Cable Internet Installation

Here is a kind of tricky question for anyone with knowledge pertaining to the installation of cable internet in homes. Let us assume there are people in the world who one way or another happen to enjoy free cable. By this I mean, maybe they moved in a home hooked up their TV to the cable jack, and what do you know it works. Lets also assume it has been a couple of months and these people have never been contacted by the cable company whatsoever. Now on to the question: If these people are now interested in actually paying for cable internet, will their free cable be noticed and therefore billed? In other words, if the cable company comes over to do the cable internet installation, will they somehow know the new customers have had free services for months now? Or will the cable co. simply come out, hook up the internet, leave, and only bill the people for the known new service? Thank you all in advance for your help with this hypothetical question.

Reply to
Jesse
Loading thread data ...

Exactly what I was thinking!

Reply to
Jesse

Here is an un-hypothetical event

formatting link

Reply to
Bit Twister

Let's assume the person was dumb enough to leave the TV's hooked-up when the installer was coming. That would qualify the person for a collection of stupid criminal stories.

Cable TV theft is a violation of Federal law, not just some city ordinance or state statute (although it could also be those as well in some places.) If they're getting both cable Internet and cable TV installed, the cable company is not going to worry much about what they might or might not have been doing when they didn't catch them.

But if these people expect to continue to steal cable TV after having the cable Internet installed, not getting caught by the cable Internet installer is not their biggest risk -- unless, as I said, they are dumb enough to leave it all hooked-up when the installer is coming.

Reply to
Warren

It showed the customer was accused of cable tv theft because there was not a trap blocking tv therfor they were getting cable tv for free.

Reply to
Bit Twister

Most likely, they would simply hook up your internet service, and install a filter that blocks the TV signals unless you also sign up for TV service from them.

Reply to
Mike Rush

"Jesse" wrote in news:1131635600.021622.23690 @g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Chances are yes - the installer will notice.

Reply to
Spam Catcher

Using a finger dipped in purple ink, "Jesse" scribed:

Cable TV can work that way, Cable internet doesn't.

Lumber Cartel (tinlc) #2063. Spam this account at your own risk.

This sig censored by the Office of Home and Land Insecurity...

Remove XYZ to email me

Reply to
Never Anonymous Bud

Using a finger dipped in purple ink, Bit Twister scribed:

Which has nothing to do with the question asked.

Lumber Cartel (tinlc) #2063. Spam this account at your own risk.

This sig censored by the Office of Home and Land Insecurity...

Remove XYZ to email me

Reply to
Never Anonymous Bud

It's called theft of services. They know they are getting for "free", something they're paying for.

Reply to
James Knott

Many cable companies require you to get cable TV service in order to get internet service. Most of the ones that don't require it have a surcharge for non-CATV subscribers that just happens to be about the same as basic CATV service. The very few that actually allow you save a few bucks by not having CATV service almost certainly ensure (by installing filters on the pole, for example) that you will not get free CATV service after the internet service is connected.

-Larry Jones

I never get to do anything fun. -- Calvin

Reply to
lawrence.jones

Thank you for clarifying that you DID NOT answer my question.

Reply to
Jesse

Virtually all cable companies now have folks who drive around and check for signal leakage into unpaid addresses. They then dispatch techs to "pull the plug" at the distribution box. Different areas have different check rates. Around here it seems to be 3 to 6 months.

You friend "free" (stolen) service will likely go away in a few months.

Reply to
David Ross

That should read "something they should be paying for".

Reply to
James Knott

Don't mention it. It's the least I could do. ;-)

As to your original question, the fact still remains that it is theft of services and I will not do anything that encourages such theft. You're getting the service, please pay for it or cancel it.

Reply to
James Knott

Thanks again, I will re-post and ask anyone who's name is not James Knott to help me out. I mean, why answer a question to not answer the question? Must be a very moral person....

Reply to
Jesse

I think you're going to get the same response from most people here. I don't have much interest in helping people steal.

Reply to
Dave

I think it all boils down to how lucky are you feeling? There's nothing you can do other than detaching all your TVs from the cable outlets before the installer arrives. He'll then install your internet connection which means he'll have to climb up the pole outside your house and that's when the gamble kicks in.

Will he be observant enough to notice that there's an active cable TV feed going into your house or not? No way to calculate the odds as there's no way to tell how experienced the installer will be.

People are giving you such a hard time and acting as though you shimmied up the pole yourself and hacked into their system. The way I understand it you just moved into your house, hooked your TVs up to the jacks and you were mysteriously getting a signal. You are not obligated to fix or report the cable company's mistakes. You are receiving something through no action of your own that was unsolicited by you.

Of course, you could always think outside the box. If you want high speed internet just don't get cable. Get DSL instead.

Reply to
gray.wizard

"Bill M." wrote

So just disconnect the TVs. There is no proof, even with the TVs sitting all over the house next to outlets, that the TVs were ever connected to the outlets. And the cable companies know that and they would rather have a happy custome paying for internet (and maybe later subscribing to TV) than an angry customer who comlains for the rest of his life about the Evil Cable Company who prosecuted him.

*TimDaniels*
Reply to
Timothy Daniels

Wouldn't hurt to hook up some rabbit ears or something that resembles an antennae before they arrive.

Reply to
$Bill

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.