DO I need an amplifier for MOCA?

[pcumming]

I have a Time Warner setup with plastic box outside and each run to the rooms starts at the box outside. Cable is not used for TV anymore since I am running streaming services.

*I do use their internet though through TimeWarner spectrum (and Coax).

When I did use TW/Spectrum they put an amplifier in my living room which plugged into an AC outlet and all that came out of it was a Coax cable. There was no input/output, just output coax. That went to a splitter.

Would I still need that amp or an approved amplifier for MOCA (since I am not using TimeWarner TV services but using internet) or is it something I would have to try with and without?

I also assume I would need to upgrade any splitter in their box outside assuming there is one.

I did determine I have RG6 cable in house that was built in 2001.

Thank you very much in advance.
Have a good day
Sincerely
Peter

 

[krkaufman]

It’s very likely that you wouldn’t need any amplification of your cable signal, now that you just need the signal at the one outlet with your modem/gateway; however, you’d want to make sure to minimize losses to this outlet. You’ll also need to ensure that a “PoE” MoCA filter is in place at the cable point-of-entry, optimally installed on the input of the first splitter encountered by the incoming signal.

If/when replacing splitters, the Holland GHS-PRO-M series are recommended for OTA/cable MoCA (i.e. MoCA Extended Band D) use. You might also want to consider the Amphenol hybrid splitter (see here) as your top-level, initial splitter, if only for compactness, depending on the number of coax runs you need to service from your cable junction box.

As always, cap any unused ports with a 75-ohm terminator.

 

[krkaufman]

When I did use TW/Spectrum they put an amplifier in my living room which plugged into an AC outlet and all that came out of it was a Coax cable. There was no input/output, just output coax. That went to a splitter.

This makes me wonder if the component in the Living Room was just the power adapter for an amplifier installed in your outside junction box, and that “splitter” was actually a power inserter, used to deliver the DC power up to the amplifier. If so, the power adapter and its power inserter would be removed in conjunction with the amplifier.

 

[krkaufman]

p.s. Re: your question in the thread subject: “DO I need an amplifier for MOCA?”

No cable/OTA amplifier amplifies the signals at MoCA frequencies; at best, an amplifier can be designed for MoCA to minimize losses between output ports, and with a built-in “PoE” MoCA filter to further reduce losses between outputs. If an amp is required for boosting cable or OTA signals, care should be taken to use a MoCA-compatible amp, if not one “designed for MoCA”; if amplification isn’t required, it’s best to get known-good MoCA-compatible splitters in place.

Also, MoCA is designed with its own power adjustment capability to overcome losses ... up to a point. Max loss between MoCA nodes is 53 dB; more loss than that and MoCA’s built-in amplification won’t be of much help.