Splitting the Cable Line between Computer and HDTV

[Kearin]

I know this sounds confusing but here is my problem. My TV is located in my front room, there is a cable jack behind it where it currently pipes in HDTV to my HD Time Warner Cable box. My Cable Internet Router is in my office with a seperate cable connecting running to it, it is in turn hooked to my 4port wireless router.

The question I have is can I add a splitter to my Cable line in my front room. One line off the split go to my HD Cable Box and one go to my Cable Router. I do not want to run a cable from my 4port wireless switch to my Xbox360 and I don't want to buy a $100 Wireless usb device for the 360. Will splitting the initial feed of cable into a HDTV Feed and a Cable Internet feed corrupt the quality of the line so my 7MB Down and 1080i Discovery HD would suffer?

I have a wireless card for my PC so would not need to keep my router in the office, I could relocated it behind the TV and hide the clutter of the wires there. Just curious if this would degrade my internet and TV or if the bandwidth pumped through the cable line would not even notice.

 

[markw]

Assuming you have the signal strength, you most certainly can split your cable line. All you need is a 75 ohm splitter.

you can run it to your cable box and to your HDTV with no problem, but one generally needs to feed the cable to a cable modem before it can be fed to a router or a computer.

My Cable Internet Router is in my office with a seperate cable connecting running to it, it is in turn hooked to my 4port wireless router.

But, methinks what you refer to as your "Cable Internet Router" is in reality a cable modem, which, like old-fashioned telephone modems, takes a signal and makes it readable to a "real" computer hub/router. You can't run a cable signal directly to your computer.

As long as you maintain that modem to hub rlationship you'll be fine. I'd say wireless may be the best way to go. That way, where you locate the modem and hub become less of a concern.
Should you decide to split the signal for use by the 'puter and blow for another cable modem, you most likely will need order it from your service provider, which costs $$ every month.

 

[MDS]

Markw's answer that you can split it with no problem is correct but it would be helpful to clarify how things are actually setup. A cable modem, router, and switch are all different things, although a consumer 'wireless router' is a switch and wireless access point (and other things) in one box.

I have a cable modem, wireless router, separate switch, cable box and cable outlets in every room and it sounds like maybe your house is wired similarly (probably minus the separate switch).

I know this sounds confusing but here is my problem. My TV is located in my front room, there is a cable jack behind it where it currently pipes in HDTV to my HD Time Warner Cable box. My Cable Internet Router is in my office with a seperate cable connecting running to it, it is in turn hooked to my 4port wireless router.

Ok, but where does the cable come in from the outside world? If all you want to do is move the cable modem and router to the TV room and you will not be concerned with cable TV (or internet access) from any other room that also has cable outlets, then just get a 2-1 splitter and attach it to the cable outlet in the TV room - with one leg going to the modem and the other to the cable box.

 

[Kearin]

Thanks a lot. Yeah I have a Cable Modem and a DI-624 Wireless 4port router:

All my systems in the home are wireless except for my main PC but I do have a wireless card for it. I just wanted to ensure that splitting the 1 cable into a Cable modem and into my HD Cable box would not hurt the speeds on the net and the quality of HD Content on my TV.

 

[MDS]

A 1-2 splitter will lose 3.5 - 4 dB of signal strength which is generally unnoticeable. I split the incoming line with a 1-2 splitter with one leg going straight to the cable modem in my office and the other leg going to a 1-8 RF amplifier for the cable outlets in the other rooms.

Depending on how the incoming cable feed is distributed to the other rooms you may not have to move the cable modem and router from its current location. My cable modem and router and computers are in one room and the TV and cable box are in the living room. I can get cable TV in any room and I can access the internet from any network jack in any room or using wireless.

 

[Kearin]

The issue I posted on from the original thread is enabling my Xbox 360 with the internet. I have no Jacks near the TV to plug an Ethernet Jack into from my 360. The movement of the Modem and router behind my TV would enable a Jack for my 360, PS3 (when i get one) and Blu-ray player later on with out having to get a Wireless access point for them all.

This allows me to save $100 at the moment by not purchasing a 360 Wireless card and still maintain connectivity throughout the house.

 

[MDS]

I see. I am fortunate that the builders had enough insight to install two network jacks in the living room. Of course they weren't bright enough to install ANY phone/network jacks in the master bedroom.

 

[Kearin]

Heh I am just the opposite...have data and phone jacks in master bedroom but none in living room