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I've been having intermittent issues with my Fios TV One Mini for a little while now. For reference, the box is located upstairs in my master bedroom (rear of house), and my main STB and router are located downstairs in my family room (front of house). The Mini is connected via Coax, but often times says it is connected via wifi. I contacted Verizon customer service months ago and went through a couple hours of reboots/system checks with them but nothing seemed to fix the issue. Randomly everything started working much better for a few months so I let it be, but now the issues have started up again.
Live TV constantly freezes on my Mini. Sometimes the feed will resume after 5-10 seconds only to then freeze again and repeat. The channel name/info appears when it does this, as if it's sort of 'refreshing' the selection of that channel. Other times it will just freeze and stay that way. If I flip up/down channels, it typically resumes but then freezes again in a few seconds. When the cable feed is frozen, I can access the settings menu and guide just fine... meaning it's not like the whole box is frozen, but just the live cable feed.
The freezing problems occur when the box recognizes it's connected to coax as well as and when it decides to connect itself to wifi. I'm really confused as to why the Mini wouldn't always recognize it's connected to coax. Are there any software updates I can do?
I've read that a non compatible splitter could possibly cause issues. Does that sound like something that could be causing my issues? My main STB in our family room works perfectly. I'm wondering if maybe there's a splitter in my attic for the upstairs that I should check. Any splitter recommendations or other suggestions on my issue?
Solved! Go to Correct Answer
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The numbers on the splitters (5.5, 3.5...etc.) represent attenuation.
A simplistic explanation is that coaxial cable, splitters, connectors and other hardware attenuate signals. Installers will add up all of the losses to determine if an installation will function properly.
In residential home settings, where coaxial cable runs are relatively short, the ratings are not as important as if an installation was being done in an apartment complex where cable runs would be longer coupled with more splitters & connectors.
A member of an Interconnect-centric forum that I'm an Admin on posted some good information concerning coaxial cabling.
I think that the information presented is ok for posting here.
For the sake of simplicity lets say that you have +10dbm at the ground block (or video output of the FiOS ONT). +10 is what we would normally shoot for to supply each house. Then figure that at each cable box you want between 0dbm and no less than -10dbm. That range is what cable boxes are designed to operate with. We're going to ignore signal "tilt", which is the difference in levels between the lowest and highest carriers, as well as the return signals from the cable boxes back to the system.
So now it's just a matter of simple math.
If you don't know a 2-way splitter has a 3.5db attenuation from the in to each of the outs. A 3-way comes in two varieties. Either symmetrical or with a "hot"port. Either it's -7 all around or there is a -3.5 port with the rest -7. A 4-way is just two 2-ways. So -7db from the in to the outs.
Now look up the specs for the cable you are using. Look for the attenuation at 1000Mhz, for the Belden 1189A it's 6.55db/100ft. It's given per 100ft so divide it down to per foot (.065/ft). Now determine all your individual cable run lengths and where they go.
Get your pencil and paper out and start with +10. Subtract .065 per foot for the length of cable between the ONT and the first splitter. Subtract 3.5 or 7 for the 3-way splitter. Subtract from that number .065/ft for each cable run from the splitter to the cable boxes. Do you end up with between 0 and -10 at each device? If so all good!
Hint- it's a good idea to make a drawing starting at the ONT of how you have your splitters connected along with cable lengths and where they go. That way you can write your levels at each point in the chain.
Tip of the hat to hbiss for providing the information.
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@MarkL24 wrote:I've been having intermittent issues with my Fios TV One Mini for a little while now. For reference, the box is located upstairs in my master bedroom (rear of house), and my main STB and router are located downstairs in my family room (front of house). The Mini is connected via Coax, but often times says it is connected via wifi. I contacted Verizon customer service months ago and went through a couple hours of reboots/system checks with them but nothing seemed to fix the issue. Randomly everything started working much better for a few months so I let it be, but now the issues have started up again.
Live TV constantly freezes on my Mini. Sometimes the feed will resume after 5-10 seconds only to then freeze again and repeat. The channel name/info appears when it does this, as if it's sort of 'refreshing' the selection of that channel. Other times it will just freeze and stay that way. If I flip up/down channels, it typically resumes but then freezes again in a few seconds. When the cable feed is frozen, I can access the settings menu and guide just fine... meaning it's not like the whole box is frozen, but just the live cable feed.
The freezing problems occur when the box recognizes it's connected to coax as well as and when it decides to connect itself to wifi. I'm really confused as to why the Mini wouldn't always recognize it's connected to coax. Are there any software updates I can do?
I've read that a non compatible splitter could possibly cause issues. Does that sound like something that could be causing my issues? My main STB in our family room works perfectly. I'm wondering if maybe there's a splitter in my attic for the upstairs that I should check. Any splitter recommendations or other suggestions on my issue?
You may have nailed the issue. For the box to be going from coax to WiFi it must be loosing its coax connection, acquiring a WiFi signal, then losing that and going back to coax. You need to check ALL the coax connections in the system, look for another splitter between the router and the mini, or replace the one splitter you know of as it may have a bad leg. You need to use MoCa 2.0 approved splitters for ANY that are in the signal path. You can also look here for how the box is getting its signal: Main Menu > Customer Support > Top Support Tools > Connected Device Status. Scroll to highlight the box with the issues and check what the signal type and quality are.
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Thanks a lot for the info. It's interesting that when I check that Connected Device Status menu, the Mini STB shows as green (good connection), yet it's usually freezing at the time as I'm checking the status.
I'm going to try and hunt for more splitters. If I opt to try and replace a splitter... any recommendations on one to buy and how to ensure it's MoCA 2.0?
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In general, stay away from inexpensive splitters. The good ones tend to cost more as they have internal circuit boards. Ideal brand splitters from Home Depot & Lowes are good choices.
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Thanks a lot. Admittedly, I'm pretty unfamiliar with the parameters of 'MoCA 2.0'... trying to do some research but wanted to ask... is it based on the Mhz? For instance, I'm seeing splitters that are 5-1675 Mhz.... and then also some that are 5-2.4 Ghz. Are either of these MoCA 2.0 compatible?
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In addition to Clem53's advice, I would suggest checking the coaxial cable connectors. Loose connections and improperly terminated connectors can cause problems. Also look to see if splitters have open ports. If any are spotted, either purchase some terminating plugs, or a new splitter with the correct number of ports
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@MarkL24 wrote:I've been having intermittent issues with my Fios TV One Mini for a little while now. For reference, the box is located upstairs in my master bedroom (rear of house), and my main STB and router are located downstairs in my family room (front of house). The Mini is connected via Coax, but often times says it is connected via wifi. I contacted Verizon customer service months ago and went through a couple hours of reboots/system checks with them but nothing seemed to fix the issue. Randomly everything started working much better for a few months so I let it be, but now the issues have started up again.
Live TV constantly freezes on my Mini. Sometimes the feed will resume after 5-10 seconds only to then freeze again and repeat. The channel name/info appears when it does this, as if it's sort of 'refreshing' the selection of that channel. Other times it will just freeze and stay that way. If I flip up/down channels, it typically resumes but then freezes again in a few seconds. When the cable feed is frozen, I can access the settings menu and guide just fine... meaning it's not like the whole box is frozen, but just the live cable feed.
The freezing problems occur when the box recognizes it's connected to coax as well as and when it decides to connect itself to wifi. I'm really confused as to why the Mini wouldn't always recognize it's connected to coax. Are there any software updates I can do?
I've read that a non compatible splitter could possibly cause issues. Does that sound like something that could be causing my issues? My main STB in our family room works perfectly. I'm wondering if maybe there's a splitter in my attic for the upstairs that I should check. Any splitter recommendations or other suggestions on my issue?
Should have added you check the SNR values here when things are bad:
Main Menu > Settings > System Information.
The SNR values should read GOOD or you have a problem with the wiring, splitters or connectors in the system. Outside chance is a bad ONT, but that would affect ALL boxes in the system. You could also try swapping the location of the VMS and mini to see if the problem Is location specific, or box specific.
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Thanks a lot - I will check into that. I have a strange feeling there's an issue with wiring/splitters in my attic. I tried moving the Mini to another Bedroom (currently a spare that we don't use)... and it experienced the same issue. I haven't ventured into the attic just yet... but i'm assuming the spare bedroom Coax jacks are all wired into a common splitter. Thinking this could be why I'm having issues upstairs but not downstairs in my family room with the main Fios One STB.
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@MarkL24 wrote:Thanks a lot - I will check into that. I have a strange feeling there's an issue with wiring/splitters in my attic. I tried moving the Mini to another Bedroom (currently a spare that we don't use)... and it experienced the same issue. I haven't ventured into the attic just yet... but i'm assuming the spare bedroom Coax jacks are all wired into a common splitter. Thinking this could be why I'm having issues upstairs but not downstairs in my family room with the main Fios One STB.
This is a link to the Verizon MoCa 2.0 splitter:
https://www.amazon.com/Verizon-Splitter-PDI-2WWB-2-0-3-5dB-Screw/dp/B010EIP8B8
It's 5-1675 Mhz, which is all the current system really needs.
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I appreciate the link to the splitter. I just went into my attic and unplugged/replugged all the coax cables into the splitter currently up there (ideal brand). I moved the cables in the āoutā ports around too (no idea why just figured why not).
I did notice thereās one open āoutā port with only a dust cap on itā¦ so I should put a terminate cap on that instead.
Iām testing the master bedroom tv with the Mini right now and itās TV actually working properly. Iām a bit skeptical but I guess itās possible something was loose. Interestingly though I went to the System Diagnostics menu you suggested and for SNR lines I see:
SNR Level: N/A
SNR Value: N/A DB
seems kind of weird, no?
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@MarkL24 wrote:I appreciate the link to the splitter. I just went into my attic and unplugged/replugged all the coax cables into the splitter currently up there (ideal brand). I moved the cables in the āoutā ports around too (no idea why just figured why not).
I did notice thereās one open āoutā port with only a dust cap on itā¦ so I should put a terminate cap on that instead.
Iām testing the master bedroom tv with the Mini right now and itās TV actually working properly. Iām a bit skeptical but I guess itās possible something was loose. Interestingly though I went to the System Diagnostics menu you suggested and for SNR lines I see:
SNR Level: N/A
SNR Value: N/A DB
seems kind of weird, no?
I'd try powercycling the box and see if the info comes up. Also could take a while for the values to populate. Could have been a bad connection at the splitter, but I'd replace it anyway for the few $$ a new one would cost.
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Unterminated ports on a coaxial splitter are bad news. Definitely use a terminating plug, a new splitter with fewer ports or a coupler if there is only one connection.
If possible, could some pictures of the coaxial cable connections be posted?
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I will try to get some pictures of the connections tomorrow. Really appreciate the info. If I can't find a 1:3 splitter, I'm going to buy a new 1:4 splitter and a terminating cap for the unused port.
edit:
Any suggestions/comments on any of these?
Option 1 - not sure why 2 of the out ports are 7.5db and 1 is 3.5db
Option 2 - I don't need a 2-pack but it looked decent? Seems a bit cheap for 2 though... too cheap?
Option 3 - looks pretty good although the out ports are only 5.5db. Does that matter... or is 5.5 sufficient enough?
There are a few more options for 4-way splitters but I'd only need 1 terminator cap and most products I've seen are 10 packs. Not trying to penny pinch... but if I could get a quality new 3 way splitter I just figured it would be better.
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If there is a Lowes nearby, it may have an Ideal brand 3-way splitter in stock. They are special purchases at Home Depot.
Not too long ago, I opened an inexpensive two way splitter. What I found inside was nothing more than thin copper wire and a few ceramic chokes.
Better performing splitters have internal circuit boards, but they do tend to cost more.
I'll look at the links after posting this. š
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Ah ok good to know... so I should probably try for this
https://www.lowes.com/pd/IDEAL-Zinc-3-Way-Coax-Video-Cable-Splitter/3362974
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That is the one I saw. It is geared towards satellite installations, but, it will work with cable TV. I have the two way version is use for splitting the signal from my rooftop FM antenna.
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Apologies it took a few days but I got around to purchasing a new Ideal 3 way splitter and terminating caps. I was also able to take some pictures:
Old 4 way splitter (I added the terminator cap as a test)
New 3 way splitter
I also added terminator caps to open coax jacks in other spare bedrooms.
I had my Fios Mini box unplugged while swapping out the splitters. Afterward I plugged it in and unfortunately it keeps connecting via Wifi. I'll need to unplug/reset my router and main STB at some point today to try and force the Mini to recognize the Coax again. It's really weird... last week when I just moved the wires around on my old splitter the Mini worked better for a few days with almost no freezing. Now it's back to freezing every few seconds. I'm hoping once I can get the box to connect via Coax it will work better but if not, I guess I'll have to call Verizon tech support again and see if there's anything they can do.
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The new splitter looks good. š š
Would it be physically possible to temporarily run coaxial cable from the new splitter to the mini without disrupting other televisions? If the unit is able to recognize the temporary cable and switch from Wi-Fi to coax, that would point to another inhouse cabling problem.
There are some onboard diagnostic tools available.
Menu->Customer Support->Top Support Tools->Connected Device Status.
Toggle to the receiver in question.
Press OK
Advanced Diagnostics
There are five screens worth of data. Some of the data fields can be green or red. I'm still trying to figure out everything present, but green is good. On screens #4 & 5, are the error counts anything other than /0E-7?
Interestingly enough, as a test, I once tried to switch the unit in my bedroom from coax to ethernet, but it wouldn't take. I tend to prefer keeping TV on coax and Internet on ethernet as much as possible.
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@MarkL24 wrote:Apologies it took a few days but I got around to purchasing a new Ideal 3 way splitter and terminating caps. I was also able to take some pictures:
Old 4 way splitter (I added the terminator cap as a test)
New 3 way splitter
I also added terminator caps to open coax jacks in other spare bedrooms.
I had my Fios Mini box unplugged while swapping out the splitters. Afterward I plugged it in and unfortunately it keeps connecting via Wifi. I'll need to unplug/reset my router and main STB at some point today to try and force the Mini to recognize the Coax again. It's really weird... last week when I just moved the wires around on my old splitter the Mini worked better for a few days with almost no freezing. Now it's back to freezing every few seconds. I'm hoping once I can get the box to connect via Coax it will work better but if not, I guess I'll have to call Verizon tech support again and see if there's anything they can do.
Just as the devil's advocate, are you sure the ins and outs are correct on the new splitter? Try sending the -3.5db port to the problem mini and see if it connects. Also try disabling WiFi on the router until the minis hook up to coax, then restore WiFi.
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The numbers on the splitters (5.5, 3.5...etc.) represent attenuation.
A simplistic explanation is that coaxial cable, splitters, connectors and other hardware attenuate signals. Installers will add up all of the losses to determine if an installation will function properly.
In residential home settings, where coaxial cable runs are relatively short, the ratings are not as important as if an installation was being done in an apartment complex where cable runs would be longer coupled with more splitters & connectors.
A member of an Interconnect-centric forum that I'm an Admin on posted some good information concerning coaxial cabling.
I think that the information presented is ok for posting here.
For the sake of simplicity lets say that you have +10dbm at the ground block (or video output of the FiOS ONT). +10 is what we would normally shoot for to supply each house. Then figure that at each cable box you want between 0dbm and no less than -10dbm. That range is what cable boxes are designed to operate with. We're going to ignore signal "tilt", which is the difference in levels between the lowest and highest carriers, as well as the return signals from the cable boxes back to the system.
So now it's just a matter of simple math.
If you don't know a 2-way splitter has a 3.5db attenuation from the in to each of the outs. A 3-way comes in two varieties. Either symmetrical or with a "hot"port. Either it's -7 all around or there is a -3.5 port with the rest -7. A 4-way is just two 2-ways. So -7db from the in to the outs.
Now look up the specs for the cable you are using. Look for the attenuation at 1000Mhz, for the Belden 1189A it's 6.55db/100ft. It's given per 100ft so divide it down to per foot (.065/ft). Now determine all your individual cable run lengths and where they go.
Get your pencil and paper out and start with +10. Subtract .065 per foot for the length of cable between the ONT and the first splitter. Subtract 3.5 or 7 for the 3-way splitter. Subtract from that number .065/ft for each cable run from the splitter to the cable boxes. Do you end up with between 0 and -10 at each device? If so all good!
Hint- it's a good idea to make a drawing starting at the ONT of how you have your splitters connected along with cable lengths and where they go. That way you can write your levels at each point in the chain.
Tip of the hat to hbiss for providing the information.
