Basic setup for MoCA

[tarassippo]

Pretty new to MoCA and I'm trying to understand if I could use a couple of adapters. Briefly, I live in a building of 12 flats (UK based) and we share the TV aerial: I have a TV socket outlet in the living room, one in the office room and one in the bedroom, and I have no idea what's behind the wall plates, etc.

My question: what are the chances the MoCA adapters would work in my case (I would need one in the living room - where the modem and router are - and one in the office room)? I've read a few posts here + some online articles and I'm still a bit confused, i.e. would I need a point of entry filter? Probably not as I don't have cable Internet (it's a VDSL2), is that correct? But, without a filter, is there a chance that at least part of the LAN communication can go out through the aerial or towards some other flat?

Sorry, If I'm asking silly questions, but this is still a pretty grey area...

Tia.

 

[L&LD]

I don't know MoCA either, but I would give 10 to 1 odds against this working for you as you want (and securely).

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[GHammer]

Unless it is coax in the walls, it will not work.
If there are splitters that are not MoCA compliant (min 2GHz better 2.3 GHz), it will not work.
If you find that the physical is fine, then yes, use a POE filter. That will keep your signal within your walls.
Most MoCA adapters have encryption that is easily enabled. The thing is, you don't want interference from your neighbors and they don't need it from you.

 

[krkaufman]

I have a TV socket outlet in the living room, one in the office room and one in the bedroom, and I have no idea what's behind the wall plates, etc.

Having the coax sockets* in each room is essential, and a good start; however, since how the room locations interconnect via coax is the most critical piece of a MoCA setup, not knowing how they connect (where, through what component(s), whether they're isolated from neighbors or not, etc.) makes it impossible to say if it would work for you or not. Is there no way to determine how the coax plant is structured and connected to each flat, and the antenna?

Understanding that TiVo DVRs and their Mini client boxes network over MoCA, the following post from over on TCF (TiVo Community Forum) may help illustrate the issue with MoCA and multi-dwelling buildings, and the solution: a complication for MoCA in multi-dwelling buildings

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* Separately, though of lower priority, can you post a pic of one of your wall sockets?

(UK based) and we share the TV aerial:

Additionally, I'm not familiar with what "aerial" means within the context of the UK, in terms of the TV frequencies that would be present on the coax. In the US, OTA/aerial TV has shrunk down to frequencies below 700 MHz, so there's no problem co-existing with retail MoCA adapters, nearly all of which operate in MoCA Extended Band D, 1125-1675 MHz. What frequencies are used by UK "aerial" TV?

i.e. would I need a point of entry filter ... without a filter, is there a chance that at least part of the LAN communication can go out through the aerial or towards some other flat?

Correct, both, to other flats and back out the antenna. *IF* you can locate the point from which your 3 coax runs emanate, you'd ideally isolate these 3 coax runs from the rest of the coax plant (and the antenna) by installing a "PoE" MoCA filter. (Fingers crossed that the the building is wired to enable it, per the linked TCF post.)

 

[krkaufman]

I have no idea what's behind the wall plates

One way to find out is look.

FWIW, If you have a situation where your rooms daisy-chain/cascade off each other via splitters hidden behind the wall plates, rather than all 3 lines emanating from a central closet, however sub-optimal you might be able to get MoCA working without leaving your apartment.

 

[krkaufman]

Additionally, I'm not familiar with what "aerial" means within the context of the UK, in terms of the TV frequencies that would be present on the coax. In the US, OTA/aerial TV has shrunk down to frequencies below 700 MHz, so there's no problem co-existing with retail MoCA adapters, nearly all of which operate in MoCA Extended Band D, 1125-1675 MHz. What frequencies are used by UK "aerial" TV?

Based on reading a couple quick pages, it looks (sensibly) like your OTA TV frequencies are in a similar range to those in the US, so there shouldn't be an issue with your aerial TV signals co-existing with MoCA. You just need to get your flat's coax isolated from all the other flats.

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UK Guide to Installing a Digital Aerial Antenna for Freeview TV - Over The Air Digital TV

Why pay for television if you can place a digital aerial antenna somewhere in your flat and receive Freeview TV for no subscription cost?

www.overtheairdigitaltv.com

Broadcasting Frequencies Used By TV Aerial, Radio & Satellite

All the info your need on TV aerial, FM & DAB radio & satellite frequncies. Inc broadcasting transmissions of Freeview, Freesat & Sky

www.smartaerials.co.uk