Can’t connect MoCA

[DitchingWifi]

I have Spectrum internet and I want to
connect MoCA in my house to create a two room network. I have two gocoax adapters. First one is hooked to the coax wall, with the out port going to the modem. I then have the modem connected to a router and the moca adapter connected to the router.

In the other room I have another MoCA connected to the coax wall and going to a Apple TV. I get green lan and power lights but no MoCA light.


I’ve attached pictures of where I believe my cable enters the house. What I don’t understand is all these wires with the ends cut off. I have a poe MoCA filter coming today that will will instal downstream of the grounding unit. I also have a three way MoCA splitter coming in a week or so. Please help.

PS I can confirm the adapters connect to one another via a test by running a short coax between the two.

 

[degrub]

you will have to get a coax ring out tester to figure out which cable goes where. Then, if you are lucky, the coax between the two rooms will not be part of the spectrum coax network.

If the moca signal has to pass through that earthing block - it won't. You would have to get an earthing block rated for MOCA 2 frequency bands to replace it or install a MOCA2 rated splitter just downstream from it ( on the leg going to the spectrum modem) . That earthing block protects your house from lightning traveling down the wire into your house potentially starting a fire. You have to leave that or equivalent installed. It grounds the shield reducing noise pickup on the coax as well. Also, you would need a MOCA POE filter to put on the input leg of the splitter to prevent your moca signal from going to your neighbors networks. If the spectrum signal is weak, you need a 0 gain powered splitter to ensure you don't loose the spectrum signal due to too much loss (dB) across the splitter if spectrum will not increase the signal power.

Does the spectrum modem sync up with spectrum if you connect it to the other room coax port ?

if it doesn't then possibly that room's coax is one of the non-terminated cables in the box.

1) does the spectrum modem use DOCCIS 3.1 or 3.0 ?
2) identify where each cable run goes using a coax continuity ( ring out) tester.
3) draw a map of your coax layout with all devices and coax runs identified.
4) then we can help you figure this out. Otherwise, we will have to make educated guesses.

 

[DitchingWifi]

you will have to get a coax ring out tester to figure out which cable goes where. Then, if you are lucky, the coax between the two rooms will not be part of the spectrum coax network.

If the moca signal has to pass through that earthing block - it won't. You would have to get an earthing block rated for MOCA 2 frequency bands to replace it or install a MOCA2 rated splitter just downstream from it ( on the leg going to the spectrum modem) . That earthing block protects your house from lightning traveling down the wire into your house potentially starting a fire. You have to leave that or equivalent installed. It grounds the shield reducing noise pickup on the coax as well. Also, you would need a MOCA POE filter to put on the input leg of the splitter to prevent your moca signal from going to your neighbors networks. If the spectrum signal is weak, you need a 0 gain powered splitter to ensure you don't loose the spectrum signal due to too much loss (dB) across the splitter if spectrum will not increase the signal power.

Does the spectrum modem sync up with spectrum if you connect it to the other room coax port ?

if it doesn't then possibly that room's coax is one of the non-terminated cables in the box.

1) does the spectrum modem use DOCCIS 3.1 or 3.0 ?
2) identify where each cable run goes using a coax continuity ( ring out) tester.
3) draw a map of your coax layout with all devices and coax runs identified.
4) then we can help you figure this out. Otherwise, we will have to make educated guesses.

The modem does work when hooked up to another room.

Ive never used a ring out tester, but I could go pick one up and try.

I have a Poe filter coming today and a moca splitter coming next week or so.

Is there any insight as to why those cabled are cut off?

 

[DitchingWifi]

The modem is DOCSIS 3.1

 

[degrub]

If the modem works in two different locations in the house, you likely have a splitter or cables terminated some where else. You will have to find it. I don’t see two white cables in the demarcation box that are connected, only 1.

the others are from somewhere in the house and not terminated since they were not required when the cable company did the isp install. Normal.

 

[DitchingWifi]

If the modem works in two different locations in the house, you likely have a splitter or cables terminated some where else. You will have to find it. I don’t see two white cables in the demarcation box that are connected, only 1.

the others are from somewhere in the house and not terminated since they were not required when the cable company did the isp install. Normal.

Is it possible that the splitters would be in the crawl space?

 

[degrub]

sure. worst case, it might be in the wall behind sheet rock or in the wall box. You can remove the wall plate with a small screwdriver and look. You may have too look at multiple.

To test the open cables in the demarc box, you will have to terminate them as the tester will have a coax connector on it. Klein tools and others make reasonable termination tools. Don't use the simple cheap ones. Some of the newer ones load the connecter, you insert the stripped coax, and squeeze. you also need a coax cable stripper with the setting for the RG type. Sometimes, you can get both in a single tool.

Any terminations that will be exposed to the ourdoor air, should have weather boots or be moisture proof similar to the ones on the earthing block.

 

[DitchingWifi]

sure. worst case, it might be in the wall behind sheet rock or in the wall box. You can remove the wall plate with a small screwdriver and look. You may have too look at multiple.

To test the open cables in the demarc box, you will have to terminate them as the tester will have a coax connector on it. Klein tools and others make reasonable termination tools. Don't use the simple cheap ones. Some of the newer ones load the connecter, you insert the stripped coax, and squeeze. you also need a coax cable stripper with the setting for the RG type. Sometimes, you can get both in a single tool.

Any terminations that will be exposed to the ourdoor air, should have weather boots or be moisture proof similar to the ones on the earthing block.

If I do have connections / splitters in sheet rock, will having a poe and moca splitter downstream from the grounding unit create a strong moca connection for the rest of the wiring, even if the other wiring isn’t using moca splitters?

 

[degrub]

all devices have to allow the moca 2 signals to pass. Otherwise, you get what you are seeing (assuming there is a path through cable).
You won't know until you can get things mapped out.
Take a look at the many threads in the forum about setting up a moca network.

bottom line - unless you know how the cable plant is installed, all of us are guessing.

 

[ApexRon]

I have Spectrum internet and I want to
connect MoCA in my house to create a two room network. I have two gocoax adapters. First one is hooked to the coax wall, with the out port going to the modem. I then have the modem connected to a router and the moca adapter connected to the router.

In the other room I have another MoCA connected to the coax wall and going to a Apple TV. I get green lan and power lights but no MoCA light.


I’ve attached pictures of where I believe my cable enters the house. What I don’t understand is all these wires with the ends cut off. I have a poe MoCA filter coming today that will will instal downstream of the grounding unit. I also have a three way MoCA splitter coming in a week or so. Please help.

PS I can confirm the adapters connect to one another via a test by running a short coax between the two.

Let me try and recap:

• Spectrum demark is at the cable junction box outside your house (black cable from street)
• A CL-15 connects Spectrum coax to your coax which runs to room A with your cable modem
• In room A there is an Ethernet connection is between your cable modem and router
• Your desire is to connect an Ethernet port from your router in room A to an AppleTV in room B using MoCA technology

Here is the desired result with a modified diagram from gocoax (realize that the splitters are 2-way splitters):

 

[krkaufman]

What I don’t understand is all these wires with the ends cut off.

Simple enough. They’re very likely the coax lines to your other rooms, but they’ve either been cut or were never terminated. You’re not getting connectivity between rooms until at least one of those lines is properly terminated.

Step one is either getting all those lines properly terminated or identifying just which line you need for your remote location and getting that line terminated. (example kit) If you opt to terminate all the lines, you could then use your cable modem (or a pair of MoCA adapters) to identify which line connects your remote location.

Once you have the necessary line terminated, you have the products needed, enroute, to get the connection made between rooms. Install the “PoE” MoCA filter directly on the input of the 3-way splitter (you only needed a splitter with 2 outputs), connect the filter to the output of the grounding block using a short coax cable; and then connect the modem room’s and remote room’s coax lines to the outputs. That * should* get the job done.

Addl thoughts…
* if you *did* order a 3 output splitter, you’d want to cap the unused output with a 75-ohm terminator;
* model# of splitter isn’t mentioned, so its MoCA compatibility is unconfirmed (though the simple setup w/ MoCA filter directly on its input port mitigates compatibility issues);
* hidden splitters could pose problems;

As for whether you have splitters elsewhere in the house… Have you done a count of how many *total* coax outlets you have in your home? Does that number match the number of coax lines exiting the cable junction box (subtracting the black incoming line)? I think I’m seeing 5 outgoing lines total in the junction box, the modem line plus 4 others. Do you have more than 5 coax outlets in the house? If so, then, yeah, you must have some splitters hidden elsewhere.

 

[krkaufman]

If I do have connections / splitters in sheet rock, will having a poe and moca splitter downstream from the grounding unit create a strong moca connection for the rest of the wiring, even if the other wiring isn’t using moca splitters?

Yes, having a “PoE” MoCA filter installed directly on the input port of your top-level splitter will improve the path loss between MoCA nodes* and may be sufficient to overcome suboptimal splitters downstream — but, hopefully, any such splitters, if present, can be found and upgraded.

* up to 57 dB total loss is allowed between nodes

 

[krkaufman]

The modem is DOCSIS 3.1

You may need an additional MoCA filter installed directly on the modem’s coax port if you find that the modem becomes unstable once the MoCA network becomes operational.

(The instability would likely be due to the newer D3.1 spec overlapping with MoCA frequencies and the D3.1 modem seeing MoCA signals where it is expecting DOCSIS. The additional MoCA filter would keep the MoCA signals from hitting the modem’s circuitry.)

You can order the extra MoCA filter, in advance, to prepare for the possibility, or just wait to see if the modem gets flaky once MoCA becomes active.

 

[krkaufman]

Is there any insight as to why those cabled are cut off?

What I don’t understand is all these wires with the ends cut off.

Simple enough. They’re very likely the coax lines to your other rooms, but they’ve either been cut or were never terminated. You’re not getting connectivity between rooms until at least one of those lines is properly terminated.

If you have any evidence* that those lines WERE properly terminated prior to your Internet service installation, then you have evidence that the service technician opted to cut the lines simply to speed-up their installation visit, and so you should have leverage to get your ISP to send a tech out to re-terminate all the lines — at no charge. (You may be able to get them to do so simply by making the case, evens sans evidence.)

* evidence: photos of the lines prior to being cut; proof that the prior owner had cable TV service to multiple outlets; ???

 

[krkaufman]

The modem does work when hooked up to another room.

Ah, I missed this earlier.

Then, as @degrub stated, this would indicate at least one additional split somewhere on the coax line currently connected to the “earthing block” — though not helpful if the other room where the modem works isn’t the room where you’re trying to extend wired networking via MoCA.

That said, you *could* take advantage of this other room for at least testing your MoCA adapter setup, moving the remote adapter to the known-connected room and seeing if it can establish a MoCA connection; and then using a laptop/PC with an Ethernet port to attach through the adapter and verify wired Internet connectivity.