Self-Install Support
Activate Coax (Cable Wall) Outlets
An outlet must be active to deliver a signal to your Midco internet or TV equipment. Not all outlets may be active in your home, so if you connect your Midco modem or cable TV equipment to a coax outlet and it doesn’t work, you either need to find a new outlet or activate that one.
We’re here to help. Just follow the steps below to active an outlet. If you’re not comfortable activating an outlet yourself, contact us. One of our professional technicians can help.
Quick Things to Know
Splitting your signal too many times can weaken it and affect the quality of your internet and TV service. That’s why we recommend you leave outlets inactive if they’re not needed.
A cable connects a telecommunications pedestal in your neighborhood to a box in your home. Then, another cable routes inside your home to a splitter. This is how signal gets into your home.
Generally, a splitter distributes the signal throughout your home. A cable “in” port comes from your house box, and multiple “out” ports send the signal to outlets in different rooms.
Important: Some ports are dedicated to certain functions and should not be removed. These should be properly labeled.
What you need to start
Gather these items before you start:
- A 7/16” wrench
- A flat-head screwdriver
- A flashlight or smartphone with both flashlight and camera apps
You may also need:
- A ladder (if your splitter is in a hard-to-reach area)
- A replacement splitter or coax cables (will be determined during activation)
Important to know: There is no electrical current going through coax cables, so there is no risk of electric shock when you’re working on an outlet.
Steps to Activate a Coax Outlet
Step 1: Locate your splitter.
- If you don’t know where your cable coax lines enter your home, locate the Midco house box attached to the side of your home. Typically, it’s about five feet off the ground.
- Next, find where the coax lines go into your home. Sometimes, you’ll see the wiring leave the house box and stretch along the outside before it enters your home. Other times, the cable runs directly from the house box into the house. The entry point can be in a variety of places, such as a laundry room, utility room or a media closet.
- Near the entry point, find the splitter. If your home has been served by multiple providers in the past, be sure to find the coax splitter and cables with Midco-approved fittings.
- If your splitter is in a hard-to-reach location, you may need a ladder. Safety tip: Be sure to place the ladder on a solid, level surface to ensure stability.
Step 2: Find an “out” port.
- Use a smartphone to take a photo of your splitter, so you know how everything’s properly connected.
- Identify the “in” port. The cable may be labeled or even routed separately from other cables to help you pinpoint the “in” port.
- Make sure the cable going to the “in” port is tight. Use a 7/16” wrench to tighten it if needed – but avoid overtightening this connection.
- Locate the splitter’s “out” ports. You need one available “out” port to run a single coax line to a wall outlet in a room.
IMPORTANT: If you have an adapter like the one shown in this picture, do not detach it. It’s required for some devices within your home that use a MoCA network.
There is a chance that your Midco coax splitter doesn’t have any open “out” ports. If that’s the case, you’ll need to disconnect an existing cable.
Check to see if any cables run to rooms where you aren’t using the cable wall outlet. You can disconnect one of those cables and use that “out” port.
If you’re using all the outlets, we recommend that you decide to disconnect one. Having too many “out” connections can cause signal strength issues – affecting the quality and performance of your Midco services.
However, another option is to get a splitter with more “out” ports. Contact us or visit a Customer Experience Center for a splitter approved to work with the Midco Network.
Step 3: Activate the outlet.
- After you’ve identified an open “out” port on the coax splitter, connect it to the coax cable for the wall outlet you want to activate. Make sure the cable going to the “out” port is tight. Use a 7/16” wrench to tighten it – but avoid over-tightening the connection.
- If you aren’t sure which cable goes to a particular outlet, you may have to try multiple cables to find the right one.
- If you’ve already installed a modem or TV equipment connected to that wall outlet, it may take a few minutes before your devices come online.
Once your coax outlet is active, make sure that any other devices are still working. This may include other providers, such as satellite TV or your own home phone or TV services.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If your devices aren’t working after five minutes, remove the cable connected to the splitter. You could have the wrong coax cable for that outlet. Try a different one.
- If you know you have the right coax outlet, but your devices aren’t working, you may have a bad coax cable going to your device. Try another coax cable. (Contact us if you need one.)
- If your devices aren’t working, check the cable wall outlet you recently connected to the coax splitter. Use a flat-head screwdriver to remove the coax wall plate and verify the coax cable going to the back of the wall outlet is fully connected. Use a 7/16” wrench to tighten the connector. (Be careful not to overtighten.)
If you cannot get it working, contact us.
