Add another MoCa Connection?

[cjb4]

A few months back I installed 2 MoCA devices (Actiontec Bonded MoCA 2.0 Ethernet to Coax Adapter) in order to get internet speed through my coax cable since wifi would not reach. It worked great, high speed internet through my coax cable with no latency. The only problem was that after I set things up my cable boxes could not communicate with each other so the xfinty x1 system would not work. Comcast sent out a great tech who somehow isolated the MoCA conection so that they it longer interfered with the DVR and satelite cable boxes. I now find I need an additional MoCA connection in the basement. Purchased an additional MoCA device but it would not work. I tested the adapter by trading it with the working one and it was fine. Something the comcast tech did to isolate the signal is probably the issue. I tried the adapter in several coax terminal point through the house with the same result.

Is there a way to fix this issue? An Idea what the comcast tech did to isolate the signal and any way to extend that to the basement where I want to add the new box?
All coax cables for each room terminate at the same point outside the house. Thanks for any advice you can give
cjb4

 

[krkaufman]

I’d start by taking a look inside that box outside the house, and posting a pic of what you find.

As for how things are currently working, do you have any MoCA adapters in the same room as Comcast Xfinity DVR or client boxes? If so, are they connected via the same wall outlet?

(My guess would be that the tech either isolated the rooms with MoCA from the rest of the coax plant, or ... less likely ... configured the MoCA adapters with a custom channel and privacy.)

 

[cjb4]

Thanks KK, I couldn't figure out how this was done, so I have comcast coming out again today. The answer to your first question, is yes the 2nd MoCa unit is at the same coax location as the main DVR. The first is of course at the coax connection where my cable modem is located. My question is how do you isolate a connection and still let the DVRs communicate? I'll post a pic of the unit and an explanation once the tech is out and works on the setup.

 

[cjb4]

The first photo is the jumble of connections that fed the different rooms. the black cable looping over the top is from the street The second is the section that has been isolated (?). The bottom wire feeds the main room where the 2nd working MoCa unit is placed. I assume the tech will do something like this to the basement connection.

 

[krkaufman]

My question is how do you isolate a connection and still let the DVRs communicate?

First, Xfinity DVRs and client boxes communicate via MoCA, so establishing your own MoCA network (within the same MoCA band) on the same coax plant will create a conflict.

Enter the Comcast tech...

The pictured barrel device with the red stripe around it is a “PoE” MoCA filter, a device that blocks/reflects MoCA signals from passing (while allowing lower frequencies through). The tech appears to have isolated your two MoCA adapter locations by connecting them via the outputs of a 2-way splitter that is MoCA-isolated from the rest of your coax plant.

One would assume that a third MoCA adapter location could similarly be added by either cascading another 2-way splitter off of either of those outputs or replacing the 2-way with a 3-way — and moving the associated coax run from the 8-way splitter to this new port downstream of the “PoE” MoCA filter.

(I’m assuming that the two standalone MoCA adapters are connected downstream of the “PoE” MoCA filter since you mentioned multiple “satellite cable boxes,” which would have required 3 or more connections were the isolation reversed.)

But, to be honest, I’m not 100% confident in this physical isolation approach, given your comments re: location of the adapters:

yes the 2nd MoCa unit is at the same coax location as the main DVR. The first is of course at the coax connection where my cable modem is located.

Just to confirm, how are these two standalone MoCA adapters connected to your coax plant in each room? Is there a single coax wall outlet and then a splitter, or two separate coax wall outlets?


p.s. What’s the model number of the Amphenol 8-way splitter? (I believe that that splitter has a built-in “PoE” MoCA filter, to keep the Comcast MoCA signals secured within your premise.)

 

[krkaufman]

p.p.s. Given that you’re using MoCA 2.0 adapters, I would think an alternative to the physical isolation that’s been implemented might be establishing two separate MoCA networks, configuring the Actiontec adapters for a custom channel in the D-High sub-band — possibly with privacy enabled — while leaving the Comcast boxes to the D-Low band.

See section 2.1.1 of the MoCA 2.0 specs (PDF) describing the D-Low and D-High sub-bands and the ability to have two MoCA networks on shared coax ... though not two MoCA 2.0 bonded channel networks; one would be a single channel in the D-Low sub-band.

​

Were you to want to attempt this approach, you could initially keep everything isolated using the red-band “PoE” MoCA filter, and configure the ECB6200 adapters to use privacy and the D-High sub-band. If/when you have the ECB6200 reconfigured and verified as communicating properly (bonded channel link in D-High frequency range), you could remove the “PoE” MoCA filter and do a full power reset* of all your gear to test whether the Comcast DVRs/clients are still able to communicate. And the same for the Actiontec adapters.

* See the following Re: performing a full power reset:

To do a full power reset, power down all your gear (modem, router, network switches, MoCA adapters, DVRs, client devices), and leave it all off for a minute or three; and then power the devices back on, in the order above, allowing each device to come online before proceeding to the next.
​

edit: Apparently I’ve recommended this approach before, and the test subject had no success:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r31...CB6200-bonded-MoCA-bridges-with-X1-boxes-help​

edit2: ... though the following posts indicate the “two networks” approach *can* work:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r32018999-
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r32029390-​

... so I’m left to wonder if the issue with the prior setup is the choice of MoCA adapter, X1 components or firmware version, or coax plant components.

 

[krkaufman]

Progress? Success?

#Buehler ...