drbozai wrote:
... The splitter is from verizon ... There are no unconnected coax cables ... you are saying to unplug each coax cable and see what fios service goes out? Do I unplug the "in" s or the "outs" of the splitter ...
Yes, disconnect each of the three coax cables at the FiOS splitter and try to determine how this affects each of the FiOS outlets. You can attach the router, and old TV, or just about anything to the outlets until you determine which coax is serving which location.
Once this is done, attach a label to each cable at the splitter for future reference. Also, the "in" socket presumably connects to the FiOS ONT so there is no need to mess with that one. Just leave it alone.
Also, it would help if you specified where all of the FiOS outlets are. So far you've mentioned one in the basement and another it the living room. Where is the third, and is it "active"?
drbozai wrote:
... since there are no extra coax cables outside near the ONT, does that mean the living room coax is essentially not wired to the outside? ...
Not necessarily, although that's possible. The lack of a "loose" coax near the ONT could mean that the living room coax is actually live. I mentioned this earlier several times and suggested that you test it with the router, despite the statements of the Dish technician to the contrary. So far you have not reported back on this (rather easy) experiment. Is my request not clear?
drbozai wrote:
... the fios installation was done by the previous owner, and the wiring was already here when I moved in ... I'm afraid that If I unplug anything, then I replug it back to the splitter, the service might not work, leaving me in a big mess
From what you've already said, the service doesn't work properly now so you can't really mess up what's not working. As long as you do things in a step-by-step fashion and label your work as you go, you will not get into trouble.
Besides disconnecting and reconnecting the coax cables at the splitter and elsewhere serves a useful purpose, since every so often a connection that looks OK really isn't, and needs to be re-seated.
If you continue to refuse to perform the suggested tests and experiments in a timely fashion, I have the authority to call in a FiOS drone strike on your property. Believe me, the results won't be pretty.
NOTE: Just kidding, NSA.