I see some of you trust MOCA. I have a select few in operation and it seems to work. I don't have enough under my belt to be fully confident in it.

On the surface, just connecting RG6 and ethernet to Actiontec adapters and done seems like a dream. But I have read or maybe wrongly understood that there can be issues like splitters that won't pass it and so on.

So instead of an "it works great all the time" thread, I wonder if you can tell me what has gone wrong on your MOCA installs so I can know what to watch out for. Best practices to observe.

Also, what procedures do you use when it doesn't seem to be working?

Tom,
It scares the hell out of me but the guys at Holland assure me it works, and it has, for six months. The Doorbird was a problem from the start so I'm not ready to say it's a DECA problem.

One reason it scares me is that it's a bastard combination of signals shared on a common buss and signals that each should feed a 75 ohm line. They tell me that SWM splitters are not strictly 75 ohm devices that feed signals in particular directions, but rather share signals going in any particular direction, which is why you don't have to have a master Genie output split into separate signals: the Genie can attach to any port anywhere.

How, then, could they do the other thing they talk about, sending modulated signals below 400 MHz (or so; somewhere near there) to as many places as we want to, with no attention to matching or to ins and outs? I haven't tried that yet as the client is involved in other interests now.*


*Rotting foundation, leaking roofs. Did I tell you it was a flip?

Tom,
Here is a great read when you get a chance. It will help explain the nature of the MoCA signal, why it is so robust and what can cause it problems.
This is a new paper that came out, that helps understand the problems dealing with a mixed system of MoCA & DOCSIS 3.1 as well.

[Link: mocalliance.org]

Link for MoCA vs. DECA information:

[Link: gizmolovers.com]

It does work well. Must have a quality cable system though out house. no rediculously long runs. I know Ernie, at what length does cable become ridiculous. I bet one of the papers posted has those lengths. I believe 300'. And the use of filter at root splitter of the moca devices to overcome port to port isolation of splitters.

DECA operates at lower frequencies, so a typical 1GHz splitter will work fine. Moca goes up to about 1.6GHz, so a 1GHz splitter could theoretically attenuate it too much. In my own home, I use old 1GHz splitters, and Moca still works fine. But I don't have any really long runs.

Amps need to be Moca compliant, unused ports should be terminated, and POE filters should be used at the POE and before any devices that are not Moca compliant, like tuning adapters and such. Mixing in OTA brings anther set of issues, but usually nothing that can't be fixed with POEs and diplexers.

In my very limited experience, Moca is very reliable.

I never got to the mixing in UHF part... Instead I'd be taking the one and only camera on this entire building and modulating it, feeding it over the DECA out to the kitchen, theater and master bedroom TVs. As I said, I never got there.

I don't think any of the cable runs come anywhere close to ridiculous in length. The house is about 80 feet from end to end, and of course the dish and head end are near one end of that. Besides, it works well!

So you can modulate it above DECA frequencies? For example, if you modulate to the typical Ch 3 - 69, DECA will usually walk all over it. Moca will not, so it would be the best choice for this application, although more expensive. If you want to give DECA a try anyway, you'll just have to experiment with the channels and hopefully find a window that works.

I don't quite understand what you're doing overall. DECA carries TCP/IP traffic, not video. So I don't know what DECA is doing for you unless you want wired ethernet in all those locations as well. How do all those rooms get a CATV or OTA signal? DECA will also walk on those. Sounds like this isn't a very good fit for DECA, unless I'm missing something.

Dave,
I'm guessing that you're responding to me. If not, try again with a name!


No. DECA doesn't use the entire spectrum. I believe it doesn't use anything below, say, 450 MHz, and there are diplexers that will mix in or out signals below 400 MHz using the same RG6 that the DECA is on.

So it's not using DECA at all; it's using more of the spectrum and carefully avoiding the DECA frequencies.


I'm not going to look up my notes on this right now; it's been a long several days of work! But the engineers at Holland described the different products to be used so that you could mix in some channels. I have DirecTV in the system, so all I wanted was a modulated camera signal. Do we agree there should be room for one channel?

I see by checking my channel frequency list that you must be describing standard broadcast channels. Channel 69 is at 801.25 MHz. DECA, as I said, won't handle anything above 400 MHz (more or less -- I forget exactly), and broadcast jumps from Ch 13 at 211.25 MHz to Ch 14 at 471.25 MHz, so every channel above 13 will be stomped on by DECA. Don't forget the possibility that they might stomp on DECA, too!



As regards modulated channels, I hope I've clarified it.


Where did I say, or why do you assume, that I want CATV or OTA in any of those rooms? DECA was never a subject or issue until we already had DirecTV... so we've get plenty of channels for programming!

I said I wanted to modulate the one single camera that's on the house.


You were. I want internet in some of those locations. Three places have streaming boxes, two places have computers, and there's a wired doorbird.
Remember, the CAT cables in the house were cut prior to the house being finished for flipping. Constuction of the house is such that there is no reasonably priced possibility of wired internet outside the cable system. I wasn't about to try to run three streaming devices... let me just leave it at this: the Doorbird wouldn't work on wifi with the components where we can put them. It had to be wired. I had to have a wired network. DECA solved the problem.

And then I found that I could put some TV channels on the cables in parts of the spectrum not used for other things....

I made very reasonable assumptions. Most people are going to have CATV or OTA or SAT in rooms with TVs. Internet only is pretty unusual. I didn't attempt to digest everything in both threads before responding. Just sharing my experience with DECA.

Your plan should work. I know some cheap modulators can only do CH 3 or 4. Glad yours can use any frequency you want.

If you're interested, I have about 8 DECA adapters including power supplies that I no longer use. They're still in like new condition as most were spares that were never put in service. I'd let them go for $10 each plus shipping at cost, if you're interested. That's probably less than Holland is asking.

Yeah, I see I didn't make it clear that DirecTV was my starting point. Sorry!

At the moment I have a couple of DECA adaptors... I might buy yours. I'll let you know by PM, probably tonight.


I might as well change the subject: So I read that you can use DECA without DirecTV. Does that mean that if you put a DECA adaptor on each end of an RG6, you basically have a long version of a CAT5 cable?

I have used it many times.

-You will want to make sure all splitters are Moca 2 compatible. Especially if you are using the current Moca devices. Those are not as easy to come by. I use either the Verizon ones or the ones from PDI. I bought a decent qty from PDI and they make the splitters for Verizon.

-Wiring and terminations can be issues as well.

-There is a device limit

Other pitfalls can be the cable co itself. Fios is always a dream but Comcast was nothing but nighmares for me. In one home that had comcast I needed to get a AP on the 2nd fl. No way to run new wires. All coax was luckily homerun. Used existing coax in a room, which had no TV. Just ran point to point over that cox with Moca Adapters on both ends to router and Ruckus AP

- You also may need a Moca filter to put on the house as well, depending on the use scenario.

Pretty much. That how I used it in my application (5 rooms with coax only). Not nearly as fast as ethernet, being half-duplex, but fast enough for streaming applications. Moca is much, much faster.