I did check the cables and I even tried using another old mini cable box that works. There is a splitter but I think it can't be removed because it goes to another room with another TV and minibox (that also doesn't work). Is there anyway to get a cable tech to come out and check the coax cables to make sure there's nothing wrong with them or the splitter?
The only 2 inoperable Mini Boxes in your house are on the same coaxial splitter?
To tell the truth I'm not sure, I don't know the coax cabling schema for the house. I tried swapping the miniboxes between both old CRT TV's and they both failed to connect although the older one doesn't report the error message the newer one does.
You don't need to pay a tech $100 to inspect or replace a coaxial splitter. If you have eyeballs and fingers, you can do it.
The basic schema: a coaxial cable comes from the street and connects to your home at a single location. This single location is called a Network Interface Device (NID). The NID is just a wiring panel to connect cables, probably protected within a plastic box and bolted onto the outside of your house.
Inside the NID is another coaxial cable to bring the service inside your home. This coaxial cable begins at the NID, snakes through your walls and connects to a single wall outlet. This single outlet is called your Primary Feed. The Primary Feed probably has the strongest signal within your house.
If you wanted to connect other rooms to this Primary Feed, you'd need to split or divide the signal at the Primary Feed. For example, if your Primary Feed is in your Living Room and you wanted service in a bedroom, you'd connect a splitter to the Primary Feed...then connect the bedroom to the other side of the splitter...and then connect the Living Room next to the bedroom. 1 cable in and 2 cables out.
This splitter may be behind the wall plate of your Primary Feed. However, you may have a scenario where the splitter is inside the NID...or in your attic, basement, garage.
I'd just swap splitters between known-good signals and suspected-no signals. If it works, buy a new coaxial splitter.
