Didn’t know where else to ask this so figured this would be the best place. What exactly is Coax used for? I ask because i’m self installing new Xfinity internet and the instructions say to plug in the Coax and what not. What exactly does that do? It that how the gateway actually gets internet or does it simply “distribute” the internet to other parts of the house?
Truly could not find a good answer on google so just wondering if it’s truly necessary or does simply plugging the gateway in work?
Mind you im not getting cable or anything like that. It’s simply wifi and that’s it. Thanks in advance.
Edit (Solved): To make things short, I plugged my Xfi gateway into these coax outlets in my house but they weren’t working. So, I tried plugging my Gateway directly into the main line outside and it works just fine meaning either the two ports I tried both happen to not work or the wires that take the connection to the rest of the house don’t work. So i’m gonna attempt to connect it in a port upstairs and see if it works just to confirm either possibility. But the problem is largely resolved. Thanks to the legends in the replies for the help!
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Here’s a go at an ELI5 version for your use case:
The Coax connector is the “pipe” that allows internet water to flow in and out of your home. This pipe has special technology that lets water come in and water go out at the same time. It connects to the cable modem, which is sort of like an ice maker… you need water flow for your ice maker to work, so it can send those “packets” of solid water to your WiFi router.
Some cable companies provide an all in one device that includes a WiFi router and cable modem together, which sounds like may be your case.
So, yes, you 100% need the coax cable plugged in. The WiFi might work independently, but you won’t be able to reach anything in the outside world (only other devices connected to the router).
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