Well, to "split" a cable to two locations, you either need to install a switch, or a splitter. A switch would allow one or the other outlet to work, whereas a splitter would allow both to work simultaneously. Splitters are much more common.

Is there a particular reason that you're trying to avoid a second splitter? The signal strength from most cable providers is more than adequate to overcome two 2-way splitters.

Thanks kurto,

Well, I would like to avoid having a splitter sit visibly on the wall. I can always hide within the walls now, since the room is gutted except for the framing. I was hoping to run wires similar to normal electrical receptacles; attach another wire within the receptacle, and then run it to another outlet; maybe thats not doable with cable wire.

qhy not replace the outside 2 port splitter with a 3 or 4 port? if you put a splitter behind another splitter, you lose more signal. each port of a 2 port splitter has less than half of the original signal on the input. a 4 port has about 1/4 of the input signal. so a 3 or 4 port outside will have slightly better signal than a second 2 port behind the first one.

if you use cable for internet you almost never can have 2 splitters in a row before the cable modem.

if you want to run in/out of one box, put a 2 jack plate on it. run the incoming cable to one jack, hook the cable going to the other outlet to the other jack. if you want to send the signal to the other location, simply put a jumper cable from one jack to the other on the outside of that plate.

best bet is a splitter outside though.

I would not add a splitter after another splitter. doing that will lower the signal strength inside your house and could result in poor picture on analoge cable as well as longer loading times for digital cable and poor cable modem preformance if you use a cable modem downstream from 2 splitters. the best thing to do is change out the splitter outside to one with enough outputs for your needs and run a new cable to the new cable outlet. a 4 port amp would be good to if you have less than a great picture now. what ever you do don't buy cheap splitters, the cheap ones don't often alow the full range of frequencies used by cable internet and digital cable or alow the return signal those services use to pass thru freely. always buy the better stuff when it comes to this, it may cost more but if you go cheap and all the sudden your cable modem is not working one service call from comcast or any cable company will cost you more than buying good equipment. also using terminators on the outputs on splitters and wall jacks that nothing is connected to is a good idea, it stops RF leakage.

Ok beautiful!

Thanks everyone for all your great advice, I think it will go the outside root.

Mike,

Now whats a good splitter versus junk. Is there a brand? Go to radio shack? What should I look for?

thank you

Jim

Don't buy splitters a discount stores for a few dollars. something for $.99 to 3.99 is not the good stuff. in general you want something around 7 or 8 dollars and up. you can look at the specs on them the good ones will be able to pass anything from 5Mhz to 1000Mhz or better. here is a link to what I am talking about

Here is a link that might be useful: decent splitter

I just had that convesation with a cable tv repair guy. Came out to fix the brand new HD box.(installer typo = not authorized) His recommendations;

Try and get one marked two way and dont buy more splits than you need as the loss increases with number of ports. 1000mhz(1ghz) is good for digital CATV and hopefully marked two way so the cable tv box can talk back fully, not all splitters will two way. The cheap0 splitters below 1ghz wont let through all the HD channels.

typical signal loss;
2 way -3.4dB
3 way -5.7dB
4 way -7.4dB

Anyhow I ordered one off ebay