Cutting TV Cord w. VZ but only have Coax in House - which MoCa Adapter?

[krkaufman]

FiOS MI424WR REV1 -

• Cons: most likely never to get 1GB speeds as speeds are capped or limited on purpose by VZ.

Yeah, this router wouldn’t support Internet speeds much over 150 Mbps, if that, since the MoCa WAN connection would be limited by MoCA 1.1. Even the G1100 may only support up to 400 Mbps, and that’s only if the MoCa WAN could connect at standard MoCA 2.0.

An Ethernet connection to the router is preferred, and I believe is the default install, nowadays.

So, if you replace the FiOS router with an Ethernet-connected third party router, are you clear on how you’d establish the MoCA network to which the MoCA extenders would connect?

 

[username0475]

Yeah, this router wouldn’t support Internet speeds much over 150 Mbps, if that, since the MoCa WAN connection would be limited by MoCA 1.1. Even the G1100 may only support up to 400 Mbps, and that’s only if the MoCa WAN could connect at standard MoCA 2.0.
An Ethernet connection to the router is preferred, and I believe is the default install, nowadays.

Yeah these 2 FiOS gateways won't future proof data speed needs but they would provide an easy option to get the speeds my parents get now - 100/100 - & ensure that they can use their existing coax wiring without possibly an expensive Cat6 wiring upgrade.

So, if you replace the FiOS router with an Ethernet-connected third party router, are you clear on how you’d establish the MoCA network to which the MoCA extenders would connect?

Hmmm , I might've declared Mission Accomplished too soon.

In the proposed plan: the Ethernet is brought into the basement from the ONT (vs. prior Coax) then tied to the new router down there.
Somehow this router would be tied into the coax wiring loop in the above floors which I thought would be via MoCA bridges/adapters/extenders.

Upon further review, I now have a gap: how do I tie the MoCA component back into the coax wiring in the above floors?
Esp. now that the coax from the ONT is disconnected.
So the real issue in the OP was that the Coax wasn't distribute through the basement into the upstair floors but was distributed from the outside ONT into the upstairs (walls) directly.

So any switch from ONT Coax to ONT Ethernet needs to ideally go into the upstairs not basement since there is no direct wiring from basement into the upstairs in either formats!

Theoretically, powerline would work, but I am not sure about speeds degradation yet on those.

 

[krkaufman]

Yeah these 2 FiOS gateways won't future proof data speed needs but they would provide an easy option to get the speeds my parents get now - 100/100 - & ensure that they can use their existing coax wiring without possibly an expensive Cat6 wiring upgrade.

Totally. I just felt compelled to comment on seeing the "Con" Re: Gigabit speeds.

In the proposed plan: the Ethernet is brought into the basement from the ONT (vs. prior Coax) then tied to the new router down there. ... Somehow this router would be tied into the coax wiring loop in the above floors which I thought would be via MoCA bridges/adapters/extenders.

Entirely correct. I just hadn't seen that component (main bridging MoCA adapter at the router) mentioned in your summary.

Upon further review, I now have a gap: how do I tie the MoCA component back into the coax wiring in the above floors? Esp. now that the coax from the ONT is disconnected.

Right. (And I'm gonna ignore the offensive use of the P-word.)

One possible solution, not knowing what your actual currently available coax runs/connections are: Once you shift to Internet-only for FiOS, and an Ethernet WAN connection, at that, the coax connection into the ONT is no longer needed. So you should be able to, instead, link the coax line currently connected to the ONT to the MoCA adapter's data/network coax port -- albeit possibly requiring a F-81 barrel connector to join the coax to a short new segment running through the wall to the MoCA adapter co-located with the router.

 

[krkaufman]

So you should be able to, instead, link the coax line currently connected to the ONT to the MoCA adapter's data/network coax port -- albeit possibly requiring a F-81 barrel connector to join the coax to a short new segment running through the wall to the MoCA adapter co-located with the router.

Ignore the F-81 barrel connector suggestion.

Reviewing your attached images of the ONT, once you snuff FiOS TV and switch to an Ethernet WAN connection, you should simply be able to connect the input of the 4-way splitter on the outside wall to your bridging MoCA adapter at the basement router location (via a possibly new short coax run through the wall).

See annotated image:

​

p.s. Re: this image ... What's with all the unterminated Cat6-ish cables in the image? Are they Cat5e or 6? If so, it may be possible that these could be used for your ONT Ethernet WAN connection, allowing for a more optimal router location -- even if they were originally installed with an intent they be used for phone lines.

It's possible that the other end of these Cat6-ish cables are inside the coax wall outlet boxes in each room, but unterminated and hidden behind the wall plate. If you don't presently know where these cables route, I'd recommend tracing the cables from inside where they enter the home and/or removing some wall plates to find the endpoints.

 

[krkaufman]

I also find it odd that there appears to be 7 white coax lines running into that hole on the side of the house. (Make me wonder if there isn't some unused/unterminated coax in that circular spool behind the PVC pipe.)

edit: ... and am curious as to the brand/model and specs of that 4-way splitter:

​

 

[username0475]

Totally. I just felt compelled to comment on seeing the "Con" Re: Gigabit speeds.


Entirely correct. I just hadn't seen that component (main bridging MoCA adapter at the router) mentioned in your summary.


Right. (And I'm gonna ignore the offensive use of the P-word.)

One possible solution, not knowing what your actual currently available coax runs/connections are: Once you shift to Internet-only for FiOS, and an Ethernet WAN connection, at that, the coax connection into the ONT is no longer needed. So you should be able to, instead, link the coax line currently connected to the ONT to the MoCA adapter's data/network coax port -- albeit possibly requiring a F-81 barrel connector to join the coax to a short new segment running through the wall to the MoCA adapter co-located with the router.

*** THIS WAS TYPED BEFORE your latest 2 posts ***

Hmmm - interesting. To rephrase your idea for myself:
1) Take the disconnected Coax @ the ONT & shove it through the hole in the siding into the basement (pic in post# 11 next to blue wires)
2) Once through - put a Coax connector on it - since most likely it was terminated @ the ONT using a different connector.
3) Upon reviewing the pic of the ONT connections, I noticed the black Coax leading from the ONT to a 4 way splitter mounted under the utility meter box (pic here) that leads to the 4 rooms I mentioned in the OP - so not a different connector - true Coax.
4) But which one do I pull through? Since these coax leads to a specific room, I just need choose one that leads to the most ideal locale for the future wireless MoCA extender.
5) Therefore, by selecting one of these coaxes & attach it to a MoCA adapter & then to a new router- all within the basement - I can create a MoCA network in the upstairs floor.
6) But what about the other 3 coaxes?

Am I missing anything?

​

 

[krkaufman]

3) Upon reviewing the pic of the ONT connections, I noticed the black Coax leading from the ONT to a 4 way splitter mounted under the utility meter box (pic here) that leads to the 4 rooms I mentioned in the OP - so not a different connector - true Coax.
...
4) But which one do I pull through? Since these coax leads to a specific room, I just need choose one that leads to the most ideal locale for the future wireless MoCA extender.
5) Therefore, by selecting one of these coaxes & attach it to a MoCA adapter & then to a new router- all within the basement - I can create a MoCA network in the upstairs floor.

Am I missing anything?

No need to choose.

As described in one of my recent posts, you could just run a new coax line between that 4-way splitter's input port, through the hole in the wall and to the MoCA adapter's coax port ... to replicate your current MoCA LAN connectivity at each connected coax outlet ... allowing flexibility in locating a wireless extender.

Further, connecting to just one of the cables wouldn't enable a "MoCA network in the upstairs floor"; the MoCA network, itself, would be isolated to the one connected room. The coax outlets in the other disconnected rooms would be dead. And pulling one of the cables through the hole in the wall, requiring cutting and re-terminating the cable, doesn't seem the best option. (I'd think a simple jumper cable w/ a barrel connector would be preferable.)

Reviewing your attached images of the ONT, once you snuff FiOS TV and switch to an Ethernet WAN connection, you should simply be able to connect the input of the 4-way splitter on the outside wall to your bridging MoCA adapter at the basement router location (via a possibly new short coax run through the wall).

See annotated image:

View attachment 16144

Though I'd definitely be looking into those blue Cat6-ish cables.

 

[krkaufman]

As described in one of my recent posts, you could just run a new coax line between that 4-way splitter's input port, through the hole in the wall and to the MoCA adapter's coax port ... to replicate your current MoCA LAN connectivity at each connected coax outlet ... allowing flexibility in locating a wireless extender.

e.g.

 

[username0475]

No need to choose.

As described in one of my recent posts, you could just run a new coax line between that 4-way splitter's input port, through the hole in the wall and to the MoCA adapter's coax port ... to replicate your current MoCA LAN connectivity at each connected coax outlet ... allowing flexibility in locating a wireless extender.

Further, connecting to just one of the cables wouldn't enable a "MoCA network in the upstairs floor"; the MoCA network, itself, would be isolated to the one connected room. The coax outlets in the other disconnected rooms would be dead. And pulling one of the cables through the hole in the wall, requiring cutting and re-terminating the cable, doesn't seem the best option. (I'd think a simple jumper cable w/ a barrel connector would be preferable.)

e.g.

OK! thanks for clarifying - this is golden info!
That drawing is exactly what I had in mind.
Run a coax from the 4-way spitter input (removing the black VZ coax) into the hole to the MoCA adapter in the basement.
Question: Any 1 of these MoCA adapter - true?

• Actiontec -ECB6200S02.
• Motorola MM1000
• FiOS-network-adapter

Though I'd definitely be looking into those blue Cat6-ish cables.

I saw those - & thought to myself where have I seen those before -: in my detached garage when I had them terminated for my access point install.
All of a sudden those might become very valuable for potentially handling more clients in addtion to bigger speeds.


You've been fabulous & patience in walking me through this!
Thank you a million times over & won't forget this ever!

 

[krkaufman]

Question: Any 1 of these MoCA adapter - true?

• Actiontec -ECB6200S02.
• Motorola MM1000
• FiOS-network-adapter

I’d think so, yes. All 3 are bonded MoCA 2.0; I couldn’t offer a comparison, though.

 

[username0475]

I’d think so, yes. All 3 are bonded MoCA 2.0; I couldn’t offer a comparison, though.

Great. Least problematic is the hardware @ this point after all the above.

Question: do you know if I identified the correct Ethernet ONT out port in the attached picture?

Or is it one of the 2 below that (not identified)?

UPDATE: confirmed I had id it correctly in this pic I found from the net.
This same ONT as mine has: One RJ45 gigabit ethernet port. One coaxial port for RG6 connector. and Two RJ11 phone line ports.

 

[degrub]

you can either 1) search on Verizon's support pages for your modem/ONT user install guide or 2) search the web for the user manual for same.
That what all of us have had to do at one time or another.

 

[username0475]

Though I'd definitely be looking into those blue Cat6-ish cables.

So this 'lead' might prove to be a bounty.
Confirmed with Dad & Brother that these are: Honeywell PN 5078 aka Cat5e.

1Gb possible speeds .

And they're in the process of confirming which Cat5e goes where but the den has been confirmed inside as available behind the plate containing the coax.

So they'll proceed with terminating each end once the den is matched on the outside. Hopefully, the cable hasn't been contaminated by moisture over the last 5 years.

Hopefully, we can get a wifi router on it by this evening.

 

[krkaufman]

So this 'lead' might prove to be a bounty.
Confirmed with Dad & Brother that these are: Honeywell PN 5078 aka Cat5e.

1Gb possible speeds .

And they're in the process of confirming which Cat5e goes where but the den has been confirmed inside as available behind the plate containing the coax.

So they'll proceed with terminating each end once the den is matched on the outside. Hopefully, the cable hasn't been contaminated by moisture over the last 5 years.

Hopefully, we can get a wifi router on it by this evening.

Great to hear.

Though are they terminating the ends near the ONT outside the house or inside, by pulling the cables back into the house?

The Cat5e connections pose a similar puzzle to the original coax issue ... a single Cat5e line connected to the ONT would allow you to locate the router in an upstairs location, however the other Cat5e lines would be left without a connection to the LAN.

edit: ... or is the plan to keep the router in the Basement, allowing the Cat5e lines to connect directly to the router's Ethernet LAN ports?

edit2: Trying to wrap my head around the options...

​

 

[username0475]

Great to hear.

Though are they terminating the ends near the ONT outside the house or inside, by pulling the cables back into the house?

Since they confirmed that those blue Cat5e's have been pulled through from the outside - they're keeping the wires as is & not pulling anything through. Will be terminating the den - where the router will be located to accept this ethernet.

The Cat5e connections pose a similar puzzle to the original coax issue ... a single Cat5e line connected to the ONT would allow you to locate the router in an upstairs location, however the other Cat5e lines would be left without a connection to the LAN.

edit: ... or is the plan to keep the router in the Basement, allowing the Cat5e lines to connect directly to the router's Ethernet LAN ports?

Since the Cat5e lines have been all pull through to their respective rooms, the plan is to centralize the router in the den & yes this will literally leave the other rooms in the cold since their input connectors are on the outside of the house.

So we have to make a compromise between having full hardwire connectivity in each room or general WiFi coverage around the house.
Since the den PC is really the only one that should get the ethernet - as it does currently. There is no other need for a hardwire connection around the rest of the house.

Now I think we can add a MoCA adapter to the router to create a coax bridge to all the other coaxes in the other rooms - true?
Then add a MoCA wireless extender to the upper floor to provide signal up there.

So we should have solid coverage & decent wireless speeds too.

Workable?

 

[krkaufman]

Since the Cat5e lines have been all pull through to their respective rooms, the plan is to centralize put the router in the den.
Now can I add a MoCA adapter to the router to create a coax bridge to all the other coaxes in the other rooms?
Then add an MoCA wireless extender to the upper floor to provide signal up there.

So I should have solid coverage & decent wireless speeds too.

Workable?

Sure. Similar to this just-posted diagram, appended to my previous post.

But will the additional wireless coverage be needed if the new router is located in the Den? (I have no idea where the Den is relative to the geometric center of the residence.)

 

[username0475]

Sure. Similar to this just-posted diagram, appended to my previous post.

But will the additional wireless coverage be needed if the new router is located in the Den? (I have no idea where the Den is relative to the geometric center of the residence.)

3 level house: basement/main/upper. Den on opposite side of Cat5e's point of entry in basement.
Thanks for diagram - love the visuals!

To tell you the truth - the VZ router was really a MI424 & it was supplying decent speeds even with a house of 12 people over the holidays with their devices albeit with no video streaming on any of the TV's. So the new 2600AC type router should be more than adequate. So maybe the MoCA equipment may not be needed as you surmise.

For now I think the WiFi is enough unless future content takes up bandwidth, then- if we really needed the hardwiring one day - we can always pull the other 3 Cat5e's into the basement, centralize the router down there & use those Cat5e's for ethernet backhauling.

 

[krkaufman]

if we really needed the hardwiring one day - we can always pull the other 3 Cat5e's into the basement, centralize the router down there & use those Cat5e's for ethernet backhauling.

You wouldn't necessarily have to move the router to the Basement. (example)

 

[username0475]

You wouldn't necessarily have to move the router to the Basement. (example)

I like it!
You just basically updated my parent's house into fully data capable smarthome!

 

[krkaufman]

Many ways to skin the cat; that's just one example.

Good luck...!

p.s. Added one more example, here, should you find you need to revert to FiOS for cable TV.