Can a Cable Modem be Mixed with Satellite TV?

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TrailerFool

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I go to a park for extended stays where I must get my own Internet & TV service (the pedestals are wired with cable, it just isn't activated).  I'm thinking of contracting for cable modem service for Internet and DISH TV for TV service (my RV is pre-wired for both).  My question is this: Since the RV only has one coax wiring system, can I mix the two services on the RV's coax wiring?  Has anybody successfully done that? Thanks for any input.  :eek:
 
No, you can't use the same cable for satellite and internet.  The satellite coax should be straight from the antenna to the receiver with no splitters or other devices in between.  The internet coax similarly goes directly to the modem.

We're doing exactly that right now.  Satellite antenna is on the roof and permanently wired to the receiver.  The internet cable comes into a bay to the modem.  They are two separate systems.
 
No, The satellite Dish cabling has to go DIRECTLY to the satellite receiver, with no connections, T's etc. The reason is simply that the LNB's at the dish end are powered from the receiver. Some barrel connectors might work to lengthen a cable but no other kinds will as they cannot pass the required power levels.

In most RV's the cable coax usually passes through the little power supply for the OTA antenna along  which acts a switch between the two. The coax between the little power supply and the TV input is shared between the two services.
 
If you have a Video Switch and no intervening Splitters between the external COAX connector and the Vid Switch you can use the single feed COAX to the Vid Switch to carry both the Signal from the Internet Cable and the Satellite Cable.

You will need two Satellite Diplexers as described at this Web Site "http://www.satelliteinstaller.com/satellite_diplexers.htm".  One of the Diplexers will be at the input for the external Cable Connector and the other will be at the Cable Input for the Vid Switch.  The Diplexer will split the signals and allow the DC to pass from the Sat Receiver to the Sat Dish.

The Sat and Cable inputs will be connected to the external Diplexer at the External Cable Input (where ever it may be on your Rig and the output of the Diplexer will connect to the Cable Input.  You will then disconnect the External Cable Input from your Video Switch and insert another Diplexer with the Sat Connector of the Diplexer going to your Sat Receiver and the remaining connector of the Diplexer going to the Cable input of your Vid Switch.

The key here is that there are no Signal Splitters between the External Cable Input and the Vid Switch.

Vid Switch for this message is either the multi switch (DVD, TV, Cable, Other, etc.) or the single switch (Cable/TV Ant).
 
Actually you can use the same coax to carry satellite signal and CATV simultaneously.. We did it for several years before getting a new rooftop dish.  We have Dish network. At the entry point outside the coach I added a "power pass one-sided duplexer", and then the same inside the coach at the other end of the coax before the switch box. On both ends, the satellite component (outside antenna and inside receiver) was connected to the power passing side of the diplexer.  We were able to choose either/or, or both as desired.  One many occasions I was watching Dish satellite on the bedroom TV while DW was watching cable on the lounge TV.
 
I think the point here is that with the proper equipment the two signals can coexist on one cable. Afterall, the cable company delivers it to your doorstep that way. But you have to end up with one cable to the tv system and a separate one to the cable modem and the existing coax wiring in most RVs won't do that. Just what has to be modified, and how, depends on what you have now.

The satellite company will provide their decoder box and the cable company their cable modem and will wire from the outlet to wherever you wish to place the modem, but they probably won't fiddle with your existing coax. They will just run new coax wherever it needs to reach.

Also, you may find that the cable company does not own or support the distribution system in the park. Typically the cable company brings service to the park and the park provides wiring to each site. The cable company may hand you a cable modem and tell you that you are on your own for hooking-up. Ask about this at the park office or a neighboring campsite that already has cable.
 
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