Cable splitter advice

[Scouter]

I had to install a three-way splitter, two lines to TV's, one to the internet. Now, I think I know the answer, but wanted some more intelligent advice. (OK, BS flattery done 
)

Single comes in, output has three ports, one with 3db loss, the other two with 7db loss. Does it matter which goes to TV, which to Internet? I am assuming the internet can handle the loss better than the televisions (going into a cable box). Then again, is it even enough loss to be concerned about?

[EricU]

I suspect it's intended that you use the 3db loss to the internet.  Not that it is much different nowadays

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

Just as a warning, we had one installer recommend that we use a powered splitter/booster, but shortly afterwards we started having internet issues. There were many other things that happened during install that convoluted the troubleshooting and it took a truly competent cable engineer to diagnose and correct all the issues. Suffice it to say, the powered splitter was causing the internet issues as it didn't work well with the modem.

Once the dust settled, we ended up teeing off the internet connection before wiring in the powered splitter.

[TDKPE]

What my cable company (TWC) does is to split off the internet cable with a 2-way splitter (-3.5dB each), then run a powered distribution box for all the TVs, if there are too many ports to drive them without, that is.  But amp or not, the first split is a 2-way to the modem. They want the cleanest signal possible to the modem, and amps add noise to the boosted signal, and for that matter, an amp will likely overload it anyway.

Your 3-way is really two splitters internally, with the first ported to the -3.5dB, and the other split again for-7dB each.  So running the -3dB (sure it's not -3.5dB? 3dB implies zero losses) to the cable and the other two to the TVs is the same thing, absent the amplifier.