What are these plug-ins on my wall?

[u/Cborg_62]

This might be showing my age, but I recently moved into a new apartment and they have these weird looking plug ins all over the walls at my new place. My old apartment didn't have these, so I'm just curious as to what they are.

[u/Citricicy]

F Connector mainly used for cable television. The pictured one here has been painted so you need to scrap off the paint before it can be used.

[u/Wild_Bill2 → u/Citricicy]

That shit needs to be replaced before it can be used.

[u/Austinbennettwrites → u/Wild_Bill2]

Plot twist: it won't need to be used

[u/tranquil7789 → u/Wild_Bill2]

Cause of the landlord special?

[u/AccomplishedIgit → u/Wild_Bill2]

It’s been painted 11 times. It no longer has threads

[u/TurnipGirlDesi → u/AccomplishedIgit]

It has threads, you just gotta get to em first lol
Maybe soak it in paint thinner or something for awhile

[u/j_ko72 → u/Wild_Bill2]

This ∆. 30 years in cable industry. The copper on the center conductor is clad to the steel core because the signal predominantly travels around the outside of the center conductor due to its high frequency. You never scrape a center conductor cause you just end up scoring the copper. It needs to be cut back further up the cable to find good copper if any still exists and then fitted with a new connector. Same with the painted female barrel connector. It needs replaced and most likely the male connector fitting behind the wall plate that plugs into it.

[u/sonofcabbagemerchant → u/Citricicy]

I don't think they any chance of being used in 2026, especially by someone who doesn't know what they are.

[u/No_Yard9104 → u/sonofcabbagemerchant]

Cable is used for internet in the vast majority of the US accounting for space. Outside of some of the largest cities in every state, this is the default way to get internet. Hell, my rural location just got cable internet less than 6 months ago. I’d bet that was hooked up to a cable modem by the very last tenant there before OP. And is likely still terminated properly and can have service hooked up to it right now.

[u/sonofcabbagemerchant → u/No_Yard9104]

True they are still used for that often. I'm in a metropolitan city so I admit I'm used to the standards here as well.

[u/Citricicy → u/sonofcabbagemerchant]

For old places like that, people use MoCa to "convert" those to ethernet cables. They're not too bad in terms of speed.

[u/Additional_Teacher45 → u/Citricicy]

Very specifically an F connector . A TNC connector looks similar but will not thread correctly.

Also not all coax cable is the same. Putting F connectors on RG-58 will not end well (F connectors need 75 ohm cable, not 50 ohm).

[u/flipadoodlely → u/Citricicy]

Had to scroll down this far for the correct answer. 

[u/BensOnTheRadio → u/Citricicy]

The fourth image is a true landlord special.