Technician Couldn't Install Hopper

[jkdhoo]

Hello!

I'm new to this forum, but I recently went through a unique installation experience, and wanted to get some feedback from the experts.

I currently have Comcast TV, works as would be expected on all cable jacks within my home. I ordered Dish with one Hopper, two Joeys, and a slingbox. The technician showed up to start the install, and after walking around and looking at the house he ultimately said that he could not install the system because he didn't have appropriate access to the cable lines he needed. I ended up having to cancel my order, and continue with my Comcast service.

I'll explain what we ran into as best I can.

All the cable in my neighborhood is underground, my house was built in 1988 but I just recently purchased it. It is a two-story house with a finished basement. On the outside of the house there is a cable line coming up from the ground that connects to a two-way splitter that is attached right to the siding. One of those lines connects to another two-way splitter that is connected to the siding. The resulting three cable lines all run into the house at a location that would be in the basement and near where the electricity comes in. That is all that is visible from the outside.

On the inside, the only access to view the area that the cable comes into the house at is at the electrical box. The box is in a 'cabinet' type of enclosure behind the drywall, so using a flashlight you can see about 6-8" to the right and left of the electrical box. Where the three cables should be coming in to the basement, there is only one cable visible that comes in to the basement and goes up through the floor to the main level. No other cables were visible, and there was no real access to that cable, you could just see it from behind the drywall going up.

There are no other visible cable lines in the entire house. There are no junction boxes or access to any cable at all other than what I described above (and except what you could obviously get to at the jacks). The installer said the only option he had was to run cable all over the outside of my house and punch holes in my exterior walls in each room we wanted a hopper and/or joey. That wasn't going to fly, so my only option was to cancel the order.

Does anyone have thoughts on this experience? I recently moved out of a house that was built in the late 1800s and I was hoping that I wouldn't run into these "unique" situations anymore, but it appears I can't outrun them!

 

[sparc]

I would start getting very familiar with these: Hopper and Joey Wiring Diagrams

For many installs, the internal cables can be reused for the joey lines. Dish wants 3Ghz RG6 on the hopper host lines for their official installs. If your wiring is really from 1988, then most techs won't reuse it on the hopper host lines. That could be where the tech had an issue.

I put both of my hoppers in rooms that would make a discrete wall penetrations and closest the node and dish. The tech then reused the existing 20+ year old lines for the Joeys.
______________________________________________________________

 

[sca]

thats typical of many dish and direct installs. if the cables cant be verified, new lines have to be run. but if a customer refuses any lines to be run, then the job cant be done. this is what happens when houses are wired for cable only, or when the cables were once accesable and then somebody drywalled or sided over them. anyway, the tech could have installed it, you just didnt let him.

 

[rjruby]

I lived in a townhouse that was pre-wired for cable TV when it was built.

Some of the coax wall plates actually had built-in splitters that allowed them to daisy-chain the cabling.

 

[Jhon69]

Hello!

I'm new to this forum, but I recently went through a unique installation experience, and wanted to get some feedback from the experts.

I currently have Comcast TV, works as would be expected on all cable jacks within my home. I ordered Dish with one Hopper, two Joeys, and a slingbox. The technician showed up to start the install, and after walking around and looking at the house he ultimately said that he could not install the system because he didn't have appropriate access to the cable lines he needed. I ended up having to cancel my order, and continue with my Comcast service.

I'll explain what we ran into as best I can.

All the cable in my neighborhood is underground, my house was built in 1988 but I just recently purchased it. It is a two-story house with a finished basement. On the outside of the house there is a cable line coming up from the ground that connects to a two-way splitter that is attached right to the siding. One of those lines connects to another two-way splitter that is connected to the siding. The resulting three cable lines all run into the house at a location that would be in the basement and near where the electricity comes in. That is all that is visible from the outside.

On the inside, the only access to view the area that the cable comes into the house at is at the electrical box. The box is in a 'cabinet' type of enclosure behind the drywall, so using a flashlight you can see about 6-8" to the right and left of the electrical box. Where the three cables should be coming in to the basement, there is only one cable visible that comes in to the basement and goes up through the floor to the main level. No other cables were visible, and there was no real access to that cable, you could just see it from behind the drywall going up.

There are no other visible cable lines in the entire house. There are no junction boxes or access to any cable at all other than what I described above (and except what you could obviously get to at the jacks). The installer said the only option he had was to run cable all over the outside of my house and punch holes in my exterior walls in each room we wanted a hopper and/or joey. That wasn't going to fly, so my only option was to cancel the order.

Does anyone have thoughts on this experience? I recently moved out of a house that was built in the late 1800s and I was hoping that I wouldn't run into these "unique" situations anymore, but it appears I can't outrun them!

When your talking 1988 you might as well say 1800s compared to what you need to upgrade your cabling for HDTV.These costs to run cables where the other cables are(fishing) are not covered by the normal DISH installation,but can be done by the DISH installer for an extra fee.If your planning to stay where your are you should just consider the costs a investment for your future viewing of HDTV which to me would be definitely worth it!.Good Luck!

P.S. I would also have them put in ethernet cabling also,plus phone cabling too if you don't already have it available per room.

 

[Stargazer]

Some newer homes are using ethernet cabling as phone cables. If you get the cat5 it contains 8 wires (4 pairs). Only 4 wires are needed for data so you still have an extra 4 wires for phone or speakers or other things.

I have seen people put PVC in their walls and attic so that they can slide the wires through these pipes if they need to run new wires.

 

[jkdhoo]

Good replies, thank you! I actually got the year built wrong, it was 1992 - not that it makes any difference for what we're discussing (old wiring). I wasn't intending the topic to be focused on the fact that the technician didn't install the service - he sure tried! Spent about an hour walking around the house with me trying to find any alternatives to punching holes through my siding in 3 places. He didn't recommend running the new wires around the outside of the house either. So we came at a mutual decision that it was best to cancel the install.

Eventually it seems like I will need to rerun wires (and I would love to have wired ethernet as well) but with a fully finished basement, I just don't see how I'll get the wall access I'd need to do that work.

There does appear to be a pvc pipe that I can see in one of my air returns on the main floor (it's high up on a wall). The pipe runs from the basement up to the top floor (maybe to attic?) but I don't appear to have any access to either end of that pipe.

Gonna have to just spend some time meticulously going over how they did this

 

[Laddyboy]

Good replies, thank you! I actually got the year built wrong, it was 1992 - not that it makes any difference for what we're discussing (old wiring). I wasn't intending the topic to be focused on the fact that the technician didn't install the service - he sure tried! Spent about an hour walking around the house with me trying to find any alternatives to punching holes through my siding in 3 places. He didn't recommend running the new wires around the outside of the house either. So we came at a mutual decision that it was best to cancel the install.

Eventually it seems like I will need to rerun wires (and I would love to have wired ethernet as well) but with a fully finished basement, I just don't see how I'll get the wall access I'd need to do that work.

There does appear to be a pvc pipe that I can see in one of my air returns on the main floor (it's high up on a wall). The pipe runs from the basement up to the top floor (maybe to attic?) but I don't appear to have any access to either end of that pipe.

Gonna have to just spend some time meticulously going over how they did this

If you have a multistory home, you may need to make some holes. Just save the wallboard you cut out and with a little tape and mud, no one, 'cept you, will know.They do make flexible drill bit shafts for this purpose. Your best bet may be to go up from the basement directly below where you need the cable. This only works for the floor above the basement. There should be a utility chase from the basement to the top floor you might be able to use to get cable up there. Sometimes, it's easier to get the top floor wired from the attic, especially if you can use a vent pipe chase to get cable up from the basement.

 

[navychop]

I have a trilevel and roof mounted dish and OTA antenna. Upstairs I drop from the attic. I have room next to my main air duct and have run coax down and RJ45 UP. Bottom two levels are wired thru the crawlspace There are a few holes drilled thru 2x4 baseplates. And a patched bit of drywall here and there. Fios modem and patch panel are mounted under the stairs in the lowest level, the laundry room.

No coax outside the walls, save for an old Cox Cable run. I HATE coax hanging outside, screaming the work was done the easy way, not the right way.

I thought ahead and put 2 sat & 1 OTA coax, and at least 2 Ethernet drops, almost everywhere. Operative word here is "almost.". Sigh. I'll still be running more.

It really isn't hard. But it helps to be a contortionist.

 

[empiretc]

.... get the cat5 it contains 8 wires (4 pairs). Only 4 wires are needed for data so you still have an extra 4 wires for phone or speakers or other things.

No, no, no. This is bad advice. Do it right the first time.

 

[TheKrell]

You and I wired our houses much the same way. Except I pulled only one coax and one Ethernet cable per room.

No coax outside the walls, save for an old Cox Cable run. I HATE coax hanging outside, screaming the work was done the easy way, not the right way.

It also screams, "I'm really ugly; look at me!"

 

[Dishman1978]

You and I wired our houses much the same way. Except I pulled only one coax and one Ethernet cable per room.

It also screams, "I'm really ugly; look at me!"

It also screams: " I was too cheap to pay soneone to do the work, i took the free standard install!".

Lol

 

[king3pj]

It also screams: " I was too cheap to pay soneone to do the work, i took the free standard install!".

Lol

I took the free standard install and it doesn't bother me one bit. The installer did a great job and secured all wires behind an overhang that comes off the edge of my roof. The duo node is out of sight on the bottom side of a part of my second floor that juts out about 2 feet past the first floor below it. He ran the cables down from the roof in a seam in my siding.

It is almost impossible to see any cabling without pressing your back up against the wall and looking straight up to the roof. Yes he drilled a couple holes in my wall but he put jacks on the inside and made everything look nice. I don't think the added benefits of paying someone to fish cables through the walls would be worth the cost in my case.

I can understand it if people don't want holes drilled in their walls or cables hanging around the outsides. You definitely should want your house to look nice. The free installation can look pretty good if you get a good installer though.

 

[Dishman1978]

I took the free standard install and it doesn't bother me one bit. The installer did a great job and secured all wires behind an overhang that comes off the edge of my roof. The duo node is out of sight on the bottom side of a part of my second floor that juts out about 2 feet past the first floor below it. He ran the cables down from the roof in a seam in my siding.

It is almost impossible to see any cabling without pressing your back up against the wall and looking straight up to the roof. Yes he drilled a couple holes in my wall but he put jacks on the inside and made everything look nice. I don't think the added benefits of paying someone to fish cables through the walls would be worth the cost in my case.

I can understand it if people don't want holes drilled in their walls or cables hanging around the outsides. You definitely should want your house to look nice. The free installation can look pretty good if you get a good installer though.

Im not disagreeing with you, i was cracking a joke. Some people are ultra picky and want to see no cables at all and hide the dish. Sometimes those things are not feasable without adding alot of extra time. Extra time the installer is not compensated for.

So technically a free install is the easiest route, sometimes it can bedone to look like no one was even there, sometimes it cannot. I try my hardest to make every job look "pretty" within the installation guidelines i must follow.

Sounds like he did a wonderful job.

 

[jwestpfahl]

There does appear to be a pvc pipe that I can see in one of my air returns on the main floor (it's high up on a wall). The pipe runs from the basement up to the top floor (maybe to attic?) but I don't appear to have any access to either end of that pipe.

Be careful of doing anything with that PVC pipe in the air return. You don't want to run cables through your return. If the pipe goes into the basement concrete floor, then it more likely used for venting or radon mitigation. Normally when a PVC pipe is installed for cabling, it is easily accessible both in the basement and attic.

I'm surprised that the installer couldn't mount the dish, and then hide the cable along your gutters and eaves. It would certainly be a lot easier than trying to fish cables especially if you can't find a pipe chase. Do you know how your existing telephone cabling is feed to any rooms on the second floor?