Why is it advisable to troubleshoot impulse noise at distribution taps of 17 dB or lower?

Troubleshooting impulse noise at distribution taps of 17 dB or lower is advisable primarily because these taps offer less attenuation to ingress and impulse noise. Lower dB values indicate that the signal experiences less loss, which means that any external noise can have a more significant impact on the quality of the signal.

In technical terms, as the dB value decreases, the ability of the tap to resist or attenuate incoming noise (ingress) also diminishes. This makes it crucial to address potential impulse noise issues at these lower dB taps, where the noise can disrupt the signal much more easily than at higher attenuation taps.

Understanding this helps emphasize the importance of managing noise at these points in the network to ensure a stable and clear signal transmission.