discussion Anyone use MoCA adapters?

[ipaine]

So we may be going into a new place and they do have Telus fiber so I will be able to retain my current 3gig plan.

The place has no ethernet pulled anywhere but does have coax in damn near every room. While I will eventually properly replace it with ethernet (will be going the 10gb route when I decide to do it), I don't know if I will have the time to do it initially, hence the needing MoCA adapters. WiFi is fine for the vast majority but I need to have a solid rock stable connection for my rig since I work from home. Pulling the ethernet will be a bitch since I most likely will have an office on the second floor and on the opposite side compared to where all the fiber and networking stuff will be in the basement. So up two floors and across the house.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Specific brands? Models? Suggestions?

 

[sswilson]

I've had 3 of these up and running since November and they seem solid enough. Close to full 1G, and I don't remember them ever dropping the connection.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B013J7O3X0

Those are only 1G units though if you're looking for multi-gig speeds. (If you are looking at multi-gig pay very close attention to the ports.... a lot of these kits advertise 2.5G, yet only have 1G ports).

Is all the coax internal, or does some of it run around the outside of the house? If it's outside you might want to get a coax tester as well as a cable box key in order to access the splitter.

Terminator Tool,4" CATV Cable Locking Terminator TV Tool，Unlocking Tool, Cable Terminator Tool, 4 Inch Cable Locking Terminator TV Tool Terminator Bump Key for CATV Boxes Cable (4 Inch) : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

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www.amazon.ca

 

[moocow]

I'm running Actiontec ECB6250 that's 1GB. Telus looks like it's using a white label version of Actiontec devices since it got a model number ECB6250A, at least I see some of them on FBM here in Vancouver. The ECB7250 is a true 2.5GB MOCA adapter and you have to be careful when reading the specs because even my ECB6250 listed as 2.5GB aggro but 1GB ports. Do not mix MOCA brands and not even different models of the same brand. Find out where the incoming coax is from outside the house, either disconnect it from the rest of the network or get a MOCA signal filter so it will block out the MOCA signal from the rest of the hood. Since I'm on Shaw / Roger coax broadband, it was fine when I was on the older 10/100 adapter but the instant I upgrade to 1GB model, I got no signal until I installed the POE filter. Worst, the service degraded to a point where I need to buy a MOCA compatible coax amp to boost the incoming signal.

• Trendnet TMO-312C2K is 2 adapter kit, MOCA 2.5 but 1GB port
• ScreenBeam ECB7250K02 is 2 adapter kit, MOCA 2.5 with 2.5GB port, looks like they brought out Actiontec's MOCA line
• goCoax MA2500D is 2 adapter kit, MOCA 2.5 with 2.5GB port, but no longer available on Amazon.ca
• Hitron HTEM5 is listed as MOCA 2.5 with 2.5GB port

Also, replace the main splitter in the house, the one that connects all the rooms with the external coax to a MOCA compatible one. DO NOT trust Amazon listed specs because I got burned once. Make sure it can operate within the frequency, double check the company website instead. For example, Antronix MOCA splitter are yellow while the regular ones are black.

So in summary, my MOCA setup is:

1. Antronix active MOCA residential amplifier MVRA502B installed inside the old Shaw external box, you can buy a key tool on eBay to unlock the box
2. No POE filter and splitter at the entry point since the amp does that already
3. 1x MOCA compatible splitter at the modem (wall -> spliter -> modem and MOCA), modem to firewall / router, router to MOCA
4. 2x Actiontec ECB6250

If you do get a MOCA amp, make sure it comes with a power adapter and a coax power injection splitter as you can power the amp via coax as well.

 

[ipaine]

I have been looking at the ScreenBeam ones, and yes I would get the 7250 model since it has a 2.5gb port on it. Knowing that they have been solid is nice to know. And yea so many different ones that proudly say 2.5gb then in the specs show only gigabit ports. Also have looked at goCoax MA2500D and Hitron HTEM5 as both of them also offer actual 2.5gb.

As for outside connection, I honestly don't know at this point. I will have to investigate, which won't happen until beginning of Aug, but have until Sept to get it sorted. I do know that I will cutoff outside access no matter what so that is one less thing to worry about. At least that is the plan.

I mean sure I would love to just get it all properly wired but we are already looking at flooring/kitchen/etc for immediate costs and well 10gb networking takes a back seat.

 

[JD]

Assuming you don't need the coax, you may be lucky and it's not stapled down inside the walls or ran within conduit?

Is it wired for telephone jacks too? Sometimes CAT5 cabling was used for that which could be repurposed easily too.

While not ideal, you could run it through an air duct/return as well.

Those MOCA adapters look to be in the realm of $300? If you don't plan on using it long term, that seems a bit pricey. WiFi 7 might be able to get you >1Gbps too and at least serves the rest of the devices in the house as well.

 

[ipaine]

Assuming you don't need the coax, you may be lucky and it's not stapled down inside the walls or ran within conduit?

Is it wired for telephone jacks too? Sometimes CAT5 cabling was used for that which could be repurposed easily too.

While not ideal, you could run it through an air duct/return as well.

Those MOCA adapters look to be in the realm of $300? If you don't plan on using it long term, that seems a bit pricey. WiFi 7 might be able to get you >1Gbps too and at least serves the rest of the devices in the house as well.

Well wifi is an issue since I can get my wifi to work until I upgrade to win 11 on this board, and well that is coming soonish, most likely not in time. But wifi will be serving almost everything else. Cameras, wife's laptop, phones, possibly telus tv and my htpc too. Really the only thing that needs to be wired for sure is my main machine and the server but that one is easy since it will be in the basement with the network stuff.

The place is from 92, and the tiny bit of a look I could get without really getting into things, it appears just standard phone line, not cat5.

I will of course investigate the feasibility of pulling network myself, but won't be in until August. For now it is a look at all options and brainstorm stage. And you are right they are not cheap. But if I get then and put off the networking upgrades to next year or something then it is at least sort of worth it. A lot really depends on the coax and how it is run. Hell I might even decide to stick my office/gaming setup in the basement in which case I won't need any of this. Many questions and few answers at this point.

 

[Izerous]

Basement to attic even 2 story house usually not that bad. Then from attic distribute around top floor. It is often the main floor especially if the basement has a finished ceiling.

 

[moocow]

As for outside connection, I honestly don't know at this point. I will have to investigate, which won't happen until beginning of Aug, but have until Sept to get it sorted. I do know that I will cutoff outside access no matter what so that is one less thing to worry about. At least that is the plan.

If you are lucky, the external line is pulled within the building and behind some kind of access panel or behind a coax base board level plate. My current place is too big so Wifi won't cover the entire building. Ideally, I would upgrade to roaming equipped Wifi AP with a coax back haul. A building built in 92 would probably not have a conduit for telecom, hell most houses probably don't have it and just staple down phone lines and coax.

 

[ipaine]

Basement to attic even 2 story house usually not that bad. Then from attic distribute around top floor. It is often the main floor especially if the basement has a finished ceiling.

Yea not a bad idea. Like I mentioned, at this point just saw the MoCA tech and wanted to know if it is a possible option, which looks like it is, albeit a pricey one.

The basement is mostly finished but having a drop ceiling means I can still get at things easy enough down there.

 

[sswilson]

Yea not a bad idea. Like I mentioned, at this point just saw the MoCA tech and wanted to know if it is a possible option, which looks like it is, albeit a pricey one.

The basement is mostly finished but having a drop ceiling means I can still get at things easy enough down there.

These kits have gone up 30%+ since I grabbed mine last october. I paid $177 all-in for a "starter" kit + a third unit.

Not sure if you've got an amazon business account... mine were significantly less expensive on the business side.