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Help with MOCA and Frontier ONT

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Wabey

New Around Here
Hello...new to the form.

I have a Frontier ONT in garage running (no splitter) to upstairs Frontier (verizon) wifi router. From the COAX is a connected Frontier WF-803FT with the ethernet connected to the Frontier wifi router. All is working fine and getting 1 gb speeds (wired).

I am interested in adding another hard wired ethernet connection to home theater via coax, so I added a two way splitter to the ONT line coming into the house and split the connection to include the original upstairs coax and the one going to home theater. Using another Frontier WF-803 FT to this coax, with ethernet I am getting green blinking light that ethernet is connected and working but no data output.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need a filter somewhere? Do I need a 2-way splitter (not 100% sure the splitter is 2 way)?

On the 2nd WF-803 FT (new) I used modes "full" "LAN" and "WAN" with the same results (no ethernet data transmission). The upstairs WF-803 (original) is set to "WAN" with all lights solid/not blinking.

Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated!
 
You may need yet one more FCA251 adapter, to net two adapters each set to their "LAN" configuration setting. And an additional FCA251["LAN"] adapter anywhere else you want to extend the router LAN via your coax.

FCA251/WF-803FT (GigE port):​
  • WAN: 1475-1675 MHz (2x 100 MHz)
  • LAN: 1025-1350 MHz (3x 100 MHz)
  • FULL: 1125-1675 MHz (5x 100 MHz)
What is the model # of the upstairs router? Assuming it's a typical FiOS router, it has a built-in MoCA LAN bridge and could provide that function once connected to the shared coax plant, but the issue is complicated due to use of the FCA251 adapter for the MoCA WAN link. The FCA251 is using 2 of 5 available MoCA 2.x channels in the Extended Band D range to effect the MoCA WAN link, leaving only the lower 3 channels available for the MoCA LAN. So, you could use any retail MoCA 2.x adapters set to use only the D-Low sub-band, limiting throughput to 400 Mbps, or use the FCA251 adapters, whose non-standard "LAN" configuration steps outside the standard range to use 3x 100 MHz channels to net 1200 Mbps shared throughput.

If trying to use retail MoCA 2.x adapters at D-Low, you could see if the router's built-in MoCA LAN bridge can be configured to this limited operating range; if not, a properly configured retail adapter would be needed at the router to function as the main LAN MoCA/Ethernet bridge.

Whether using the FiOS router, a retail MoCA adapter or a FCA251 as the main LAN MoCA/Ethernet bridge, doing so would require use of a 2-way MoCA 2.x-compatible splitter at the router location, to get both the FCA251["WAN"] adapter and the associated MoCA LAN bridge both connected to the room's coax outlet. (Of course, with any standalone MoCA adapter being used to effect the main MoCA LAN bridge, the adapter would need to be Ethernet-connected to a LAN port on the router. Moot if the router built-in bridge is being used.)
 
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Alternatively, do you have any other signals on the coax? Like TV?

If the coax is otherwise dark, you could replace the FCA251["WAN"] connection by using a pair of FCA252 adapters set to their "25GW" configuration toggle position, to shift the MoCA WAN operating frequency range to 400-900 MHz, netting a full throughput MoCA 2.5 link for the WAN and leaving the whole of the MoCA Extended Band D range for use by the MoCA LAN, allowing use of retail MoCA 2.x adapters using default settings or FCA251 adapters set to "FULL" (or FCA252 adapters set to "LAN").

Requirements:
* Frequency range is available
* FCA252 adapter can be Ethernet-connected to ONT Ethernet WAN port, and powered
* Provider is contacted to switch WAN link from MoCA WAN to Ethernet WAN.

See this reddit post for more info. Also, here's an example diagram of the FCA252["WAN"] approach:

FCA252-25GW WAN.png


p.s. Related reddit post discussing additional alternatives, here.
 
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Thank you krkaufman,

I do not have anything else running on the coax to my knowledge (I have direct tv streaming via wifi to direct tv set top box). This is my primary reason for wanting to run MOCA via coax so I can have a ethernet (not wifi) to direct tv set top box avoiding wifi.

It seems that I need additional hardware? I'm not 100% sure the model of my verizon/frontier router I'll have to look at it once home.

How would I connect the 2 FCA251 together to allow what you suggest? Buying another FCA 251 would not be a problem, just trying to follow what you suggest

Thank you!

Dave
 
How would I connect the 2 FCA251 together to allow what you suggest? Buying another FCA 251 would not be a problem, just trying to follow what you suggest
The how may have been added as a post-edit. 'gist: A 2-way coax splitter at the router to get both the MoCA WAN and MoCA LAN bridges connected to the shared coax wall outlet, with each adapter then Ethernet-connected to the necessary port: MOCA WAN to Ethernet WAN of the router, MoCA LAN to a LAN port on the router.

One thing though... do you have just the one coax line between the central junction and router location? With two separate coax lines, the issue is simplified since the FCA251 MoCA WAN and LAN networks wouldn't be competing for the same frequency specctrum.

p.s. See prior reply Re: FCA252 option.

just trying to follow what you suggest
I've suggested a few different things. What I'd suggest is first determining whether any alternate options are available for effecting connectivity between the two locations, to get the WAN and LAN signals isolated. If physical isolation isn't possible, I'd then recommend looking into the FCA252["25GW"] MOCA WAN solution, as it nets the best performance with simplest setup.
 
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Thank you...I have only 1 coax from the central junction to router location (no spitters along the way).

Than I would connect the 3rd FCA 251 to the coax line (after splitting the main coax) to home theater in "LAN" mode? Is this correct?

Thanks again!
 
Yes...I have Direct Tv stream (not satellite) Its streaming via wi-fi which has a strong signal most of time, but occasionally buffers/spins I am assuming due to infrequent wi-fi signals? I'm hopeful having MoCa set up via COAX will solve this issue for me.

Thank you for the alternative FCA 252 option!

As you can tell I'm not very tech savvy so thinking of easy/simple solution if it exists!

Thanks again!
 
Thank you for the alternative FCA 252 option!
NP. It's preferable given the greater throughput, able to match the symmetrical Gigabit service levels. (The strictly FCA251 WAN+LAN approach can hit 1000 Mbps, but not symmetrical.) Also, FCA252 adapters are relatively cheap via eBay; or maybe you could snag a couple for free by complaining to Frontier ... stressing that the FCA251 MoCA WAN link cannot deliver the symmetrical Gigabit speeds that you're paying for. (The FCA251["WAN"] link tops-out at 500/500 symmetrical, at best. They should strictly be using the FCA252 MoCA WAN approach for Gigabit-level plans, if/when a Cat5+ line isn't possible.)

Than I would connect the 3rd FCA 251 to the coax line (after splitting the main coax) to home theater in "LAN" mode? Is this correct?
Yes, the "access point" FCA251["LAN"] adapter at the router, then the remote/client FCA251["LAN"] adapter connected to the coax outlet at the home theater location.

So the only change relative to your OP setup would be the FCA251["LAN"] adapter and 2-way splitter added to the router location (plus the Ethernet cable connecting the new adapter to a LAN port on the router).

Sidebar: The FiOS router should remain disconnected from the coax.
 
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Just wanted to provide an update.

This weekend I was able to set up what you recommended above (needed a few additional parts so took a little bit to have them shipped), and once I got everything hooked up it it has been working fantastically!

Thank you for your assistance!
 
This weekend I was able to set up what you recommended above (needed a few additional parts so took a little bit to have them shipped), and once I got everything hooked up it it has been working fantastically!
Good to hear!

But … having recommended a few variants, I’d be curious to hear what approach you went with and what throughput you’re seeing.
 

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