Swapping Set Top Box and Broadband?

[hardtarget]

I currently have broadband upstairs and my set top box downstairs,
can i use swap them both over or maybe use a splitter to run both of them from 1 wire?

by swapping them over i mean unplugging the STB and connecting that to the wire that the broadband is connected to and connecting the broadband modem to the wire that is coming to my tv.

and is it legal to run them both off a splitter?

[fatassmichael]

AFAIK, yes you can swap them to the different cable points, and yes you can run them through a splitter, although, if you fit a splitter yourself, you may "upset" the signal levels.

[Rob]

In theory you can swap them over - it's just a screw thread connection into the back of the STB or modem. Make sure however yu don't damage the connection, especially the thin strand of wire, and when you do them up again that they are a good sound electromechanical joint.

However the length of the wire to upstairs and downstairs may differ significnatly and there may be different resistance. Thus whilst the swap is easy, you may find there is a different (slightly) signal strength, just enough to mess things up, such as dropouts on the TV picture. If that happens you'd need to revert.

Adding a splitter is more contentious. Customers shouldn't mess with the cable prior to the connection into the STB / modem. In theory it can be done after all that's what often happens now when users upgrade to a separate modem when they already had TV and broadband via STB. Often that is self installed by the customer, but with components supplied by Virgin Media.

If you are adding a splitter you need to ensure it is of the same standard as Virgin Media woukd use, and so is the cable you use to extend. If you get it wrong you risk affecting your own signal (resistance changes), and potentially that of your neighbours.