atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring CATV question

It looks like AME412. That's the same cable they use OSP. There is no rhyme or reason why they run some like this and some with insulation.

I think the first "fire retardant" telco cable was lead sheath. It didn't burn....but the contamination was another thing. In Pittsburgh, there is, literally, thousands of pounds of lead sheath cable still in use as OSP, in building riser and protector tails.

Rcaman

I found a few items on Commscope's site:

https://www.commscope.com/catalog/broadband/2147483659/product.aspx?id=16&sort=null&nrp=null&ShowObsolete=false&filter=2786|7||0||

Here's the first drop install. I am guessing that is a filter on the tap.

It is probably an attenuator, Jeff. The signal was likely a bit hot, so they often tune it down a bit.

The standard attenuator is smaller. the 14dB output of the drop is definitely not too hot.

The cable companies use various types of filters on the drop boxes. Some are there when cable modems are used and they put them on the outputs without the modem. Some use to be used to filter out the digital signal when only the analog signal was needed, etc, etc.

Buckeye Cable in Toledo always seemed to use filters on their modem lines.
I rarely see them used with Time Warner but maybe since this is a business account something is different.

Comcast business drop feeds here are usually around 50 db and that device is the exact size of the attenuators used by Comcast here. Comcast has been trying to work with business to wean away FiOS customers and the puny signal that they provide for homes doesn't cut it for business. The one big problem they can't seem to resolve is bandwidth and multiple users. They will tell the customer they have 100/50 Mb Download/Upload but when there is 10 or more users on the circuit, they may get 20/3 Mb and it gets worse with more users.

Rcaman

The numbers on the colored background on the drops are what each port put out in dB. I'm sure there is a main amplifier somewhere in the system (big silver box with multiple cables). The need for attenuation is not required in this case.

The numbers on the tap blocks indicate the dB drop of the tap. As in a tap labeled 17 has a 17 dB drop from whatever the main feed is at. That's why, as the run continues, the number drops. The taps have less of a drop to accommodate the signal weakening along its length.

There's no amp that I could see. Hardline runs from the pole, underground, into the building and into the first floor phone room (taps in my first pic)