Get Free Cable
April 11th, 2007 by AndyI must start by saying that by doing this without paying for cable, you are in effect “stealing”. While I don’t want to publicly endorse theft, I will still show how to get cable just in case your provider makes a mistake, or if you want to adjust connections to get clearer reception. Use this information for whatever personal ends you may have.
Legality aside, I do think it’s bullshit that you have to pay for cable TV. To me, television should be like radio; that is, either free and paid for by advertising, or without advertising and carrying a subscription fee. That’s my moral justification anyway, there are many more excuses out there if you even feel the need. On to the good part:
Cable signals are sent to every house, all the time. This is excellent for people who don’t want to pay for them. Those houses without cable subscriptions have filters installed which prevent the signal from leaving the cable box and entering your house. These cable boxes can take many forms, but are generally plastic structures located on front lawns or attached to the side of your house. Many neighbourhoods are wired so several (usually 3) houses connect in one box, so your box might not be on your actual property. These boxes can be especially hard to find in townhouse complexes, but they’re around, you just have to do some looking. Here are some examples, including a box with the cover removed:
Once you find your box, you need to open it up and remove the filter. Filters are tubes of metal which block some or all of the signals passing through them. For example, “basic” cable is provided by attaching a filter which prevents the higher channels from passing through, so if you are already paying for a basic package, removing your filter can upgrade your cable for free. The pictures below are a few filter examples – the red filter limits you to basic cable, the smaller silver filters block signals altogether.
Now that you know what you’re looking for, hooking up the cable is very simple. As you can see in the above pictures, several houses connect within one box. Each input is labeled with address numbers, so finding yours shouldn’t be too hard. Otherwise, just remove filters until you’re getting cable in your house. The very simple process is pictured below, although you may need pliers to unscrew the filter from the cable box. After removing the filter and connecting your cable directly to the box, you should be able to receive every cable channel in your house. If not, you may need to look for a second box, as some houses have filters installed in both a box on the side of the house as well as in a box on the street.
That’s the basic process, it will work anywhere as long as you can find your cable box. Please don’t hesitate to reply with any questions, comments, or tips.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
So what’s the deal with the little gray box? Do you know what kind of tool it takes to open it? Mine has some weird bolt thing holding it shut.
August 20th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Hello, Is it true that if you cancel your tv cable and have the hi-speed internet only that
this will provide both tv and internet signals??
also, cable boxes can also be up on the pole along the phone lines is that true ?
thanks
August 20th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
I know the gray box is generally bolted closed somehow, but I have honestly never really tried to open it with anything but my hands. If you push the sides of the cover inwards it doesn’t take too much to pop one of them open to expose the wires inside.
Also, I have heard that this can also give you free internet, but I don’t have much information about this. If I come across any better resources I will update this page with some links. But if you keep cable internet and cancel the TV portion of the package, you can just remove the filter and start getting the TV signal again for free.
Finally, cable boxes can sometimes be up phone poles, but if this is the situation the filters are almost always installed where the cable enters the house - this is how it is for the house I am currently at. I guess this is supposed to make life easier for the cable technicians, and it sure makes life easier for you as well.
March 16th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
the filter i have is hard to take out it just keeps turning and turning,i guess it’s called a stopper,i don’t know what to do
March 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I’ve never heard of a stopper, but then again I’m far from an expert on this stuff. I know sometimes you have to grab the filter at the base and make sure you hold the screw part of the cable itself, because they will just spin and not unscrew. I needed 2 pairs of pliers to get it at my house. If you’re really stuck you can probably just pull the filter off (brute force), take it inside and unscrew it from what was attached to the cable (some kind of male connector), and then just push the connector back into the cable and screw it into your house. It’s a pretty simple system if you play with it for a bit.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
i have both the green box on my lawn and the grey box on the side of my house. Which 1 do i open. Also how do u break into the grey box, it seems to me like you need a key of some sort to open it.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
anderson: chances are very good that if you haven’t removed a filter before, it is in the grey box at the side of the house. It usually gets put in at the green box only after they suspect tampering has happened. (As a side note, the cable guys came back within a few weeks of me removing the filter from the grey box the first time, and installed a filter in the green lawn box. I just took it out from there afterwards, and they never bothered me again.) Anyway, you can use a screwdriver to pry open the grey box, or just muscle it open (my preferred method). It’s pretty strong, you won’t break anything, and then you can just reattach the cover so it looks like nothing happened. Best of luck.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
i live in a condo complex. i have the green box and the grey box. i dont see a filter in the grey box so i assume it is in the green box. how do i get in it?
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm
It probably just lifts off. If it’s a metal box, there might be a hinge involved. They’re pretty straightforward…
June 5th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
How about getting the filter off, hollowing it out somehow, and than making a straight thru connection, and put it back on!!! Than it LOOKS like there is a filter, but in reality it is just an empty case with the wire sticking straight thru!
August 26th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Generally, you can boil the filter for about an hour, then reinstall after drying, and it will no longer filter anything, as the resistor inside burns out in the extreme heat and it will only act as a passthru.
August 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I live in a apartment building and I do not know where the box is located; do you have any ideas where it may be?
September 1st, 2008 at 9:01 am
At what time does videotron cable guys starts their shift and/or whats the earliest? because A filter was put on the cable between 5:30am and 6:00am…and I was wondering if this was normal routine and if so should I be worry? Or should I simply consider that the videotron cable guy I have paid 50$ a veeeerrryy long while ago to take the filter out had a changes of mind and came back to put it back.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:19 am
Chris (Boil the filter august 26 2008)
Have you ever seen inside the cylinder? Because If you had you wouldnt have recommended to boil teh filter…
the filter is made of 2 parts:
the body (cylinder) and the actual filter inside the cylinder. Even if you take out the filter out of the cylinder by breaking the head of the cylinder, the opening of the cylinder is made smaller than the cable line in a way that the cable line itself cannot go through it.
So you really need a dummy filter if that actually exist.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
My cable comes in off my phone cord and into a reciever in the house looked around and didn’t see a filter anywhere. Do you know if its still possible?????????
September 10th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
If I have removed the filter, can I just buy a digital cable box to start receiving digital cable and stuff?
September 10th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
So I already had Internet through my cable line and I in my backyard (where the green box has been conveniently placed) and took the filter off. It was a 42/550 data only filter but now my internet doesn’t work. cable comes in quite clearly though. Anyone got any ideas why my internet won’t work now?
September 11th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Sarah- cable comes in off the phone cord? are you SURE? never heard of this before (though I’m no cable expert)
Brian- I think digital cable is more complex than that, but I’m not 100% sure. If you try it and are successful, please let us know.
Danny- other than stating the obvious, that the filter was probably involved in allowing you internet access, I don’t know what to say. Ideas anyone?
wow. responding to three people with not a single line of anything useful. sorry people.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:52 am
When I first had basic cable installed at my house 9 years ago (mainly just to get high speed internet) they did it in a snow storm and never installed a filter. I got all the channels for a couple years. They finally did an audit and came out and put on a filter. I eventually opened the gray box on my house (little lock part broke right off) and removed the filter. It’s been this way for the past 6-7 years. Well I came home yesterday to find a cable van outside my home and they had put a filter back on and bolted the box shut. I think the guy was on a pole behind my house when I got home. He eventually knocked but I didn’t answer. Can Charter fine me for this? There was a standard flyer in my mailbox that stated during a check they had discovered I was getting some services not in my subscription plan and the unauthorized services had been terminated - call if there was an error and then it offered some specials to sign up for some other packages. I was surprised they went through my gate into my fenced back yard with no one home. Can they do that?
I am already looking into satellite and DSL internet. I’m just hoping not to get fined. Anyone else get caught with their filter off? Should I worry?
September 12th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Do you think a digital cable filter will work even though I have a reciever in the house???
September 17th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Follow up - no word from the cable company. Woo hoo!! Looks like I’m going Satellite now. I want DVR.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Congrats, and good to hear. See, everyone - getting free cable’s the way to go.
September 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The put a redtag on your line if they find you stealing cable, its like a warning that if you do it agian they will investigate. In really shitty parts of town I see red tags everywhere, people try to tap in at various locations. But this guide is right tapping into the box is always the best its even better if you rip of all the numbers on the lines to piss the technician off because it makes it harder to figure out. also you could spray it down with a lot of sticky shit. hope this helps people.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:40 am
The thing that keeps spinning is not a filter, it is a locking terminator that can only be removed with an Ltt-7 tool.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I have gotten into the box outside. There is a silver filter or stopper on the connector. I tried to get it off, it just spins and spins. I’ve tried to pull on it with a lot of force. Anyone have any other ideas??
October 1st, 2008 at 2:11 am
“I’ve tried to pull on it with a LOT of force.”
You need more force. Trust me.
Nathan
October 1st, 2008 at 10:48 pm
try putting your cable wire on the end of the locking terminal tightly than try spinning the lock off that’s how I got mine off within seconds unless the cable tech put mine on wrong than I’m pretty sure this is the trickand why would the lock have threads on the end of it and like someone else said be sure to remove all house number good luck
October 5th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I just purchaed an LTT-7 tool. It should be coming in the mail shortly. Hope it works. Thanks
October 11th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Man, you all rock…. I’m going for the gray box tomorrow!!!!!! Thanks………
but, why do the cable guys go on the pole when they shut off the cable?????
October 11th, 2008 at 2:13 am
I had a silver spinning filter as well — all i did was push really hard as I turned (like you would trying to open a cough-medicine bottle…you know, with the lock caps?) It came right off. Actually, I removed both mine and my neighbor’s trying to figure out which one was mine! Hope they didn’t notice they had cable for about 5 minutes!:) Anyways, just took off the filter and works like a charm. Just in time for the GAME! In my last place they climbed the pole to put the filter up on the line where the cable actually runs to. We were in kind of a crappy end of town and the houses weren’t built with ground-cable boxes so everything was run up along the telephone lines.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:02 am
I heard theres a tool that can remove those filters. after reading all of yalls comments/advice, mine will not come off. just keep spinning. does anyone know how this filter removal tool looks like? picture link hopefuly?
Thanks!!
October 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Hey, how can i get free pay per view channels. or hbo, showtime….. please help
October 19th, 2008 at 10:34 am
how do you open green box outside of house on lawn
October 19th, 2008 at 10:35 am
what happens if the cable is red tagged and you keep taking filter off
October 19th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Anyone have any examples of people getting in trouble? I have searched and search and only found stories about black box theft and fear propaganda from the cable company goons.
October 20th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I dont think they really investigate unless youve been caught several times.
October 21st, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I took filters off. There where 3 of them, 2 big and one small. I get all chanels and no problems with internet.
The box was pretty much in my driveway.
Vise grips work great to pinch the security colar so you can unscrew the cable.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 am
I have basic cable 2-22 and internet. If i disconnected the filter but my internet got weaker (maybe a fluke) but i put filter back on and it worked again. also could the cable company possibly have a filter that when disconnected a signal is sent to the cable company?
November 15th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I have had cable internet for years. Originally, for the first 3-4 years I had cable tv for free, they had never put in the filter. Then, one day the cable tech came and worked on the line, and then there was no more free cable, just channels 2-6 and nothing else. It was like this for a couple of years, then a couple of weeks ago I noticed that there were a few more channels suddenly working, these were premium channels. Any ideas on why this is happenning? I don’t get all of the channels but some of them spread out. Would a filter do this, filter out some channels but not all, leaving even a couple of premium channels free? I have also searched for a filter but can’t find one.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I took the filters off at my house a long time ago maybe 8 months. Been getting cable. Can I get internet as well? Thats my question.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
If you want free internet, take a look at this. http://www.tcniso.net/
You can get free cable in prison. no shit. i just got out, you can buy a tv for your cell, and there’s a cable hook up. they even gave us a couple of movie channels:) On a serious note, I just got cable internet thinking i could just split the cable to my tv and receive cable for free. I get all the basic channels but they are all fuzzy. The only channels that come in clear are local HD channels. I looked at the pole and saw they installed a filter. Since i’m out on parole i don’t want to go up on the pole and take it off. I was wondering if anyone thinks i could buy a signal booster to make the channels come in clear?
November 21st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
So what happens if they catch you? Does the signal really get sent back to them? I read that online but i know there is a bunch of crap on there just to scare people from doing it. I have cable internet and just got my digital cable shut off. I’m only intersted in getting basic cable this way until i can afford to have my digital back on in a couple of months for the hockey play offs.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
oh yeah also i’m still getting like 4 cable channels even with the “filter” on it. Why is that i want the rest too!!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I would have to climb the pole to remove the filter NOT happening!!! That sucks i was really hoping to get some free cable for a couple of months…but what i don’t understand is how am i getting 4 channels and not the rest?
November 21st, 2008 at 8:35 pm
If they catch you? The only way for them to catch you is if they catch you on the pole. Just because your cable line is connected to the outlet doesn’t prove you have it connected to your tv. They can’t come in your house. How could they prove that in court? They can’t! That’s why they just cut you off, maybe leave you a note in the mailbox or some shit. That’s why they try to scare people into thinking they will go to jail. It’s all bullshit! So go ahead and take that fucking filter off, and if they say something, act like you don’t know what the fuck it is they are talking about. As a matter of fact while you’re up on the pole go ahead and hook everyones cable up. Just don’t get caught on the pole and you’re straight! If you don’t want to go on the pole, pay a crackhead to do it!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:26 am
ok, i live in a apartment on the third floor i went out there to the cable box thingy and took the unlocked cover off there were accually two boxes one with about 8 hookups 2 of them which had no wires coming from them then another with a whole shitload of wires i found one filter that blocked all channels but it had no wire to it and it was on the input side of the splitter i just took it off and plugged the dangling wire up to it well that didnt work at all i just still got air channels… any suggestions bc i really dont wanna pay this guy that used to work for comcast like 80 bucks to come out and hook up free cable for us….
December 5th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
How do you reconnect the cable in the pole? Cable guys were not able to get into my backyard cuz of our 6ft privacy fence. I am assuming that they disconnected on the pole…..I’m scard to climb that son of a bitch
!!
December 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Just bought a cable terminator tool… I’m actually having trouble inserting properly and wondered if anybody could give me some pointers. I tried a few times and almost got it jammed, and don’t want to have to pull it out and wreck any of the mechanism.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Hi I have cable and internet and phone all on one box. if i do this will all of that come back on or just the cable will?
December 14th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Just stumbled upon this site and wow, are there ever some serious misconceptions out there. Now I don’t claim to be an expert but I did work for “the company” a few years back and have a general knowledge of this topic..
First off, the “red tags” that seem to keep coming up in ppl’s comments..this is not a warning for tampering or anything of the like..it is simply an old way of identifying “wave” or internet accounts and if you look closely, most (not all) with have the @ sign in black printed on it. If they suspect tampering they will simply cut the line at ground level so a tech must be called in the future to properly connect. They do not have the time or the man power to tag suspect lines and follow up.
Secondly, the silver spinning thing everyone keeps referencing is called a tap-lock…and that is it’s function, to lock us out of the box and or the line. As one person has mentioned, you do require a specialized tool to properly open this. It goes by a few different names or model #’s depending on the make..a good one to look for is called the “Cable Pro” tap lock remover. This is not something you can pick up at the local hardware store but it can be found through other avenues. I would strongly recommend not using brute force as has been mentioned, as that is a tell tale sign to a tech that the box has been compromised…however if that is your only option, use a pair a channel locks and TRY to minimize visible damage!
Thirdly.. this is getting long…no cable tech is deliberately going up the pole to stick it to you as ALL of them hate “aerial” calls. If you notice this chances are that you live in an older, or less desirable neighbourhood where drops haven’t been run from the pole to the houses. There is no malice behind this, simply the location…if a tech can cut at the house or the ped he or she is not climbing 60ft just for sh*ts and giggles!
And finally, digital cable…as for a straight - steal cable and hook up a box - scenario, this will not work..I have heard recently however that there is a way around this but am yet to investigate so will wait to comment.
Hope some of you will find that useful…and good luck!
January 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Ok here’s the easyist way to get free cable in an apartment. If noone else in your building has it and u can’t split of them. Use a pair of channel locks and break off the silver stopper.then just stick your labeled coax lines into thw remains of the stopper. Now your going to have to adjust them until u have a clear picture but it works. Good luck!
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Is there any way the company finds out when you take the Filter off does it set off a signal to the company? besides them coming to randomly check..
January 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I used to move around alot, so I’ve run into some different situations over the years. As far as the filters, which are always about as big around as your thumb from my experience, these will come off with no more than a couple pairs of pliers and some common sense. As for the tap lock, which is about the size of your pinky and doesn’t just screw off, it’s a little more tricky. Since it’s really best NOT to break anything and arouse suspicion, try this method. It’s worked for me several times, in a recurring dream of course, because I would never steal cable for real.
In my dream I have a small phillips (that’s the x shaped one, dummy!) jeweller’s screwdriver, just small enough to fit into the hole of the lock. Hopefully the box that the lock is on is mounted on something solid, such as a wall, because in my dream I give the screwdriver a couple of fairly hard smacks with a hammer to get it to dig into the deepest part of the locks bumhole. Then, and this is the trickiest part, I pick a pair of thin needle nosed pliers off a nearby banana tree, because this is a dream after all. The lock is a two part mechanism, and to screw it off both parts must be turned counter-clockwise at the same time. It takes a few minutes and some patience, but if you reach into the hole with the pliers and grip the threaded end of the lock and turn it while turning the tiny screwdriver that is still (hopefully) tapped into the guts, then it will eventually screw off, unlike your neighbor’s kids. You may have to smack the screwdriver a few more times along the way to make sure it’s gripping and doing its part. Then it’s just a matter of opening the box, doing your thing with the cable (read the earlier posts), and then doing the whole lock thingy again in reverse. I know by now you’ll just want to go in and catch up on your soaps, but it is a good idea to try to get the lock BACK on the best you can and with as little damage to the threads as possible throughout the whole process. If they happen to show up someday for whatever reason and it hasn’t been obviously tampered with, they will just assume it was an error on their part. Then they’ll usually offer to sell it to you without the hookup fee. Say no thank you, wait a week, and repeat. Or pay for it.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:28 am
In response to Santa, who still hasn’t brought me a hot 20 year old horny Asian housemaid, I don’t know for sure. It used to be that the cable company just blasted out a signal and either you were tapped into it or you weren’t. Now with cable internet and cable on demand and all that stuff, it’s obviously a two-way signal. Got no definite answer there, but I’ve never heard of such a thing.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Hi
I have cable in the trailer, they shut it off!
Jerks.
Can this be done even if you used to have cable that used a box?
I looked at my neighbors house, and they may be able to do it since they just used regular cable, it just went into the back of their TV
OURS on the other hand used to go into a cable box and then into the tv
I dont know what it is called, digital analog whatever it is
Can this be done?
Also, what are the chances of electrocution?
Thanks
January 4th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
also I dont have the cable box, they took it from me
They are so mean and dirty
January 5th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Hi Lovely!
You will still get all the available channels that regular (not digital) offers even though you don’t have the box. Just hook it right to your tv like your neighbor’s is.
As long as you’re in the cable box there should only be cable in there, and there is not enough juice flowing to even feel a tingle, let alone present any risk of electrocution. That being said, if for some reason there are any wires that are NOT coaxial cable wires, then you should probably leave them alone, but I can’ imagine why there would be.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Aparently analog cable cannot be traced thus removing the filter is easier and the only way for them to notice is a random inspection. Digital cable however is harder, when the filter is remove the regulated pulse sent by the provider can be measured and will clearly identify the removal of a filter.
I trying to investigate the “dummy” filter scenerio myself, any ideas out there?
January 25th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I have three TV’s at my house and one of them has a digital cable box. I went to the cable box which is on the side of my house but there are a bunch of different connections and they are green striped, one of them is bigger and doesn’t have a stripe i tried to remove it but it was real hard to unscrew and i don’t even know if its the right one it doesn’t look like it has a part that can come off. i tried to get my husband to help me but he said he wouldn’t help me because he thinks that we could get caught because we have digital cable box and that send information to the cable company, is that true?
February 1st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
do you know how to get cable for free in apartments?
February 10th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Hi- I just removed one filter and I was able to get expanded basic cable(channels 2-73) on my front tv but in the back I can only get channels 1-13. Both tvs are hooked up to their own wall jacks does anyone know what’s up?
February 11th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Green box, broken lock (hehe, not my doing). easy to remove.
February 14th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Anyone know how to get into this lock it is on the green able box on my front lawn. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.headstandmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/abloylock.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.headstandmedia.com/2007/11/19/abloy-lock-cutaway-technical-illustration/abloy-lock-cutaway-technical-illustration/&usg=__Jceynlxm1RqhayIWwx38UvE5jdk=&h=403&w=512&sz=92&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=swAQTrS64O_2GM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dabloy%2Block%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN
February 19th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
OK, I live in a big apartment complex. I just took a walk to check the mail and I can’t seem to find the cable box. I found my air conditioner and what looks like my electric box. Anyone from a big complex know what my cable box might look like? there is a GIANT green box across from my building in front of the next building over, but it doesn’t resemble anything like anyone here was talking about. Maybe it’s the phone box? I need to do some nighttime reconnaissance.
February 21st, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Ok so just had a random check maybe? I moved into this place and the cable was working. Now yesterday half the channels are gone. I pay for internet and basic cable (probably why they never bothered to put on a filer originally). Anyway I want a dummy filter! or somehow blow the one that’s in place.
Anyone…..?
February 26th, 2009 at 3:02 am
so i just got to climb power pole an the box will be right there
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
my cable provider could shut my phone off if i didnt pay the bill or was a month late. but they would never shut my cable off. they had to come over and climb the pole and simply unhook it its just dangling there.. so can i simply just climb the pole and srew it back in thanks
March 10th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
They came in this morning and put a look in the cylindrical cone looking green cable box in my yard, of course that is not all they did, they also had the audacity to put a filter in my cable.
I already do contribute $50 bucks a month for Road Runner the least they can do is let me have there shady basic cable at no additional charge. It has been like that for the last three years they are not gonna get any more money from me.
So if anyone knows how to get that look open so I can take the darn filter out I do certainly be thankful with any suggestion.
I have pics of what the lock looks like but I don’t see how to load them in here.
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:12 pm
nunayer, your cable termination point is probably in a maintenance room or closet of some sort.you will probably need a key
March 25th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Thanks for info! In a large apt. complex our cable is beneath green domes, mine now has a filter….as do 4 other units and NO LABELS! I live upstairs alone, how can I determine which is for MY UNIT?? Or can I get cable from any? I’m still trying to get the filter off, as I’m not as strong as you guys…and I need to have the right one. THANKS!!
April 1st, 2009 at 12:38 am
I’m just trying to figure out when to open the dome right outside our apartment, lot of snoops and noseys around. I don’t know what the hell they would say anyway. I’m pretty sure the coax connectors are there in that plastic beehive. They wouldnt be in one of those big green metal boxes would they? Because I don’t think I could crack that open, looks like an electrical hazard too. Might just endup having those phalic punks put expanded back on for another $26/mo. That’s ridiculous… why would I pay $21/mo for 22 channels?!? Retarded system, I just don’t want to have my lease terminated for messing with the ‘grounds’.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:50 pm
No, the big green box is electrical distribution. Don’t touch it.
You’re after the beehive, or the small grey box. Big apartments usually have a closet on one floor dedicated to cable for the entire building…those in big apartments should learn lockpicking too…
April 8th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I’m in SC and all over this island the green domes are frequently used. some are smaller. We ALSO have green boxes on side of building, and they have a flimsy key. Not sure what’s inside. I STILL NEED HELP!!! I can get into the ped (I go out around 3-4am) due to NOSEY neighbors….but HOW do I locate my spighot? There’s new orange cables, several spinner locks, and I gotta find mine! PLEASE HELP!! THANKS
April 20th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
HELLO I ACTUALLY STILL WORK FOR COMCAST/DIRECTV THATS ALL I KNOW IS CABLE TV. NOW LET CLEAR SOME THINGS UP HERE. WITH CABLE TV IT DEPENDS ON YOUR AREA AND WHAT CITY YOU LIVE.HERE IN PHILLY COMCAST RULES THE CABLE WORLD, BUT EACH AREA USES DIFFRENT SIGNALS, WITH COMCAST CABLE WE DONOT USE “FILTERS” TO BLOCK CHANNELS, OUR CONVERTERS ARE “ADDRESSABLE” WHICH MEANS CHANNELS ARE ADDED OR DELETED FROM THE OFFICE. IN SOME AREAS NO CABLE BOX IS NEEDED WE JUST GO RIGHT INTO THE VHF CONNECTION IN THE BACK OF THE TV. AND THEN WE MAY ADD A CABLE LOCK , FILTERS HERE IN PHILLY ARE USED TO BOOST CABLE SIGNALS IN SOME AREAS. NOW LET’S SEE IF I CAN HELP YOU GET FREE CABLE. THE GREEN DOMES OR GREY METAL BOXES ECT. IS THE SOURCE OF YOUR POWER IF YOU LIVE IN A PRIVATE MOST OF THE TIME THE CABLE TAP IS UP ON A POLE, SOME TIMES YOU MAY SEE THEM IN SOMEONE ELESES BACK YARD,I F YOU CAN GET TO THE TAP MOST OF THE LINES WILL HAVE TAGS THAT CAN HELP YOU KNOW WHICH LINE IS YOURS,JUST SCREW IT IN ONE OF THE EMPTY TAP HOLES AND YOUR POWER IS ON, SOME TAPS MAY HAVE CAPS ON THEM JUST GET A GRIP KIND OF LEAN TO THE SIDE AND PULL DOWN AS YOU UNSCREW AND IT WILL COME OFF. ALSO IN SOME AREAS THEY MAY HAVE A DEVICE THAT BLOCKS OUT CHANNELS BUT ONLY IF A CABLE BOX IS NOT BEING USED.MOST OF THE TIME JUST PLUG THE CABLE LINE IN THE BACK OF YOUR TV, IN SOME CASES “WE” DON’T CUT THE CABLE POWER WE JUST TAKE THE CABLE BOX. SO TEST IT ON YOUR TV AND SAVE YOUR SELF SOME TIME. IN APT IF WE CAN’T GET IN THE BASEMENT OR BACKYARD WE LEAVE THE POWER ON AND JUST TAKE THE BOX. THE TAPS ARE EITHER IN A CLOST IN THE APTS. BASEMENT OR JUST ON A WALL SOMEWHERE DOWN THERE. IT ALSO CAN BE ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. JUST FOLLOW?TRACE YOUR OUTSIDE CABLE LINE AND IT WILL LEAD YOU TO THE CABLE TAP,POWER BOX. AS FAR AS THE BOXES THAT HAVE A KEY HOLE IT IS NOT TRULEY LOCK BECAUSE EVERY CABLEMAN WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A KEY. SO JUST GIVE A TUG, OR A LIFT AND IT SHOULD COME OPEN. YOUR LINE WOULD HAVE EITHER YOUR APT # ON IT OR PART OF YOU ADDRESS(NUMBERS)IF YOU CAN’T LOCATE YOUR WIRE YOU WILL NEED TO DO A BUDDY SYSTEM(LEGAL WE DO IT EVERYDAY)THATS WHEN ALL OF THE TAPS ARE FULL OR WE CAN’T USE ONE OF THE HOLES. YOU UNSCREW ANY ON THE CABLE LINES PLACE A JUMP(CABLE WIRE WITH THE TWO CONNECTIONS ON THEM) AND A SPLITTER. PLACE THE END COMING FROM THE TAP TO “IN” SIDE OF THE SPLITTER AND CONNECT YOUR LINE AND THE LINE YOU REMOVED IN THE TWO OTHER SIDES ON THE SPLITTER AND BOTH LINES WILL HAVE POWER. MOST PEOPLE THINK YOUR STEALING YOUR NEIGHBOS CABLE”NO!!!!” THE TAP BELONGS TO THE COMPANY WE CAN POWER UP TO SEVEN HOMES USING JUST ONE LITTLE CABLE TAP HOLE SO DON’T WORRY.IF ANYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ANYTHING ELSE I AM AT TAJIER2@AOL.COM MOST OF THE CABLE TOOLS AND EVRYTHING YOU NEED FROM WIRE, CONNECTORS, STRAPS ECT. CAN BE PURCHASE AT RADIO SHACK, SEARS, HOME DEPOT ECT. HOPEFULLY I HELPED SOMEONE OUT TODAY 04/20/2009
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
how to u remove the spinning filter?? please explain???????????
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
how to i remove the spinning filter screw please explain??
April 28th, 2009 at 12:45 am
can u cut the tap lock with plyers?
April 28th, 2009 at 12:49 am
if i cut off the tap lock will i have access to take off the filter
April 30th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
MY BOX HAS LIKE THIS LOCK THING THAT STICKS OUT TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING OPENED HOWCAN I BY PASS THIS?…. SHOULD I JUST PULL IT UP
May 4th, 2009 at 3:42 am
email me colorsharpkid@yahoo.com
i liv ein a trailer park and i know where my beehive is its wobbly but seems to be locked shut
i think i could lift it up but i also think my neighbors would see me cause its right next to the light pole directly across the street in a neighbors drive way
now i thought about dressing up as a repair guy and going over and doing it esp since the ppl who lived there just moved out and they were my old managers
now if it has a spinny lock thing on it with the filter i deff cant justs it there screwing with stuff and i followed my lines i dont have a filter anywhere but i have internet and i can see my cable channels but most are fuzzy so i know i have a limiter on my line but i think my box controller is for i think about 15 trailers so i woulda thought the limiter was on my line in my backyard but i dont see it i even ripped some cable up from the dirt it just hooks to a stanard splitter and 4 lines out
to diff points in my trailer
so i have to get in the beehive witch i dont think i can manage
IS THERE A SIGNAL BOOSTER I CAN USE PLEASE EMAIL ME
May 5th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
If you are going to remove a locking terminator you have to understand how they work the female end looks like it is threaded it is on the inside there is a colar over top of this that just spins and spins if you want to remove this use a pair of vice grips squeeze the collar so it ovals and binds with the inside then give it a little turn and it will come out by hand very simply!! to get into the box on you house take off the cap and you will see another locking terminator use a screw driver to stick inside make sure it is tight going in and unscrew from the inside should come off don,t waste your money buying tool it is a waste. hope this will help
May 5th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
is there anyway to get premium channels without using a converter box if your tv is digital can u pick up premium channels that way
May 8th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
HOW ABOUT ALL YOU THIEVING LOSERS GO WITHOUT 2 CASES OF BEER A MONTH AND PAY FOR IT!! MY JOB IS TO FIND JERKS LIKE YOU STEALING IT!!
May 10th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
What are these, they are labeled as ds6q 03-02 and DS-59 by digicon. Are these the filter everyone is talking about? http://yfrog.com/0m1000523lj
May 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
can’t get your tap-lock off? it just spins and spins? just replace the splitter, you can pick one up from radioshack.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I have the tool to open the grey box, and i have a splitter, but i don’t know what to connect.We tryed to connect it how we thought, but it still didn’t work. please help.
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
If your trying to get the filter off Take a pair of vice grips squeeze the middle of the filter and the ends will twist right off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 31st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I hooked up the cable on the phone line but i only get the anntana channels but very clearer.
please help.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
My cable has a red tag on it, should I remove that before connecting?
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
there is no such filter at my apartment. Please help!
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Comcast just installed a special filter on my line and i will need a special tool to remove the filter. this filter is unlike the ones they used before, i have pictures of the new filter. i need your help.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Whats the name of the wrench to open the small gray box on the side of the house? Is it a “can wrench”?
June 4th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Hiya gang!
Here’s the situation. I cannot be a good thief unless I can pick a lock first. First things first. I really appreciate the tutorial above on turning the lock with a screwdriver and needle nose pliers but it’s not working. How in the crap are you supposed to open the darn thing?
June 7th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I have 2 small grey cable boxes on my townhouse. One has 4 empty cable jacks… and the other has a splitter with cables attached to it and 1 empty cable jack. Any suggestions how to progress?
June 21st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Comcast installed a gold colored filter on the pole about a 2 weeks ago. Two days later a guy stops by trying to sell me a Comcast tv package. Comcast went digital here on June 13. If I remove the filter will I get the channels hooking the cable directly to the tv or is it a different ballgame than the analog days. I have cable internet, which works, and I pay for, but the tv is now snow since the filter installation. If the filter is removed and with the advent of digital tv, will a signal be sent to Comcast that the filter has been removed? I also note that they attached orange wire ties to the cable on the pole near the filter. Should I remove those or leave them alone?
June 21st, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I found this video on how to remove the spinning filter that so many seem to have trouble with. I haven’t tried this technique. If anyone does please post if it worked for you or not.
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-bypass-cable-locks-just-in-case-you-have-to-196122/
June 28th, 2009 at 12:00 am
There is a small green box out in the yard that is labeled internet. I have time warner and the box is locked with a plastic screw like lock. The head of the box isn’t like a phillip or flat head screw head but rather a circular cuts at the top.
What to use to open it?
June 28th, 2009 at 12:01 am
It isn’t the cable pro taps, that is on the box mounted on the side of the house.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:00 am
i was having trouble opening the cable box, until i found out where to get virtually every tool for cheap. i need the n-usa-m and n-usa-a to open up the cable box in my area and remove the filter from inside.
https://www.newelectronx.com/categories.php?cat=26
i used the n-usa-a on the filters and the n-usa-m on the cable box. worked like a charm - now i got free cable.
M link:
https://www.newelectronx.com/proddetail.php?prod=n-usa-m
A link:
https://www.newelectronx.com/proddetail.php?prod=n-usa-a
also thanks to the poster for a such detailed helpful link. keep ‘em coming.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
i have two large metal boxes outside my house. One is rather tall and skinny, while the other is short and fat. The short and fat one, I opened it, and there was only 1 wire. I don’t know if its mine. Cuz i didn’t try to open the skinny one cuz its closer to the street where ppl can see me. I NEED HELp, I NEED CABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Just me and all the nieghbors free cable. I just unscrewed the 4 screws of the whole facing, took it into the house and the locks screwed right off.
Thanks