Comcast Cable TV cable repair

adamz said:

That looks like RG6. If you make a quality cable strip and crimp with the correct tools, it might very well improve it. Your cable box is probably using a 'channel' that's just the right frequency to be affected. Try that other port, it might help. Or even take that connector off it's port and put it back on might help too. Beware, this could make it worse too though.

You did most of the troubleshooting yourself, they owe you a few months free

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I think it is RG6. The existing damaged cable connector has a label on it "PPC EX6" does this mean it is a RG6 connector?

Are there different kinds of RG6 connectors?


I used a standard coax stripper to strip the orange cable. It seems to strip fine and I folded back the braided shield, there is some gel like coating smeared on it which I assume is for the exterior weather proofing.






Then I tried to use a standard RG6 F compression connector on it. The foam core (which is inside a thin layer of aluminum foil) will not insert into the smaller hole of the connector. I thought may be I didn't strip it right and strip it again at a lower portion of the cable, same result. I was able to compress the connector onto the cable, but the foam core wouldn't push in all the way so right now I have an extra long copper conductor.


The service seems to be back to normal after a system refresh myself. Hope that will last. If I can figure out what I am not doing right I would like to remake that connection.

Drachenfire said:

I strongly urge you not to try and repair the cable in that box yourself.

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I really don't want to try and repair the cable in the box myself. However, it's abundantly clear to me that the rep on the phone are powerless and not skillful to diagnose my issue, and the techs are not good at keeping appointments. I have been running around in circles, if you read my original post I had multiple missed appointments already.


So what did I do? I end up cutting that cable where the crimp was, then I went and purchased three different kinds of RG6 connectors. I found one that worked and changed out that connector and remade the connection. I knew I am not supposed to mess with it but I was running out of options. Once I did that, rebooted everything and both my internet and TV has been working flawlessly for 2.5 months...until the first week of May when we had a major rainstorm here, and heavy flooding. Then I started to experience problems with intermittent losing internet connections throughout the day, every day.


I started to call Comcast again to try and figure this out. I was put through the restart, reboot, refresh, cycle of multiple calls again and after a few days I was able to connect to a live person.


They ran another diagnosis and said they did confirm there is an outside problem and will send someone to investigate. They gave me a CR number for the outside service. That was May 21, and they said it will be resolved by May 27.
Between May 21 and May 27 we had multiple daily internet outages. This is a real problem because my son is going to summer class online and we all working from home and suddenly in the middle of meetings and classes the connection failed, totally unpredictable, intermittent in nature.

So on May 27, I called Comcast again, this time the calls took one hour and 20 minutes of wait before someone live answers, continuously in a loop of asking you to go online for virtual help.

The Comcast rep told me from the records a tech did stop by and he found a problem outside, and they needed a new "adapter" but they didn't have one with them and it's a special part that needs to be ordered, they will return on May 30 to replace the adapter. OK so at least someone did come by the investigate and confirmed that there is an issue outside.

On May 30 Comcast knocked on my door in the morning and asked me about the problem I am having. I explained everything but asked if he was there to replace the adapter outside. He seemed puzzled so I told him someone came by on May 27 saying I need a new adapter outside and it's a special part that needs to be ordered and I assumed that's why he came. He said he came because there is a work order to my address. OK so he said he will trouble shoot and see what's going on.

He started with saying his meter to read the cable signal is out of battery because he left it on all night, so he will need to charge his meter on my outside receptacle. While waiting for that he tried to open my wall cable box outside. He couldn't find his key to open that box so he used a tool(as the correct word cannot be used in a post) to pry which eventually broke the box in half. He then said I needed a new cable from my wall box to the outside box and that most likely is my issue because many other customers had issues with their outside line being damaged by lawn mowers weed eaters etc... so he ran a new line from my now broken wall box to the outside box. He asked me to check if my cable is working and it was but it doesn't mean my issue is resolved because my issue is intermittent. He then said my issue should be resolved but he can't check the signal because his meter is still being charged. He said someone will come back to bury the cable in a week or so.

I then asked him about the adapter outside that is pending work. He laughed and said there is no adapter, that's probably the Comcast rep on the phone making up some BS story so he could get off the phone. "They will say anything to make you think they are solving your problem" he said. He said he is 100% sure my issue is resolved then he left.

Two hours later my issue returned. I lost internet for a full hour, again with no reported outage in my area.


He also left the cable hanging over a tree and a gate...so yesterday someone from Comcast came by the bury the cable, and the guy said there is no enough slack in the cable to bury it but he will try. I didn't know Comcast used basically what looks like a larger pizza cutter to cut through my lawn and bury the line about 1/2" at most. One rain storm and the cable will be fully exposed to be abused by the lawn mowers and weed eaters. While struggling to bury the line he used a fork to push the cable down into the dirt and in doing so the guy badly pierced the cable at one point. So yes, this is not a joke, the new cable is again, damaged, by them.


I am not sure what to do now or whether I need to call Comcast again. Is someone still coming to change an adapter that needed to be changed? Did Comcast closed my case by changing out a line that does not need to be changed in the first place?

Each time I get on the line I wait over an hour. Their automated answer required you to reboot your equipment before they let you continue. If I set up an appointment I don't know if they will show, and if they do show I don't know they really want to resolve my issue or just do something but continue to leave me hanging.



This is turning into a joke.