New to MoCA

[mrroboto007]

Hi,

I recently purchased two Actiontec ECB6200 adapters. I have Comcast/Xfinity cable with a Cisco DPC3939 modem. I also have an Asus RT-AC66U router in the mix. When I connect the ECB6200 to my wall coax connection, the Power, Coax and Ethernet lights are all lit on the Actiontec device but I can not establish a network connection to either a laptop or an Xbox One.

I'm wondering if any of the pictured devices I've supplied could be the culprit? I have already spoken with Actionec support and it was determined the devices are functioning properly. I'm posting here to avoid calling Comcast as I do not have confidence they will have an understanding of how the ECB6200 adapters fit in their network.

Thank you to anyone willing to read this post and provide feedback.

 

[degrub]

Neither of those amps will pass MOCA 2 signal if you are having to route through them for a start. You need up to about 1700 GHz, bidirectional, and rated for MOCA 2 if you have to go through them.

 

[mrroboto007]

Neither of those amps will pass MOCA 2 signal if you are having to route through them for a start. You need up to about 1700 GHz, bidirectional, and rated for MOCA 2 if you have to go through them.

Hi,

Thank you for the response. Can you suggest an upgrade to replace the amps? Or should I reach out to Comcast and ask if they will upgrade the amps?

 

[degrub]

you can try Comcast, but they may not be willing. Search the other threads here for similar issues and the solutions they came up with.

 

[mrroboto007]

you can try Comcast, but they may not be willing. Search the other threads here for similar issues and the solutions they came up with.

Thank you very much for your feedback.

 

[Samir]

And one way to rule out any issues with the moca adapters is to test them on some isolated cables. If you have any issues there, probably best to get those sorted too.

 

[mrroboto007]

And one way to rule out any issues with the moca adapters is to test them on some isolated cables. If you have any issues there, probably best to get those sorted too.

Thank you for the response. I have to invest in new amps so I have to do a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether to proceed down this path.

 

[Samir]

What is the problem you're trying to solve with the two moca adapters? Maybe there's a different way to get there using just what you already have.

 

[mrroboto007]

What is the problem you're trying to solve with the two moca adapters? Maybe there's a different way to get there using just what you already have.

Hi. My router and cable modem are on the second floor. My kid's Xbox one and Fire TV box are on the first floor. Internet connectivity to these devices is through powerline adapter connected to a Netgear switch. These devices experience latency and I was hoping MOCA would be able to provide a more stable connection. Moving the modem or router would require costly fishing and running new cable.

 

[Tarrant1701]

I'm not sure of your network topology. I assume your cable model is connected to the AC66U router. I also assume you have one MoCA adapter connected to the router and the coax. And you have a second MoCA adapter connected to coax on the 1st floor, and into a network switch so you can share between the XBox and Fire TV.

If so, then I agree that you need to upgrade the splitters to accommodate the broader frequency spectrum that MoCA 2.0 requires. At the same time, you may want to use splitters with fewer splits to reduce signal loss along each path.

 

[krkaufman]

Contrary to what some have posted, that amp *may* not be the problem ... since it does indicate that it has a built-in "PoE" MoCA filter ... and so *was* designed with MoCA in mind. (Note that the frequency specs posted on the label relate only to the amplified frequencies.)

However, what matters is where these devices sit in your coax hierarchy, and how all the coax lines are routed/connected. (And that you have 2 amps doesn't bode well for MoCA connectivity between devices connected to different amps.)

Can you provide a detailed description or a diagram (however rough) of how all your coax outlets and the incoming cable line interconnect, including any connecting components such as the pictured amps and splitters, plus your other critical coax-connected devices and associated network gear? See attached for an example diagram.

(Though hopefully you've resolved this issue by now and just hadn't updated the thread.)

.

 

[krkaufman]

Just wanted to post one more time to state that the amps' specs are not the problem, since both the Antronix MVRA502B and MVRA902B are apparently MoCA Bypass Amplifiers, designed to pass MoCA 2.0 signals between the passive VOIP output port and all amplified output ports. Note that these amps are for installation at the drop location, where the cable feed is connected to the input and all customer devices are connected to the downstream output ports.

Background info on the pictured amps follows. The YouTube video is a good quick watch demonstrating that these amps are designed for MoCA 2.0 connectivity between all outputs.

Overview/Installation Video:

Data Sheets:
http://www.antronix.com/files//DS-1150_AR-MVRA502B.pdf
http://www.antronix.com/files//DS-1152-AR-MVRA902B.pdf

Main Page:
http://www.antronix.com/antronix-QR-details-res.php

 

[krkaufman]

In case the above posts weren't clear, MoCA signals will pass between devices connected to the output ports of one of these amps, but NOT upstream through the input port.

This is why a description or diagram of your setup is needed, to understand where these amps are in your setup, why you have two, and how things might be reconfigured to make your setup MoCA friendly.

 

[mrroboto007]

In case the above posts weren't clear, MoCA signals will pass between devices connected to the output ports of one of these amps, but NOT upstream through the input port.

This is why a description or diagram of your setup is needed, to understand where these amps are in your setup, why you have two, and how things might be reconfigured to make your setup MoCA friendly.

Hi. Thank you for your informative posts. I couldn't create a diagram so here is a description of my network:

Comcast from pole to Splitter 1
Splitter 1 feeds the MVRA502B in the Attic. This feeds the TV's on the second floor.
Splitter 1 feeds the Arris Modem which feeds the Asus RT-AC66U router. This is located on the Second floor.
Splitter 1 feeds Splitter 2 which feeds the MVRA902B in the basement. This is a long run so a second splitter is required. The MVRA902B feeds the TV's on the First floor.

I have one powerline adapter plugged in and connected to the router on the Second floor. The other powerline adapter is plugged into an outlet on the First floor which is connected to a Netgear
Nighthawk S8000 switch. The switch feeds the XboxOne and Amazon FireTV on the first floor.

My goal is to use MoCA to replace the powerline adapter feeding the Netgear Nighthawk S8000 switch on the First floor.


Any advice/assistance you can offer is greatly appreciated.

 

[krkaufman]

I couldn't create a diagram so here is a description of my network:

I'll give it a read, but do know that even a rough hand-drawn diagram can be a huge help.

e.g. :

 

[mrroboto007]

I'll give it a read, but do know that even a rough hand-drawn diagram can be a huge help.

e.g. :

Hi, sorry for the delayed response as I've been away. I've attached my crudely attempted hand-drawn diagram. It's within this network I'd like to introduce a MoCA device to replace the powerline adapter. Thank you in advance for your time and input.

 

[tannebil]

Do you have a cable drop on the first floor? Which splitter is attached to that drop? Have you changed out the existing splitters for MoCA rated splitters? No point in trying anything until you've one that and added a MoCA POE filter on the incoming cable from Comcast.

If the amps are only feeding the TVs on separate legs of the coax, I'm not sure they will create any issue as the MoCA signal won't need to pass through them

 

[krkaufman]

Hi, sorry for the delayed response as I've been away. I've attached my crudely attempted hand-drawn diagram. It's within this network I'd like to introduce a MoCA device to replace the powerline adapter. Thank you in advance for your time and input.

Good diagram; thanks. It does leave me with a few questions, though, that I need to understand before committing to a recommendation. The questions being...

1) The main 3-way splitter appears to be a Commscope SV3G, per the attached pics. What is the brand & model number of the second "splitter," connecting the main 3-way to the 9-port amp (MVRA-902B) in the basement?

2) The 5-port amp in the Attic services TVs 5, 6 & 7, all on the 2nd floor. Are any of these TVs in the same room as the modem? Or does the only coax line to the modem location originate in the outside cable box, at the 3-way splitter location?

3) The 9-port amp services TVs 1-4, all on 1st floor. Which of these 4 TVs is the TV associated with the XBOX One & Fire TV location?


And I also have a few questions regarding the previously posted pics...

4) The 9-port amp appears to actually have 5 coax runs connected to it, per its pic, as opposed to the 4 runs suggested by the diagram. How many runs are actually present and/or needed? (The pic of the 5-port amp, MVRA-502B, indicates the same number of coax runs as depicted in the diagram, so no add'l questions there.)

5) The pic of the outside cable box appears to show the incoming cable feed connecting to a "PoE" MoCA filter, and then the MoCA filter connecting via a short coax cable to the input of the main 3-way splitter. What I don't understand is where the other pic that appears to show another outside cable box comes into play. Can you provide any insight on what this other pic, here, is of?

 

[mrroboto007]

Good diagram; thanks. It does leave me with a few questions, though, that I need to understand before committing to a recommendation. The questions being...

1) The main 3-way splitter appears to be a Commscope SV3G, per the attached pics. What is the brand & model number of the second "splitter," connecting the main 3-way to the 9-port amp (MVRA-902B) in the basement?
I've been misidentifying that device as a splitter. It's really a coupler joining two long coax cables.

2) The 5-port amp in the Attic services TVs 5, 6 & 7, all on the 2nd floor. Are any of these TVs in the same room as the modem? Or does the only coax line to the modem location originate in the outside cable box, at the 3-way splitter location?
There's a cable drop in the office but it is not connected to the 5-port amp though I could do so if required. The modem is directly connected to the 3-way splitter.

3) The 9-port amp services TVs 1-4, all on 1st floor. Which of these 4 TVs is the TV associated with the XBOX One & Fire TV location?
Output 3 runs to the drop feeding the TV associated with the XBox and FireTv.


And I also have a few questions regarding the previously posted pics...

4) The 9-port amp appears to actually have 5 coax runs connected to it, per its pic, as opposed to the 4 runs suggested by the diagram. How many runs are actually present and/or needed? (The pic of the 5-port amp, MVRA-502B, indicates the same number of coax runs as depicted in the diagram, so no add'l questions there.)
There are only 4 ports active. Output 4 is not in use and is not connected to a drop point.

5) The pic of the outside cable box appears to show the incoming cable feed connecting to a "PoE" MoCA filter, and then the MoCA filter connecting via a short coax cable to the input of the main 3-way splitter. What I don't understand is where the other pic that appears to show another outside cable box comes into play. Can you provide any insight on what this other pic, here, is of?

Yes, that's the coupler referenced in point 1. This coupler joins the coaxial from the splitter to the coaxial run into the basement. The box was for a previous DirecTV amp/splitter that used to feed all TV service lines.

 

[krkaufman]

Yes, that's the coupler referenced in point 1. This coupler joins the coaxial from the splitter to the coaxial run into the basement. The box was for a previous DirecTV amp/splitter that used to feed all TV service lines.

Ok, that's what I was thinking it may be, rather than a splitter. Thanks!

Any feedback on the other questions (2-4)?