Wi-Fi & connectivity

[Pat40]

I've streamed for many years but have all these cables coming into my condo.

How do I determine which are necessary? Can I get rid of them all? It looks like I can but I'm elderly & don't want to cause a problem.

Thanks! Pat

[Vakko]

None of this has anything to do with Roku. Why don't you call the maintenance company of your condo? 

[Michelle3]

And why don’t you actually be more specific about the cables?  Composite?  Y/Pb/Pr (Green/Blue/Red)?  S-Video?  RF Coaxial?  

~ Jordan

[Pat40]

I guess I assumed Roku folks could advise me.

I'm assuming that because I use Roku for streaming, I would not need old cables from old satellite dishes & Comcast cable connections.

I do NOT know exactly how "streaming" works probably because I was elderly when we started streaming & haven't had the experience growing up in the internet world. So some of this is Greek to me. Fortunately I can use it but that doesn't mean I understand it.

I have spoken to my condo folks & they don't know as we all provide our own service. Can I safely severe the old Comcast cable?

I also assume this would be a friendlier forum. I can call it a dumb question but rather others see this as an attempt to get help.

[Strega]

Streaming runs on top of an internet service that you are getting from someone. Who is your ISP?

[Vakko]

Roku is a device. Not a service. None of us are at your condo. No pictures. And what if we tell you to cut them? You electrocute yourself? A Roku is a device you hooked to your WiFi. No cables needed. Before touching any cables you need yo get a qualified repairman to your condo. 

[AvsGunnar]

@Pat40 

"I also assume this would be a friendlier forum. I can call it a dumb question but rather others see this as an attempt to get help."

It normally is a friendly place to get advice and help for your Roku issues but sometimes the riff-raff still gets in and would rather disrupt than offer meaningful advice.  Best to just ignore unhelpful, ill-mannered responses.

If you are strictly streaming, then you really only need the cable outside that is running to your modem. That is the ISP connection (internet service provider) referenced by @Strega.

Generally, all other cables can just be rolled up and taped to their equipment (satellite dishes, satellite receivers, cable boxes, etc.) for future use, or disconnected at the equipment side since most have a coaxial (screw type) connector.  Normally a better idea than just snipping wires without knowing their origin.  One may be your OTA/Antenna cable.

As a general rule though, yes, you can discard all satellite TV  and cable TV company coaxial cables if you are a streamer and not using any cable or satellite services.

[DBDukes]

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@Pat40 wrote:

I guess I assumed Roku folks could advise me. ...

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Roku employees -- who, by the way, have not responded to this thread -- would not assume the responsibility of advising on any other equipment.

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@Pat40 wrote:

... I'm assuming that because I use Roku for streaming, I would not need old cables from old satellite dishes & Comcast cable connections. ...

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You probably don't, but before cutting anything, it would be neighborly to ensure no neighbor is utilizing those cables. If, for instance, a cable split off and ran to your house and a neighbor's, your cutting of your cable could cause problems to develop over time with signal loss. If, however, the cable is dedicated to you, you could certainly remove them, if the property belongs to you (not renting, for example).

As for Comcast, if that's your Internet provided, you may not want to touch them.

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@Pat40 wrote:
...I do NOT know exactly how "streaming" works probably because I was elderly when we started streaming & haven't had the experience growing up in the internet world. So some of this is Greek to me. Fortunately I can use it but that doesn't mean I understand it. ...

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I was born during the Eisenhower administration and I've been able to get a handle on it. It is something that was of interest to me for some time, so I did have an early start on it.

You don't really need to know a lot about how streaming works. You do need to understand a little, though. You know how you can go to YouTube or other Websites and see videos and such? Well, a Roku device is a simple computer with an operating system that is designed to facilitate streaming and the associated applications. It's not actually quite as simple as that, but for everyday use, that's close enough for the task you need it to do.

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@Pat40 wrote:
... I have spoken to my condo folks & they don't know as we all provide our own service. Can I safely severe the old Comcast cable? ...

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Not sure what you mean by "we all provide our own service." If that means you contracted with an ISP (Internet Service Provider) individually rather than as a group/building, then you should know who your ISP is. Mine is Comcast/Xfinity, and they run a cable (as in what is used for cable TV) into my home. I don't have cable service, but the Internet connection is via the cable. You would have to determine what your situation is.

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@Pat40 wrote:
...I also assume this would be a friendlier forum. I can call it a dumb question but rather others see this as an attempt to get help.

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I think @AvsGunnar response is well said. As is his advice.

[Tivoburkee]

To stream you need the internet, the majority of home internet is delivered over cables. Phone lines for DSL, Coaxial for high speed from the cable company or fiber, it's still wired. Only recent 5G from T-Mobile or Verzion are truly wireless. Don't cut a thing. 

[Vakko]

@Pat40 The main problem is your asking about wires outside your home. We have no idea what those wires are. No pictures. Are they all coaxial cable? Basic common knowledge about any wiring is if you do not know what it is then call a professional. You should not go touching, rolling up or cutting any wiring outside your home that you do not know. Especially since it is a condo and maybe related to other units. Call your condo association. None of this has anything to do with Roku nor should you post on here asking about wiring outside your home. It's a risk factor. Low voltage or not.