goCoax MoCA 2.5 adapter

[rmann2020]

@gocoax hoping you can jump on and offer some guidance and feedback. Thanks

 

[Booboo22]

Just out of curiosity, do you really need to be running these in the same cable plant as the MoCA 1.1 devices? I needed to extend an Ethernet connection across the house; for that i'm using MoCA 2.0 bonded and I simply connected the coax drop from the garage (where one adapter is) to the coax drop in the office (where the other adapter is) via a barrel connector. No splitters, etc. The STB and DVR and rest of the house is on their own MoCA 1.1 network. Just a thought.

 

[rmann2020]

Just out of curiosity, do you really need to be running these in the same cable plant as the MoCA 1.1 devices? I needed to extend an Ethernet connection across the house; for that i'm using MoCA 2.0 bonded and I simply connected the coax drop from the garage (where one adapter is) to the coax drop in the office (where the other adapter is) via a barrel connector. No splitters, etc. The STB and DVR and rest of the house is on their own MoCA 1.1 network. Just a thought.

A good thought, but if I could run new cable, I would have run ethernet and not bought the MoCA adapters.

 

[Booboo22]

A good thought, but if I could run new cable, I would have run ethernet and not bought the MoCA adapters.

I didn't mean run new coax but rather, since you already have the two adapters connected via coax runs, go to the attic, basement, or other location where all the coax runs converge and main splitters are located, find those two coax runs, and connect them together. That's what I did.

 

[rmann2020]

Although that may work, I'd lose my cable tv upstairs which is not an option for me.

I did crawl through the attic to see if the cake is split anywhere but it appears to be a straight run

 

[rmann2020]

I decided to start from square one. Moved both adapters together with a short run coax. Screenshots below show results and settings.

In summary:

• network connection is working (MoCA light flashing blue/green on both adapters)
• rates seem low to me based on earlier posts suggesting that PHY should be much highter than what I see
• although it works (so far) with this short run, the problem is when I integrate with my Whole Home PVR, which as @Datalink mention, runs on MoCA 1.0/1.1 . I need help to configure the gocoax adapters to coexists with my existing MoCA whole home pvr setup.

I will next test adding the whole home pvr locally and report back shortly.

 

[Booboo22]

Although that may work, I'd lose my cable tv upstairs which is not an option for me.

Ah, sorry I didn't realize that. Now, just to make sure it's not a cabling problem, you *could* just disconnect all the MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices off the coax and try again. Do that and you will then be convinced that the coax is *not* the issue.

 

[rmann2020]

Ah, sorry I didn't realize that. Now, just to make sure it's not a cabling problem, you *could* just disconnect all the MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices off the coax and try again. Do that and you will then be convinced that the coax is *not* the issue.

Some good news, I connected the basement adapter MoCA port to the coax run that goes to the 2nd floor which then connected to the MoCA port on the other adapter and everything is working. This again leads me to believe that my issue is likely with the MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices or possibly the MoCA splitter. I previously tested the MoCA splitter to ensure the ports worked locally and have included my results below. I will try to include the MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices next to see if that causes the adapters to stop working. Again, I'll report back shortly.

My splitter is the
4 Way Antronix MMC1004H-B 5-1675 MHz MoCA 2.0 Splitter for Frontier Formerly Verizon Fios
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PNJVKQZ

To illustrate my test, I gave each port a name as below:

port 1 port 2​

port 3 IN Port Port 4

Port combos tested with MoCA adapters:

• Port 1 + 2 always work together and are the ones I ended up using (before I took the splitter out for the above direct test to ensure the coax cable itself was not the problem)
• Port 1 + 3 doesn't work
• Port 1 + 4 works (but a little finicky with and connectors had to be just right)
• Port 2 + 3 works (but a little finicky with and connectors had to be just right)
• Port 2 + 4 doesn't work
• Port 3 + 4 works (but a little finicky with and connectors had to be just right)

 

[rmann2020]

I think I have confirmed that the MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices (Cisco Nextbox) is the cause of my issues. To summarize the steps I took in case you don't want to read through the above posts:

• Confirmed that the adapters worked with a short run coax
• Confirmed that the adapters worked with a long run coax from my basement to the second floor (this is the final layout I intend on using)
• added my MoCA 1.0/1.1 devices (whole home PVR via Nextbox devices) back into the picture... now the adapters are unstable, dropping and then connecting over and over
• I previously checked the splitter to confirm ports are working (see my previous post)

My current config:

• coax from street -> MoCA filter -> 3db attenuator -> MoCA splitter
  
  • MoCA Splitter Port 1 -> basement Nextbox
  • MoCA Splitter Port 2 -> basement MoCA adapter moca port
    • basement MoCA adapter tv port - > coax to second floor -> second floor MoCA adaptor moca port
      • second floor MoCA adapter tv port - >second floor Nextbox
  • MoCA Splitter Port 3 -> Main floor Nextbox (primary Nextbox)
  • MoCA Splitter Port 4 -> Modem
    • modem ethernet -> Unifi router -> Unifi switch -> basement MoCA adapter

Note: with the above config, whole home PVR is working for basement and main floor Nextboxes (the ones via Port 1 and 3 above) which are not connected to MoCA adapters. The second floor Nextbox however doesn't get the whole home PVR though (which is connected to the adapters).

Ultimately, I'd like to be able to both enjoy the adapters and the Whole Home PVR and want them to play nice together. Looking for help and guidance to make this possible. Thanks again in advance.

 

[Booboo22]

Wait, this "basement MoCA adapter tv port - > coax to second floor -> second floor MoCA adaptor moca port" doesn't sound right. The TV port on MoCA adapters typically only pass the low-band 5hz-1Ghz TV frequencies not pass MoCA signal (which is above 1Ghz). In other words, that TV port is only for TV not for daisy-chaining another MoCA adapter as I believe you reference above. Instead you should use a 2-way splitter to go from the basement to the 2nd floor MoCA adapter.

Can you correct that connection?

 

[rmann2020]

Sure, I have now gone back to my initial configuration as below:

• coax from street -> MoCA filter -> 3db attenuator -> MoCA splitter
  
  • MoCA Splitter Port 1 -> coax to second floor -> second floor MoCA adaptor moca port
    • second floor MoCA adapter tv port - >second floor Nextbox
  • MoCA Splitter Port 2 -> basement MoCA adapter moca port
    • basement MoCA adapter tv port - > basement Nextbox
  • MoCA Splitter Port 3 -> Main floor Nextbox (primary Nextbox)
  • MoCA Splitter Port 4 -> Modem
    • modem ethernet -> Unifi router -> Unifi switch -> basement MoCA adapter

Now whole home PVR no longer works in my basement Nextbox or my second floor Nextbox.
Adapters continue to be unstable dropping connection intermittently and often.

 

[Booboo22]

Hmnm.... But the Nextbox are MoCA devices, aren't they. They should not be connected to the MoCA adapter TV port.... they should be off a splitter. In other words, I count the following total MoCA devices: (2) adapters and (3) Nextboxes, plus the Modem. So in total you need a 6-way splitter. Or (2) 2-way splitters, one each connected to your current splitters ports 1 and 2.

I may be wrong but double check the gocoax manuals. Those adapters, the TV port should have low-pass filter which blocks *any* MoCA whether 1.0, 1.1. or 2.x

 

[Booboo22]

This is what gocoax states in their webpage:

Does your MoCA adapter includes a filter inside the device already, such that connecting Modem/TV/etc to the second (marked TV) coaxial connector of the device will filter out MoCA frequencies?
Yes, our adapter has two internal band pass filters. One is for MoCA, between the MoCA chip and MoCA RF port. The frequency range is 1125 to 1675 MHz. Another is for TV, between MoCA RF port and the TV RF port. The frequency range is 5 to 1002 MHz

Do try that next.

 

[rmann2020]

Thanks @Booboo22 . I was going to update saying that the adapters have actually been pretty stable since my last post

I'm not clear on the guidance you're providing in your last post regarding the tv ports. Given that the Netboxes connected to the adapter tv ports aren't whole home anymore,bit could be that the adapter won't pass the MoCA 1.0/1.1 through.

Is there any way to do so through the adapter management settings?

If not, what are my other options? A 6 way splitter won't work for me as I must share a single cable run from the basement to the second floor for both the adapter and Netbox.

 

[Booboo22]

Great! What changed to make it stable?
I prefer to diagram, so I doodled what I meant. Hope it helps further.

 

[rmann2020]

I'm not sure what changed to make it stable... i'm just glad it is! That said, I'm not sure if the speeds are great (see pics below).

As for adding two 2-way splitters, do one or both of them need to be MoCA enabled? Unfortunately, my only MoCA enabled splitter is the 4-way currently in use. I do have older non-MoCA splitters I can use, but not sure if that would work. Please confirm.

 

[Booboo22]

Is your coax cable plant RG-59 or RG-6? RG-6 is preferred (look at the printing on the cablex). Also make sure you are tightening the F-connectors everywhere; finger tight is fine, but well seated. I do wonder based on your teting if you have either (a) a marginal splitter or (b) a bad F-connector that introduces shorts or noise.

Regarding the splitters, you are not required to use MoCA compliant splitters, it's just preferred. Just use the splitters you have at hand to test, they are likely to work as long as they are decent quality (a name brand such as Antronix for example).

You can also try a MoCA filter (PoE as the one you have at the entrace to the house) in front of the cable modem, in case it's introducing noise. But you are unlikely to have a filter laying around...

 

[rmann2020]

Is your coax cable plant RG-59 or RG-6? RG-6 is preferred (look at the printing on the cablex). Also make sure you are tightening the F-connectors everywhere; finger tight is fine, but well seated. I do wonder based on your teting if you have either (a) a marginal splitter or (b) a bad F-connector that introduces shorts or noise.

Regarding the splitters, you are not required to use MoCA compliant splitters, it's just preferred. Just use the splitters you have at hand to test, they are likely to work as long as they are decent quality (a name brand such as Antronix for example).

You can also try a MoCA filter (PoE as the one you have at the entrace to the house) in front of the cable modem, in case it's introducing noise. But you are unlikely to have a filter laying around...

I have RG-6 running through the house. All F-connectors are finger tight.

I added splitters as recommended and now Whole Home PVR is working. The Adapters unfortunately are still intermittent (and down as of this writing).

My config matches the diagram you provided earlier (now updated below with equipment info in case needed). I actually do have a spare moca filter which I'll add between the 4-way splitter and the modem tomorrow. I'll report back once completed.

 

[jrmtz85]

I do see something that may be an issue. In your latest diagram, you have the Antronix splitter as 5-1002 MHz. From what I know, MOCA 2.5 functions in frequencies above 1100, so that splitter may be blocking some of your signal. Just a quick thought.

 

[rmann2020]

I do see something that may be an issue. In your latest diagram, you have the Antronix splitter as 5-1002 MHz. From what I know, MOCA 2.5 functions in frequencies above 1100, so that splitter may be blocking some of your signal. Just a quick thought.

I don't have another 2 way MoCA splitter at this time. I did find another 4 way splitter though that may work. Should I incorporate it into my config ? If so, is it just a matter of swapping out the 2 way Antronix or should other changes be made?