Possible damage to computer and TV after installation by Comcast Subcontractors
 

Moved into a new house (3 years old) and had an appointment to get Comcast
Cable TV and High Speed Internet installed.

Comcast sent subcontractors to do the job. In the cable box OUTSIDE the
house (a green enclosure) they found that the tap that goes into my house is
broken so they put a splitter on the neighbors cable line, so both me and
the neighbor now share the cable connection.

After few hours the computer goes dead. It does not power on at all. The PC
is located upstairs and is plugged into a surge protector along with the
monitor. The monitor is working fine.

After few hours the downstairs Sony Wega goes blank and there is sound and
no picture. A red light in front of the TV is blinking which according to
the manual "TV needs service. Contact Sony service center". The TV was
plugged in to a good surge protector also.

My question is as follows: .is this a coincidence that I lose both a
computer and TV the same day cable tv installation is done... all in a
matter of few hours?

OR

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John

In article IFXgd.337023$MQ5.292742@attbi_s52,
"John Smith" wrote:

Moved into a new house (3 years old) and had an appointment to get Comcast
Cable TV and High Speed Internet installed.

Comcast sent subcontractors to do the job. In the cable box OUTSIDE the
house (a green enclosure) they found that the tap that goes into my house is
broken so they put a splitter on the neighbors cable line, so both me and
the neighbor now share the cable connection.

After few hours the computer goes dead. It does not power on at all. The PC
is located upstairs and is plugged into a surge protector along with the
monitor. The monitor is working fine.

After few hours the downstairs Sony Wega goes blank and there is sound and
no picture. A red light in front of the TV is blinking which according to
the manual "TV needs service. Contact Sony service center". The TV was
plugged in to a good surge protector also.

My question is as follows: .is this a coincidence that I lose both a
computer and TV the same day cable tv installation is done... all in a
matter of few hours?

OR

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John



How's your neighbors tv and computer doing?

"John Smith" wrote in message news:IFXgd.337023$MQ5.292742@attbi_s52...
Moved into a new house (3 years old) and had an appointment to get Comcast
Cable TV and High Speed Internet installed.

Comcast sent subcontractors to do the job. In the cable box OUTSIDE the
house (a green enclosure) they found that the tap that goes into my house is
broken so they put a splitter on the neighbors cable line, so both me and
the neighbor now share the cable connection.

After few hours the computer goes dead. It does not power on at all. The PC
is located upstairs and is plugged into a surge protector along with the
monitor. The monitor is working fine.

After few hours the downstairs Sony Wega goes blank and there is sound and
no picture. A red light in front of the TV is blinking which according to
the manual "TV needs service. Contact Sony service center". The TV was
plugged in to a good surge protector also.

My question is as follows: .is this a coincidence that I lose both a
computer and TV the same day cable tv installation is done... all in a
matter of few hours?

OR

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John

I was starting to buy the coincidence until I read down to the TV
failing. Has anything happened to the neighbor's appliances? I would
start by getting a TV diagnosis telling them what might be related.

Yes, it is likely a coincidence. You might simply check to be sure that
there is no voltage on the cable relative to ground on your AC service, but
it is unlikely that what they did caused a problem. It is possible that
your neighbor could be using the cable line to distribute some DC for an amp
or sat system and does not have the proper blocking devices.

Did they connect the cable from next door to a ground block before it
entered your house? If not, it is conceivable, though not likely that there
could be a grounding issue.

Once the units are diagnosed, ask the techs what might have caused the
problem, without telling them the scenario. Likely the answer will be
random failure, or perhaps not so random typical failures in each unit.

Leonard

"John Smith" wrote in message
news:IFXgd.337023$MQ5.292742@attbi_s52...
Moved into a new house (3 years old) and had an appointment to get Comcast
Cable TV and High Speed Internet installed.

Comcast sent subcontractors to do the job. In the cable box OUTSIDE the
house (a green enclosure) they found that the tap that goes into my house
is
broken so they put a splitter on the neighbors cable line, so both me and
the neighbor now share the cable connection.

After few hours the computer goes dead. It does not power on at all. The
PC
is located upstairs and is plugged into a surge protector along with the
monitor. The monitor is working fine.

After few hours the downstairs Sony Wega goes blank and there is sound and
no picture. A red light in front of the TV is blinking which according to
the manual "TV needs service. Contact Sony service center". The TV was
plugged in to a good surge protector also.

My question is as follows: .is this a coincidence that I lose both a
computer and TV the same day cable tv installation is done... all in a
matter of few hours?

OR

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage
to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John

Al Bundy wrote:

"John Smith" wrote in message news:IFXgd.337023$MQ5.292742@attbi_s52...

Moved into a new house (3 years old) and had an appointment to get Comcast
Cable TV and High Speed Internet installed.

Comcast sent subcontractors to do the job. In the cable box OUTSIDE the
house (a green enclosure) they found that the tap that goes into my house is
broken so they put a splitter on the neighbors cable line, so both me and
the neighbor now share the cable connection.

After few hours the computer goes dead. It does not power on at all. The PC
is located upstairs and is plugged into a surge protector along with the
monitor. The monitor is working fine.

After few hours the downstairs Sony Wega goes blank and there is sound and
no picture. A red light in front of the TV is blinking which according to
the manual "TV needs service. Contact Sony service center". The TV was
plugged in to a good surge protector also.

My question is as follows: .is this a coincidence that I lose both a
computer and TV the same day cable tv installation is done... all in a
matter of few hours?

OR

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John


I was starting to buy the coincidence until I read down to the TV
failing. Has anything happened to the neighbor's appliances? I would
start by getting a TV diagnosis telling them what might be related.

Couldn't find the orginal message so i will tack this one.
i have seen that before. neighbor has a ground fault problem
between his outlet and TV/Cable box set. possibly a miss wired
outlet surging about 220v up the line at the correct moments.
cable company should not put him on a direct connection to the
neighbors line, it should have been Decoupled/isolated other than
RF.

"fecal control unit" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 01:59:04 GMT, "John Smith"
wrote:

snip

Can faulty cable tv / high speed cable Internet installation cause damage
to
the computer and television?

thanks,

John

Might want to disconnect the neighbors cable & grab a DMM to see if
there's an AC voltage{ & current?} diff between your box/neighbors
cable ( test both shield/ground & center conductor).
{I've seen 120 VAC, 120 mA between my old fridge & the kitchen sink!}


Yikes, sounds like you had a grounding issue in your house's wiring, that
could be a dangerous situation.