DOCSIS 101 Archives

17 07, 2023

Distortion, Signal Leakage, Codewords and more – Did you know?

Mia Colabrese2023-07-17T13:05:32-04:00July 17th, 2023|

Distortion, Signal Leakage, Codewords and more - Did you know? Part Two picks off from our last episode of "Did You Know? DOCSIS: Back to Basics and Clearing Misconceptions," part of our enlightening Back to Basics series. I'm Brady Volpe, your host and guide for this journey into the intriguing world of DOCSIS. In this episode, I'm joined by the esteemed Ron Hranac, who will be our guest presenter. So join us as we navigate this complex field, bringing you back to the fundamental basics of DOCSIS, and

22 05, 2023

Introduction to Carrier-to-Noise: Learning the Basics

Mia Colabrese2023-08-28T12:50:16-04:00May 22nd, 2023|

Join cable industry veteran Ron Hranac and host Brady Volpe in this must-watch video on "Introduction to Carrier-to-Noise: Learning the Basics." This video is a comprehensive guide to understanding Carrier-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) and how it works in real-world applications. We'll cover everything from Thermal Noise to Noise Figure to Practical CNR measurements and much more. If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of this critical component in the world of cable technology, this video is a must-watch! So grab your notebooks and get ready to learn from

26 04, 2023

Putting the Decibel to Work

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T17:15:20-04:00April 26th, 2023|

Welcome back, tech enthusiasts! I'm your host Brady Volpe, founder of Nimble This and the Volpe Firm, and I'm thrilled to be here with another exciting episode of "Get Your Tech On." Today, we have a very special guest with us, Ron Hranac, who will be the main presenter on our topic, "Putting the Decibel to Work (see video on Youtube)" As many of you know, the decibel is a fundamental unit of measurement in the world of telecommunications and is used to express everything from gain and

13 03, 2023

Signal Level

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T16:11:17-04:00March 13th, 2023|

Signal Level 101: Learning the Basics with Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac Welcome to our YouTube show where we are joined by two renowned experts, Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac, as we explore the fascinating world of signal level, current and voltage, and power! I am your host, Brady Volpe, and together with Ron Hranac, we will start by answering the question "What is signal level?" Ron will explain how signal level is measured and how it relates to the strength of the signal being transmitted. He will

22 02, 2023

Are Staples in Coax Cable Impacting My DOCSIS speed?

Mia Colabrese2023-02-22T17:43:08-05:00February 22nd, 2023|

I recently posted a YouTube short (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n5ucjCb-iGA). ) about how staples in coaxial cable can cause micro-reflections and interfere with subscriber modems. The video was well-received, and I received a lot of feedback, including real-world experiences and questions about the implications of these issues. Let’s take a closer look at this subject. Staples in coax cable meets the real world Let’s start off with an example of real-world feedback I received. The example goes as follows: “I’ve had calls for this. Poor US voice quality. My worst

29 01, 2023

What is a dB?

Mia Colabrese2023-05-01T16:12:26-04:00January 29th, 2023|

What is a dB? RF and Cable Basics :: Brady Volpe and Ron Hranac discuss RF and cable basics in a new series designed to help those who are interested in understanding RF and Cable TV technology a little better. In this first episode we cover what is a decibel (dB). This is a fundamental unit of measure that every person working in the cable industry should understand. To learn more, watch this episode 0:00 Intro 4:30 The Decibel Primer Beginning 5:13 What is a Logarithm 9:15 Question

3 03, 2021

Easy Transmission Line Theory

Mia Colabrese2021-03-03T10:27:53-05:00March 3rd, 2021|

A Lesson on Transmission Line Theory Transmission line theory can be intimidating, because of the complex mathematics involved. But I’m not going there. Transmission line theory is further complicated by modeling, say, coaxial cable (a transmission line) as a distributed circuit model, comprising series inductance, shunt capacitance, series resistance, and shunt conductance. But I’m not going there, either. Instead, I’m going to provide an analogy using a bucket of water and hose. Understanding the basic principles of transmission line theory is key to understanding how RF signals transporting

5 06, 2020

Do T3 Timeouts Impact My Service?

brady2020-07-04T15:36:10-04:00June 5th, 2020|

I see T3 timeouts in my cable modem's log - does this impact my data speeds? The answer is yes, the T3 timeouts could be an indicator that your data speeds and overall service performance is degraded and there is something you may even be able to do about it. To fully understand T3 timeouts and why this is something you may be able to change, read on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjieCgQ6Ji0 What are T3 Timeouts? First, let's start with a basic understanding of why you are seeing T3 timeouts and

8 11, 2019

CMTS Status Event List

Mia Colabrese2019-11-08T12:26:02-05:00November 8th, 2019|

CMTS Status Event List definitions for Cable and Broadband Technicians. Learn about the CMTS event list and how it can help you understand CMTS status lists Secondary Channel MDD timeout QAM/FEC lock failure Sequence out of range MDD recovery QAM/FEC lock recovery T4 timeout T3 re-tries exceeded Successful ranging after T3 re-tries exceeded CM operating on battery backup CM returned to A/C power MAC Removal Event DS OFDM profile failure Primary Downstream Change DPD Mismatch Invalid DPD NCP Profile Failure Loss of FEC Lock on PLC NCP Profile

19 07, 2019

T3 & T4 Timeouts Cable Modem Registration – Back to Basics

Mia Colabrese2021-08-15T18:42:34-04:00July 19th, 2019|

Happy Friday Everyone. Today is July 12th and this is episode 49 of Get Your Tech On, our show on All Things DOCSIS. I'm Brady Volpe, Founder of The Volpe Firm and Nimble This. With us is, John Downey, who recently carried a CBR-8 on his back, up Mount Kilimanjaro to ensure broadband service. John is also CMTS Technical Leader at Cisco Systems, welcome John. Todays show: Upstream MER registration explained Cable modem registration T3 and T4 Timeouts In The News: https://www.lightreading.com/cable/ccap-next-gen-nets/comcast-commits-millions-to-harmonics-cableos-platform/d/d-id/752671 Comcast Commits Millions to Harmonic's