i AM A CABLE DUMMY AND NEED BASIC HELP

[jennymmm]

HI

My builders have put coax (5 strand so maybe coax 5) all over my house. I thought this could be used for direct (not wireless) internet access for my 2 gaming sons. The virgin installation man said this is not the case that I need Cat 5 (i think) and that you need Cat 5 for all internet direct access. My builder thought that the BT coax cable would be ok, Do I also now need to install Cat 5 to a couple of rooms for my sons (need answer quick as floors are going down and need to do it before they do). Also what can I use my coax cable for. Sorry to be such a dim wit - this is so basic an internet search has not helped me.

Jen

Your search will have been fruitless because there isn't any cable called "coex".

Virgin Media uses "coax" (short for coaxial) cable to bring TV and internet services into your home as far as the set top box for TV, or the superhub for internet.

If you want to connect devices to the superhub, in order for them to have internet access, you either use wireless (wifi) or ethernet cable, a common grade of which is Cat5.

BT does not use either coax or Cat5 cable to wire up your house. It uses bog-standard twisted pair cable that should not be used for hard-wiring your computers to the superhub or any other router.

If your fussy kids insist on a hard-wired connection to the router, then yes, you should have Cat5 (or ideally Cat5e for future-proofing) run round the house. To get it done most neatly you will need to have it terminated at face plates by the router and also in the rooms where your kids want to hide while they download their HD pr0n play their games.

[jennymmm]

THANKS lol I must mean coax!!!!
My builders have used coax (but they did also call it Bt cable). So I need to put some Cat 5 in. What can I use the coax for?

[Kymmy]

If it's 5 strand co-ax then it's likely to be 50ohm and not 75ohm as used with video or VM extensions (you need to read the RG or UM number in the cable to be more specific,) you could use it as an antenna extension if you have freeview or the like installed but to be blunt there is few uses.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Chris

Your search will have been fruitless because there isn't any cable called "coex".

ORLY??

http://www.synx.com/index.php/Produc...ex-cables.html

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

ORLY??

http://www.synx.com/index.php/Produc...ex-cables.html

Jings ... how hard did you have to look to dig that up?

[qasdfdsaq]

I just Googled "Coex cable", teehee.

Originally Posted by jennymmm

What can I use the coax for?

That depends on where it runs from and to. As Kymmy says, there's not an awful lot you can do with it, but if it all runs back to the loft you can connect it to a distribution amplifier and then plug a roof-mounted TV aerial into the other end of the amp. That will allow you to plug in a Freeview telly anywhere one of the lengths of coax emerges around your house.