Can having coax cable go into splitters slow down/up speeds?

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vensus

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Hi so I'm trying to make sure my internet is near perfect (replaced our old modem/router for higher grade ones that can support up to 1.4gb). Anyways I'm not too tech savoy when it comes to coax cables and how splitters work for speeds.. I'm wondering since we've got comcast and recently canceled our tv service with them, if removing all extra splitters and extra coax cables will increase our speeds?

We have the main coax line going into a 4 way splitter (1input 4 output) with those cables leading to our tv boxes, either one of those 4 cables is our main line that connects to our modem or.. one of those 4 lines go into a 2 way splitter (1input 2 output) and our modem line could be going through two splitters. We're going to remove the tv boxes we have still and return them to comcast later today but with no use for anything but the main internet coax line.. would it be best to have a tech come out and remove the splitters and extra cables we no longer need?

As of right now when doing speed tests it comes out to (ping 16) (125mbps down) (24mbps up), I know those speeds are good but I would like to increase them. Our internet speed plan we're paying for is the 2nd highest one (150-200mbps plan).

Thank you for the answers!
 
Solution
Math Geek
it won't be a major difference but the splitters can degrade the signal a bit. often they put in an amplifier at the first split of the main line if the distances are going to be rather long.

i'd remove all the extra stuff just to make it easier to look at in the house :) you also get the added benefit of the slightly better signal overall to the modem. but honestly don't expect anything major, maybe a few mb/s extra. the rest of the speed loss is simply going be the fact that cable connections rarely ever hit the speeds they advertise. it's always "up to ___mb/s" and not "your speed will always be ___mb/s". during peak usage you'll likely see those speeds go down even more. but at 2 in the morning, you'll probably see near full...
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velocityg4

velocityg4

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It could increase the signal strength and reliability. I couldn't say if it would impact performance much. You don't need a tech to come out. Just unplug the splitter and use a coupler.
https://www.amazon.com/VCE-Coaxial-Connector-Extension-Adapter/dp/B0107LH932/

If the splitter is grounded. You will want a grounded coupler. To attach the ground wire.
https://www.amazon.com/CableWholesale-Single-2-5GHz-Grounding-200-278/dp/B00CLFGH40/
 
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Math Geek

Math Geek

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it won't be a major difference but the splitters can degrade the signal a bit. often they put in an amplifier at the first split of the main line if the distances are going to be rather long.

i'd remove all the extra stuff just to make it easier to look at in the house :) you also get the added benefit of the slightly better signal overall to the modem. but honestly don't expect anything major, maybe a few mb/s extra. the rest of the speed loss is simply going be the fact that cable connections rarely ever hit the speeds they advertise. it's always "up to ___mb/s" and not "your speed will always be ___mb/s". during peak usage you'll likely see those speeds go down even more. but at 2 in the morning, you'll probably see near full speeds if that helps any.
 
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vensus

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Alright! Thank you both for the quickly answers! I figured it shouldn't do too much having them removed but with no tv service or anything else hooked up, no use in having them there right?
 
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JackNaylorPE

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We have a 200 Mbps service .. I just ran speedtest and got 211 Mbps. Right now, this is the only "active PC" on the SOHO network. If you have ever contacted your ISP about speed questions, they will tell you to connect your PC / laptop directly to the modem, because that speed is guaranteed only to the delivery point. Many things affect the delivered speed and these vary by time of day, The primary factor is the number of users on your network but also the number of users in yor neighborhood subnet. Cable length, quality and number / quality of fitting do have an impact on speed but to a myuch lesser extent.

But this is a very simple test ... connect a laptop or PC directly tot he cable modem and you will be able to compare both situations and get an answer specific to your installation. You must do both tests at the same time of day as again, internet speeds depend mostly on the number of people using it and that's much higher in the evenings than it is say in the morning.
 
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Math Geek

Math Geek

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is why i like my Fios service. i get the speed i pay for 24/7. no worries bout who else near me is doing what. i pay for gigabit service and i get that speed up and down at all times. 980 mb/s down and 850 mb/s up no matter when i'm online. not sure why they call it gigabit since it's not fully 1000 mb/s but i'll take it anyway for what i pay per month. :D


i pray for those who only have cable options in their area.
 
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boosted1g

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Cant help but comment how contradicting your statement is. Sentence 1 - i get the speed I pay fore. Sentence 3 - im not sure why they call it gigabit since it is not trully 1000mbps.
 
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boosted1g

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If you look at each splitter you can see what it rates the loss at. you usuall start at 7db and it splits from there.

If it all possible I would try to keep the modem on only 1 splitter and not two.
What I would do is test your modem plugged into splitter one only, go to the logs (you can access this by putting its IP in the browser, for most modems that IP is 192.168.100.1) and check your power levels. Then put it in your intended spot with 2 splitters and check your power level again.

You want -7 to +7 dBm of power, 0 to +2 is ideal.
 
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boosted1g

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Must be nice.
The best avaliable to me for residential service is 60mbps through Charter Spectrum. Only other "option" is DSL who sends me flyers for "blazing fast" 12mbps speed :/
 
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JackNaylorPE

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I have found performance with both sources can be spotty.

My in-laws have FiOS ... they can in no way benefit from the speed as all they use it for is getting e-mails with pics of the grandkids. But my wife are there sometimes 2 or 3 times a month troubleshooting as service is spotty... multi hour telephone calls are not uncommon.

They do have the best technology from a theoretical standpoint, and when it's working, it will deliver speeds faster than cable... but it is costly and speed does vary, even by Verizon's own literature as well as any ISP roundup article. But the problem is a geographical one .. expansion plans have slowed and some areas fare far better than others. In my area "up-time" needs to be improved.

In my neck of the woods, speeds are fairly consistent with both cable and FiOS.... in both instances, speed is only guaranteed at the access point....the larger number of active users on the network, the greater the impact. The cable guys won't come out for a service call if it dips say down to 190 at certain times of the day but if you are seeing 175, they will come out to determine the cause and fix it.

 
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Math Geek

Math Geek

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was time to renew and verizon upped me to the gigabit from 150 mb/s service and it dropped my bill $10!! could not say no to that. otherwise i'd stil have what i had and would still be happy.

have a bunch of older "n" rated adapters on most pc's in the house which is nice since they can't handle the fast speeds. kind of acts as a limiter for each pc since they can only get about 250 mb/s. only my pc has the ability to use the full speed. not that the kids are complaining, but if they only knew how fast it truly could be :D a wifi adapter than can handle all that speed ain't cheap!!!
 
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