MFH-2 and comcast internet

[Slowhand]

I am a SO in the Washington DC area. The problem is in many of my properties there is a single wire from the telco closet to the customers unit. We have already installed DirecTV MFH2 systems in the building.

The problem is people want DirecTV for the video services and Comcast for the internet service and there is only one wire.

Most of the previous posters have stated that diplexing is not a solution to the problem since DirecTv sub-band swm control signals and internet are too close to each other. But what about using a 2 set hybrid 5-2300 MHz splitter used as a splitter/combiner which combines both the Comcast internet signal and the DirecTV signal.

I am aware that this will increase the signal loss between 3-4 dB where it is combined and an additional 3-4 dB when it is split again.

Now, befor anyone says that this will not work I want to say that it did work for me today. What I am concerned about is if it will keep working and what you all think about this way to let customers have both mfh-2 hd programming and comcast internet where there is only one wire to the unit.

I am concerned how comcast is going to react when they see the combiner in the telco closet and start disconnecting wires.

If there is no workable solution for this problem then I guess that we will have to tell customers to switch to dsl if they want DirecTV.

Slowhand

[texasbrit]

I am a SO in the Washington DC area. The problem is in many of my properties there is a single wire from the telco closet to the customers unit. We have already installed DirecTV MFH2 systems in the building.

The problem is people want DirecTV for the video services and Comcast for the internet service and there is only one wire.

Most of the previous posters have stated that diplexing is not a solution to the problem since DirecTv sub-band swm control signals and internet are too close to each other. But what about using a 2 set hybrid 5-2300 MHz splitter used as a splitter/combiner which combines both the Comcast internet signal and the DirecTV signal.

I am aware that this will increase the signal loss between 3-4 dB where it is combined and an additional 3-4 dB when it is split again.

Now, befor anyone says that this will not work I want to say that it did work for me today. What I am concerned about is if it will keep working and what you all think about this way to let customers have both mfh-2 hd programming and comcast internet where there is only one wire to the unit.

I am concerned how comcast is going to react when they see the combiner in the telco closet and start disconnecting wires.

If there is no workable solution for this problem then I guess that we will have to tell customers to switch to dsl if they want DirecTV.

Slowhand

The issue with diplexing cable modem and DirecTV is NOT that it won't work, it's that it MIGHT not work. It depends on the return frequency being used by the cable modem and the frequency separation introduced by the diplexers. I think that means that if you come up with a scheme that works with one customer, it is likley to work with all the other customers using the same cable company.
There are also completely unconfirmed rumors that something might happen with DirecTV in the future that will use some other parts of the lower frequency band and that this would interfere with diplexing both OTA and cable modems.

[redpeppers]

The issue with diplexing cable modem and DirecTV is NOT that it won't work, it's that it MIGHT not work. It depends on the return frequency being used by the cable modem and the frequency separation introduced by the diplexers. I think that means that if you come up with a scheme that works with one customer, it is likley to work with all the other customers using the same cable company.
There are also completely unconfirmed rumors that something might happen with DirecTV in the future that will use some other parts of the lower frequency band and that this would interfere with diplexing both OTA and cable modems.

I run internet services on my properties......we diplex all the cable modems through the SWM modules and have never had any problems......

[Slowhand]

I run internet services on my properties......we diplex all the cable modems through the SWM modules and have never had any problems......

I am worried about the insertion loss by running the CATV signal through the SWM.

We have done several installs at that new property and so far we have not had any issues with using high frequency splitters to combine the CATV and the SWM signals.

Ideally what I would like to find is a a diplexer that the SAT leg passes all signals below 54 MHz and above 900 MHz. The TV leg would pass 54-900 MHz.

Slowhand

[woodybeetle]

I am worried about the insertion loss by running the CATV signal through the SWM.

We have done several installs at that new property and so far we have not had any issues with using high frequency splitters to combine the CATV and the SWM signals.

Ideally what I would like to find is a a diplexer that the SAT leg passes all signals below 54 MHz and above 900 MHz. The TV leg would pass 54-900 MHz.

Slowhand

Im lost, please explain, the return leg of the SWM is where? What frequency? Huh?

[DirecTv Chicago]

Like the previous posters stated it can work and work fine for the most cases but when it doesn't work thats where you run into an issue. Not so much that its not an easy fix but Comcast in most cases refuses to support a system that has two providers on the same cable.

I continually run into problems with Comcast techs who will call from the customers unit because we "stole" their cable. I kindly remind them that they do not own that cable, nor do I and it is the right of the customer to use that for any service in the building. Basically what they do is just unhook all of our equipment and we end up having to go back out again and hook it back up.

[yogi]

It's not that it won't work. It's Comcast doesn't want it that way.

[Stephen M. Smith]

This is exactly our experience as well -- diplexing Comcast cable w/MFH2 works just fine here. Our MDU provider is happy to do it but the Comcast installers either don't know what a diplexer is or will just disconnect D* altogether.

[AntAltMike]

I just talked to the senior technician of a big MDU system operator and he swears that the diplexers he has tried did not wipe off enough of the out-of-band noise that the DirecTV-SWM receiver puts out in the range of Comcast's upstream signal and that his company will no longer diplex into any cable TV line that uses any frequencies under 33 MHz.

Unfortunately, I am not adequately outfitted to sweep low frequency signals at present. I have a do-hickey that supposedly extends the range of my spectrum analyzer down to 5 MHz, but I've never tried using it. I'll probably be buying a 1 MHz-1000 Mhz spectrum analyzer soon and will sweep the diplexer's low-end performance at that time.

[Stephen M. Smith]

Got no problems here w/these Holland 5-2150Mhz diplexers. Just did another one today and this time we got a really friendly TW guy. Had no idea what a diplexer was but was eager to learn. He ran all sorts of tests using a handheld device and could detect no effect at all to the cable signal.

[MFH2Master]

Yo dont need a diplexers to do this. The only thing that you will need is to connect the Comcast cable to the off air input on the SWM and on the other end you need a splitter to separate the signal.

[BGreen965]

I'm not in a true MDU situation, but I did install Directv in my apartment and my friends apartment using the existing wires and diplexing Directv along with Charter Cable. We are able to watch any analog or unencrypted digital channels and get HSI from Charter plus watch Directv and all 125 of their HD channels without any problems. The only thing I can see that would cause this to quit working is for Charter to change the return path on their cable internet to a frequency that the swm is using. I was able to get this install working using the high frequency splitters available at your local Home Depot for $7. I used these as combiners and splitters since I didn't have access to CableTV at the Dish/SWM (I combined the signals at the Cable terminal for each unit).