Pros & cons of a coaxial cable splitter
Aerial splitter 4 sockets made of metal isolated on white image by Olga Sapegina from Fotolia.com
Coaxial splitters are a common occurrence in a modern household. With so many different technologies harnessing coax signals, people can use splitters to run one coax output to several devices at once. This allows them to hook up multiple devices in one location. But with the convenience comes some downsides.
- Coaxial splitters are a common occurrence in a modern household.
- With so many different technologies harnessing coax signals, people can use splitters to run one coax output to several devices at once.
Pro: Multiple Device Hookup
Today many people wish to hook up multiple devices in the same location, including cable modems and televisions (the two most common uses for coax cable). It is much more convenient and cost-effective to have an existing cable split rather than placing a new cable line in the same room.
Con: Signal Degradation
The more devices running off of a single coax cable, the less clear the signal to the devices becomes. Signs of signal degradation include fuzzy or distorted channels on your television or noticeably slow Internet speed.
Bottom Line
Although convenient, splitting a coax cable should never occur more than twice on a single line. This prevents too much signal degradation and means less problems. You should also be sure to purchase higher quality cables and splitters, like gold-plated ones, in order to get the best signal.
References
Writer Bio
Andrew Walker is an English major at the University of Central Florida following the technical communications track. He has worked on and with technology for most of his life, both in retail sales and professionally as an intern for the banking software company Fidelity National Informational Services.