Funny. We used to use house boxes everywhere no matter what. After Comcast took over and we merged systems, the only time I use them now is if there is more than one line terminating on the outside, or if it is a business. If it is a single family home with just a GB outside, I don't use one. I do, however, make sure there are either grommets or boots/grease used for weather-proofing.
We merged two nearby Comcast systems previously owned by two different companies and sort of mixed and matched their install specs. It seems that Adelphia was more lackluster than SusCom regarding installation specs. The only incentive for Adelphia techs to install a house box was so they could do discos and video trapping inside the huge contracptions that they used to mount.
http://www.arrisistore.com/product.php?pid=157683One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a multiport splitter mounted on the siding of a house. There is no way to make a 4way splitter full of coax look good without containing it inside a housing. Same goes with dish installs where they mount their 4 port GBs to brand new vinyl siding. I would never allow that on any property I owned.
