Thinking about switching to MoCA 2.5

[krkaufman]

Is not broadcasting back through the antenna the only reason to need a higher dB filter?

In the case of the MoCA filter installed on the antenna line, yes.

I'll likely need an antenna amplifier (currently using one now, in fact), and I read MoCA can't back feed through an amplifier anyway.

A typical amplifier would likely allow MoCA signals to pass, though perhaps the aggregate attenuation of the 40 dB MoCA filter and amplifier would put you closer to or over 70 dB total.

It's not that critical, really. I'm confident that there are a LOT of people using 40 dB MoCA filters on their antenna line.

 

[degrub]

if you feed the amplified (sugggest using a CM7777HD mounted at the antenna particularly if the antenna is inside the attic ) OTA signal directly into the ActionTec 6200 TV out connection on the modem, i don't think you need a moca block at all. Probably any moca modem with a TV split out would work the same way. So far no FCC visits .

 

[krkaufman]

if you feed the amplified (sugggest using a CM7777HD mounted at the antenna particularly if the antenna is inside the attic ) OTA signal directly into the ActionTec 6200 TV out connection on the modem, i don't think you need a moca block at all. Probably any moca modem with a TV split out would work the same way. So far no FCC visits .

What ECB6200? There’s no MoCA adapter in the Work Room, where the OP plans on feeding the OTA signal into the input of a 4-way splitter. (link)

 

[degrub]

either way should work. Just pointing out that in case the OP needs ethernet in the room as well.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

Got my MoCA adapters today. Other stuff hasn't arrived yet, but decided to give a couple of them a try anyway. Hooked up the one in the "Southeast bedroom" which connects to my network, and the other one on the "South Wall Funny Shaped Room" in my basement. I decided to omit adding a splitter in that room for now, so that MoCA endpoint is the very last thing on that coax run.

This is running through 2 regular 1000MHz RCA splitters for now, and a twist-on connector end that just won't tighten. Here are summaries of iperf3 runs:

iperf3 -c <ip>

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bandwidth
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   381 MBytes   320 Mbits/sec                  sender
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   381 MBytes   320 Mbits/sec                  receiver

A little better than the ~250Mbps I was getting from Wifi. Someone on reddit mentioned low TCP numbers are normal due to latency, so tried a few other params I found on Google.

iperf3 -c x.x.x.x -w 2M

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bandwidth
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   984 MBytes   825 Mbits/sec                  sender
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   982 MBytes   824 Mbits/sec                  receiver

iperf3 -c <ip> -u -b 1G -l 32K -R

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bandwidth       Jitter    Lost/Total Datagrams
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec  1.09 GBytes   934 Mbits/sec  0.046 ms  0/35637 (0%)
[  4] Sent 35637 datagrams

iperf3 -c <ip> -P 5

[ ID] Interval           Transfer     Bandwidth
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   195 MBytes   164 Mbits/sec                  sender
[  4]   0.00-10.00  sec   195 MBytes   164 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[  6]   0.00-10.00  sec   220 MBytes   185 Mbits/sec                  sender
[  6]   0.00-10.00  sec   220 MBytes   185 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[  8]   0.00-10.00  sec   227 MBytes   190 Mbits/sec                  sender
[  8]   0.00-10.00  sec   227 MBytes   190 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[ 10]   0.00-10.00  sec   193 MBytes   162 Mbits/sec                  sender
[ 10]   0.00-10.00  sec   193 MBytes   162 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[ 12]   0.00-10.00  sec   233 MBytes   195 Mbits/sec                  sender
[ 12]   0.00-10.00  sec   233 MBytes   195 Mbits/sec                  receiver
[SUM]   0.00-10.00  sec  1.04 GBytes   896 Mbits/sec                  sender
[SUM]   0.00-10.00  sec  1.04 GBytes   895 Mbits/sec                  receiver

If I interpret these right, looks pretty decent?
It feels very fast and responsive as far as I can tell.

 

[krkaufman]

Yeah, throughput looks decent. While waiting for other bits, you might want to get familiar with the MoCA adapter configuration UI, and configure the adapters for your LAN (giving them static IPs or allowing DHCP assignment), allowing you easy access to the diagnostics screens. The PHY rates and power levels would be good to track, between the current setup (the baseline) and as improvements are made.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

That definitely sounds useful, but I can't seem to get into the device UI. I tried following these instructions:

https://8bae2e9d-266c-4d58-9cda-02ca62888697.filesusr.com/ugd/a80ff5_3cb61d1553384cf7baffa6dd675ded4e.pdf

I set my IP to 192.168.254.10, but nothing responds when I try to go to 192.168.254.254. I tried with 2 different computers, with the MoCA link connected and unconnected, unplugging power every time, even did the full factory reset procedure. I tried all of this on both adapters as well. I wonder if the default is different for the Frontier-branded ones, or would they possibly disable it altogether? I noticed the firmware version on the box label (V5.2.5) doesn't seem the match the firmware version for the GoCoax WF-803M.

Did you buy any, and were you able to get into the configuration UI?

 

[krkaufman]

Did you buy any, and were you able to get into the configuration UI?

My 2 are enroute.

And, yeah, I feared that the Frontier-branded adapters might require a different method for accessing the configuration UI, if it's allowed at all. The quick start document pics posted to the eBay auction don't reveal any similar instructions for accessing the WF-803FT (FCA251) configuration pages.

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I wonder if the default is different for the Frontier-branded ones, or would they possibly disable it altogether?

Yeah, that's a concern. Frontier may have asked goCoax for a simplified adapter, with the only configuration occurring via the physical "WAN FULL LAN" toggle switch.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

My 2 are enroute.

And, yeah, I feared that the Frontier-branded adapters might require a different method for accessing the configuration UI, if it's allowed at all. The quick start document pics posted to the eBay auction don't reveal any similar instructions for accessing the WF-803FT configuration pages.

Yeah, that's a concern. Frontier may have asked goCoax for a simplified adapter, with the only configuration occurring via the physical "WAN FULL LAN" toggle switch.

The Quick Start Guide is the only thing that comes with it, unfortunately. There's a sticker, but it only has the same info as the one on the bottom of the unit. I tried Angry IP Scanner and scanned 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255 and nothing found.

Can just any diplexer work for MoCA? I have some old Holland DPD2 that have been sitting around for a few decades. Looks like I used them back in my MoCA 1.1 days.

 

[krkaufman]

Can just any diplexer work for MoCA? I have some old Holland DPD2 that have been sitting around for a few decades.

If yours haven't withered into uselessness, the Holland DPD2 is the diplexer I typically recommend for OTA/MoCA signal "splicing."

 

[krkaufman]

The Quick Start Guide is the only thing that comes with it, unfortunately. There's a sticker, but it only has the same info as the one on the bottom of the unit. I tried Angry IP Scanner and scanned 192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.255 and nothing found.

I'm not holding my breath, but figured I'd try...

goCoax Forum: Frontier-branded WF-803FT (FCA251) help?​

 

[krkaufman]

My 2 are enroute.

Hmmm ... now wondering if I supplied the wrong delivery address. Mine still haven’t arrived.

 

[GnatGoSplat]

I'm not holding my breath, but figured I'd try...

goCoax Forum: Frontier-branded WF-803FT (FCA251) help?​

Looks like they answered your question, but without answering whether there's a way to get into the configuration UI.
I guess it's not really a big deal if I can't, since they do work pretty well, though it would have been nice to see if any tweaks/changes make a difference.

I did try to take one apart, see if I could dump the firmware and possibly flash with goCoax firmware. There's 1 Phillips screw under the sticker, but the housing is snapped together tight and as much as I tried with a number of plastic spudgers designed for disassembling cell phones, the thing would not come apart. I'm sure I could have brute-forced it open with metal tools, but I didn't think it was worth messing it up for a peek inside.

Hmmm ... now wondering if I supplied the wrong delivery address. Mine still haven’t arrived.

Tracking should show delivered or not. If it shows delivered and nothing arrived, that might be a little concerning. Once, I did have a package show delivered, but it didn't actually show up for almost a week after that. No clue what happened that time. Porch pirates are a growing problem, but hopefully that's not what happened.

 

[degrub]

The USPS will mark tracking as delivered the day they intend to deliver if it is a package from Amazon or others if it is coming to them as the “last mile” of the shipping process in my experience. Frustrating when you start looking for a package until you realize their “cheat”. Sometimes the package doesn’t show up until the next day.

packages that come through USPS entirely don’t seem to have that issue. If anything, they are slow to update.

 

[krkaufman]

Tracking should show delivered or not.

Yeah, looks like it's the typical Dejoyful postal service delays that have become common. It's still enroute, 24 hours after its original estimated delivery date.

And, yeah, I saw that goCoax had replied to my post, but I had been hoping to get my hands on the devices before following up.

edit: p.s. Supposedly now delivered:

​

 

[krkaufman]

but I can't seem to get into the device UI. I tried following these instructions:
https://8bae2e9d-266c-4d58-9cda-02ca62888697.filesusr.com/ugd/a80ff5_3cb61d1553384cf7baffa6dd675ded4e.pdf I set my IP to 192.168.254.10, but nothing responds when I try to go to 192.168.254.254.

FYI... just posted (and seeking username/password)...

FYI the default IP address for FCA251 adapter is 192.168.188.251, the web configuration username and password are not the same as the gocoax or generic maxlinear adapters.

 

[krkaufman]

FYI... just posted (and seeking username/password)...

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Confirmed; just need the credentials, now...

​

 

[GnatGoSplat]

FYI... just posted (and seeking username/password)...

​

Nice. I guess Angry IP Scanner doesn't work worth a darn!

 

[krkaufman]

Nice. I guess Angry IP Scanner doesn't work worth a darn!

Well, I think someone once said something about anger leading to suffering.

 

[Waltski]

Confirmed; just need the credentials, nowFrontier Support Frontier.com/install-fiber-optic (view videos and detailed installation guides)Live Chat1. 800.239.4430...

View attachment 34594​

Not sure if this helps, but Frontier router logins often simply use "admin" for the user and "admin", "password" or "password1" for the password . A long shot, but you could also try Frontier Support at Frontier.com/install-fiber-optic Live Chat or call their support number (1. 800.239.4430)