Help with MoCA Setup

[samlikely]

I'm setting up a MoCA 2.5 network at my house for the first time and have a few questions I'm hoping the experts here can help my with before I start.

First off, my house seems like it is wired perfectly for MoCA. I have six separate runs of RG6 coax, all of which terminate in my garage where the one outside cable line comes in. Right now, the outside line is directly connected to my cable modem and all of the other coax is dark.

So far I've ordered three Actiontec ECB6250 MoCA 2.5 Network Adapters, a Holland MoCA POE filter and a Holland MoCA Rated 3-Way Balanced Splitter to make my MoCA network, all of which should arrive next week. I already have a TP-Link TC7650 modem, a pair of eero Pro 6s and a couple of Netgear GS305 unmanaged gigabit switches to complete the setup.

I've read through some other similar threads on here and think that I have a pretty good idea of what my setup should look like, but I have three questions that remain:

1. Is it OK if I put a switch between my main router and the MoCA adapter?
   
   
   
   
2. My internet installer put a 6 dB attenuator in front of my modem as I guess the signal levels were too high. Can I remove this once I'm using the splitter as it has a -5.5 dB loss on all three connections?
   
   
3. I made a quick diagram of my planned setup. Any issues with this config?
   
   

Thanks for the help!

 

[Bigwaff]

1. I made a quick diagram of my planned setup. Any issues with this config?
   View attachment 31498

Thanks for the help!

I have a very similar setup and it works great. MoCA clients get advertised speeds between them and close to full bandwidth of my cable internet service. MoCA is perfect for ethernet backhaul to wireless access points.

You should terminate unused coax ports on amplifiers, spitters, adapters, and wall plates in the house. Without termination, signals can generate interference on the line which can increase noise and potentially disrupt connections and network throughput. These terminators are inexpensive.

Coax Cap Cover, 75 Ohm Terminator, 10-Pack, RFAdapter, Coax Terminator Caps for Ports on Splitter, AMP, Coaxial Cable, TV Antenna, Wall Plates, Booster
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWHX2FS/?tag=snbforums-20

How big is your home? You may have to add a MoCA compatible amplifier splitter to your set up to boost signal strength, especially if cable line runs are long. I went with this model. It is the "splitter" in your picture.

PPC Entry Series Active Return 9-Port MoCA Amplifier Model: PPC-9M-U/U
by NetBetShop
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BK1F86/?tag=snbforums-20

Best of luck!

 

[degrub]

1) yes, a switch is just an ethernet cable with multiple heads and some logic to have the signal go to the right place.

2) maybe. Log into the modem and get the signal levels for each of the down/up channels before you make the change. Then see what it looks like after.

3) i think you will either need a moca 2 rated two way splitter in front of the moca modem and the cable modem or a 4 way splitter in place of your 3 way. Check what frequency range the AT modem passes on its Out to TV coax port. If your isp coax modem uses frequencies above the high end of the range ( doccis 3 maybe or 3.1 definitely ) what you have shown will not work.

 

[samlikely]

I have a very similar setup and it works great. MoCA clients get advertised speeds between them and close to full bandwidth of my cable internet service. MoCA is perfect for ethernet backhaul to wireless access points.

You should terminate unused coax ports on amplifiers, spitters, adapters, and wall plates in the house. Without termination, signals can generate interference on the line which can increase noise and potentially disrupt connections and network throughput. These terminators are inexpensive.

Coax Cap Cover, 75 Ohm Terminator, 10-Pack, RFAdapter, Coax Terminator Caps for Ports on Splitter, AMP, Coaxial Cable, TV Antenna, Wall Plates, Booster
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWHX2FS/?tag=snbforums-20

How big is your home? You may have to add a MoCA compatible amplifier splitter to your set up to boost signal strength, especially if cable line runs are long. I went with this model. It is the "splitter" in your picture.

PPC Entry Series Active Return 9-Port MoCA Amplifier Model: PPC-9M-U/U
by NetBetShop
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076BK1F86/?tag=snbforums-20

Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice, I'll get some of those caps and terminate my unused ports.

I think that the maximum length of my coax runs is probably 50-60 feet, which would be the one from my splitter to my modem in the diagram. The other two line off of the splitter are probably more like 20-30 feet. I guess I can try with the splitter I've ordered and replace it with an amplified version if I'm having issues.

 

[samlikely]

1) yes, a switch is just an ethernet cable with multiple heads and some logic to have the signal go to the right place.

2) maybe. Log into the modem and get the signal levels for each of the down/up channels before you make the change. Then see what it looks like after.

3) i think you will either need a moca 2 rated two way splitter in front of the moca modem and the cable modem or a 4 way splitter in place of your 3 way. Check what frequency range the AT modem passes on its Out to TV coax port. If your isp coax modem uses frequencies above the high end of the range ( doccis 3 maybe or 3.1 definitely ) what you have shown will not work.

1) great, thanks!
2) Ok, I'm not familiar with what my signal levels should be but I've made a screenshot of the current ones for comparison after the MoCA install
3) I was going off these GoCoax network diagrams. According to CableLabs, my modem uses 108-1002MHZ downstream and 5-42MHz upstream so I think I fit in scenario #1, however you're right my Actiontec's only have a coax-in port so I'll need another splitter!

 

[degrub]

i would replace your 3 way balanced with a 4 way unbalanced and use the low loss port for the ISP modem connection. Otherwise, with the added 2 way you give up an additional 3-3.5 dB signal loss which based on your original setup would become 5.5 + 3 = 8.5 -9dB loss instead of the 6 dB loss provided by the installer. May or may not make a difference to the ISP modem.

 

[samlikely]

i would replace your 3 way balanced with a 4 way unbalanced and use the low loss port for the ISP modem connection. Otherwise, with the added 2 way you give up an additional 3-3.5 dB signal loss which based on your original setup would become 5.5 + 3 = 8.5 -9dB loss instead of the 6 dB loss provided by the installer. May or may not make a difference to the ISP modem.

The cable run I have connecting to the Actiontec & cable modem in my diagram terminates behind a wall-mounted TV on my main floor. I don't have a second coax outlet on my main floor, so in order to swap in a 4-way splitter and use separate cable runs for the Actiontec & the cable modem I would have to move the Actiontec down a floor into the basement. Unfortunately, I don't have an Ethernet run that would connect the two so I don't think that's an easy option.

Instead, what if I buy this unbalanced 3-way splitter and this 2-way splitter which would give me a smaller 3.7 + 3.7 = 7.4dB loss to my modem?

 

[degrub]

That should keep the losses down as low as practical. you may just have to try it and see what you get at the ISP modem. If you already have the balanced one, i would try it first.