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Question regarding cable broadband?

Right, I feel completely stupid for posting this, but then... I guess I have to. First of all, I just ordered cable broadband through Virgin Media. According to their system it's available in my house.

Here's the deal tho:

Seeing that broadband questions are answered here, I got a short question.

I am renting this place from my Landlord, who is on Holiday, thus I can't ask him. Otherwise, I would have done that. Question is that I just had the brilliant idea to check where the cable connection actually is in this house... And honestly, I have a pretty hard time finding it? All I see is a "cable" coming through the walls from "above". At first I thought this would be it, but it's right where the basic antenna is on the roof. I guess it's only the antenna cable then. Or could it be both combined, somehow?

Also, would Virgin have a database showing which houses are connected to cable? Would this be checked when signing up?

Yeah, I am new to the UK and things are definitely differently where I originally come from (Germany), so any help would be much appreciated.

Any help would be appreciated. :eek:
 
Ok, if Cable from VirginMedia (or one of its previous names, there are lots, but the two most recent are NTL and TW (Telewest)) then almost without failure the cable is run underground to the premises, up either "bare" from the path to about a foot up the house wall then thru a hole, terminating on the inside in a white box (branded usually) about 8" x 6" x 2" deep.

Sometimes there is a "U" shaped channel (usually brownish) over the cable as it rises up the wall, and sometimes there is an external de-markation box too, which are typically grey or brown and about the same size as above.

The indoor box ususally has two "F" connectors (screw threaded aerial connectors) sticking out the side of it.

Installs vary, some folks have the white "twin F connector" box in an attached garage and in a friends case, the cable actually arrives in the garage and snakes around the wall to get into the house.

As they are almost always installed after the house is built, it is typical to see it clipped to the outside around the house arriving at the living room (if it is not to the front of the house).

If the cable is exposed, newer installations use a figure of 8 shaped cable, with one side slightly larger than the other. The larger side is the co-ax and the smaller the telephone twisted pairs.

Once the cable has passed either the external (if installed) or internal de-markation point, it is rarely then figure of 8 cable, just single core.

Finally, jsut because the database says its "in" the house, doesn't mean it is. It merely means it passes "Past" the house and you may well get a chap with a shovel turn up to make a narrow trench down your drive/path/grass.

If you find no sign of it externally around the building, then take a look outside the garden boundary (i.e. wall / fence / hedge) and look for small (hand sized) triangluar boxes either branded or stating CATV. Soemtimes they are rectangular about 8"x6" too and sometimes they are much larger, usually close to the outside edge of the garden wall. If you find this outside your house, taking a logical easiest to dig route to the property and if cable is actually within the building you will probably see the disturbed path / drive etc..

Hope that helps.

Link to internal NTL/TW/ VM de-markation picture > http://homepage.ntlworld.com/altisuk/fm/isolator.jpg
 
Thanks guys! Thanks for the information and the details.

Unfortunately, it seems that this place never had cable installed. Wouldn't be a problem as Virgin is able to pull cables and stuff, but I am only renting the place and my Landlord is gone. I am not quite sure what to do, to be honest. I guess I would need consent from the Landlord to get this all arranged, but in the end having cable installed would be a good thing even for him and future use of the house, even if I move out, right? However, I guess I definitely need to talk to him before... There goes my hope to have a decent internet connection anytime soon. :D
 
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