Mixing Signals OTA & Phone - HOW?

[EmperorWatcher]

Let's see if I can explain this clearly.. Bear with me please..

My phone/internet is from Comcast. No cable TV. It connects to my Comcast supplied Arris TG862G, which is connected to my router, an ASUS RT-N56U. I have an external antenna for TV. There are 2 TVs, both of which are connected to the antenna. One is on the same floor as the router and the other is downstairs.

I watch media via 2 Roku XD. Netflix & Hulu+ work pretty well, but I get buffering with PlayOn frequently, so my son gave me a pair of Actiontec Network Adapter Kits to improve the wireless performance.

The coax that connects to the cable modem is not the same as the cable that connects to the 2 TVs, so attaching the MoCA devices at the modem doesn't give me the desired connectivity at each TV for the wifi boost. Both circuits originate and are split from the same place at the side of my house.

Actiontec customer support says that the 2 signals can be mixed with no ill effect. My problem is configuring the mixing of the 2 signals so that the antenna coax will work with the Actiontecs.

Phew! Is that reasonably clear? I've tried using various splitters that I have without success. What am I missing?

Thanks!

 

[stevech]

Let's see if I can explain this clearly.. Bear with me please..

My phone/internet is from Comcast. No cable TV. It connects to my Comcast supplied Arris TG862G, which is connected to my router, an ASUS RT-N56U. I have an external antenna for TV. There are 2 TVs, both of which are connected to the antenna. One is on the same floor as the router and the other is downstairs.

I watch media via 2 Roku XD. Netflix & Hulu+ work pretty well, but I get buffering with PlayOn frequently, so my son gave me a pair of Actiontec Network Adapter Kits to improve the wireless performance.

The coax that connects to the cable modem is not the same as the cable that connects to the 2 TVs, so attaching the MoCA devices at the modem doesn't give me the desired connectivity at each TV for the wifi boost. Both circuits originate and are split from the same place at the side of my house.

Actiontec customer support says that the 2 signals can be mixed with no ill effect. My problem is configuring the mixing of the 2 signals so that the antenna coax will work with the Actiontecs.

Phew! Is that reasonably clear? I've tried using various splitters that I have without success. What am I missing?

Thanks!

MoCA signals are about 1100MHz which is well above that used for TV, phone and Internet.
You'll need to route MoCA properly among splitter arrangements.

 

[EmperorWatcher]

MoCA signals are about 1100MHz which is well above that used for TV, phone and Internet.
You'll need to route MoCA properly among splitter arrangements.

Actiontec rep says that mixing is no problem on the same coax. My problem is how to get 2 separate signals combined onto that same coax. I haven't located any splitters with 2 inputs. Also concerned about various specs of input/outputs and what conflicts may occur.

Can a splitter be used in reverse? That is: Use the "out" as "in"? Do the splitters just connect the signals or are they altered in some way internally? Many splitters have 2 or more outputs, but so far, I don't find any with 2 input.

 

[stevech]

From your words, I tried to draw a schematic diagram of your coaxes.

TV Ant -->splitter...
                   --->floor 2 TV
                   --->floor 1 TV

Cable ------->Arris modem==cat5===>WiFi router===>wired and WiFi PCs and devices

Does the coax going to the Arris modem begin near the location of the TV antenna and splitter shown above?

What are the make/model of the Actiontec Network Adapter Kits? Are those MoCA or AC power line?

With a bit more info, we can work out how to solve this.

 

[EmperorWatcher]

From your words, I tried to draw a schematic diagram of your coaxes.

TV Ant -->splitter...
                   --->floor 2 TV
                   --->floor 1 TV

Cable ------->Arris modem==cat5===>WiFi router===>wired and WiFi PCs and devices

Does the coax going to the Arris modem begin near the location of the TV antenna and splitter shown above?

What are the make/model of the Actiontec Network Adapter Kits? Are those MoCA or AC power line?

With a bit more info, we can work out how to solve this.

Yes indeed, that's what the config looks like.

The cable/coax phone line in and the antenna coax are both in the same location on an exterior wall. There's a signal booster left over from the prior owner/cable TV installation. I've left it connected to the antenna circuit and plugged in.

When I had the cable TV service discontinued, they made some changes that had me fooled for a while to find the specific cable that leads to the TVs. There's a cable in the room with the modem, but it didn't connect to the antenna cable circuit. They are on one isolated circuit, but their splitter is hidden somewhere. As an aside, the downstairs TV doesn't get as many channels as the other. Upstairs has a low voltage booster that came with the antenna. Maybe it actually works?

ANYWAY.. The Actiontecs are Model ECB2500C. They are MoCA and do use external power.

I've wired machines for a manufacturer, but some of these terms and specs are out of my comfort zone.

Thanks for helping me think this through!

 

[stevech]

Not 100% sure of wiring but...
The splitter - located in the house access area - that feeds the two TVs.. Make it a three-way. Connect the 3rd port to a coax going to a MoCA adaptor near the router. Connect a cat5 from router to that MoCA adaptor.

At one of the TVs, put the other MoCA adaptor in series with the coax coming from the splitter and going to the TV. Now that adaptor provides one or more ethernet connections to go to things nearby that need internet/LAN connectivity, such as Roku, TV w/Ethernet, PC, etc.

If you need several ethernet cable connections at the TV, buy a $15 ethernet switch (10/100 or 10/100/1000). Connect it to the MoCA adaptor. Then the switch's ports (say, 4 or 8 ports) accept ethernet cables from nearby devices.

At the TV site, you can also create a new WiFi coverage bubble by configuring and plugging in a WiFi Access Point (AP), such as a $35 ASUS RT-NT12.

Later, you can add a 3rd MoCA adaptor, perhaps at the other TV, for its Roku box, etc., same way as at the first TV.

 

[EmperorWatcher]

Not 100% sure of wiring but...
The splitter - located in the house access area - that feeds the two TVs.. Make it a three-way. Connect the 3rd port to a coax going to a MoCA adaptor near the router. Connect a cat5 from router to that MoCA adaptor.

At one of the TVs, put the other MoCA adaptor in series with the coax coming from the splitter and going to the TV. Now that adaptor provides one or more ethernet connections to go to things nearby that need internet/LAN connectivity, such as Roku, TV w/Ethernet, PC, etc.

If you need several ethernet cable connections at the TV, buy a $15 ethernet switch (10/100 or 10/100/1000). Connect it to the MoCA adaptor. Then the switch's ports (say, 4 or 8 ports) accept ethernet cables from nearby devices.

At the TV site, you can also create a new WiFi coverage bubble by configuring and plugging in a WiFi Access Point (AP), such as a $35 ASUS RT-NT12.

Later, you can add a 3rd MoCA adaptor, perhaps at the other TV, for its Roku box, etc., same way as at the first TV.

Haven't had a chance yet to give this a try. It does raise some questions for me. What do you think?

FYI: The antenna coax is not split at the point where it goes in the house. I'm not sure where that splitter is internally, but that isn't the main issue at this point. You recommend that I connect the antenna feed to a coax that goes to the router. That line is fed, outside, near the antenna coax, however it is fed by the Comcast telephone/internet coax. I need to find a way to mix the antenna feed and the Comcast feed. Splitters don't come in 2 input styles (that I can find). There is also some signal loss when splitting the antenna and I want to minimize that. Also don't know what values these splitters should have to optimize performance.

Have I missed a link?

THANKS!

 

[stevech]

I need to find a way to mix the antenna feed and the Comcast feed.
THANKS!

Since you don't get TV from COMCAST, just internet.. I recommended a way to use the MoCA adaptors you have.
As to the splitter.. A two-way splitter has 3.5dB per port loss. You'll need to find the splitter and change it to a 3 way as described, with MoCA on the 3rd port.

There's no need (sense) in sending the Comcast signal to other than the existing cable modem.

 

[EmperorWatcher]

Since you don't get TV from COMCAST, just internet.. I recommended a way to use the MoCA adaptors you have.
As to the splitter.. A two-way splitter has 3.5dB per port loss. You'll need to find the splitter and change it to a 3 way as described, with MoCA on the 3rd port.

There's no need (sense) in sending the Comcast signal to other than the existing cable modem.

Your recommendation requires installing a new coax line going from the (antenna) splitter to the MoCA adapter near the router.

There is a coax originating by the antenna splitter that already goes to the router. That coax carries the internet/phone signal. Is there a way to comingle those signals? The result would be a method to connect the MoCA device to the coax that is connected to the TVs, without having to install new coax. The purpose would be to utilize the cable connectivity only, not to use the Comcast signal. The Actiontec CS states that there would be no conflict between both signals.