These days it is very popular for DIY homeowners to add more cable for more TV locations in their home, or upgrade their internet service to a cable modem. These are easy do it yourself projects but there are some common mistakes that people make when installing a cable splitter that could result in bad picture quality or intermittent operation.

By following these directions you can install coaxial cable in your home and help to avoid common mistakes made when installing a CATV location or cable modem in your home.

The two basic mistakes made when running TV coax cable are:

· Do not make hard 90 degree bends with the cable. The bends should be gradual bends. Hard bends or kinks in the cable may result in a bad picture or poor performance.

· Do not have too many cable splitters in your home. It is best to run each Cable TV wire back to a central location where the cable company brings your service into the house.

How to install a coax cable connector:

Improperly installed connectors are a common mistake when installing coaxial cable. One of the most important things to remember is to make sure you have a good connection with the outer shield of the cable. DO NOT CUT IT OFF! You only need to trim it but make sure you leave enough to make a good connection.

Once the cable is stripped out, the process is fairly simple. If the connector is a twist type you simply insert the cable into the connector and twist the connector onto the cable until it is secure. If it is a crimp connector, you insert the cable into the connector until the white inner insulation is flush with the small hole inside the connector and use a crimp tool to secure the connector to the cable.

Cable TV splitters:

It is best to have only one splitter unless you have a cable modem, then you will need two. Figure out how many TV locations you will have and purchase a splitter that will accommodate the number of locations you will need. You can find splitters in a wide variety of sizes.

Below is an example of how to wire a cable TV splitter.

Cable TV Splitter

Cable Modems:

If you are going to install the wiring for a cable modem you will need to split the cable where it enters the house, then split it again for your television. Not splitting the cable correctly is a common mistake made when installing a modem. The best way is to get a simple two way splitter. It will have one in and two out ports. Bring the incoming cable from your provider into the “IN” position. Next take an “Out” to your modem. Then from the other “Out” take a cable to the “IN” of your second splitter. Connect your TV’s to the “OUTS” on your second splitter.

When you are finish, perform a check of your work. Insure the cables are installed properly and securely fastened to make sure you don’t have any kinks or real hard bends in your cable. Insure the “IN” and “OUT” on your splitter is correct.

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