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Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

So I'm moving to a new house that doesn't have cat5 cables run but does have co-ax to pretty much every room. It's a relatively new house and they are using satellite tv so I'm assuming it will be RG6 cabling throughout. Thought I would use moca adapters for my wireless access points (will have one on each floor) so went out and bought the following to play around with:

 

Actiontec adapters:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B013J7O3X0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Moca Filter:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00DC8IEE6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Neoteck splitter:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07RB61LR9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I have the following all wired up in the basement where the Rogers line comes in:

 

POE -> Some sort of Rogers barrel type filter -> Rogers Splitter input (5-1000mhz splitter)

 

Rogers Splitter output 1 -> Cable Modem

Rogers Splitter output 2 -> Moca Filter -> Neoteck 6 way moca splitter (5-2500mhz)

 

Neoteck output 1 -> Actiontec adapter

Neoteck output 2 -> Living Room

Neoteck output 3 -> Master Bedroom

Neoteck output 4 -> Gym

Neoteck output 5 -> Recroom

 

In the master bedroom I then took the cable from the wall into the second actiontec adapter and plugged in the cable box to the adapter as well. 

 

At this point all tv's work fine but the moca adapters will not sync up (no co-ax light). So I started testing:

 

Test #1 

 

In basement just used short co-ax cable to join the two adapters and plugged them in. Success! They sync. (now I know the adapters are good)

 

Test #2

 

Moved the adapter back to the master bedroom but in the basement used a barrel connector to just directly join the adapter in the basement with the line going to the master. Success! They sync. (now I know the line running to the master bedroom is good)

 

Test #3

 

In the basement unplugged everything from the 6 way splitter except the adapter in the basement and the line running to the master bedroom. Success! They sync. (now I know the splitter is good)

 

Test #4

 

I started plugging the other lines into the splitter and it turns out that as soon as I plug in the inbound line to the input of the splitter the two actiontec adapters lose sync. If I unplug the line they sync back up, plug in and they don't. It's repeatable.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Darryl

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

OK, issue has been solved.

 

The devices I just purchased already had the latest firmware on them so I didn't have to do anything there. I asked Actiontec about how to force the devices into using the D-High band but their response was:

 

"As to the settings Actiontec does not provide support accessing or changing the settings as they are already preconfigured for best use settings."

 

So as you can see zero help. I did find the following link where somebody showed in detail how to get connected to the device to make changes / upgrade firmware:

 

https://helpdeskgeek.com/networking/upgrade-actiontec-ecb6200-firmware/

 

I went into the config page and changed the band from "D-EXTENDED" to "D-HIGH". Their was also a frequency field that was set to 1150 and I changed it to 1400 on both (the low end of the D-HIGH range).

 

As soon as I did that the problem went away and the devices sync. I am getting about 800mbps using iPerf from the master bedroom to the server in the basement.

 

Darryl

 

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11 REPLIES 11

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

Should have mentioned that I've got gigabit internet with Rogers and PVR boxes in all of the rooms.

 

At office and don't remember the model of the cable modem / router but it's the white tower type unit and it is currently configured in gateway mode only since I use Ubiquiti gear for my routing / access points.

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

@darryldale are you running the Whole Home PVR system, which uses the MoCA D-Low band?  If so, the Actiontec adapters need to be set to run D-High only.  

 

Where is the MoCA filter installed?  If you don't need the modem cable to run MoCA, I'd put the filter on the output leg of the first two port splitter, just before the MoCA splitter. 

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

Well we can access any recording from any PVR so I'm guessing yes we do have the whole home PVR system.

 

The moca filter is installed just before the input of the 6 way moca splitter.

 

What impact will setting actiontec to high only have on bandwidth? Since I am going to be using these just for access points and have some flexibility on where I put them my other option is to just find three rooms (one on each floor) where I'm not going to need a cable box and create a totally separate "network". In the basement I'll have another moca splitter that just has those three rooms connected to the outputs along with an adapter in the basement and don't even plug anything into the input.

 

Darryl

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

I found instructions online on how to get into the web interface for the moca adapters.

 

I'm going to try the following two things tonight:

 

#1 - Upgrade to latest firmware (have already requested from Actiontec)

#2 - Attempt to use the web interface to force the adapters to use channels in the D-High band as suggested.

 

Will report back on findings.

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

OK, issue has been solved.

 

The devices I just purchased already had the latest firmware on them so I didn't have to do anything there. I asked Actiontec about how to force the devices into using the D-High band but their response was:

 

"As to the settings Actiontec does not provide support accessing or changing the settings as they are already preconfigured for best use settings."

 

So as you can see zero help. I did find the following link where somebody showed in detail how to get connected to the device to make changes / upgrade firmware:

 

https://helpdeskgeek.com/networking/upgrade-actiontec-ecb6200-firmware/

 

I went into the config page and changed the band from "D-EXTENDED" to "D-HIGH". Their was also a frequency field that was set to 1150 and I changed it to 1400 on both (the low end of the D-HIGH range).

 

As soon as I did that the problem went away and the devices sync. I am getting about 800mbps using iPerf from the master bedroom to the server in the basement.

 

Darryl

 

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

bc18
I've been here awhile
My house wiring is in the same situation as you . Just curious if you have any feedback after using it for a while?

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

darryldale
I plan to stick around

I have not used it yet.

 

I do not move into the new house until August 17th and was just getting prepared.

 

I have kept the two adapters wired up however and do occasionally check in on them to see if they are still synced and then plug a laptop in to do a quick speedtest and have zero issues so far.

 

I'll know more once I get them hooked up at the new house and my access points plugged into them. 

 

I am comfortable enough with them at this point that I'm going to order another pair of them before I move it.

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

bc18
I've been here awhile

Seems like you have a good setup for whole-house connectivity. I'd like to give it a go too. Just wonder if the Ignite modem (Hitron Model CGNM-3552) will work with the Actiontec Moca. Thanks for sharing your experience and links too.

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

bc18
I've been here awhile

Hey Darryl

 

Just learned the Roger Ignite modem may support MOCA 2.0. You may want to check if you're modem supports MOCA as well and save the cost of buying one more device if it works. https://www.hitron-americas.com/product/cgnm-3552-32x8/

 

Bosco

 

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

Datalink
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@bc18 @darryldale the CGNM-3552 supports MoCA 2.0, as does the CODA-4582.  There are caveats that should be noted:

 

1.  Rogers configures the modems to use the D-High band which runs from 1350 to 1675 MHz edge to edge (325 Mhz wide).  This is seen on page 9 of the MoCA 2.0/2.5 spec:  http://www.mocalliance.org/MoCA2/specification/MoCA_2_Device_RF_Characteristics-150406d.pdf

 

That configuration is set to allow the Nextbox Whole Home PVR system to use the D-Low band which runs from 1125 to 1225 MHz edge to edge (100 MHz wide).  

 

As a result, if you choose to use the modem as one half of the adapter set, thereby only buying one adapter, you are accepting the restriction to use the D-High band, as determined by the modem's D-High band configuration.  That loss of 100 mhz in the D-Low band will restrict the data rate as shown by @darryldale running 800 Mb/s thru his Actiontec adapter.  The datasheet for the Actiontec ECB6200 indicates data rates over 1 Gb/s, but, it doesn't provide an exact theoretical number.  

 

If you don't have the Nextbox Whole Home PVR system running, you can still use the modem as one of the adapters, but, you would still end up the modem using only the D-High band for MoCA operations. 

 

If you don't have the Nextbox Whole Home PVR system running, that allows you to use any other MoCa adapter set as an end to end set or system.  In this case, the adapters should allow you to use the entire D-Band, running from 1125  to 1675 MHz edge to edge.  That would allow you to use the max data rates provided by the MoCA adapter set. 

 

The Actiontec ECB6250 MoCA 2.5 adapters stipulate 1 Gb/s end to end, most likely due to the use of 1 Gb/s ports, but, it also claims to run 2.5 Gb/s throughout the network:  https://www.actiontec.com/products/home-networking/ecb6250/

 

There is also the goCoax adapters are also in the same category, 1 Gb/s end to end, once again most likely due to the use of 1 Gb/s ports, but also claims to run 2.5 Gb/s throughout the network:  https://www.gocoax.com/

 

Once final note, if you're running the Nextbox Whole Home PVR system, which uses a MoCa network to transmit data between the Nextboxes, or any other MoCA network, you're going to run into a potential problem with the adapter selected MoCA network controller.  You're better off with the Actiontec Adapters as they allow the selection of the D-High band and a user selectable Lowest Useable Frequency, which can be used to set the adapter frequencies above any existing MoCA network, thereby separating the two MoCa networks.  That forces or allows the Actiontec adapter to ignore the existing MoCa network controller in the lower D-Band and use its own chosen controller for D-High operations.  

 

The goCoax adapter also allows the user to set the lowest usable frequency, but, these adapter don't appear to ignore the existing Network controller in the system and as a result, you run into problems as the goCoax adapters want to be the only active MoCA controller in the MoCA network system, even if the adapters are set to use the D-high band only, supposedly ignoring the D-Low band.  The Nextboxes don't like this at all.  End result, you appear to have to make a choice, Nextbox Whole Home PVR system, or, MoCA network using goCoax adapters.  There is nothing in the MoCA spec which indicates a hierarchy for the MoCA Network Controller, ranging from the MoCA 2.5 spec controller and downwards from there to MoCA 1.1 controllers which are probably what the Nextbox has onboard.  My guess would be a bug in the firmware or a deliberate choice for some unknown reason.  

 

Just to mention this at the present time, Rogers is theoretically getting ready to run a DOCSIS frequency extension up to 1218 Mhz, which overlaps with the lower MoCA frequency of 1125 Mhz.  Techs are now installing updated Antronix splitters and amps which run up to 1218 Mhz.  The actual flip of the switch could be several months if not years away, don't know, but, keep the possibility in the back of your mind if you're running a MoCA network using the whole D-High Band.  If and when that happens, MoCA users will have to be ready to reconfigure their adapters to run in the D-High band only.  

 

Docsis 4, if it ever happens appears to run up to 3 Ghz, taking up the entire cable bandwidth.  If that ever happens, the MoCA Alliance will have to decide what to do about it.  From what I remember, Comcast has pulled out of the MoCA Alliance, so, there might not be any more MoCA frequency changes down the road.  Perhaps this is the end of the road for MoCA development?  Don't know.  For that matter, DOCSIS 4 is also a question as Intel has sold the Connected Home division to Maxlinear, who manufactures the cable tuner for Intel's modems, and, Broadcom is looking for support (ready money) from ISPs for develpment of DOSCIS 4.  The ISPs appear to be rather reluctant to hand Broadcom a fistful of dollars for some reason.  So, between the two of them, as the industry leaders in DOCSIS hardware develpment and deployment, I'd say that there's a chance that DOCSIS 4 doesn't happen.  The spec is out, but, perhaps, after transitioning to DOCSIS 3.1 upstream (which Rogers has yet to do), there might not be any further push for cable data rates beyond DOCSIS 3.1.  All speculation on my part, but, there a considerable amount of money involved, which companies don't appear to be willing to spend.  

Re: Moca - Actiontec adapter issue

bc18
I've been here awhile

Hey Datalink

 

Thank you for the useful information. I'm a cable-cutter so no PVRs in my home. My primary motivation for MOCA is getting faster internet speeds vs wifi mesh through the house. I have not been able to find a Canadian retailer that sells GoCoax Moca 2.5 and Actiontec ECB6250 so I would get the Actiontec ECB6200 since GoCoax is out of stock.

 

Here's someone testing Moca 2.5Gb speed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM3nmQdfy5Q&t=516s  

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