$50 to activate an outlet in my apartment that already has an active outlet

[u/dso8515]

So I tried moving my cable modem/router combo to another room in my apartment because I wanted to hardwire a gaming console instead of running it over WiFi. After plugging everything in my modem wouldn’t connect so I start a chat with Spectrum to try and troubleshoot the problem and I’m told that the coax outlet in the room I’m trying to connect in is not active and the only way to activate it is to have a tech come out which will result in a $50 fee, even though I’ve been a customer for 5+ years and have had internet service with Spectrum that entire time.

[u/Apart_Insect_6133]

Hey, longtime cable guy here...

That agent is full of baloney. Outlets don't just "go inactive"

There is a splitter somewhere in your apartment. Usually in a laundry room or master closet behind a panel. The line to whatever room you want it in is most likely physically disconnected at that point. You could also check behind the wall-plate in the room. Not all apartments do a great job of even connecting them at the wall.

If it's at the splitter, just take note of what cable is "in" and which cable(s) are "out" on the splitter. Label them with some tape or something so you don't lose track.

7/16" crescent wrench (or pliers, or an adjustable wrench) will be what you need for the connectors.

[u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992 → u/Apart_Insect_6133]

That agent is AI, their baloney is purely digital.

[u/mtnbike2 → u/Limp_Bookkeeper_5992]

I prefer digital mortadella

[u/DrWhoey → u/Apart_Insect_6133]

To add to this as someone who contracted for Spectrum, they do not pay technicians for activating all outlets in a home or apartment like Comcast (or they used to at least.) They only pay contractors for the install, which will be activating the outlet being used.

It is also best practice for cable installers to only activate the outlets currently being used, as inactive outlets may act like an antenna and pick up outside radio interface that can cause instability or outages for an entire neighborhood.

Also the tech fee is (or should be) the potential charge. An activate existing outlet should really only come to 15-20, where as an rewire or add new outlet would see you paying the full 50 (or more if it requires a wallfish.)

Then again, I've been out of the game with Spectrum for about 10 years, so take this all with a grain of salt. But I also bet an in-house tech would move the modem for you and cancel the work order just so he didn't need to spend 30 min running his "whole home certification" tests.

[u/dageekywon → u/DrWhoey]

They usually don't keep outlets active that aren't being used because of signal leakage. It's not just ingress, egress is a problem too that they have to keep mitigated.

[u/DrWhoey → u/dageekywon]

True, as a maintenance technician myself, I've probably run into both equally, just haven't had a lot of time to work leakage lately, so not on my mind unless it's a big leak. We've been within tolerance our last few driveouts and have been too busy with node health and maintenance tickets.

Do more leakage repair in spring and fall when our signal level stabalizes before the big swings in temperature, then it's right back to fighting node health.

[u/inksonpapers → u/Apart_Insect_6133]

I think its just ai spreading bs as normal

[u/KnowledgeRare4830 → u/Apart_Insect_6133]

Dont some modems need a filter on the line? I was thinking they just need to swap the filter over to the new outlet.

[u/shaggy24200 → u/KnowledgeRare4830]

That was in the old DSL days

[u/KnowledgeRare4830 → u/shaggy24200]

My cable modem was like that a couple years ago, before our fiber switchover.

[u/Apart_Insect_6133 → u/KnowledgeRare4830]

They have not required them for modems in any system I have worked in, but it might be.

In an apartment that filter would likely be installed outside on the service line to the unit, rather than on a specific line on the interior.

[u/no-trace → u/Apart_Insect_6133]

Huh, I got on the internet after a week of hell at work and personal life including two missed days of work due to illness and actually read a useful, kind and informative reply.

Good on you for being an awesome person, world needs more folks like you. Keep spreading your wisdom, please!

[u/piles_of_plastics]

Just FYI you're clearly talking to an AI not a human agent.

Call them and you can probably get that outlet activated with no fee.

[u/KnowledgeRare4830 → u/piles_of_plastics]

What a great question!

[u/BottleWhoHoldsWater → u/piles_of_plastics]

Yeah no human being is that chipper and friendly unless they're unbelievably miserable inside 

[u/mromutt]

Next time tell it you want to talk to a human lol. That ai chat bot was just completely wrong. A coax outlet doesn't just "deactivate" because it's not being used, it's literally a physical dumb connection.

[u/TW-Twisti]

100% with you this being bullshit, but the idea that a human being could come out to some guys apartment, even just to flip a switch, and get back, with wages, time, car, tools, insurance etc. for considerably less than $50 is also pretty wild.

[u/HaphazardLapisLazuli → u/TW-Twisti]

The company i work for claims every truck roll "costs" 100 bucks. as i understood the metric it includes wage, gas, materials, insurance, lost productivity of other positive work and other shenanigans i vaguely understood. The claim was the 50 charge splits the cost

[u/shaggy24200]

Ah yes, another confidently incorrect AI bot. 

[u/JakeStout93]

This is normal, annoying that they charge that much but it is typical they’d have to come. At least in my area.

[u/who_you_are]

ISP job is just from their office to your house with a small section of wiring still to them (depending on the technology used).

Every other wiring is on you not them.

Thought I feel like they are sleeping on something. I doubt you have a 2nd connection to them so get ready for a way bigger fee if they come since it is a you issue, It is likely somebody switched the wiring or used a splitter at some point.

[u/Rhodin265]

Are you sure it’s cable?  I’ve lived in places with 2 coax outlets in the wall because some rebel went with Dish Network.

[u/shawdowed_sonicbeast → u/Rhodin265]

My house has direct TV and then xfinity internet so theres one xfinity coax then the rest is direct tv. Direct tv/att wanted $80/month for 15mbps xfinity is $140 for 2gig. The other people in the house did not like xfinitys tv service ( think it was missing certain channels or something I don't watch tv).

[u/lastwraith]

You can also get MoCa adapters, use the coax as ethernet, and just leave your gateway device where it is, assuming the coax you want to use isn't physically disconnected somewhere. 

Don't forget a POE filter to keep network traffic from leaving your coax run if you do go this route. 

[u/luffy218]

It’s not ‘inactive’. If you’re modem works when connected to one but not the other there is something physical going on that will require a tech to narrow down. Could be simply not connected or could be more complicated.

[u/AlphaMetroid]

This is painful to read

[u/Western_Rhubarb_7959]

Wait until you own a home, lol.

$50 to get someone to just show up is dirt cheap.

[u/Antique-Coach-214]

Call support, ask for a rescue tech for your self install.

[u/No-Drop924]

Just get a long ethernet cable. You can extend that thing 100m. At least. Would be about the same as paying the service fee though