MoCA approved splitters and amplifiers

[JohnEnglish]

I'd like to setup a MoCA network in my house as the wifi reception is pretty bad. The house was built in the mid-80s and in the late 90s the local cable company came in and hooked up coax to each room. I assume I'll have to change the splitters but what about the amplifier. Can I leave it or do I need to change it too? This is what the splitter and amplifier set up looks like.

Here's a close up of the amplifier

And a close up of the two types of amplifiers

 

[CaptainSTX]

The amplifier should be OK as it is only amplifying the incoming signal coming from the tap into the house. The MOCA doesn't need to pass through it. The splitters will have to be replaced with ones that can pass up to 2 Ghz. They are easily available. Don't buy the cheapest Chinese junk but something better. You don't need the gold plated ones from Monster, etc.

With the way your splitters and coxial network are setup you will need to move all the legs where you want MOCA to just one of the present 4-Way splitters. You probably could get it to work by replacing just this splitter.

You also should install a MOCA filter to prevent your MOCA signals/Data from being feed out into your ISP's network. I would install the filter between the 2-Way filter and the Amp.

 

[degrub]

Are the black cables RG6 or RG59 ? If RG6 you should be good to go. If not, you may see some loss of bandwidth.
Splitters should have MOCA2 certified on the data sheet.
If you need to use all of the cables for MOCA, you will have to replace all three splitters with bi-directional 4 and 2 way splitters MOCA2 certified.
And do put the MOCA filter on the amp side of the highest splitter in the tree that you replace.

It is possible the extra signal power drop from the MOCA splitter being installed could cause some signal loss issues on one of the runs. you will just have to try it.

 

[JohnEnglish]

Thanks for the replies.

The coax cables are all RG6.

Yes, all the cables are needed for MoCA.

Do you guys have any examples of the type of splitters I need to get?

Would this MoCA filter be OK?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DC8IEE6/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[degrub]

make sure the 2 way MOCA2 splitter has a earthing connection like the one you already have.

Otherwise, you will have to add the moca2 splitter downstream from the existing 2 way, move the two short cables to it, add the moca2 block between the existing 2 way and the new one, and cap (75 ohm terminating cap) the unused port on the existing one.

Unless you have plenty of signal, you don't want to do it that way.

That moca block appears to cover the freq range. There are other threads here that cover the splitter and block recommendations. Make sure it doesn't block the input signal ranges used by your system.

 

[CaptainSTX]

If you want MOCA to be available on all eight coxial drops you will need to install 1 MOCA device connected to your router which will act as the sender and seven additional MOCA devices (one on each of the other seven legs to act as receivers). I would start with the low cost option and replace the splitters and see if that works OK.

If that doesn't then you will need to reconfigure your coxial connections by replacing the 3 splitters and the amplifier with an 8 Port MOCA capable distribution AMP. You will still need the 8 MOCA adapters.

 

[JohnEnglish]

I've looked around the forum and see that the Holland Electronics splitters and filters are recommended.

I realize I'll need the MoCA adapters at each outlet where I want a connection.

I'll start with replacing the splitters, adding the filter, and trying out two MoCA adapters to see if I can get it all working.

 

[CaptainSTX]

I've looked around the forum and see that the Holland Electronics splitters and filters are recommended.

I realize I'll need the MoCA adapters at each outlet where I want a connection.

I'll start with replacing the splitters, adding the filter, and trying out two MoCA adapters to see if I can get it all working.

I don't know what speeds that you need but I set one of these up for my son and he seems satisfied and the price is cheap.

 

[krkaufman]

Would this MoCA filter be OK?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DC8IEE6/?tag=snbforums-20

Yes, though a bit steep. (e.g.)

Do you guys have any examples of the type of splitters I need to get?

I've looked around the forum and see that the Holland Electronics splitters and filters are recommended.

Yes, the Holland GHS-PRO-M series of splitter is recommended for MoCA setups. (specs, e.g.)

Yes, all the cables are needed for MoCA.

I'd think replacing the 3 pictured splitters with a single 8-way splitter (GHS-8PRO-M) would work, then ... providing you install a "PoE" MoCA filter on the 8-way's input port.

Alternatively, you could replace all 3 splitters, the "PoE" MoCA filter *and* the current in-line amplifier with a single "designed for MoCA" amplifier (e.g.); a unity gain model would likely suffice.

p.s. Possibly the same advice as 8 months ago, given by another... https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetwor...ompatible_amplifier_and_splitters_to/dtd7kca/

 

[krkaufman]

p.s. Possibly the same advice as 8 months ago, given by another... https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetwor...ompatible_amplifier_and_splitters_to/dtd7kca/

What's missing from this thread but described in your reddit thread is how the cable modem is connected to the incoming cable signal, and, critically, whether any 1 of the 8 coax outputs from your central junction also connects back to the modem/router location *or* any 1 of the 8 coax outlet endpoints also has Ethernet connectivity back to the router. (Either of these conditions would be necessary to establish a MoCA/Ethernet bridge.)

'gist: You will NOT want to try passing MoCA signals between the input and output ports of any amplifier. (i.e. not the current Electroline amp, nor any MoCA-compatible amp)


p.s. If, as the reddit thread suggests, your cable modem line is split upstream from the current amplifier, is this split made at the same location as the rest ... but just not pictured?

 

[krkaufman]

(cont.)

@JohnEnglish, neither of your threads appear to indicate how you’d planned on establishing the MoCA network; that is, how you were planning on bridging between the router’s Ethernet LAN and your coax/MoCA network.

What was your plan...?

1. using your cable gateway’s* built-in MoCA bridge?
2. using a standalone MoCA adapter at the modem/router location?
3. using a MoCA adapter at some remote coax outlet location that has Ethernet connectivity back to the router’s Ethernet LAN?
4. other ?

* NOTE: If using the same device as mentioned in your reddit thread...

Yes, I have a DOCSIS 3.1 modem. It's the Hitron CODA-4582.

Per its specs (see here), this is a cable gateway with built-in bonded MoCA 2.0 bridging functionality.​

If you were looking to either use your gateway's built-in MoCA bridging (option 1) or a standalone MoCA adapter at the modem/router location (option 2), your current coax setup is problematic if the modem coax line is split-off (1) upstream of the Electroline amplifier's input port or (2) upstream of a “PoE” MoCA filter.

So specifics on where the modem coax line splits off and how you were planning on establishing your MoCA network are blanks that need to be filled-in to determine a proper coax configuration for your MoCA setup.


p.s. Even if your cable gateway is NOT used for establishing your MoCA network, if this gateway has been installed upstream of the “PoE” MoCA filter, special care must be taken to NOT enable MoCA bridging in the gateway, since there would be no protection from MoCA signals escaping the home — effectively leaving your home network front door not just unlocked but wide open.

 

[JohnEnglish]

The line for the cable modem splits off from the main cable line before it enters my house. I have one dedicated coax for the cable modem and one for TV signals. The splitter/amplifier setup I posted is for TV signals only.

My ISP disabled the MoCA functionality in the modem. I was looking at using the Actiontec Bonded 2.0 MoCA adapter (https://www.actiontec.com/products/home-networking/ecb6200/) for all the coax-ethernet connections.

 

[krkaufman]

My ISP disabled the MoCA functionality in the modem. I was looking at using the Actiontec Bonded 2.0 MoCA adapter ... for all the coax-ethernet connections.

Roger.

But where/how were you going to connect this MoCA adapter via Ethernet back to your router LAN? Where is this main bridging MoCA adapter to be located? (I’m not asking about the remote/endpoint adapters, which would all be located somewhere off the 8 coax runs emanating from your central junction.)

 

[krkaufman]

The line for the cable modem splits off from the main cable line before it enters my house. I have one dedicated coax for the cable modem and one for TV signals.

Is this split located out in a junction box on the side of your residence, splitting a single coax run from your provider into the two as you’ve described, or do you have two separate coax runs stretched to your place from your provider?

 

[JohnEnglish]

Roger.

But where/how were you going to connect this MoCA adapter via Ethernet back to your router LAN? Where is this main bridging MoCA adapter to be located? (I’m not asking about the remote/endpoint adapters, which would all be located somewhere off the 8 coax runs emanating from your central junction.)

I was going to plug a MoCA adapter into my router and then connect the adapter to an available unused TV coax outlet that is one of the 8 cables that split off from the main one.

Is this split located out in a junction box on the side of your residence, splitting a single coax run from your provider into the two as you’ve described, or do you have two separate coax runs stretched to your place from your provider?

The former. There's a junction box where the main coax from the provider splits into 2 and then enters the house.

 

[krkaufman]

I was going to plug a MoCA adapter into my router and then connect the adapter to an available unused TV coax outlet that is one of the 8 cables that split off from the main one.

Ok, that works. Thanks for the feedback.

... and, critically, whether any 1 of the 8 coax outputs from your central junction also connects back to the modem/router location

 

[JohnEnglish]

Great, thanks for the advice.

 

[degrub]

Where is the labeled demarcation point ?
You cannot touch anything on the cable company side without consequences.

 

[krkaufman]

Where is the labeled demarcation point ?
You cannot touch anything on the cable company side without consequences.

Sounds like the OP will be able to get it working without going near the junction box, just by adjusting the components pictured earlier, per recommendations.

 

[JohnEnglish]

Where is the labeled demarcation point ?
You cannot touch anything on the cable company side without consequences.

The junction box is outside the house. One cable enters, two cables exit. The photographs of the splitters is inside my house next to the electrical panels.