Analogue FTA Channels on Telstra Cable

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SteveC

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Topic # 27441 26-Oct-2008 09:18
Following advice that it worked, I got a splitter from Jaycar, plugged our TelstraClear cable into it, plugged the modem into one output, and plugged the other output into our amplifier where the outdoor aerial used to go. All the right lights came straight up on the modem, and both our Videos (and connected TVs) pick up the free to air (FTA) channels from the cable too.

ZollyMonsta

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Reply # 173659 26-Oct-2008 09:29
Congratulations.. you also likely have now broken the Terms and Conditions of your contract.

SteveC

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Reply # 173662 26-Oct-2008 09:45
ZollyMonsta: Congratulations.. you also likely have now broken the Terms and Conditions of your contract. Damn! Knew I forgot something ... now where did I file that document ... might take me a few months to find it. (Aren't TC dropping their analogue service soon anyway?) (Person who really deserves congratulations is Mauricio for creating this definitive source of all techo discussion in New Zealand - wow! only took 11 minutes to get a reply to a pretty obscrure topic!)

ZollyMonsta

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Reply # 173664 26-Oct-2008 09:48
Makes no difference. You have connected non-TCL approved equipment to their network.

sbiddle

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Reply # 173676 26-Oct-2008 11:04
By plugging a non certified device into the network you run the risk of injecting spurious RF interference back into the coax. Plugging the cable into an amplifier significalty increases the chances of this happening. Even the type of coax (quad shield) and the F style cponnectors TCL use are used for a specific reason and nothing else is permitted. If interference goes back into the network it doesn't just affect your house it affects every user on that node. Be warned that if you do cause issues you will be found (there are people who monitor the network for spurious noise). If this happens your service will more than likely be disconnected. Noise causes all sorts of issues and primarily affects the cable modem service *Need help configuring your Linksys ATA or IP Phones for New Zealand? Check my blog post

SteveC

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Reply # 173682 26-Oct-2008 11:54
Good points all - thanks for the warnings. I find it a strange irony that we have this cable technology, first designed in the 1950s (???) to deliver TV signal, which has evloved to extent that it is dangerous to plug a TV into it! Two questions - for anyone who might know offhand: * Why do TelstraClear broadcast unscrambled content on the cable, if there is no ligit reason for people to need it? * The cable from my house goes to to a dangly thing hanging between power poles that, I think, converts it to digital signal on the fibre part of their network. Presumably that limits the potential for RF interference? Humm ... the insatiably curious might learn more by reading this paper: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?tp=&arnumber=729851&isnumber=15750

Nety

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Reply # 173807 27-Oct-2008 08:44
If you have a digital STB you can connect the spitter on the output side of the STB and still get the unencrypted channels without breaking the Telstra T&C. Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

sbiddle

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Reply # 173816 27-Oct-2008 09:27
SteveC: Good points all - thanks for the warnings. I find it a strange irony that we have this cable technology, first designed in the 1950s (???) to deliver TV signal, which has evloved to extent that it is dangerous to plug a TV into it! Two questions - for anyone who might know offhand: * Why do TelstraClear broadcast unscrambled content on the cable, if there is no ligit reason for people to need it? * The cable from my house goes to to a dangly thing hanging between power poles that, I think, converts it to digital signal on the fibre part of their network. Presumably that limits the potential for RF interference? Humm ... the insatiably curious might learn more by reading this paper: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?tp=&arnumber=729851&isnumber=15750 It is not necessarily dangerous to plug a TV in. It is dangerous to plug a non certified device with potentially non certified cabling into a network. The reality being that when CATV was all analogue and had no digital signals or return path RF interference wasn't an issue networks worried about. Now it's a major issue. Issues have been experienced in Johnsonville or Khandallah for example with RF bleeding into the network from the TV1 output from Mt Kaukau which is on VHF CH1. These same frequencies ~44-50Mhz are used for the return path for the cable modems and RF noise getting into the network from poorly screened cabling or even a coax connector that isn't shielded properly can very easily cause major issues. The unscrambled FTA channels are for the passthru on the decoders which means you can pass thru the unscrambled FTA signal to the TV(s) connected inline with the RF output of the STB. They are largely worthless these days since people with a widescreen TV don't want a centre cut 4:3 feed via analogue. The cable from your house goes to the JE (for the phone) and TAP for the coax. It is not converted from fibre at your pole, there will be an ONT cabinet somewhere in your suburb that services an entire node. The fibre enters this ONT and the coax from this goes past every household with amps to ensure the signal level is correct. Any RF interference caused by wiring will affect every customer on the node which is the reason TCL (like every CATV company) are so paranoid when it comes to installs. *Need help configuring your Linksys ATA or IP Phones for New Zealand? Check my blog post

digitalepsilon

41 posts

Geek

Reply # 173859 27-Oct-2008 14:56
Be warned that if you do cause issues you will be found (there are people who monitor the network for spurious noise). They also seem to be able to monitor the network for equipment that's running out of spec. I had cable installed in 2006 and the installer placed an attenuator on the coax between the socket and the STB (I assume, because the 2006 spec said he had to). Earlier this year one of the technicans called us up to say they'd detected one of the modems in the house was operating out of spec and he could say by what degree, and they wanted to come and remove that attenuator since their network had since changed and it was no longer needed. It was impressive for me that they could monitor all the end nodes with that sort of accuracy. Is this sort of monitoring infrastructure the main reason why they're resistant to people buying and installing their own devices (ie. non Morotola ones that wouldn't respond to administrative/diagnostic commands from their end, perhaps)?

SteveC

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Reply # 173863 27-Oct-2008 15:17
Thanks for the feedback people - Like I said earlier, it never ceases to amaze me how well Geekzone works!

geek4me

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Reply # 174822 31-Oct-2008 10:50
In an earlier forum I reported how to stop RF inteference to the network: "A TV Technician explained a way to stop RF interference to a network happening. Install a 2 Way 'F' Type Splitter Amplifier (which will also give an improved RF signal) that has been tested by a TV technician as follows: They test it by (incorrectly) putting an RF signal into the TV Out connector and measure if any signal leaks out of the Antenna Input. Many Amps do cause some RF interference however some brands do not allow any signal out via the Antenna Input if an RF signal is accidently/incorrectly put on the TV Out." One should not connect non-approved equipment because of the risk of ingress to the network however, there is equipment out there that can block any signal feeding back into the network via the antenna input.