CAT5 and Fibe TV - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

ECB1 · 2011-12-07, 09:37 PM

I am rewiring our house for FIBE TV and have read that coax or cat5 cabling may be used between the modem and the VIP1232 PVR. Am I understanding this correctly? Would the ethernet cable plug into the jack designated "network" on the back of the VIP1232?

betterthancable · 2011-12-07, 10:12 PM

You can connect CAT5 or 5e or 6 to the Network port on the receiver. The benefit there is a switched dedicated LAN connection from the modem. Coax is shared amongst all coax connected devices. You should never connect the receiver with coax and then connect another device to the network port on the receiver, especially if there are other coax connected receivers.

ECB1 · 2011-12-08, 08:38 AM

Thank you for the information. You wouldn't believe how difficult it has been to try and get confirmation from the Bell support group that I could use cat5 wire instead of coax. If I could ask one additional question. For the 2nd television can I use another VIP1232 PVR rather than the VIP1200 unit that Bell wants to rent me? I have a spare VIP1232.

Dr.Dave · 2011-12-08, 08:55 AM

Under normal circumstances you can only have 1 PVR per household with Mediaroom. There may be ways around that to make the second PVR look like a regular STB with no storage capabilities, but I doubt that Bell has the procedures in place to allow this.

ECB1 · 2011-12-08, 09:21 AM

Thanks for the quick replies. The information has been very helpful. All that is left is for me to finish wiring the house and for Bell to do their work.

upsdriver · 2011-12-08, 10:24 AM

When I had my set up all connected in my apartment the Bell Tech guy used the Coax cable from the modem to the main PVR and everything seems to be working just fine, I have never had any problems with freezing or sound problems, and the quality of the picture is unbelievable. so are you saying that using the CAT 5 gets you better quality then Coax? I would like to know this.

Thanks

Dr.Dave · 2011-12-08, 11:45 AM

@upsdriver, changing to Cat5 wouldn't improve the picture quality. Cat5e or Cat6 may have higher throughput, but Coax using the HPNA all-digital protocol has more than enough bandwidth to support all the video streams that Fibe TV can handle.

upsdriver · 2011-12-08, 02:45 PM

@Dr.Dave - Thanks bro that was good info.. yeah i seem to get excellent quality the way it is set up. thanks and Merry Christmas

secotton · 2011-12-09, 09:30 AM

pretty sure only 1 actual pvr is allowed. when i had to get my single PVR replaced, they forgot to remove the first one - and i had NO recording capabilities. they said only 1 PVR was allowed to be on the account for PVR functionality.

ECB1 · 2011-12-10, 06:33 AM

Thanks, I wasn't necessarily looking to use the 2nd PVR (VIP1232) as a recording device but only as an STB rather than renting a VIP1200 monthly from Bell. (I obtained the 2nd VIP1232 from a family member who had purchased the unit when they had Fibe TV and have since moved out of the area where it is available)

secotton · 2011-12-10, 10:38 AM

What I'd do then is use that as your only PVR, and buy one of the VIP1200's. They retail for $200 at Best Buy which isn't bad at all.

pmcd · 2011-12-14, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secotton

What I'd do then is use that as your only PVR, and buy one of the VIP1200's. They retail for $200 at Best Buy which isn't bad at all.

Can an XBox of some sort replace a 1200?

philip

sprungy · 2011-12-25, 06:51 PM

"Can an XBox of some sort replace a 1200?"

it 'could' if Bell chose to enable it. Telus in BC allows the use of an Xbox 360 as a TV receiver.

"You should never connect the receiver with coax and then connect another device to the network port on the receiver, especially if there are other coax connected receivers. "

This seems weird. I have hooked up my WDTV Live + to the network port on my second receiver and have had zero issues so far. The WDTV unit finds all my network content and streams Netflix, YouTube, etc just fine. The receiver works great too. PVR and receiver both connected via coax.

secotton · 2011-12-26, 11:07 AM

While using the Coax / Network port on the Motorola VIP 1200 series units will work, it's been suggested that doing this can shorten the lifespan of the units because the chip inside them wasn't designed for this purpose.

Mark Rejhon · 2012-01-04, 03:54 PM

Quote:

"You should never connect the receiver with coax and then connect another device to the network port on the receiver, especially if there are other coax connected receivers. "

I have to do this because of house wiring issues:

TV #1: Coaxial built into the walls to upstairs. It's very difficult to wire Ethernet up there. This is late 1980's cable wiring, possibly RG58, but the Bell tech replaced the connectors with what seems to be new gold-plated connectors. It seems to be getting full bit rate. No stutters.

TV #2: Ethernet piped over 500Mbps HomePlug (A pair of DLink HomePlug AV2's) -- sending Ethernet through the power outlet, and over my house wiring. To send HD over your house's electric wiring, you get a minimum of 500Mbps HomePlug devices (at the absolute minimum), as even 200 Mbps may not perform well enough to eliminate stutters/lags (caused by power line noises).

Although I heard of stability issues before, I believe that the newest software on the current FibeTV boxes allow a mixed configuration (Coax and Ethernet) to be stable.

2011-12-09, 09:30 AM	#9
secotton Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 190	pretty sure only 1 actual pvr is allowed. when i had to get my single PVR replaced, they forgot to remove the first one - and i had NO recording capabilities. they said only 1 PVR was allowed to be on the account for PVR functionality. __________________ Panasonic TC32LX60 \| Denon AVR890 \| Klipsch RB-61 / RC-10 / RW-10D \| Motorola VIP 1232 (Bell Fibe)

2011-12-10, 10:38 AM	#11
secotton Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 190	What I'd do then is use that as your only PVR, and buy one of the VIP1200's. They retail for $200 at Best Buy which isn't bad at all. __________________ Panasonic TC32LX60 \| Denon AVR890 \| Klipsch RB-61 / RC-10 / RW-10D \| Motorola VIP 1232 (Bell Fibe)

2011-12-26, 11:07 AM	#14
secotton Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 190	While using the Coax / Network port on the Motorola VIP 1200 series units will work, it's been suggested that doing this can shorten the lifespan of the units because the chip inside them wasn't designed for this purpose. __________________ Panasonic TC32LX60 \| Denon AVR890 \| Klipsch RB-61 / RC-10 / RW-10D \| Motorola VIP 1232 (Bell Fibe)

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2011-12-07, 09:37 PM	#1
ECB1 Rookie Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 6	CAT5 and Fibe TV I am rewiring our house for FIBE TV and have read that coax or cat5 cabling may be used between the modem and the VIP1232 PVR. Am I understanding this correctly? Would the ethernet cable plug into the jack designated "network" on the back of the VIP1232?

2011-12-07, 10:12 PM	#2
betterthancable Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Trinidad Posts: 210	You can connect CAT5 or 5e or 6 to the Network port on the receiver. The benefit there is a switched dedicated LAN connection from the modem. Coax is shared amongst all coax connected devices. You should never connect the receiver with coax and then connect another device to the network port on the receiver, especially if there are other coax connected receivers.

2011-12-08, 08:38 AM	#3
ECB1 Rookie Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 6	Thank you for the information. You wouldn't believe how difficult it has been to try and get confirmation from the Bell support group that I could use cat5 wire instead of coax. If I could ask one additional question. For the 2nd television can I use another VIP1232 PVR rather than the VIP1200 unit that Bell wants to rent me? I have a spare VIP1232.

2011-12-08, 08:55 AM	#4
Dr.Dave Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 4,698	Under normal circumstances you can only have 1 PVR per household with Mediaroom. There may be ways around that to make the second PVR look like a regular STB with no storage capabilities, but I doubt that Bell has the procedures in place to allow this.

2011-12-08, 09:21 AM	#5
ECB1 Rookie Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 6	Thanks for the quick replies. The information has been very helpful. All that is left is for me to finish wiring the house and for Bell to do their work.

2011-12-08, 10:24 AM	#6
upsdriver Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 171	When I had my set up all connected in my apartment the Bell Tech guy used the Coax cable from the modem to the main PVR and everything seems to be working just fine, I have never had any problems with freezing or sound problems, and the quality of the picture is unbelievable. so are you saying that using the CAT 5 gets you better quality then Coax? I would like to know this. Thanks

2011-12-08, 11:45 AM	#7
Dr.Dave Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 4,698	@upsdriver, changing to Cat5 wouldn't improve the picture quality. Cat5e or Cat6 may have higher throughput, but Coax using the HPNA all-digital protocol has more than enough bandwidth to support all the video streams that Fibe TV can handle.

2011-12-08, 02:45 PM	#8
upsdriver Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 171	@Dr.Dave - Thanks bro that was good info.. yeah i seem to get excellent quality the way it is set up. thanks and Merry Christmas

2011-12-10, 06:33 AM	#10
ECB1 Rookie Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 6	Thanks, I wasn't necessarily looking to use the 2nd PVR (VIP1232) as a recording device but only as an STB rather than renting a VIP1200 monthly from Bell. (I obtained the 2nd VIP1232 from a family member who had purchased the unit when they had Fibe TV and have since moved out of the area where it is available)

2011-12-25, 06:51 PM	#13
sprungy Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6	"Can an XBox of some sort replace a 1200?" it 'could' if Bell chose to enable it. Telus in BC allows the use of an Xbox 360 as a TV receiver. "You should never connect the receiver with coax and then connect another device to the network port on the receiver, especially if there are other coax connected receivers. " This seems weird. I have hooked up my WDTV Live + to the network port on my second receiver and have had zero issues so far. The WDTV unit finds all my network content and streams Netflix, YouTube, etc just fine. The receiver works great too. PVR and receiver both connected via coax.