In the desparation to write something, anything, every month for the blog it’s easy to forget that the post really needs to contain at least one piece of useful information. This month, then, I shall provide the answer to the question “Can I run a longer cable from my Virgin Media wall-box to my Superhub (Modem/Router)?”.
TL;DR answer: Yes.
I wanted to have the central point of my home network in the loft of the new house, but the wall-box installed by the Virgin Media engineer was put into the corner of the living room. It was installed one the day we moved in, and in all the chaos it was just easier to have it put in the place the engineer found easiest (even if it was the worst possible position). I asked him if there was a limit on how long the cable can be from the box to the SuperHub. His response: “Nah, not really”. I thought I’d give it a go myself.
Virgin Media used RG6 (75ohm) cable, but I bought a 100m drum of Webro WF100 (slightly better, but still 75ohm) – way more than I needed for the job, but I can use it for TV signal distribution (when I get round to it).
Threading cable through any building can be a filthy awkward job, and this was no exception. Once in place, however, terminating the cable with compression-fit F-connectors was simple enough. After connecting up at both ends and applying power the SuperHub eventually locked-on to its signal. A quick look at the SuperHub’s admin interface confirmed that it was truly working.
So, “Yes”, it is possible to replace the 1m provided with a 15-20m cable.
