@Datalink - hopefully the below future state diagram helps clarify. All basement equipment will be at the demarcation point/room with the exception of the Netbox.
"Can the MoCA adapter go in the same room as the modem with any ethernet devices in the basement connecting via ethernet cable?"
Yes, they will be in the same room and the optional basement AP can be run via ethernet cable to the existing switch.
In essence, the basement MoCA adapter's purpose is to provide data to the 2nd floor MoCA adapter which is needed for the 2nd floor AP.
Ultimately, my end goal is reliable high speed internet using my existing equipment where possible. I don't mind spending $s for a splitter as that will help me get to my end goal and is (hopefully) a one time purchase that will last many years.
Given my end goal, what's your recommendation for wiring/setup/splitter/etc.? Again, I'm relatively new to the networking space, am looking for a low maintenance and reliable solution to serve my family's needs.
@rmann2020 can you reboot the modem and post the signal level table again. I'd like to see the updated signal stats prior to making any recommendation. At this point I'd say that a 4 port MoCA splitter is in order due to the signal levels. That drops everything by 8 dB, so your signal levels on the modem would drop by another 5 dB which puts them into marginal territory. If you have a three port splitter installed now which has a -3.5 dB port and two -7 dB ports, changing to a 4 port splitter would drop the Nextboxes by 1 dB, which isn't much of a difference.
Going to a two splitter configuration would keep the modem signal levels where they are, but possibly drop the nextboxes by another 3.5 dB, which isn't good.
So, the compromise would be a 4 port splitter from what I can see. If that doesn't work, as in your modem performance drops or you end up with pixelation on the top floor Nextbox, then the next step is to move to the 5 port amplifier as indicated earlier.
The cheap solution is the 4 port splitter. If that works out, yay. If not .... move on to the amplifier.
The Antronix 4 port splitter is the MMC2004H-A.
The Holland Electronics 4 port splitter is the GHS-4PRO-M
Either one would work.
Here's the link for the Antronix data sheet:
https://www.antronix.com/pdf/ds-1197-ss-a01_mmc2000-splitters.pdf
Here's the link for the Holland Electronics data sheet:
http://www.hollandelectronics.com/catalog/upload_file/GHS-PRO-M.pdf
@rmann2020 looking at your signal levels, they're pretty high, higher than they should be. Given that fact, you can afford to run a 4 port splitter to drop the modem levels slightly. That will only drop them another 3.5 dB but, thats better than where they are right now. It won't affect the Nextbox signal levels. With that 4 port splitter installed, you should keep a Nextbox connected to it. If not, then a 75 ohm terminator should be installed on the unused splitter port to prevent any internal signal reflection.
You could also add a forward path attenuator to the inbound cable to drop the downstream signal levels by 6 dB. That would leave the upstream levels alone, which is ok.
At the end of the day, that would bring your modem downstream levels down to 0 dBmV or close to it. If the Nextboxes run as they should, all the better. If you noticed any pixelation or audio issues, then you would simply move the forward path attenuator to the modem cable that runs off of the 4 port splitter.
Here's the attenuator:
https://www.amazon.ca/line-Signal-Forward-Attenuator-FPA6-54/dp/B07882H96R
Here's the 75ohm terminator:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ideal-f-twist-on-terminator/1001046721
@rmann2020 cancel the 6 dB Forward Path Attenuator. With the 3.5 dB loss due to the splitter that you added, I'd be happy to leave it at that. What you can to is to install the splitter on the incoming line between the MoCA filter and the MoCA splitter. One leg goes to the MoCA splitter, and the other leg should have a 75 ohm terminator on it, as indicated earlier. You should be able to find that 75 ohm terminator locally.
I'm looking at ports 9 and 10 which cover the frequency range for the DOCSIS 3.1 OFDM channel, which is used for the downstream data. Where those two DOCSIS 3.0 channels are, with respect to the signal levels, I'm satisfied with where they are at the current time. The upstream DOCSIS 3.0 channels are ok for their signal levels as well.
So, you can install that two port splitter ahead of the 4 port MOCA splitter, or if you're really keen, you could install a PPC FPA3-54 forward path attenuator in place of the two port splitter. The final signal levels will be very near the same. I don't know if you would be able to find a 3 dB forward path attenuator such as the PPC FPA3-54.
something like this:
Incoming -> MoCA -> 2 port -> 75 ohm terminator
cable filter splitter -> 4 port splitter -> upstairs Nextbox
-> main floor Nextbox
-> basement Nextbox
-> basement modem
Yup, they would work. I'd probably choose the first one from Holland Electronics. You can use that instead of the two port splitter. Either 4 port splitter works as well. The Antronix ports are -7 dB while the Holland Electric ports are -7.7 dB, so not much difference. Rogers uses Antronix splitters so if you want to go with that one, thats fine.
Ideally if you could find a 3 dB forward path attenuator that would be ideal, but, where your current signal levels are, a regular 3 dB attenuator would do. I had a look at both attenuators, both would do, I'd go with the Holland Electric attenuator myself.
@rmann2020 yup, that looks good. Post the modem signal levels when everything is up and running.
Make sure that you log into the adapters and select D-Band High, so that the adapters stay out of the way of the Nextbox Whole Home. You're running Whole Home correct? Don't remember all of the details and don't have time at the moment to reread everything.
If you don't have Whole Home running, then you can select the D-Band. There should be a selection for that in the adapter settings. Also enable the privacy setting by entering a number or alphanumeric sequence into the privacy setting. Not sure what those adapters use, but it should be one of the two.
Hi @rmann2020 no problem.
1. First you need to disconnect your pc from the router.
2. Then, on the pc, navigate down to the ethernet adapter IP settings.
That is located in Start .... Control Panel .... Network and Sharing Center.
Select "Change Adapter Settings" to bring up the Network Connections panel.
Right click and select Properties to bring up the the Ethernet Properties panel.
Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Select Properties just to the right side
below that to bring up the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties panel.
Select "Use the following IP address" and enter 192.168.254.10
Hit OK at the bottom and reboot the pc.
3. While the pc is rebooting, turn off the power on the adapter and connect the pc to the
adapter.
4. Power up the adapter
5. Log into the adapter by bringing up a web browser and entering 192.168.254.254
That should take you to the adapter log in page where the following credentials
should work: username: admin, password: gocoax.
6. Navigate to the management pages to change the user name and password, then select
the required D-high (?) Band selection and set the privacy code as well. Save the
changes. You should be able to power down that adapter and then rerun the same
sequence with the other adapter.
7. When the next adapter is done, power it down and consider checking the first adapter
once again, to confirm that selected username, password, D-Band setting and privacy
code are as you set them. Kinda like the measure twice, cut once type of idea.
When the adapters are set to go, consider running a speed test with the adapters connected with a very short coax cable. That will tell you the max data rate that you can achieve with your internet data rate, the router and then the adapters connected with a very short cable which should be a no loss cable situation. From there, when the adapters are in place, where you intend them to run, you will have an original test result that you can compare with. That test configuration would look like:
modem -> router -> ethernet -> adapter 1 -> coax -> adapter 2 -> ethernet -> pc
(very
short)
When you're done with the testing, you will need to navigate back down to the pc's Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties panel where you would select "Obtain an IP address automotically". Hit Ok at the bottom and then reboot the pc and reconnect the pc to your router.
Install the adapters in their intended locations.
Done 🙂
I think that should do it 🙂
@Datalink - I figured it out as you typed your response. Found an old windows laptop to use.
Based on the below screenshot, would I simply uncheck D-Ext and D-Low? (leaving only D-High checked)
Also, what privacy code should I be using?
If you have Whole Home running, then select D-High to prevent any interference with the Whole Home MoCA network.
As for the privacy code, its a random number or character entry, your choice, just have to make sure that both adapters are set to the same sequence. Does the adapter privacy page indicate whether the privacy sequence is numeric or alphanumic? Looking at an old Actiontech MoCA adapter config guide, the setup page indicates a 12 to 17 digit entry. From what I remember, there isn't any guidance in the MoCA specification as to what is used for the privacy code, so I would assume that companies are free to do what then want and use whatever encryption method they choose. That's going to take a little experimentation. If you enter an alphanumeric sequence for example, 3aUKSYpsOOElaz1C, if the adapter doesn't like the combination of numbers and characters, hopefully it will give you a rejection warning of some type, in which case, go with plan B, a series of random numbers.
@rmann2020 here's what I had imagined for the coax network, from your posting earlier today:
-> MoCA Adapter -> Nextbox on second floor
incoming -> MoCA -> Attenuator -> MoCA -> Nextbox in Family room
cable Filter Splitter -> MoCA Adapter -> modem in Basement
-> Nextbox in Basement
So, slightly expanding on the splitter connections:
- port 1-> coax cable run upstairs -> MoCA Adapter -> coax -> Nextbox on
MoCA - port 2 -> coax cable -> Nextbox in Family room second floor
Splitter - port 3 -> coax cable -> MoCA Adapter -> coax -> modem in Basement
- port 4-> coax cable -> Nextbox in Basement
In this case both MoCA adapters use the TV output port to support the connected device.
Looking at your chart, it looks like you have the configuration set this way, if I'm interpreting this correctly:
- port 1-> MoCA Adapter -> cable run upstairs -> MoCA Adapter -> coax ->
Nextbox on second floor
MoCA - port 2 -> Nextbox in Family room
Splitter - port 3 -> modem in Basement
- port 4-> Nextbox in Basement
So, in this case, with the first gocoax adapter in the basement, you're connecting the tv output to the cable that runs upstairs and then connecting that to the second gocoax adapter .... and then using the tv output of the second adapter to connect to the nextbox upstairs. Do I have that correct?
The ethernet connections look something like this at the present time:
modem -> ethernet -> router -> basement -> coax run -> 2nd floor -> ethernet to device
adapter adapter
Were you running into problems with the original configuration indicated above?
I can see a possible issue with the 2nd floor Nextbox as you're going thru 2 adapters, which might be possible, but, consider the possibility that you might see less than ideal video and audio output of the 2nd floor Nextbox. The thought of running the two adapters on a single cable run never occurred to me as that's probably not a typical installation. Usually the installation is one adapter per cable run. In theory, if you were only using the run for ethernet (via coax) purposes, this would probably make a lot of sense, but, I don't know if the 2nd floor Nextbox will be happy with that configuration.
I'm still trying to figure out what you mean by the second statement below:
Basement MoCA adapter coax:
basement MoCA Adapter -> MoCA -> second floor MoCA adapter (coax) -> Nextbox on
second floor
via TV out coax
-> TV out current goes back into 4 way MoCA splitter in
basement (but I don't think this is needed)???
What exactly to you mean by " TV out current goes back into 4 way MoCA splitter in basement (but I don't think this is needed)???"
From what I can see, both TV outputs of the adapters are used. The basement adapter TV output feeds the cable that runs upstairs to the second floor. The second floor TV output feeds the 2nd floor nextbox. So, I'm a little confused by your statement about the TV out.
Food for thought. It might not be advisable to run one adapter to another using the TV output of the first adapter to feed the cable input of the second adapter. I suspect that their not designed to work in that fashion and I wouldn't doubt that the TV outputs have a reduced frequency range while the cable ports would use the entire frequency range. That's a rather interesting question. You should either contact gocoax directly to see what they say, or you could sign up for a freebie account at SNBForums and post a question to the following forum:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/gocoax-moca-2-5-adapter.59499/
Either way, I'd go looking for an answer if I was going to leave the adapters connected in their current fashion.
Hopefully I've understood your configuration correctly. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Edit: In order to connect two MoCA adapters together via coax cable run, you would normal use the cable inputs of both adapters. That would leave the TV output ports disconnected from anything else. In that configuration the adapters could use the entire D Band, or D-Ext as indicated in the setup.
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