[Camaro5]

Appreciate the replies. We're looking at a house in Palm Canyon and I'm not sure yet where the cable jacks are. DirecTV is an option since there is a dish there already.

I would need Cox for internet anyway and I have to see if a bundled package would be better than getting internet separate. A lot of it depends on what tier package I would need to get the channels I like.

[Trash Can]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

Appreciate the replies. We're looking at a house in Palm Canyon and I'm not sure yet where the cable jacks are. DirecTV is an option since there is a dish there already.

I would need Cox for internet anyway and I have to see if a bundled package would be better than getting internet separate. A lot of it depends on what tier package I would need to get the channels I like.

One other thing about DirecTV.... if you have AT&T for cell service, you may be eligible for a $25 monthly discount off your DirecTV bill. Also, if you're a football fan, they usually toss in NFL Sunday Ticket for free the first year.

[mojavedxer]

I looked into this a few years ago. Cox claimed that they would do only exterior runs only. No wall fishing or runs in the attic crawlspace. Then I looked into having a contractor do it along with network cable runs to have the jacks installed where I wanted them. The bids were over $2K. I ended up biting the bullet and doing it myself instead.

[NLVgal]

I had Cox out to fix / drop another line in my home office the other day. The poor bastard had to get up in the ceiling. It was awful. Cox only charged $60, but I gave the guy all the ice water he could drink, one of those cooling towels for his neck and an extra $20.

We had existing outlets in every room in the house, but DirectTv had done some funky stuff with the infrastructure when they put in the satellite network.

I agree with EA that these days, data cable outlets should be in every room in new construction, just like electricity. Maybe you could skip the bathrooms.

[Camaro5]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

I had Cox out to fix / drop another line in my home office the other day. The poor bastard had to get up in the ceiling. It was awful. Cox only charged $60, but I gave the guy all the ice water he could drink, one of those cooling towels for his neck and an extra $20.

We had existing outlets in every room in the house, but DirectTv had done some funky stuff with the infrastructure when they put in the satellite network.

I agree with EA that these days, data cable outlets should be in every room in new construction, just like electricity. Maybe you could skip the bathrooms.

It's the "funky stuff" that concerns me. You just don't know how someone did something. If I had the inclination I would run all new RG59 to the 4 locations where I need outlets.

While new cable would probably help, a signal will only be as good as what's coming into the house, so a lot would depend on that.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

It's the "funky stuff" that concerns me. You just don't know how someone did something. If I had the inclination I would run all new RG59 to the 4 locations where I need outlets.

While new cable would probably help, a signal will only be as good as what's coming into the house, so a lot would depend on that.

Yep. My ex had to have Cox out to deal with the outside connection. They didn't charge for that. I should have clarified that Cox did the original cable in the house, which was fine, but when we went with DirectTv, they hijacked ( for lack of a better word) some of the existing cable and that is where the funky stuff came in.

I do know a lot of people that have just run their own cable though. I've done it at work. No thanks. Totally worth the Cox house call fee.

[mojavedxer]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

It's the "funky stuff" that concerns me. You just don't know how someone did something. If I had the inclination I would run all new RG59 to the 4 locations where I need outlets.

While new cable would probably help, a signal will only be as good as what's coming into the house, so a lot would depend on that.

If your going to DIY. Your going to want want RG6 quad shield cable. Running CAT6 at the same time to for network is not a bad idea also.

[Camaro5]

I'll run whatever is best for the situation. Well, maybe not me personally, but the job will get done on way or another.

I did a little price/service comparison between Cox and DirecTV and DirecTV had the better price for what you got. Their price included the equipment for 4 TV's and had more channels. It was pretty straightforward.

Cox, on the other hand, was difficult to figure out with all the bundling and equipment fees. Then you had to add in packages for sports, entertainment, etc. if you wanted that. Cox was definitely more money per month with the introductory offer and really a lot more after that expired.

So it looked like going with DirecTV and Cox for internet was the best deal. After the first year introductory stuff expired the cost of the two of them was within our budget and actually less than we pay now.

[delgadobb]

Originally Posted by mojavedxer

If your going to DIY. Your going to want want RG6 quad shield cable. Running CAT6 at the same time to for network is not a bad idea also.

+1.

If you do have a trade person do it (likely best choice if more than a couple jacks), the incremental cost to do the CAT6 jacks ought to be minimal given the work's already done. I have wall plates that have both Coax & Ethernet, still prefer it to wifi as it's faster & more secure.

My entire house has RG6 & CAT5E in each room, one of the best decisions I made. If I did it again today, I'd do CAT6 - tho the CAT5E has taken everything I can throw at it. Everything is home run to a smart box, which also allows me to run wired access points for Wifi without degradation of signal. 16 port gigabit Netgear switch & a couple smaller switches in computer/project rooms. Between my Tivos & Minis I have a TV in every room & can stream room to room as well as to phone/tablet & download stuff for the plane. All without getting gouged by Cox for their hardware. Paid for itself a while ago.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Originally Posted by Camaro5

It's the "funky stuff" that concerns me. You just don't know how someone did something. If I had the inclination I would run all new RG59 to the 4 locations where I need outlets.

While new cable would probably help, a signal will only be as good as what's coming into the house, so a lot would depend on that.

Don't use RG-59 on a new application. There are lot of applications for which RG-59 doesn't have sufficient bandwidth, like stacked transponders on a satellite dish. You want RG-6 or even RG-11 for long runs. For example (from Belden catalog):

RG-59: down 12db per 100ft at 1000MHz
no figure given for 3000MHz (unusable)

RG-6: down 6db per 100ft at 1000MHz
down 10.7db per 100ft at 3000MHz

RG-11: down 4.3db per 100ft at 1000MHz
down 8.2db per 100ft at 3000MHz