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UPC Signal Boost

  • 21-04-2010 9:47pm
    #1
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭


    right folks i'm a little embarrassed asking this question coz i have a degree in comms but UPC cant really "boost" the connection right. they came out today as we havent had bb for the last week, the guy said the signal was weak and he wandered off and "boosted" it and the connection comes back. now they have said this to me on the phone a few times about a poor tv signal and i was always sure it was a placebo to get me off the phone when they dont know whats wrong.

    the only thing i can think they are doing is removing a bandwidth limit or giving preference to packets from my ip but the only way to boost a signal is with hardware surely! (and i know thats not boosting but with just using a repeater of some type)

    in case anyone is concerened I dont work in comms, so its been a while since i've had my tannenbaum book...


Comments

  • #2
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    Is this the wrong forum for this? If it is could a mod move it to a more appropriate category? Thanks!


  • #3
    crawler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,660 ✭✭✭crawler


    "boosted" is a generic term used. it's not actually a boost as such.

    There are ways that the signal can be improved at the TAP (cab on your street) and there are ways of increasing signal strength.

    You are right to question though - if you increase signal, you increase the noise and the noise floor - depending on the sensitivity and quality of the receiver and the actual junction box in the house, sometimes it can filter out the extra noise leaving you with a better signal overall. Does not always work though and it can disimprove again.


  • #4
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    crawler wrote: »
    "boosted" is a generic term used. it's not actually a boost as such.

    There are ways that the signal can be improved at the TAP (cab on your street) and there are ways of increasing signal strength.

    You are right to question though - if you increase signal, you increase the noise and the noise floor - depending on the sensitivity and quality of the receiver and the actual junction box in the house, sometimes it can filter out the extra noise leaving you with a better signal overall. Does not always work though and it can disimprove again.

    ok but it seems strange that they dont have these set at full most of the time?


  • #5
    thefishone
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭thefishone


    When I got UPC in January,it wasn't great,When an engineer came out,he said the signal was weak,so they put a new box on the side wall and ran a new cable to a new tap on the side of my house which,according to them,both increased and stabilized the signal,all I know is,have not had any real problems since then,not with the TV or BB.
    BB might slow down at times,but never to the extent that is mentioned on other threads here.


  • #6
    crawler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,660 ✭✭✭crawler


    BastardPrince wrote: »
    ok but it seems strange that they dont have these set at full most of the time?

    nah - would prpbably raise the noisefloor overall too much and play havock with SNR


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  • #7
    crawler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,660 ✭✭✭crawler


    thefishone wrote: »
    When I got UPC in January,it wasn't great,When an engineer came out,he said the signal was weak,so they put a new box on the side wall and ran a new cable to a new tap on the side of my house which,according to them,both increased and stabilized the signal,all I know is,have not had any real problems since then,not with the TV or BB.
    BB might slow down at times,but never to the extent that is mentioned on other threads here.
    makes sense....


  • #8
    Chardee MacDennis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,225 ✭✭✭Chardee MacDennis


    thefishone wrote: »
    When I got UPC in January,it wasn't great,When an engineer came out,he said the signal was weak,so they put a new box on the side wall and ran a new cable to a new tap on the side of my house which,according to them,both increased and stabilized the signal,all I know is,have not had any real problems since then,not with the TV or BB.
    BB might slow down at times,but never to the extent that is mentioned on other threads here.

    that makes sense, although when they claim to do it over the phone or in 30 seconds on location it bs imo..


  • #9
    thefishone
    Registered Users Posts: 303 ✭✭thefishone


    BastardPrince wrote: »
    that makes sense, although when they claim to do it over the phone or in 30 seconds on location it bs imo..

    At the start,that was all I was getting,switch the router off,switch the cable box off,was spending more time waiting for them to restart then I was talking to the person on the phone,never helped.


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