Old system:

Cable demarc to a cable TAP
Tap output to Cable modem
Tap output to amplifier (old school structured wiring panel type 8 output dist. amp).
Amp/distribution outputs to 1 x Motorola HD DVR, 3 x Motorola SD boxes, and 3 x TVs direct connected to cable outlet. (will not work anymore since the switch to all digital)

Old system worked fine for a long long time as laid out above.

New system:

Cable demarc to cable TAP
Tap output to cable modem
Tap output to 8 way MoCA splitter
8-way splitter feeds 1 x Tivo Roamio Pro, 5 x Tivo Mini and 2 x Cable ADD boxes

Signal levels on some channels, according to the Tivo Roamio, are low. I put the existing amplifier in line between the tap and 8-way splitter. The signal was worse. I connected ROamio directly to Tap output, and got great signal. Amp will not work in between splitter and Roamio because it will not pass MoCA signals.

What is my best solution to get a stronger incoming cable signal to the Roamio without jacking with the MoCA network? I should just call the Cable company, but you know how that goes. Different amplifier between tap and splitter? MoCA compatible amp between splitter and Roamio? F it and make Cable One come deal with it?

I didn't see you mentioning a MoCA filter. It's a device that connects to the cable before it enters the house at the ground block or the tap. I personally would put it at the ground block, because I didn't want to climb the pole just for a damn filter. Plus it only works with in 150 feet of the devices anyways. The MoCA filter is suppose to "bounce" back the MoCA frequency talk among the devices. It also kept from the neighbors from seeing the devices.

Is the cable that comes into the house a RG11 or RG7? If it's RG11, then the MoCA filter must be at least at the ground block. As RG11 is only used when the drop is 150feet or more.

This is a MoCA filter we used...

If you have to call the cable company. Hopefully you get someone that knows the stuff... like me ha.

KOT

Yes we have the POE filter. I put it on the input to the 8-way splitter. That is normally where I have been putting them on the recent Tivo installs we have done. I am pretty sure our Tivo rep sent us a diagram of recommended MoCA practices and that considered "kosher".

I may just have cable come look at it. They provide and install MoCA and Tivo. So they should be able to do their thing. I just hate dealing with them.....some of them....most of them...see my other thread. :P

What is the db loss 8-way splitter anyways? Is it an active or passive splitter? We've used either a passive splitter if levels past the splitter were still with in -8 to +8db. Or an active splitter if it was under -8db. Though the active splitter we used didn't add any db, the only made it even to what went in. AKA Unity gain amp.

So if the signal was 0db, and you put an passive 8-way in. It would've taken away 15db on each output. Whereas an active 8-way wouldn't take away anything, it would've kept it at 0db.

Here's an active 8-way... [Link: extreme-broadband.com]

Note the blue tip that is at 3.5db loss? That is there for the modem/phone. Because if the house were to lose power, the modem/phone will still be able to use the cable signal. If, however, it was on one of the other outputs it would lose the cable signal. (Unless you have the power brick for this thing plugged into an UPS/generator.) Besides, the battery back up for the cable in the neighborhood last about 6 to 8 hours.

KOT

I've always used the MOCA filter on the tap/splitter input with the best results.

For me the tap is at the street. Either the pole for overhead or the green box for underground. Then the drop to the house, overhead or underground. Both go into a ground block, MoCA filter then splitter for the house.

Where is the tap for you guys?

KOT

Learn how to figure it out: 2 way splits the power in two; half the power is -3dB. 4 way splits the power twice, so -6dB. 8 way splits the power again, so -9dB.

None of the splitter sections are perfect, so usually the specs are given as -4, -7, and -10, just to allow a little fudge room for reality.


Right.


Nothing supports your "15dB" arithmetic. There should be about 8 dB of attenuation to each output of an 8 way passive splitter.

Note, just for understanding's sake, that we're not talking about any actual loss here! If you take a signal and split it 8 ways, each output has 1/8th the original power. Some people then say this is insertion loss. But if all the outputs add up to the input, there is no insertion loss, just the attenuation you get from splitting. In a perfect world, that's -9 dB from the input. Anything more than 9 dB of attenuation from input to output... THAT could be called loss or insertion loss.

I know how to split. However, there are splitters out there that insert more attenuation than others. That is why I was asking.

KOT

Those would be poorer, or lossy, splitters. Hope I did not insult. That was not the intent. But the 15 dB thing makes no sense.

I read this thread and then receive an email from myself with a link to cablefax.com on making in home moca network easier.

Tap is actually a direct coupler(DC). Tap is used on the feeders outside where the house drop gets its signal. What value tap are using. DC 6, 9 or 12. Most likely the thru leg should feed the 8way and the tap leg(higher loss leg)right to modem. Sure you have it hooked up right. And that poe should go on input of first root splitter of moca system. If all moca devices are on 8way it goes there. If modem is needed on moca network it would go on DC input but no reason for that unless using moca AP and modem setup.

Oh man- RG7!!! When I was a cable contractor I had a house with a direct burial RG-7. Naturally I went to change the fitting as it was rusted out, I cut the fitting off and spent 20 minutes trying to figure out why my RG-6 quad fitting wouldn't cut the mustard.
At the time Adelphia wasn't sending odd fittings to our warehouse and nobody even knew where to get more.
Ended up having to run a temp drop through someone else's yard to restore service.
I then got written up and docked for not getting the neighbors consent for the temp drop.
I learned something that day but I don't know what.

I know Comcast is going to introduce an Amazon Fire like TV Stick. In which their modem has the MoCA and tuner built-in to it. Some of the modems that they are installing already have MoCA built in. So if the modem has MoCA printed on it, usually around the coax input. Then it has MoCA.

This stick is going to connect to the TV via wifi, and presumably a power source and connect to the network via their wifi modem with MoCA.

KOT