STB & CM Splitter

[Wallace]

I have 10M cable BB, phone and the basic Freeview TV channels.

I don't use the VM STB at all, I rather used my Humax and Topfield PVR's. In fact, the STB (Samsung) is behind the TV on it's side with only the power and co-ax connected.

If I remove the splitter from the incoming co-ax and obviously disconnect the STB from the VM network, will it cause me problems? I.E. will VM assume I have disposed of the box, for example. I have no intention of doing this. I just want to boost the upstream level to my CM and removing the splitter helps a bit.

[thenry]

you can disconnect the box without any problems.

What are your power levels like at the moment? removing the splitter may boost them too much which might then warrant an attenuator.

[Sephiroth]

The upstream level is what the modem sends. So the greater the attenuation (like splitters in the road), the greater the upstream power.

[Wallace]

Upstream power level is 53.7.

You may remember my previous posts about UCD, Seph.I didn't call a tech out as after I had cleared my MODEM's event log, it stayed clear for a week. But tonight I got this:

Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Information (7) Downstream sync ok Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Information (7) locked and synced to rescue CMTS...all is well! Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:44 2011 Information (7) Downstream sync ok Sun Sep 11 16:06:43 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:43 2011 Information (7) Locked on the rescue CMTS ds. try to re-acquire ds sync... Sun Sep 11 16:06:43 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:43 2011 Information (7) Downstream lock ok Sun Sep 11 16:06:42 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:42 2011 Information (7) Downstream lock failed Sun Sep 11 16:06:42 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:42 2011 Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q... Sun Sep 11 16:06:41 2011 Sun Sep 11 16:06:41 2011 Information (7) Downstream lock failed Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Information (7) New UCD in effect Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Information (7) Starting on-the-fly UCD change. Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Sun Sep 11 09:43:04 2011 Information (7) Received a UCD message! Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Information (7) New UCD in effect Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Information (7) Starting on-the-fly UCD change. Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Sun Sep 11 01:49:29 2011 Information (7) Received a UCD message! Sat Sep 10 14:36:10 2011 Sat Sep 10 14:36:10 2011 Warning (5) DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Information (7) New UCD in effect Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Information (7) Starting on-the-fly UCD change. Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Fri Sep 09 17:52:38 2011 Information (7) Received a UCD message! Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Information (7) New UCD in effect Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Information (7) Starting on-the-fly UCD change. Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Fri Sep 09 10:01:39 2011 Information (7) Received a UCD message! Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Information (7) New UCD in effect Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Information (7) Starting on-the-fly UCD change. Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Thu Sep 08 22:46:35 2011 Information (7) Received a UCD message! Wed Sep 07 02:36:10 2011 Wed Sep 07 02:36:10 2011 Warning (5) DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response
Just wanted to reduce loss a bit and see.

Sorry no idea how to format the text ...

[thenry]

have you had a response or posted over on the community forum?

[Sephiroth]

I suppose if you plug the incoming coax straight onto the CM, upstream attenuation will reduce and your upstream power might fall if there was no other impairment on the street side of the circuit.

if the incoming coax won't reach the CM, then you'll need to present a female end to the incoming coax male.

Simply you have an upstream issue that VM need to resolve, IMO.

But I think you're clutching at straws here

[Wallace]

No, not yet. On the whole the BB is OK.

I was just concerned that because the STB has the smartcard in it, if it were to be removed, they would 'cut my service' including the BB. If thats not the case, I will disconnect it and save power too.

---------- Post added at 22:36 ---------- Previous post was at 22:33 ----------

Seph. You are absolutely right. I took the CM outside and connected it directly to the cable head thus bypassing the internal cabling. I was still on QPSK when I did that but the upstream level improved.

I just want to give it a go if I can.

[thenry]

you did what :shocked:

no they wont cut your services mate. launch the box somewhere unheard of. the most VM will do is send you a TiVo letter if they haven't already :D

[Peter_]

No, not yet. On the whole the BB is OK.

I was just concerned that because the STB has the smartcard in it, if it were to be removed, they would 'cut my service' including the BB. If thats not the case, I will disconnect it and save power too.


If you choose not to use the stb and have it disconnected that is your choice and it will not affect anything else so do not worry about it.

[Milambar]

This is rather appropriate for me too. I recently got rid of my television as I never watch it anymore, and was left with an unused STB on the floor where the TV unit used to be.

I unplugged it from the mains, which was a no-brainer, but I was concerned about disconnecting it from the coax, as that would leave an unterminated coax which could cause noise ingress into the network and therefore, anger VM. Something I read about somewhere.

Is this not the case? The coax that the STB used to be connected to does not have to be terminated properly?

Getting rid of the TV package is also a no-no, having done the maths, keeping the TV package keeps my bundle discount, which means I actually pay less than I'd pay by getting rid of it entirely.

[Sephiroth]

It's best to terminate the spare port for the reason you've given. Maplin sells 75 ohm the terminators.

[Wallace]

This is rather appropriate for me too. I recently got rid of my television as I never watch it anymore, and was left with an unused STB on the floor where the TV unit used to be......Getting rid of the TV package is also a no-no, having done the maths, keeping the TV package keeps my bundle discount, which means I actually pay less than I'd pay by getting rid of it entirely.

Ditto. But for me I will not be leaving a port un-terminated. Instead of the incoming coax going to a splitter with one port going to the STB, the other to the CM, I will remove the splitter so the I/C will connect directly to the CM. The FM port on the I/C module is already terminated with a 75R 'bung'