Friends, a lot of times I tell you that the idea for an article came from one of our customers. This time, it came straight from my life.
The other day I noticed that one room in my house had really poor internet performance. That room had a wireless access point in it, and obviously it had to be functioning at some level. I mean, I did have some internet.
Well, it took me a little bit of time but I actually traced down an Ethernet cable that looked like it was plugged in all the way but wasn’t. And this brought up an important lesson:
I wish I could turn that into a snappy slogan. I’d make millions selling T-shirts with it. Well maybe not millions but a fella can dream anyway.
Either way, though, it’s true. When I’m tracking down something flaky, it almost always boils down to the cabling. There are so many wires in a modern installation of any type and they’re almost always the first thing to fail. Often times it’s because they’re underfoot or in the elements, but sometimes time just passes and things don’t last forever. Here are some basic things to look at when you’re checking cables.
Don’t rely on visual inspections. Look closely at every connection. Is the line completely connected? If it’s a little loose that can cause problems that come and go. Take a look at the quality of the connectors. Do they look like they are in good shape or is it time to replace them? If you’re not good at putting new ends on cables you can just buy a new one at Solid Signal.
A cable that’s become bent or stepped on may never recover. A lot of folks run cable under carpet only to find that it fails after a year or so. I prefer not to run cables under carpets. There are some very nice solutions for running along baseboards if you’re not able to run through walls.
Take a look at the body of the cable. Look for areas where the cable might have been bent. Generally this will look like a dimple or bulge, and sometimes you can see a change in the color of the cable if it’s been strained. This is a lot easier to see with black cables, which is why I prefer them whenever possible.
Also, if the cables are exposed to the elements or if it’s really humid where you live, take a look at the connectors. Metal ends should be shiny, with no hint of brass showing through. If you see oxidation, which usually looks like dull grey or green splotches, it’s time to completely replace the cable.
Using the wrong cable will usually mean an installation that works most of the time and fails at weird times. If you are using Ethernet cables, splurge on new ones. Even though the standard hasn’t really changed in a decade, it’s best to know that they’re in good shape. Video cables should always have a solid copper center conductor. Most of the ones you get at home stores don’t have that. They should also have proper compression connectors. If they have molded plastic ends, throw them away.
It can be really hard to know if the USB cables you’re using are the right ones. Older cables with USB type A connectors (the rectangle ones) have a blue center if they support USB 3, and a red center if they carry power only. But USB type C connectors (the ones your phone probably uses) aren’t labeled at all. That USB cable might not even be rated to carry the power you need it to. If you don’t know for sure, replace it.
Shop at solidsignal.com for everything you need to live your best digital life. We have tens of thousands of hard-to-find cables plus everything else you’ll need for your home and business. Need help finding the right thing? Call the experts at 888-233-7563 and you’ll get the kind of customer service that you thought went out of style decades ago. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours, and if it’s after hours just fill out the form below.
The post Fix problems with internet or TV with one easy step! appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
The other day I noticed that one room in my house had really poor internet performance. That room had a wireless access point in it, and obviously it had to be functioning at some level. I mean, I did have some internet.
Well, it took me a little bit of time but I actually traced down an Ethernet cable that looked like it was plugged in all the way but wasn’t. And this brought up an important lesson:
90% of the problem with your installation is probably somewhere in the cabling.
I wish I could turn that into a snappy slogan. I’d make millions selling T-shirts with it. Well maybe not millions but a fella can dream anyway.
Either way, though, it’s true. When I’m tracking down something flaky, it almost always boils down to the cabling. There are so many wires in a modern installation of any type and they’re almost always the first thing to fail. Often times it’s because they’re underfoot or in the elements, but sometimes time just passes and things don’t last forever. Here are some basic things to look at when you’re checking cables.
First things first: is anything loose?
Don’t rely on visual inspections. Look closely at every connection. Is the line completely connected? If it’s a little loose that can cause problems that come and go. Take a look at the quality of the connectors. Do they look like they are in good shape or is it time to replace them? If you’re not good at putting new ends on cables you can just buy a new one at Solid Signal.
Next: Are the cables themselves getting beat up?
A cable that’s become bent or stepped on may never recover. A lot of folks run cable under carpet only to find that it fails after a year or so. I prefer not to run cables under carpets. There are some very nice solutions for running along baseboards if you’re not able to run through walls.
Take a look at the body of the cable. Look for areas where the cable might have been bent. Generally this will look like a dimple or bulge, and sometimes you can see a change in the color of the cable if it’s been strained. This is a lot easier to see with black cables, which is why I prefer them whenever possible.
Also, if the cables are exposed to the elements or if it’s really humid where you live, take a look at the connectors. Metal ends should be shiny, with no hint of brass showing through. If you see oxidation, which usually looks like dull grey or green splotches, it’s time to completely replace the cable.
Finally: Are they even the right cables?
Using the wrong cable will usually mean an installation that works most of the time and fails at weird times. If you are using Ethernet cables, splurge on new ones. Even though the standard hasn’t really changed in a decade, it’s best to know that they’re in good shape. Video cables should always have a solid copper center conductor. Most of the ones you get at home stores don’t have that. They should also have proper compression connectors. If they have molded plastic ends, throw them away.
It can be really hard to know if the USB cables you’re using are the right ones. Older cables with USB type A connectors (the rectangle ones) have a blue center if they support USB 3, and a red center if they carry power only. But USB type C connectors (the ones your phone probably uses) aren’t labeled at all. That USB cable might not even be rated to carry the power you need it to. If you don’t know for sure, replace it.
Get what you need from Solid Signal… and that includes great advice
Shop at solidsignal.com for everything you need to live your best digital life. We have tens of thousands of hard-to-find cables plus everything else you’ll need for your home and business. Need help finding the right thing? Call the experts at 888-233-7563 and you’ll get the kind of customer service that you thought went out of style decades ago. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours, and if it’s after hours just fill out the form below.
The post Fix problems with internet or TV with one easy step! appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
