highsplit problem

rockslide

Long story short Early July, Spectrum was out upgrading the network amplifier for highsplit and since then Video service has been unwatchable on 4 receivers (tiling and pixelation)

Mid July 1st tech comes out takes their residential amplifier in my basement, replaces it with forward/return amp plugs amp in 4 way splitter.

No improvement. Goes calls supervisor “Oh, we see the problem” Something with “ripples” Turning it over to maintenance

3 different visits from maintenance that I was able to see, No improvement.

Last week 2nd tech comes out w/ supervisor. Neither one comes in to see the problem before they start testing. Tech does usual tests then daisy chains splitters (Also tried zero return amp) Nothing, puts everything the way it was after first visit.

No improvement. I pointed out to tech (before he got started messing with splitters) that my line from the pedestal to the house has a gouge in it (wanted to mention this to the first tech, but he was not the friendliest) Tech tells supervisor about gouge Supervisor allows tech to install new drop. No improvement

The supervisor leaves never once seeing the problem. Tech comes in and sees the problem and starts talking about switching to world box or Xumo. I say no. (Tech was here 3 hours)

2nd tech calls the supervisor. Turning over to maintenance once again. I cannot confirm or deny that they have visited since last week ( I am aware they have 3 shifts)

Both techs complained about signal loss to my modem, but didn’t really do anything about it (from what I recall - I could be wrong here)

Note Modem and DVR are on TWO-leg Splitter. I do not want it this way but I have no choice.

Modem is SB6183 (mine obviously)

A couple of things. I removed everything (3 of 4) lines off the splitter before and after drop replacement, No improvement

I am NOT OPPOSED to use one of their company owned modems, If that will end this great. Yet no one has asked this yet. (it’s push Worldbox and XUMO)

2nd Tech only had a DVR on the truck. Not happening. If he had a regular receiver I would have gladly tried that.

I do not want a 3rd tech visit, I am unsure what to do at this point.

OzarkEdge

rockslide

I’d get a new, up-to-date Spectrum modem (no charge) and take it from there… it should have a multigig port that may suit your router’s WAN port, now or in the near future. Just remember to return it when done with it.

fmd

Can you correlate it to how your neighbors are using the internet, if they happen to have a high-split modem (maybe it works fine in the very late hours)?

Interference between neighborsmay happen in high-split plants (if they are utilizing high-split). Your issue may or may not be related to this. Charter has a special filter that blocks the new high-split return path, which can be used to protect legacy equipment.

MacLeech

rockslide Since you don’t have WorldBoxes or Xumo, what cable boxes do you have?

Also, what are the signal levels shown on the SB6183? Can you post screenshots?

rockslide

MacLeech

Cisco
Arris
Motorola
Technicolor

I can’t get to exact models #'s at the moment because the area under “my account” is just spinning

rockslide

fmd

I asked the neighbor who is on the same pedestal as me if he is having video (TV) problems. “No”

I don’t know what modem he has or speed.

He seemed to be clueless to me asking.

Now the neighbor who is on the amplifier that was upgraded works from home so…..

MacLeech

rockslide
Cisco
Arris
Motorola
Technicolor

Odd that Cisco and Motorola/Arris would be in the same home. They’re all old and will have issues with high-split upstream channels overwhelming their receivers. Old low-split home amplifiers would make it worse, amplifying what is now upstream channels heading into your cable boxes.

If it’s the high-split signals causing your problem, a high-split filter could help. Replacing the 6183 with a high-split enabled modem would make it worse. Replacing the old cable boxes with WorldBoxes should help, using Xumos would be even better since they don’t use RF channels.

What are the signal levels shown by your SB6183 modem?

deefop

You’re in a high split area? Ditch that ancient 6183, let them give you a modem that supports 3.1 with high split, and switch to streaming services because old school cable tv is dogshit even when it’s working properly

rockslide

MacLeech

2 hours uptime. I purposely disconnected from the wall for a good half hour to see if it was causing problems with the other 3 boxes. No change.

MacLeech

rockslide 2 hours uptime. I purposely disconnected from the wall for a good half hour to see if it was causing problems with the other 3 boxes. No change.

It’s not your modem causing issues with the cable boxes. It’s probably other neighbor modems using high-split upstream frequencies, your old boxes receive them and it overwhelms their receivers.

Depending on the box guides, you can check signal levels on them too.

rockslide

MacLeech

Arris

InBand Network-1 (Freq, QAM) 369 MHz
InBand Quality-1 (PWR, SNR) 9.50 DBmV, 42.50 dB
OOB Mode: DSG
OOB Network FDC Frequency 501.00 MHz
OOB FDC RF Quality (PWR, SNR) 9.00 dBmV, 42.20 dB
OOB Network RDC Frequency 17.00 MHz
OOB Network RDC RF Power 31.00 dBmV

Motorola

InBand Network-1 (Freq, QAM) 297 MHz
InBand Quality-1 (PWR, SNR) 5.80 DBmV, 41.90 dB
OOB Mode: DSG
OOB Network FDC Frequency 555.00 MHz
OOB FDC RF Quality (PWR, SNR) 4.40.00 dBmV, 41.30 dB
OOB Network RDC Frequency 30.60 MHz
OOB Network RDC RF Power 32.00 dBmV

Cisco

InBand Network-1 (Freq, QAM) 327.000 MHz, Qam 256
InBand Quality-1 (PWR, SNR) 9.0 DBmV 37.0 dB
Inband Errors -1 (Corr/Uncorr) 969/754
OOB Mode: DSG
OOB Network FDC Frequency 519.00 MHz
OOB FDC RF Quality (PWR, SNR) 12.0 dBmV, 36.6 dB
OOB Network RDC Frequency 17.800 MHz
OOB Network RDC RF Power 32.00 dBmV

That 12.0 dBmV on the cisco for OOB FDC RF Quality is concerning.

Techinicolor is a little more time consuming.

MacLeech

rockslide That is all just for the box data channels, not the video channels. The 12 dBmV is the receove power level for the internal cable modem.

rockslide

I’m ODN guide.

Two things. Problem seems to start around 9 am. Like 5:30 am to 9 am no problems or very minor

Highsplit modem neighbor (moved there 3 years ago, I’m sure its a 3.1 modem) across the street where the amp is gets his internet drop from the amp (another neighbor too). Both work from home, (The latter, I’m not 100% certain, maybe retired).

penberth

rockslide

I saw this note on Reddit and reminded me of your problem:

_Pro tip for after it’s done. If the customer has a cable box and HSD and they call in for pixelation, connect to their wifi and run a speed test. If you need a high split filter on the cable box, the video will start pixelating during the upload portion of the test. Put the filter on the box and run it again, pixelation should disappear.

Trust me, it’ll save you a lot of repeats_

Maybe that will help you?

rockslide

penberth

Thanks. I do think I came across this yesterday. Anyone have a name for these filters?

Clearly the two visits were not aware of this.

MacLeech

rockslide Anyone have a name for these filters?

They’re generically called “high-split filters”. They’re placed on the lines running to the cable boxes, not the modem.

rockslide

MacLeech

This?

https://www.channelmaster.com/products/tv-antenna-high-pass-filter-50-mhz-cm-3250?variant=37535833358504&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic

fmd

rockslide Not that one. The stop-band filter that Charter has in its inventory:

It lets the legacy upstream through, but blocks the rest of the high-split upstream.

MacLeech

fmd It lets the legacy upstream through, but blocks the rest of the high-split upstream.

Your example PCT filter blocks from 54-214Mhz, which is just the new high-split upstream frequencies. Below 54 is allowed through and above 214Mhz is allowed through. That allows video channels to reach the cable boxes minus the new upstream channels they can’t use, which are overloading the cable box receivers.

rockslide

Is there an actual filter that I can buy somewhere to end this? This has been going on for 3 weeks now.

Coincidentally, the neighbor that I suspect is causing the problem was not “working” home Thursday. No problems occurred until around 6 pm. (Fed Ex or UPS delivered stuff to his house and it sat outside all day).

I’d cancel Video in a heartbeat, but have an older relative that uses it.

They ain’t gonna be able to handle XUMO anytime soon…..