Just bought a MoCA adapter. What should I expect for installation?

[mr570]

Hi all. My family just switched to Mediacom high speed cable internet. We purchased our own cable modem and wireless router, but upon installation were told that we could not use our equipment and instead had to use Mediacom's technicolor TC8717. I think overall it's a nice device, certainly better than any of the residential gateways AT&T allowed its customers, though wireless coverage is rather poor.

So after speaking with a tech who was over for unrelated reasons, we were told that we *can* use our own wireless equipment, provided we still use the TC8717 for phone access, and purchase a MoCA adapter to run along with our own cable modem and wireless router. So that's what we did. Now my issue is that I'm having trouble finding any sort of documentation online about this particular MoCA adapter. And Mediacom only sent standard documentation about setting up your equipment, which doesn't include anything related to a MoCA adapter. Here is what we are working with:

• technicolor TC8717 cable modem
• ASUS RT-AC66U wireless router
• Netgear CM600 cable modem
• hitron HT-EM2 MoCA 2.0 adapter

What should I expect for installation? A tech is supposed to come out and do this themselves, but I have my doubts given the subcontractor who set up service in the first place didn't even finish authorizing our account. We had someone else's internet and cable service for several days before an actual Mediacom service tech could come out and clean up the mess the subcontractor made! Really odd experience, and it honestly makes me a little weary about another subcontractor coming out and messing install up for this MoCA adapter.

Should this be relatively plug and play? Do I need to set up the ASUS wireless network/settings beforehand for any reason? I'm a bit confused about how the MoCA adapter works with the equipment that we have. It looks like you plug the coax coming out of the wall into the MoCA adapter, plug another coax between the adapter and the cable modem, and then finally plug the adapter into your wireless router via Ethernet. Is that correct?

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[CaptainSTX]

First I don't understand why you need a second modem i.e. your NetgearCM600.

Also I'm not sure you need the MOCA adapter and if you do you probably need a pair.

I would either use your AC66 as an AP. There are instructions on the site explaining how to re-purpose a router as an AP. This will let you use the WiFi of your AC66 or if you leave the technicolor router's WiFi on both it and the AC66.

If you want to use some of the advanced functions of the AC66 then you will need to leave it in router mode and double NAT it behind the first router. I have attached some instructions for doing this.

 

[mr570]

I want to avoid this:

If you want to use some of the advanced functions of the AC66 then you will need to leave it in router mode and double NAT it behind the first router.

Which should explain this:

First I don't understand why you need a second modem i.e. your NetgearCM600.

Also I'm not sure you need the MOCA adapter and if you do you probably need a pair.

I have TiVo service that I would like to keep. We are planning on disabling all functionality for the technicolor device outside of POTS. We can't disable the modem functionality and wireless routing and still retain the ability to use our TiVo service, however, because:

1. TiVo service operates over a MoCA network
2. the Netgear CM600 does not have built-in MoCA functionality

 

[CaptainSTX]

There is nothing wrong with double NAT. It doesn't impact latency or speeds.

I think TIVO units have built in MOCA so you shouldn't need the MOCA device. I use TIVOs but mine are all connected using ethernet.

You also didn't explain why you need a second modem. IMHO it won't work unless your ISP will give you more than one IP.

Good luck.

 

[mr570]

Double NAT isn't an issue for regular users, sure. I like playing online video games and double NAT's cause connectivity issues.

I don't know why you're so fixated on why I want to use my own equipment. I just do. But to be more specific, I can change DNS servers network-wide, use QoS settings, more Downstream/Upstream lanes (24x8 instead of 16x4)...

I thought I had mentioned that I would be disabling any functionality on the technicolor TC8717 cable modem. Anyone who would actually want to help me would understand, that if I'm using my own equipment for wireless functionality, that you disable the ISP's equipment in order to use your own (more specifically, your own cable modem). But in hindsight you don't really seem to want to be helpful and are instead choosing to endlessly question why I'm doing any of this. Kind of weird tbh!