Moving virgin/telewest cables

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

We are planning some alterations to the front of our house. There are a pair of cables running from a grey box on one side at the front of our house and they are clipped all the way along the front of our house under our living room window where they come in at the corner to the tv/telephone socket.

We need to take the cables off the wall and ideally move them as they look unsightly and it will also allow us to carry out the alterations to the house. We do not use the virgin tv connection but do use the telephone connection.

Is this possible to do myself or is it a job that virgin need to undertake?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It's not a difficult job to do, so should have very little removing the cables.
Normally VM would not take responsibility for cables.

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

It's not a difficult job to do, so should have very little removing the cables.
Normally VM would not take responsibility for cables.

Thanks

Is it specialist cable or just standard coax and telelphone cable?

 

[Sam Gangee]

The coax is similar to WF100.

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

So is it possible for me to disconnect the cables from the phone line and the tv socket and resite both and shorten the cables?

 

[plugwash]

Afaict virgin media cable is a shotgun style cable with a coax on one side and a telephone cable on the other. In the house the coax is terminated onto an isolator unit to protect equipment/people in the house from faults on the network and vice-versa. This isolator is then housed in a plastic enclosure on the wall. The internal socket sticks out of the bottom of the isolator.

I dunno what their official policy is on customers doing their own wiring work but I doubt they would care much unless you screw things up.

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

Afaict virgin media cable is a shotgun style cable with a coax on one side and a telephone cable on the other. In the house the coax is terminated onto an isolator unit to protect equipment/people in the house from faults on the network and vice-versa. This isolator is then housed in a plastic enclosure on the wall. The internal socket sticks out of the bottom of the isolator.

I dunno what their official policy is on customers doing their own wiring work but I doubt they would care much unless you screw things up.

Cheers

I noticed the 'shotgun' cable.

I also have another single black cable below the shotgun one but not sure where it goes. What could this be for?

 

[plugwash]

Could be an older cable, I remember when virgin did my install they ripped out a black cable (leaving it hanging outdoors) and replaced it with the shotgun stuff.

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

Could it be broadband cable?

 

[plugwash]

virgin media broadband runs over the cable TV coax.

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

They all seem to go back to the grey box outside.

 

[bigray1]

If you are only needing the telephone supply from Virgin, it is simply a case of opening the Omni box outside (grey box), which is usually held shut with a cable tie at the bottom. Inside you will find a shotgun cable containing catv (tv/broadband) and a telephone supply. These will be your inputs from off your property. The catv (larger) cable will be connected to a 2 or 3 way splitter, with another cable coming out to run into your house. Simply disconnect this splitter. The telephone cable will be joined using small connecting devices called 'jellies'.

So all you need to do, if you are only wanting the telephone cable is to remove all cabling on the front of you house and replace with a new single telephone cable and connect it back up to the supply in the omni box. Please remember what colours go to which though, as they do not always connect orange-orange, blue-blue etc. This is normally due to there being noise on one or more lines.

Hope this helps

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

Much appreciated.

Will take some pics If I get stuck!

If you are only needing the telephone supply from Virgin, it is simply a case of opening the Omni box outside (grey box), which is usually held shut with a cable tie at the bottom. Inside you will find a shotgun cable containing catv (tv/broadband) and a telephone supply. These will be your inputs from off your property. The catv (larger) cable will be connected to a 2 or 3 way splitter, with another cable coming out to run into your house. Simply disconnect this splitter. The telephone cable will be joined using small connecting devices called 'jellies'.

So all you need to do, if you are only wanting the telephone cable is to remove all cabling on the front of you house and replace with a new single telephone cable and connect it back up to the supply in the omni box. Please remember what colours go to which though, as they do not always connect orange-orange, blue-blue etc. This is normally due to there being noise on one or more lines.

Hope this helps

 

[bigray1]

No problems mate, I'll be here.

Good luck

 

[houstonwehaveaproblem]

Ok

I opened the grey box and the smaller cable on the shotgun pair is not connected. Its cut off.

The other two are connected and go into a splitter in the grey box. the larger of the shotgun into the right and the unknown cable into the left.