DSS Multiplexor

Each satellite channel is broadcast on a particular transponder. Each LNB on your satellite dish can be tuned to either the odd transponders or the even transponders, but not both at the same time, so each transponder can receive roughly half the channels at any given time. You can have either a single LNB or a dual LNB, yielding either one or two cables from your dish, respectively.

In a standard setup, each receiver is connected directly to an LNB. Based on the channel you want to watch, the satellite receiver sends a constant signal to the LNB telling it whether it should be tuned to the even or odd transponders. So, even if you had compatible splitters, and you used those to split the cable coming from an LNB, in roughly half the cases, you would have one receiver that wanted to tune the LNB to an odd transponder while the other receiver wanted to tune the LNB to an even transponder. As you might imagine, that won't work.

Instead, what you need is a multi-switch.  A multi-switch takes feeds from two LNBs as its inputs. It provides four independent outputs. How does it work?

The multi-switch permanently tunes one of its inputs to the even transponders and the other to the odd transponders. When a receiver attached to one of its outputs requests even transponders, it connects that output to the input that is permanently tuned to the even transponders. Similarly, for receivers that want to see odd transponders.

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