go through a concrete block wall and the plaster board in the back bedroom.
"IF" it's possible to split the signal there, I would buy a second Modem and Router and it would be done.

Can it be done?

Can it be done? Yes, by a trained person.


This kind of project involves a powered hammer drill and long enough masonry bit. Once passed the concrete you then have to use a long enough or extended wood boring bit to get through the rest of the interior wall... It sounds like you need to use an RJ-45 Ethernet cable, not coax, and if your current router or modem is already occupied with connections you'll need a decent splinter to tie into the router for extra port availability. These look like a router, but act differently than a router. They "split" one connection into several others at the hardware layer 2 OSI layer.

My advice would be A) higher a qualified, bonded and insured electrician, or B) a reputable handyman.

I've drilled through concrete before and it's no easy task. Plus, you'll need a spray bottle of water to keep the drill bit cool with every little 1/8" you bore through.

Beyond all this, my question is: is there no way to run Ethernet cable from your router to a splinter and then to this other room? Going through the INSIDE of the wall is what you'd ideally do. You'd have to cut small holes in the drywall every 16" where the dead center is for the studs (in the U.S.). Then you drill a hole in the stud one by one and "fish" the Ethernet cable with fish tape. An electrician will know all about this. Of course it won't be cheap.

There are alternatives using your existing electrical wiring to send network signals with so-called powerline Ethernet adapters. It's not the greatest tech though, but if the distance is small, your electrical wiring is decent, there are no major sources of RFI, and what have you, it may suffice in lieu of a few hundred to thousand dollar bill.

Also, you need to know what you may drill into and any necessary home improvement permits. Probably don't need one, but if it comprises structural integrity or if this project requires a permit then you'll need one. Best check your city website on permits.

In synopsis. If you don't know anything about his stuff, hire a qualified electrification to pull the Ethernet cable. Or look into one of these. But your mileage may vary on those. (Note: don't trust reviews. Not on Amazon, Trustpilot, etc).

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Addendum:

Combining more than one modem, i.e., source of Internet, is often called "network teaming". Another term is "load balancing", but they are often used interchangeably. I don't think each term means the same thing, but network teaming is often used to describe combining two Internet sources like a cable modem and a cell phone modem for redundancy. But in order to achieve this requires specialized hardware, and I think pfSense can do it.

Oh, another word for it is "channel bonding"... But I'm pretty sure load balancing, network teaming and channel bonding are all different in their own right.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I have a Cable Installation Service coming out to estimate the cost of running an RJ45 from the Laundry Room to the Northwest Bedroom on the 24th. They appear to be backlogged but at least they are willing to consider such a small job. I'll post the results next Thursday.