This is the 2-port version of the Motorola Signal Booster, combining that product's excellent 15 dB cable/antenna drop amplifier with a 2-port splitter so you can use it with both a digital cable (HDTV) signal and a cable modem without having to buy a separate splitter.
So who needs one of these things? Anyone who is having difficulty receiving a consistent cable TV or cable modem signal is a candidate for this amp, but first check with your cable company to confirm that they have done all they can, in terms of getting high quality cables and splitters into your home. If they've done that, and you still notice frequent outages of your cable internet service, or pixelated (distorted) images on live or recorded TV shows from cable, then you may very well need a drop amp like this one.
The amplifier is particularly helpful if you are splitting a cable signal coming into your house to multiple rooms for multiple TV feeds (and this is perfectly legal to do, per the Cable Act of 1992). Any time you split a cable signal, you lose approximately 3 dB (decibels) of signal strength. Split a signal enough times and it can cause you to lose your cable modem feed or get sporadic distortion on your digital cable channels. Insert a cable amplifier like this into your cable feed right where it enters the home and it will boost the signal enough to survive multiple splits and, in most cases, will allow you to enjoy a glitch free cable TV signal throughout your home.
Why is this amp's "two-way" or "bi-directional" feature important? A two-way feed is necessary in order to support a cable modem (upload/download) and to support interactive cable services such as PPV (pay per view).
This amp won't work miracles. Again, always check your incoming signal, cable and connector quality first. But if you've done all that and are still having trouble, this little cable signal amp can be a real life-saver. It also works fine for OTA (over the air) HDTV signal distribution, but only if you're starting with a decent quality signal to begin with. A full review of the Motorola Signal Booster is available on Big Picture Big Sound's web site. Motorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier
I moved into a new home which had seven cable outlets in different rooms. One of the bedrooms I turned into an office but the problem was that I only had one cable connection in the room. The connection did okay with either the cable modem or the HDTV but not with both connected. The cable modem would not connect with the TV connected to a splitter. I connected the amplifier and ran one cable to the TV and the other to the cable modem. I crossed my fingers and plugged it in... Now I have a great cable internet AND HDTV signal, both from one cable connection. The only thing I had a problem with was the 13 days it took from the time I ordered until the time I received the item, but that has nothing to do with the item itself.
This amp fixed the problems I was having with intermittent Internet failure and spotty HD channels. The HD channel problem only affected a few stations (in a certain channel # range which included some of my favorite channels!). The intermittent cable modem connection failure occurred after hours of workable use. The modem reported -5 to -7 dBV before the amp and -9 when using a splitter. When using the amp (which is labeled with a 11dB boost on its front, NOT 12x boost), the cable modem received +7 dBV and the HDTV returned to normal. I decided to get this amp both to have a potentially lower power boost than the single port version and to avoid having to buy a high quality splitter. Even using RG-59 cable to the drop amp is working fine. I'm using the included power adapter with my own RG-6 coax (the box does not include any cables) and RG-6 cables out of the box. As the manual says, any unused output ports need to be terminated with 75 ohms to work properly. Note: you can also use other options including powering the amp through a TV's outlet for attic use with an optional power splitter.
This amp does not work with the latest cable modems such as Motorola SB 6120. The amplifier definitely boosts the TV signal as I can verify that signal-to-noise ratio increased from around 32 dB to 40 dB. However, the amp seems to either block full bi-directional communication or filters out required frequency for the cable modem to make online connection to ISP (in my case Comcast ). Furthermore, the vendor's (cabletvamps.com)'s support is a joke. When I asked why it was not working with my cable modem, the reply was a copy/paste of some unrelated topic about the amp not supporting satellite TV and I should return the product.
Main reason I purchased the booster was to split to both cable modem and TV without dropping signal strength to the cable modem, but that is NOT possible with this junk. I am back to using a simple -3.5 db splitter that supports upto 1,000 MHz
Update! - The CableTVAmps support finally replied:
Quote: "The Motorola S2 is a Passive Return Unit - these are not designed to be used with Cable Modems as they will not support the signal. You will need an Active Return Amplifier (the Motorola K4 is a 4-port unit) which will support a Cable Modem and any interactive services (OnDemand, etc.) that the Cable Company offers" - Amplifier - Signal Booster - Cable Splitter - Splitter'
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