FAQ
Updated 8/2/10
What is MoCA Home Networking?
MoCA stands for Multimedia over Coax which is a new home networking technology that uses the coax cable (cable TV cable) in the home to carry Ethernet traffic. MoCA networking is especially useful for carrying audio / video traffic because of it’s high speed and reliability (limited interference) and range in the home. MoCA networking is being used by cable TV and satellite companies for the Multiroom DVR feature and is also available for retail consumers who want to add wired home networking for Xbox, Internet TVs, Bluray Players, etc… without having to install Ethernet cable in their homes.
Which retail manufacturers offer MoCA home networking products?
The current retail brands that offer MoCA home networking products are NETGEAR, D-LINK, and ACTIONTEC and are primarily Ethernet-To-Coax bridge (ECB) products. These products all interoperate with each other via the MoCA standard. They can be found at most major online and brick and mortar stores that carry home networking products. These bridges are mostly sold in pairs since most households will need 1 bridge by their router and 1 bridge to connect to another room ie Living Room. If you are fortunate enough to already have a MoCA-enabled router, for instance a Verizon FiOS customer, you can use both bridges to connect to 2 other rooms.
WARNING: Do not use the passthrough coax connector (labelled TO TV or TO STB) on the MoCA ECBs to connect to another MoCA device (like another bridge or MoCA set-top box) as it will block the MoCA signal from passing through. Use an inexpensive 1-to-2 splitter (from Radio Shack or online) so both MoCA devices will receive the MoCA signal.
Click below for product information:
Actiontec HME2200 Ethernet-To-Coax Bridge
Netgear MCAB1001 Ethernet-To-Coax Bridge
D-Link DXN-221 Ethernet-To-Coax Bridge
How many MoCA bridges can be connected to build a network?
Up to 16 MoCA devices can be on a network using MoCA 1.1.
What is the maximum throughput of the MoCA bridge?
The maximum possible throughput is 175 Mbps (send + receive). Real performance may significantly vary depending on the distance between the devices, the quality of the cabling and other factors. The rated physical layer speed is 270 Mbps which includes network overhead, error correction, etc… Most MoCA bridges have 10/100 Ethernet ports so these devices will have 100 Mbps limit in any one direction.
How do I connect more than one Ethernet device (Xbox, PS3, Tivo, Sling, …) to my MoCA bridge?
If your MoCA bridge only has one port, you can connect it to an Ethernet switch with usually 5-ports or 8-ports to gain additional ports. Ethernet switches are inexpensive and available from most major home networking manufacturers.
What is the recommended maximum range between units?
Recommended maximum of 300 feet of cable between the root node and the coax outlet.
Will MoCA products from different manufacturers work together?
Yes, MoCA is a standard like WiFi so products from different manufacturers are tested to make sure they are interoperable.
Does MoCA work with my satellite TV service?
The current MoCA cable products only work with cable TV, FiOS or off-air TV services. This is because the frequency band which the current MoCA products use, 850-1550 MHz will interfere with satellite TV signals (but don’t interfere with cable or offair signals).
DirecTV has announced MoCA for their coax network although the frequency band (<800 MHz) they are using is below what is being used for cable. Therefore the DirecTV MoCA bridges will only work with DirecTV installations, unless you have a totally separate coax network for cable/off air. Another requirement is that the customer have a SWM (Single Wire Multi-Switch) install which is being put into all new HD households. DirecTV’s MoCA bridge is called DECA (DirecTV Ethernet-to-Coax Adapter) and is available from various online retailers.
DISH Network is also part of the MoCA standards committee but has not announced a MoCA deployment yet.
Does MoCA work with my Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-Verse?
MoCA products will work with Verizon FiOS and not interfere with the TV signal. If you have a Verizon FiOS set-top box and a MoCA adapter, use a splitter to separate the coax cable. AT&T U-Verse uses a separate coax networking technology (HPNA) which is not compatible with MoCA, so will not work with a MoCA network.
Can I daisy chain MoCA devices together?
No. Daisy chaining MoCA devices (i.e. connecting one MoCA device through the TV Out port of another) is not recommended because the TV Out port filters out the MoCA signal.
How can I improve the performance of the MoCA bridge?
Installing a Point of Entry (POE) filter could possibly improve the performance of your MoCA home network. The POE filter is installed at the cable point of entry to your home and keeps the MoCA signals from leaking out of your home’s cable system. The filter actually reflects MoCA signals back in to your home coax which may boost your signal strength resulting in better performance. Ask your product manufacturer about where to obtain a POE filter. UPDATE: POE filters are available from Soontai or their distributor Power & Tel Supply.
Does a CATV amplifier affect the performance of the MoCA bridge?
Yes. A CATV amplifier can block or interfere with the MoCA signal and cause the MoCA bridge to malfunction. Avoid placing an amplifier in the path of the MoCA nodes unless it properly bypasses the MoCA frequencies (850 to 1525 MHz) or use a moCA-compatible amp.
Is it normal that TV picture becomes worse as MoCA bridge is powered off?
Yes. If the TV is connected to the “Coax Out” port of the bridge, the TV picture can become worse when the bridge is powered off. The user can connect TV to an external splitter, instead of the “Coax Out” port, to resolve the issue.
My cable service provider already has a MoCA network set up in my home, how do I join the existing network?
To join an existing MoCA network, first install MoCA bridge normally to see if it connects automatically with no password. If it doesn’t connect, try resetting your MoCA bridges and then connecting them back-to-back to make sure they can connect separately from the MoCA network. If the bridges work properly and it still doesn’t connect to your network, contact your service provider for their MoCA network password and add it to bridge using the configuration utility. To date, none of the service providers have implemented a password for their network.
What data transfer rates do I need for HDTV (High Definition TV)?
The amount of bandwidth needed to transfer HD video depends on the resolution of the video (e.g. 720p, 1080i, 1080p) and the size of the file.
720p – 6+ Mbps recommended
1080i – 8+ Mbps recommended
1080p – 10+ Mbps recommended
//
1.
savannah favela | April 19, 2009 at 12:58 am
i have verizon fios so my house has moca built into the house. so i dont have a moca router box. when i try to hook up my xbox live it doesnt work, it says i have no network service
2.
poidawg | April 20, 2009 at 4:39 pm
You need to get a pair of moca adapters to hook up the xbox to the router. My xbox live works great over moca and streams Netflix HD at max quality every time.
3.
skillmey | April 23, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Did you hold down reset for 15 seconds and then wait for the Coax link light to come on?
4.
John M | October 20, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I installed some ActionTec MI424WR’s, which can connect to each other great. But whenever they establish a connection, my cable modem loses it’s connection.
Could the MoCA signals be interfering with the cable modem? Would a satellite diplexer solve that? Or perhaps a POE filter?
5.
poidawg | October 21, 2009 at 10:47 pm
What frequency are you connecting at? You might want to try adding an external diplexer.
6.
Chen | October 31, 2009 at 5:49 am
I am havin the same problem as john. I am trying to connect 4 devices but it is not working. I get one device to connect but even that drops after a while. I have the Actiontce MI424WR and 5 Actiontec ecb2200 adapters.
Please help
7.
Scott | November 16, 2009 at 4:02 pm
The Actiontec router has a second MoCA channel that might interfere with MoCA. You need to disable the MoCA Broadband connection using the router’s web interface.
8.
Scott | December 1, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I connected a Playstation 3 to my network using an Actiontec HME2200-02K moca adapter. I have Verizon FIOS service, so it was plug & play as far as getting a network connection. However, I am trying to stream 1080p video from my computer, and I am getting studdering video. When I connect an ethernet line directly to the PS3, the video plays perfectly. The way the cable is routed in my house, I don’t think I could improve the connection to the moca adapter. Is anyone else able to stream 1080p video through a moca adapter on a FIOS network without any performance issues? I’m thinking I might have to look at running an ethernet line through my walls, which is what I was trying to avoid by getting the moca adapter!
9.
Scott K | December 26, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I’ve used PS3 with 1080p video over MoCA many times. It might be a poor connection, but it’s likely a problem with the PC that is serving the video.
You can check the MoCA connection by using the PC application for the adapter or the web gui for the Verizon router.
You should be getting >200Mbps PHY rate which is around 100Mbps throughput.
10.
Scott | January 7, 2010 at 6:26 pm
How is the web gui for the Verizon router used to determine data rate?
11.
Scott K | January 10, 2010 at 11:39 am
It depends on SW revision, but there’s a diagnostics page that shows the PHY rate between every node. It’s under the last tab.
Also, if the PHY rate is below 180Mbps, the MoCA LED should flash.
12.
Ed B | February 21, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I’m switching from FIOS back to cable. I have been using an Actiontec M142WR in the basement to provide internet down there (the wifi for fios from verizon’s box didn’t reach). Once I switch back to cable, I will lose the verizon Actiontec router (but I’ll keep the actiontec m142wr I bought). What can I buy, that I can connect to the router connected to the cable modem upstairs, so that I can continue to use the m142wr in the basement. Will the D-Link HD Media Bridge work? Can I buy another actiontec? How would I make them work together? HELP?
13.
Ed B | February 21, 2010 at 12:33 pm
I’m switching back to cable from FIOS. I had bought a Actiontec M142WR to use in the basement (the fios router was installed upstairs) and it made for a simple solution to have a strong wifi signal in the basement without running any additional wires. Now I’m losing the FIOS and it’s built in MOCA. What can I buy so that I can continue to use the Actiontec I bought in the basement? Can I use another device (like the dlink hd media bridge?) Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thanks
14.
poidawg | February 22, 2010 at 10:58 am
You should be able to use the Actiontec, Dlink or Netgear bridges to continue using MoCA with your cable (or even Verizon) network. If the VZ router won’t work with your cable provider, you may need to replace it with a MoCA bridge connected to a standard wireless router (or whatever router your cable company gives you). All of the bridges work with each other so you can go with whichever vendor Actiontec, Dlink or Netgear you prefer.
15.
homeplug | May 11, 2011 at 10:52 pm
The Aceex’s CB270 is a new MoCA bridge for you reference, http://www.aceex.com.tw/L3CB270.html
16.
James | February 25, 2010 at 7:50 am
What are you guys using to test the thoroughput of your MOCA connections? I’ve used iperf, but I’m only seeing ~30-60Mbps on avg using the default settings.. any other tools that can be used to test the line between two MOCA bridges?
(BTW, my bridges are also ActionTec MI424WR’s Rev A’s)
Thanks!
17.
Scott K | March 9, 2010 at 2:25 pm
iperf is the best free program I’ve used. IxChariot is the preferred professional tool.
the default iperf didn’t work for me. Try the commands below. You should get around 95Mbps which is limited by the 10/100M Ethernet connection.
On server:
iperf -s
On client:
iperf –c -95M –w1000k –l1000
18.
James | April 3, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Where can I get a point of entry filter? Soontai and Eagle Comtronics make them, but I cannot find any online (i.e. ebay)!
Thanks.
19.
poidawg | April 8, 2010 at 4:55 pm
I haven’t seen them on eBay either, you might want to try Soontai’s Service Center on their website and see if they can ship you one. Or maybe buy a few and start selling them on eBay.
20.
Eric | April 30, 2010 at 11:41 am
It has taken me a while to get all my Moca system up and running due to multiple splitters, diplexers, amps, etc., but I finally have it and it works great.
I now purchased two more Netgear devices which I cannot for the love of me connect to the network. Is there something special which needs to be done?
Please help.
21.
Scott K | April 30, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Sometimes they need to have the defaults restored so the channel and password match. Hold down reset button for >10s.
If they still don’t connect, you might try to connect them directly to each other with a cable two at a time to make sure the units can link before you plug them into your home network.
22.
Mark W | June 22, 2010 at 3:26 pm
We currently have FIOS, but are considering cutting the tv portion and keeping only internet.
Will FIOS internet (internet only, no tv, no phone) interfere with OTA tv signal over the same coax?
The FIOS box ties in to coax at the wiring panel splitter, and the antenna ties in to the same coax network in the attic. The router connects to coax downstream.
It sounds like they use different frequencies of the spectrum, but I’d like to confirm before we pull the plug.
23.
Scott | June 25, 2010 at 11:28 am
They are in different bands. However, you should filter the MoCA signal from the antenna to prevent that signal from being broadcast. You need a point-of-entry filter at the antenna.
24.
Jesse0611 | July 14, 2010 at 10:35 am
I understand what MoCA is designed for. I have a slightly different problem for which this might be a great solution. I have two buildings in the woods. One building is getting internet via satellite through a very narrow window in the trees. To get internet to the other we’ve been using wifi, but what with the trees and sand dunes, the signal is iffy. Yeah, we’ve amplified the wifi as much as we can and gone as unidirectional as we can with creative antennas. Still borderline. It looks like I could use two MoCA units and some weatherproof coax to reach between the buildings. My question is distance. I see that the MoCA standard is 300 feet or 300 meters, depending on who you listen to. So first, which is it, meters or feet? Anybody clear on that one? And second, can I expect any better range because I’d be using just a long, straight piece of RG6 without any other cable tv-type signals on it? And third, if it is feet, if I can find an rf amp that is in the bandwidth of MoCA, can I put that in the line to get the kind of signal strength I’m going to need?
Thanks for the thoughts.
WAJ
25.
Scott | July 20, 2010 at 10:23 am
It’s not as simple as feet or meters.
Basically, it can handle about 60dB of attenuation, so if you can find the attenuation for the cable you buy, you will know the distance. RG-6 at 1150MHz has about 10dB loss per 100ft, so you should be able to go at least 600ft.
The amplifier only works in one direction and would block the opposite direction. There’s no easy way to use an amp unless you can find a MoCA-compatible one with pass-through.
26.
Jesse0611 | July 23, 2010 at 10:33 am
Thanks, Scott.
The feet/meters thing really is the most important, here. I’ve got about 450 feet to cover, so I’ve got a good starting point in the research and can continue with a test rig to see how this is gonna work.
Yeah, I guess an amp is one-way. Somehow, I was thinking of the pass-through feature of some cable booster amps. Apples and oranges. In any case, not an issue in my situation.
Again, thanks for the help.
WAJ
27.
KJR | September 14, 2010 at 7:18 am
My Netgear MOCA adapter works great when I attach an ethernet switch to the receiving adapter (the one not connected to the cable modem). But when I try to use an ethernet port on the wifi router connected to the MOCA and cable modem, I get stuttering/stalled video consistently on both adapters. Has anyone else experienced this? I need an ethernet port in the room where the MOCA is connected to the cable modem, and it’s driving me crazy! I tried swapping out the wifi router and using just an ethernet switch, but that didn’t work.
I’d appreciate any suggestions. thanks.
28.
Ed | January 2, 2011 at 8:05 am
Does anyone know about plans for Netgear or Linksys to release MoCA 2.0 home networking devices in the near future? I know Netgear has one but it’s based on MoCA 1.1.
29.
poidawg | January 14, 2011 at 10:53 am
Haven’t heard about any 2.0 gear being available from the major networking brands, but any new products won’t be available this year since the chips are scheduled for early 2012.
30.
Jay | March 23, 2011 at 10:57 am
I have a NetGear MCA1001 MoCA-Ethernet adapter.
1) How should i use the port “COAX OUT”.
2) What is the frequency band of Coax OUT port?
3) Why the TV picture quality decreased when I plug the TV into the Coax OUT port?
Overall, my questions are all about Coax OUT port. Anyone can give a detailed explanation?
Thanks.
Jay
31.
Scott Killmeyer | April 19, 2011 at 1:39 pm
This shows the cable modem connection with Netgear bridges.
http://img64.imageshack.us/i/cablemodemconnection.png/
32.
Jim Ding | August 17, 2011 at 11:23 pm
As I know rejection is a signal attenuation, how come it can make MoCa signal reflection. If filter has 180 degree phase shifting.
33.
Scott Killmeyer | August 22, 2011 at 11:07 am
Jim,
I don’t understand your comments about the filter and rejection, but I can gave a simple explanation of how MoCA works:
The splitters used in coax networks were never designed to allows devices to communicate from one output of the splitter to the other output. They were only made to work from input to output and vice-versa. However, a small amount of the signal leaks (maybe 1/100th) from one output to another. Through complex equalization and other techniques, the devices are able to communicate from output to output.
Typically ‘rejection’ refers to attenuation in a frequency band. The ‘reflection’ you mention is usually undesirable signals that ‘bounce’ off the splitter or other imperfection in the transmission line or termination.
34.
Jim Ding | August 26, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Thank you, Scott
my commentis about the question you listed above. It say:
“How can I improve the performance of the MoCA bridge?
Installing a Point of Entry (POE) filter could possibly improve the performance of your MoCA home network. The POE filter is installed at the cable point of entry to your home and keeps the MoCA signals from leaking out of your home’s cable system. The filter actually reflects MoCA signals back in to your home coax which may boost your signal strength resulting in better performance. Ask your product manufacturer about where to obtain a POE filter. UPDATE: POE filters are available from Soontai or their distributor.”
MoCa filter can not reflect signal in RF network, MoCa signal can not increse by put a MoCa filter at POE. It acts to block MoCa signal leaking out and to bother another MoCa network. at same time it will block most interference of second waves and third waves come from cable system.
insertion loss of a two way splitter is 3-4 db (in and out , 5-1000MHz)
Isolation of a of a two way splitter is 25-35 db ( out to out , 5-1000MHz)
in MoCa Band will be a little difference.
35.
Kaden | September 21, 2011 at 3:05 am
Superb information here, ol’e chap; keep burning the midinhgt oil.
36.
Brian | August 24, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Anyone have any suggestions here – I have FIOS w/ actiontec router. But when I look at my ONT the MoCA light is OFF (so far internet and TV have been fine)
I just hooked up Netgear MoCA adapters to the coax, everything worked great for a while, but hours go by and the signal drops.
Thanks!
37.
Scott Killmeyer | August 27, 2011 at 4:03 pm
It’s not an ideal component. When you put the PoE filter at the input of the splitter, you should get about 9-10dB loss from output to output.
38.
Annette Dusa | September 27, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I’m wondering if someone can help me. I’ve been researching this for a couple days and I’m so confused. I currently have fios telephone & internet, no TV. I currently have a wireless setup and want to switch to a wired setup, connecting just 2 computers in different rooms of my house. The house is wired with coax cable throughout. Can I use the moca setup to connect the 2 computers through the coax cables using moca and ethernet cables? Most of the research I’ve done talks about connecting dvd players or game stations but I just want to hook up 2 computers.
I’m not real conversant in this type of technology so any simplistic help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Annette D
39.
William Jesse | October 19, 2011 at 9:08 am
Hello, Annette.
The short answer is, yes, MoCA does work with computers. The reason this is the short answer is that MoCA might not work in your house, so I’m going to ask you some questions in a moment to see if it looks like this is a possibility for you.
The reason that the things you’ve read about MoCA discuss dvd players and other set-top boxes (STB’s) is that many of those connect to the internet, for one reason or another, to do what they do. One of the main reasons MoCA was invented is because many people have their houses wired with coax but not also with ethernet cable, generally called Cat5. What MoCA does is piggyback computer networking on top of the TV signals that are on the coax. Rather than having to pull extra wiring through the house to the entertainment center, which can be a pain,or mess with WiFi, the idea is to use MoCA instead. Where the cable comes out of the wall behind the entertainment center, a splitter is inserted into the coax line. One of the splits goes to the TV, VCR or other device for receiving the TV signals as usual, the other goes to a MoCA box which receives the computer network signals that are piggybacked, converts them into ordinary wired ethernet and then a short piece of Cat5 is used to connect the MoCA box to the STB so it can do its internet business. In your instance, the MoCA box would connect to your computer instead of an STB. In the future, should you get more sophisticated in your setup, you can connect both your computer and as much as an array of STB’s.
So now some questions for you.
1. Many people call their living space a house even though they live in a condo or apartment. Do you live in a stand-alone house or in a condo or apartment? This might make a difference as to whether MoCA will work for you.
2. How do you get your TV service? Is it via cable, like Comcast or Time Warner? Is it via satellite like DirecTV or Dish Network? Is it via an antenna someplace in your house, like in the attic or on the roof or on top of your TV?
3. Why do you want to move away form WiFi? This is your choice and there are lots of good reasons to not use WiFi, but if it’s because of poor reception at your computers, there may be relatively inexpensive ways to improve this. Going with MoCA will require the purchase of two or more MoCA boxes, some splitters, some coax patch cables, some Cat5 cables and a few other odds and ends. And you or somebody will have to install and configure the setup. You may have these skills or you may have loving friends with them, but if this isn’t the case you might have to pay for this. It is also possible that Verizon (I presume, from your mention of FIOS, that Verizon is your phone/internet provider.) might do this for you. Possibly for free, but most likely for a service charge. Truly, you might want to check with Verizon, again I presume, to see if they will do the whole thing up for you. It will cost you something, but when they leave, it will work.
4. Someplace in your house is your wireless router. Probably has a short antenna on it and some flashing lights. Have a look at this thing and see if it appears to have a connector on the back that TV coax will connect to. It looks like the connector on the back of your TV or VCR that coax connects to. Verizon sometimes uses an all-purpose router that has connections for WiFi, Cat5 and MoCA and just doesn’t use some of them, depending on the individual installation. If the coax connector is there, you have one MoCA box, already. Yay! You’ll need to get others, though, one for each computer.
I’m going to leave this at this point. Based on what I’ve written, see what you think.
Cheers.
WAJ
40.
Scott | May 10, 2012 at 9:22 am
I know this is an old post, but is it possible to have MoCA create a completely internal network? Suppose I had 3 areas I wanted to communicate with each other. I would have 3 MoCA boxes, and all 3 coax cables meeting in a utility closet. How would I wire these together? Would I need a 3-way splitter and connect all 3 to OUT and terminate the IN, or would I use a 2-way splitter, with one IN and two OUT? Again, this would just be for an internal network. No CATV or external internet access.
41.
skillmey | May 15, 2012 at 11:35 am
Answer to #40, question from Scott:
A normal MoCA installation would use a three-way splitter, and you don’t need to terminate the OUT connection, but it might improve the connection. However, since there’s nothing else on the coax, a two-way splitter should work fine as well.
42.
skillmey | May 15, 2012 at 11:38 am
Answer to #38, question from Anette:
If you have Verizon FioS, it uses MoCA. You should have a Broadband Home Router that has MoCA integrated. All of the outlets in your house should have MoCA connectivity. You could purchase a single MoCA adaptor, connect it to a coax outlet and plug it into your computer.