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Actiontec MI424-WR as a MOcA bridge without Verizon

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xnappo

New Around Here
Hello all,

Reading about the new D-Link MOcA router introduced me to this concept - and it is exactly what I need (power line doesn't work for the rooms I need to connect, and wireless is.. well wireless). However they are a bit pricey.

It seems like I missed the window on good NiM100 deals.

The Actiontec MI424-WR, however can be had for a great price.

The details on how configure one to be a bridge to bypass the wireless problems are readily available and it seems like it uses the same MOcA chipset as the NiM100.

So... Will this setup work?

TWC wall coax to a splitter - one side to the MI424 coax, the other to my cable modem.
Output of my cable modem to my Linksys WRT160N router, one port of my router to the MI424 ethernet jack.

Downstairs, TWC wall coax to splitter, one side to MI424 coax. Ports of MI424 to HTPC and XBOX360. Other side of splitter to my TWC cable box.

Sorry for the verbiage, I tried to do it in ASCII art, but the formatting was messed up.

Thanks!
xnappo
 
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Diagrams always help us to provide more accurate advice. Next time, try using Paint or something to create a simple diagram and just attach to the post.

Anyway, your proposal might work, if the MI424s just function as bridges between the MoCA port and LAN switch. You'll need to be sure to disable DHCP servers on both MI424s.
 
Anyway, your proposal might work, if the MI424s just function as bridges between the MoCA port and LAN switch. You'll need to be sure to disable DHCP servers on both MI424s.

Thanks Tim. From what I have read, it is definitely possible to force it to just be a bridge.

My main concern was using a splitter on the cable modem side since this guy doesn't have separate in/out coax jacks. I wasn't sure if that called for a high/low pass filter instead of just a splitter.

I am considering giving it a shot since the cost of trying it out is pretty low...

xnappo
 
Splitter should be fine. Use good ones that can pass > 900 MHz, however, since MoCA uses 875 MHz to 1500 MHz.
 
My post from another MoCA related thread, might be helpful:

I have FiOS, so I am using a MoCA enabled Actiontec MI424WR. All I had to do to extend my network was buy a few more Actiontec MI424WR's ($25 on Ebay) and run them in MoCA bridge mode. Instant wired network with my existing RG6 coax.

Running iperf shows a constant 100Mbp/s (12MB/s) transfer speeds between computers using MoCA in the middle. Obviously this is limited by the 100Mbps switch on the Actiontec's. The current MoCA standard is rated at 270Mbps.

Incredibly reliable, I see no difference from this and straight CAT5e.

If only more people knew that the Actiontec's can be had for so incredibly cheap, everyone could have a reletively fast wired network.
 
My post from another MoCA related thread, might be helpful:

Thanks a lot - do I need to run both in bridge mode? If I just run the one connected to my router in bridge mode, can I have the one connected to the XBOX360 and HTPC in router mode? Otherwise I would only have one port on the receiving side right?

xnappo
 
Both will be run in bridge mode, meaning neither will be doing anything other then bridging coax to cat5. You will have all 4 10/100 ports open on each to do what you want with them.

Your main router will plug into the Ethernet WAN port on the one actiontec.

BTW, if you have any specific actiontec questions, this is a good place to ask: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzfiber
 
Both will be run in bridge mode, meaning neither will be doing anything other then bridging coax to cat5. You will have all 4 10/100 ports open on each to do what you want with them.

Thanks again. It is a vocabulary problem on my part, I need to bone up on switch vs. router vs. bridge vs. hub :)

xnappo
 
Thanks again. It is a vocabulary problem on my part, I need to bone up on switch vs. router vs. bridge vs. hub :)

xnappo

Worked like a charm! Just disable everything except the bridge, connect your router LAN to the Actiontec LAN and you are good to go.

Ahhh the smug satisfaction of getting something for $40 that is selling for $175.

xnappo
 
Both will be run in bridge mode, meaning neither will be doing anything other then bridging coax to cat5. You will have all 4 10/100 ports open on each to do what you want with them.
Your main router will plug into the Ethernet WAN port on the one actiontec.

Actually for me it would NOT work if I connected LAN to WAN. I had to connect LAN to LAN for it to work.

xnappo

P.S. - Tim - if you want to move this thread to a more appropriate section feel free. I wasn't paying attention when I started it.
 
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Actiontec MI424WR - a cheap MoCA bridge for all!

So... You have tried 802.11g and power line adapters. You are thinking about investing in 802.11n, but have heard even that may not do HD streaming reliably all the time. Yes... You want to run cat5, but it is just not possible due to xyz.

The solution you might be looking for is MoCA. MoCA is a standard that allows you to piggyback ethernet over your coax outlets. MoCA operates ~1GHz, so it won't interfere with cable operation. It may interfere with satellite depending on how you are routing your satellite signal – so make sure you know whether you are using the 1GHz space before going further.

Now – how much does this cost? Well, Netgear recently released the MCAB1001. It runs ~$175.

Too rich for your blood? Well good, because now I am going to tell you how to get up and running for ~$50.

The good news is that Verizon has been using this technology for years now. There is a glut of old Verizon equipment for very cheap prices on eBay. The first batch of Verizon installs used a device called the Motorola NIM100 for MoCA, and a separate router. These used to be cheap, but are now somewhat hard to find – as the word about using these for MoCA without Verizon has been out for a while.

The next batch of Verizon installs used an Actiontec MI424WR combination MoCA/wireless router. Unfortunately for Verizon, the wireless part of the router was not very good, so many customers complained and upgraded to their newer models – plus of course there is the usual customer turnover.

So – in short – you can pick up a pair of Actiontec MI424WRs on eBay for ~$45. You can use any of the models – Rev A, C or D. Rev A is uglier, but just as functional. You should get close to 100baseT speeds.

Once you have the routers, you need to configure them to just be a MoCA bridge. To do this:

1.Connect a LAN port of the router to one of your PCs.
2.Browse to 192.168.1.1
3.Enter 'admin' as the user and try 'password' or 'password1' for the password. If neither works, hold down the reset button on the back for 10 seconds, wait for the reboot, and try again.
4.First we will turn off the wireless – click the wireless button on the top, and disable it. You may need to go to the 'Basic security settings' to do this depending on your firmware version.
5.Next, go to 'My Network'->'Network Connections'. Go through each connection EXCEPT 'Network (Home/Office)' and disable them by clicking the little 'edit' icon and hitting disable.
6.Now – click on the 'edit' icon for 'Network (Home/Office)' and click 'Settings'
7.For 'Internet Protocol' select 'Use the following IP address'. For the IP address, you want to put something you are not currently using (like 192.168.1.18). For subnet mask, you probably want 255.255.255.0.
8.Under 'Bridge' select 'Coax' and 'Ethernet' and 'STP' for both. Uncheck 'Wireless' and 'Broadband'.
9.For 'DNS server', select 'No DNS server', for 'IP Address distribution' select 'Disabled'
10.Next, connect a LAN port of your main router to a LAN port of the Actiontec (NOT the WAN port).
11.Hit apply, and the router will reboot. To access the router from here on out you will need to browse to the address you selected in step 7.
12.Now, try to get to the internet. Your PC should bridge through the Actiontec to your main router and out.
13.If this all works, duplicate on the second router.
14.Once you have both done, connect a coax cable directly between the two Actiontecs. At this point, one Actiontec should have a LAN port connected to your main router, and the other should have a LAN port connected to your PC.
15.Verify you can still get to the internet – now you have demonstrated connectivity through the coax ports.
16.Finally, move the Actiontecs to their final destinations, using splitters as needed to maintain cable modem/STB connectivity, and you should be good to go!

Hope you find this useful,
xnappo

[EDIT] Here is an example connection diagram:
3510551442_30d5cff062_o.jpg
 
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