Internet slows down intermittently.

[hbiss]

No, we are definitely talking about the network wiring here. I was called because I had installed CAT6 to several rooms. After some troubleshooting, we narrowed the problem down to the modem to router jumper which was existing except that put a new connector on one end. A cable tester showed a "pass" condition. All the new cables I installed passed also, but I double-checked the punchdowns just in case.

Assume for the moment that there was some kind of intermittent connection someplace, it wouldn't account for the speed slowing down. It would go on and off. You would lose connectivity just like you pulled the plug out of the jack. No such thing as half way. Your computers would indicate no internet connection or no network connection.

It's amazing how an electrician always suspects a wiring problem when there is a problem with computers and internet.

-Hal

 

[hillbilly1]

I've had cable modems since the service first became available in my area, which was mid-90s, and the only time I've been much below the "up to" speeds, was when the service was new and AT&T Broadband was the service provider. At that time, speeds were all over the place. Since then, the industry has matured and speeds are much more regulated. Over the past 15 years or so, I have seldom been much below my advertised speeds. Usually it's been a little more than what I've been paying for. When I checked it 9:00 this morning, I was running at 926down and 43 up. At 7:55 this evening, 913 down and 43 up. That's coax from the node to my cable modem.

I don't understand the "don’t use RG-6 so the cable rots in 5-10 years" comment. The cable type has no bearing on how long it lives in the ground. The construction is the same regardless of whether it's Series 59, 6, 7, or 11.

Yes, DSL is different, but it is also distance-limited. You have to be within 18,000 feet of the DSLAM to be able to get the service. The further out you are, the slower your speeds.

You apparently are not on Windstream! LOL! My previous house, the DSL kept dropping, Windstream kept trying to say it was my equipment, but finally got it out of one of their techs, it was on Windstream’s end. They didn’t have enough band width to serve the number of customers they had. He said they had the capability of pulling another fiber into the hut, they wouldn’t spend the money even though the state gave them millions to upgrade their rural lines.

 

[zbang]

Just saying "Windstream" explains a lot, they're not "well regarded" in the ISP business.

 

[paulengr]

I've had cable modems since the service first became available in my area, which was mid-90s, and the only time I've been much below the "up to" speeds, was when the service was new and AT&T Broadband was the service provider. At that time, speeds were all over the place. Since then, the industry has matured and speeds are much more regulated. Over the past 15 years or so, I have seldom been much below my advertised speeds. Usually it's been a little more than what I've been paying for. When I checked it 9:00 this morning, I was running at 926down and 43 up. At 7:55 this evening, 913 down and 43 up. That's coax from the node to my cable modem.

I don't understand the "don’t use RG-6 so the cable rots in 5-10 years" comment. The cable type has no bearing on how long it lives in the ground. The construction is the same regardless of whether it's Series 59, 6, 7, or 11.

Yes, DSL is different, but it is also distance-limited. You have to be within 18,000 feet of the DSLAM to be able to get the service. The further out you are, the slower your speeds.

Although in principal I agree that RG-6 and 59 have to do with bandwidth the physical construction of both types is radically different. RG-59 is the cheap garbage you can buy at Walmart to connect to your cable modem. RG-6U is much heavier cable required for LNA/B to satellite receivers but also works on CATV and also has a much heavier jacket. RG 59 is not recommended at all with much higher losses but it’s cheaper and thinner so unscrupulous CATV installers use it for convenience.

 

[LarryFine]

RG-59 is the cheap garbage you can buy at Walmart to connect to your cable modem.

It also depends on what you get and what you use it for. If I'm not mistaken, RG-59 is a 50-ohm cable and RG-6 is 75-ohm.

I made my own RGB-HV cables for the CRT projector in my home theater (driven by a component-to-RGB-HV transcoder).

I used Belden high-%-shield all-copper RG-59 cable (don't remember the item number) and compression BNC connectors.

 

[egnlsn]

Although in principal I agree that RG-6 and 59 have to do with bandwidth the physical construction of both types is radically different. RG-59 is the cheap garbage you can buy at Walmart to connect to your cable modem. RG-6U is much heavier cable required for LNA/B to satellite receivers but also works on CATV and also has a much heavier jacket. RG 59 is not recommended at all with much higher losses but it’s cheaper and thinner so unscrupulous CATV installers use it for convenience.

With any given manufacturer, the construction of their drop cables is identical to the rest of their drop cables, whether it be Series 59, 6, 7, or 11. Belden Series 59 cable is constructed exactly the same as Belden Series 6 cable (with different sized center conductors, there are differences in physical size due to slightly more or less dielectric and shielding (to maintain the proper ratio for 75-ohm impedance)). Same with CommScope -- other than size, the construction is exactly the same for each of their drop cables.

The cheap stuff sold at Wally World, etc. has nothing to do with the cable type. It has to do with the manufacturer.

 

[egnlsn]

It also depends on what you get and what you use it for. If I'm not mistaken, RG-59 is a 50-ohm cable and RG-6 is 75-ohm.

I made my own RGB-HV cables for the CRT projector in my home theater (driven by a component-to-RGB-HV transcoder).

I used Belden high-%-shield all-copper RG-59 cable (don't remember the item number) and compression BNC connectors.

Series 59 is a 75-ohm cable. RG-58 is a 50-ohm cable, typically used in mobile radio applications.

 

[LarryFine]

Series 59 is a 75-ohm cable. RG-58 is a 50-ohm cable, typically used in mobile radio applications.

I will have to check the cable type and number. I still have the box more than half full.

Does Belden 1505 or 1505a sound right?

 

[egnlsn]

I will have to check the cable type and number. I still have the box more than half full.

Does Belden 1505 or 1505a sound right?

1505A would be the one. Solid center conductor, right? It's commonly used for digital video.

 

[LarryFine]

1505A would be the one. Solid center conductor, right? It's commonly used for digital video.

Yes, 100% copper center, not copper-clad like -6.

With component and RGB-HV, my video is all analog; no HDMI.

The audio, however, is another story.

 

[synchro]

Series 59 is a 75-ohm cable. RG-58 is a 50-ohm cable, typically used in mobile radio applications.

RG-58 also has a stranded center conductor and so its male connectors come with a center pin instead of using the center conductor of the wire itself, like you can with RG-59, RG-6, etc.

 

[LarryFine]

RG-58 also has a stranded center conductor and so its male connectors come with a center pin instead of using the center conductor of the wire itself, like you can with RG-59, RG-6, etc.

Yes, I remember the plug with a soldered or crimped center pin:

 

[synchro]

Yes, I remember the plug with a soldered or crimped center pin:

View attachment 2555002

Yes that's a PL-259 plug, commonly known as a UHF connector.

Type-N (screw-on) and BNC (bayonet N connector) are also common types of 50 ohm connectors and the standard versions perform well up to 11 GHz. Extended range versions of type-N are available for up to 18 GHz..

 

[egnlsn]

Yes, 100% copper center, not copper-clad like -6.

Both Series 6 and 59 are made with either copper-clad or solid copper center conductors. Which one is used depends on the application.

 

[synchro]

SMA 50 ohm connectors are also very common and smaller than the type-N or UHF ones.

 

[hbiss]

Although in principal I agree that RG-6 and 59 have to do with bandwidth the physical construction of both types is radically different. RG-59 is the cheap garbage you can buy at Walmart to connect to your cable modem. RG-6U is much heavier cable required for LNA/B to satellite receivers but also works on CATV and also has a much heavier jacket. RG 59 is not recommended at all with much higher losses but it’s cheaper and thinner so unscrupulous CATV installers use it for convenience.

All RG-* cables like RG-59 and RG-6 date back to the 30's or before and are a product of the war effort. Actual RG-59 and RG-6 is still made, they have a copper braid over a polyethylene dielectric and a solid copper center conductor. RG-59 is still popular with baseband (<6 Mhz) analog video and CCTV wiring. Both have a 75 ohm impedance as do all coax used for TV and video.

What we use today for CATV are cables that are completely different in construction than the original RG-59 and 6. The only thing they have in common is that they maintained the original size designations and so they are still referred as RG-59 and RG-6 but that's where the similarity stops. Where the original RG-59 and 6 was actually a standard and every manufacturer had to make it the same, there are literally 100 different designs for the RG-59 and RG-6 size cables we use today.

RG-59, being smaller, has more loss than RG-6. When TV was 12 channels topping out at 212 Mhz an RG-59 size cable was appropriate. But as bandwidth increased to now over 1000 Mhz, a 59 size cable has too much loss to be used for anything other than short jumpers. So for most general CATV wiring an RG-6 size cable must be used.

In some instances, like a long drop from the pole to house or a long feeder, there is a RG-7 and an RG-11 size to keep loss down even more. 7 is larger than 6 and 11 is larger than 7 with losses decreasing as size increases. You don't see much of the 7 but 11 is quite common. (I don't think there ever was an RG-7 cable that the 7 size was based on. You just know it's bigger than 6).

Out on the pole or buried underground solid sheath cables are used where the outside is solid aluminum like tubing. Common sizes are .412, .500, .750, 1 inch- numbers represent the outside diameter in inches. Like 59, .412 isn't used anymore for the same reason.

-Hal

 

[egnlsn]

All RG-* cables like RG-59 and RG-6 date back to the 30's or before and are a product of the war effort. Actual RG-59 and RG-6 is still made, they have a copper braid over a polyethylene dielectric and a solid copper center conductor. RG-59 is still popular with baseband (<6 Mhz) analog video and CCTV wiring. Both have a 75 ohm impedance as do all coax used for TV and video.

What we use today for CATV are cables that are completely different in construction than the original RG-59 and 6. The only thing they have in common is that they maintained the original size designations and so they are still referred as RG-59 and RG-6 but that's where the similarity stops.

Out on the pole or buried underground solid sheath cables are used where the outside is solid aluminum like tubing. Common sizes are .412, .500, .750, 1 inch- numbers represent the outside diameter in inches. Like 59, .412 isn't used anymore for the same reason.

-Hal

RG cable is a MIL-spec (MIL-Spec C-17) cable. If a cable something doesn't meet those specs exactly, technically it can't be called an RG cable. Although they're commonly referred to as RG cables, because aluminum braid is used (as well as aluminum foil) they're not RG cables, which is why the major manufacturers refer to them as Series X, or RG-type cables.

.625 is another common size.


CIAO!

Ed N.

 

[LarryFine]

 

[hillbilly1]

I remember back when twinax was used for computers!

 

[hbiss]

Then you should remember when RG-58 was used with BNC connectors for networking. Token ring. Everything was daisy chained with "T" connectors on the computers.

-Hal