Internet Speed And Reliability

[CAG CheechDogg]

Another thing to look for and remember ... if you live in a house that was built before 2000 the cable used on these houses was rg 59 which is very thin and doesn't do the job like the new rg 6 cable used in new homes now ...

If you have a house built before 2000, you need to ask your cable company to rewire your house before they finish their installation ... you also need to make sure they are actually rewiring it not just adding a jumper cable to the existing old cable... a jumper cable is a piece of cable about 3-4 feet long that is added to the old existing cable to make it look like the rewired your house ... it is something "I" was instructed to do when working at Time Warner and Dish Network to finish a new install in which they asked or there was rg 59 cable and thus making it look like a clean fresh install with rg 6 cable...pretty fucked up but that is what I had to do...

You can tell the difference between rg 59 and rg 6 cable... rg 59 is very thin about the thickness of a dime and you can easily bend the copper wire ... rg 6 is very thick almost the thickness of a nickle and not as easily bendable ... if you do see rg 59 cable call your cable company and request a rewire of your house you guys....

[CAG CheechDogg]

To add to my post above... most of the times when you are paying for 30 mbps down and 10 mbps up and you are not getting those speeds, it is because of this ...

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What is the difference between RG59 and RG6??

RG59 and RG6 cables may look the same, but they are different. Find out which one is best for you

Not all coaxial cables are the same. The problem is, most coaxial cables look pretty much the same. That can make it confusing when you’re trying to figure out which cable you need. When you are looking for coaxial cables, what really matters is what’s on the inside.


Coaxial cables use RG ratings to distinguish between the different kinds of cables. RG is an old, long forgotten military term that stands for “radio guide.” The number distinguishes the different cable specifications, but they are randomly assigned, so don’t look for some type of order in the numbers. Literally dozens of coaxial cables have been made over the years, but the only ones that most people need to worry about are RG 6 cable and RG 59 cable, so those are the two types we are going to focus on here.
RG 59

RG59 cable has been around for a long time. This cable used to be what most people used for their cable TV connection. However, modern signal requirements have made this cable less popular in the last few years. RG 59 has a smaller conductor than RG 6, which means that it can’t achieve the same signal quality as RG 6. The way its shielding is designed also means that it doesn’t keep Gigahertz level signals inside the conductor very well. This is why RG 59 probably isn’t a good choice for your TV or internet connection.


RG 59 is good for lower frequency signals (anything under about 50 MHz). That makes it a good choice for a closed circuit television (CCTV) video surveillance system. You can even make your installation easier by getting what’s called “Siamese coaxial cable.” This cable consists of a RG 59 cable merged together with a 2C power cable. By using this type of cable you can run the power and video for your security cameras simultaneously, effectively cutting your install time in half. Also some older HD TV’s still use lower frequencies (around 37 MHz), making RG 59 a better choice for them.
RG 6

All of the new demands required by, satellite signals and broadband internet made it necessary to find a more effective coaxial cable. RG6 cable was designed to fulfill these requirements. It has a larger conductor, which gives you much better signal quality. The dielectric insulation was made thicker as well, which means it is much less likely to carry an electric current that could damage your sensitive electronics. RG 6 is also made with a different kind of shielding, which allows it to more effectively handle Ghz level signals.
The Bottom Line

RG 6 is generally a much better choice for your CATV, satellite, TV antenna, or broadband internet. RG 59 is generally better for most CCTV systems. What you really need to consider are the frequency ratings your equipment uses. If your equipment uses higher frequencies (above 50 MHz), then you’ll want to go with RG 6. If your frequencies are lower than that, then you’ll want to use RG 59.


Other Stuff to Consider

Deciding between RG 59 and RG 6 is only part of the process. Each class of cable can have different types of shielding or jacket and may or may not be rated for your chosen installation.
Shielding

Shielding prevents signal loss, and therefore preserves your signal quality. Coaxial cables usually come with two types of shielding: dual and quad (although some RG 59 cables still use single shielding). The more shielding you have, the better your cable will perform, especially in longer runs. The difference is in the amount of shielding provided. Dual shielding involves a bonded foil shield underneath a metal braid (RG 59 cable uses a copper braid and RG 6 uses an aluminum braid). Quad shielding has more layers of shielding and is usually more protected. However, newer coaxial cables are made with a 95% braid (most braids are only 60%), which allows them to perform better than quad shielded cables.
Signal Loss

While newer shielding techniques have allowed us to cut signal loss to a minimum, there is always some signal loss. Here’s the breakdown of signal loss (attenuation) in decibels for 100 ft. of cable. Just remember, the longer your cable runs are, the more signal loss you will experience. That’s why it’s best to keep your installation lengths as short as possible.
RG 59 Signal Loss (in dB) per 100 ft:

• Loss at 50 MHz: 2.4 dB
• Loss at 100 MHz: 3.4 dB
• Loss at 400 MHz: 7.0 dB
• Loss at 900 MHz: 11.1 dB
• Loss at 1000 MHz: 12.0 dB

RG 6 Signal Loss (in dB) per 100 ft:

• Loss at 50 MHz: 1.5 dB
• Loss at 100 MHz: 2.0 dB
• Loss at 400 MHz: 4.3 dB
• Loss at 900 MHz: 6.8 dB
• Loss at 1000 MHz: 7.0 dB

Plenum Rating

Plenum spaces are the open spaces above the ceiling or below the floor that are used for air circulation. Technically, any ductwork is considered a plenum space too. These spaces are important for air circulation in any building, but they also bring some problems if you ever have a fire because of the high oxygen content and lack of fire barriers. Using untreated cables in plenum spaces can spread the fire to other areas very quickly and spread noxious smoke throughout the building. Plenum cables are coated with flame retardant and made using special plastics that don’t smoke nearly as much as other plastics to help prevent this problem. Any cable that you run through plenum spaces must be plenum rated.
Outdoor and Direct Burial Coax

Outdoor cables have to have added protection against the elements. Outdoor cable has been specially designed to resist the elements. They come with a PE (polyethylene) jacket instead of the standard PVC jacket used in most coax cables. The PE jacket makes this cable extremely resistant to cold weather, moisture, chemicals, abrasion, cutting, and even lightning.
When you bury a coaxial cable, moisture becomes even more of an obstacle. Without added moisture protection, you risk moisture and contaminants entering into the cable and corroding your shielding and conductor. Direct burial cable has the special PE jacket that outdoor coax has, along with a special gel-like substance in the jacket that blocks water and moisture corroding your conductor and damaging your signal.

[Lesbehonest]

So what about colleges? I guess I'll find out.

[MERZiN8]

So what about colleges? I guess I'll find out.

Are you living in a dorm room or a house or an apartment for that matter?

[Lesbehonest]

Are you living in a dorm room or a house or an apartment for that matter?

Dorm room right now

[MERZiN8]

Internet is typically provided within the dorm room via either an internet jack or wireless.

Speed will be mediocre.

[Lesbehonest]

Great -___-