Tool to Test Coax Cable Signal Strength?

[jgilbreath77]

Hello! I’d like to test the incoming Xfinity signal strength over coax. What tool would be needed for this?
 

Thank you!

[AbydosOne]

10 minutes ago, jgilbreath77 said:

Hello! I’d like to test the incoming Xfinity signal strength over coax. What tool would be needed for this?
 

Thank you!

Some (I'm pretty sure most) cable modems will expose the individual channel power and SNR for viewing (since it's the easiest troubleshooting step).

[mr fobs]

https://www.ebay.com/p/78734019

Here's what the cable guy uses  yes that price is correct lol

 

but in all seriousness, your modem should have that functionality somewhere on it, it might be found on your Xfinity account online.

[OhioYJ]

The last several cable modems I've had you just type in the IP address of the modem (EX, 192.168.1.1), and it brings up a web interface that will show various info including signal strength.

[Kisai]

26 minutes ago, jgilbreath77 said:

Hello! I’d like to test the incoming Xfinity signal strength over coax. What tool would be needed for this?
 

Thank you!

If you're talking about the cable coming from Xfinity, there should be an interface in the modem to do this. If you're talking about MOCA (eg cable in the house being used for ethernet) then that's a different animal.

 

In any case, you may need the installer to expose it. Or if you have a TV connected to a STB provided by them, the STB will likely have a menu for it as well. With DSL, usually the router/modem admin panel has a dozens of diagnostics available on it. Cable is a bit more of a crapshoot, but they tend to be the same hardware.

[jgilbreath77]

18 minutes ago, mr fobs said:

https://www.ebay.com/p/78734019

Here's what the cable guy uses  yes that price is correct lol

 

but in all seriousness, your modem should have that functionality somewhere on it, it might be found on your Xfinity account online.

Wow, that’s amazing ridiculous… Thanks for sharing!

[Donut417]

2 hours ago, jgilbreath77 said:

Hello! I’d like to test the incoming Xfinity signal strength over coax. What tool would be needed for this?
 

Thank you!

Just go in to the modem to look. While they might not be 100% accurate readings, they are accurate enough. Most of the time you gain access by going to 192.168.100.1, though if you have one of their gateways Im not 100% sure if that address works or not. I use just a standard cable modem and separate router. 

[TheBeezNeez]

3 hours ago, AbydosOne said:

Some (I'm pretty sure most) cable modems will expose the individual channel power and SNR for viewing (since it's the easiest troubleshooting step).

 

We usually use specialized Fluke DSX butt-modems that are pre-registered to the CMTS gateway, so plug and test. But the absolute easiest for the EU is just checking what the modem spits out on the diag page. Most modems will give you this information for each specific channel and give you power/SNR, correcteds vs uncorrectables. You just have to know where to pad or where to not, and if it's a corroded tap (which most of the time it is).

[TenForceFalls]

Most if not all Comcast/Xfinity modems that I have used have a feature like that inside it. you can try to get access by going to your routers admin panel. Most if not all Xfinity modems admin panel can be accessed by going to http://10.0.0.1. if not then you can access it by going into command prompt on windows then typing "ipconfig" (without the quotes) and gateway should be your admin panel. If not then you can always call them but they try to push a $100 technician fee.