MoCA Adapters

YouTube suggested a video from LonTV explaining about MoCA adapters. By using your home’s existing in wall Coax cables to further expand your home network. It has been years since disconnecting any Satelite or CableTV. There are parts of my home where the WiFi is a bit weak. The thought of running Ethernet cables to the rooms or paying someone else to do it deters me. Just using working with what I have and not re-inventing the wheel.

When I came across the video, I did not hesitate to try it out. I purchased 2 Hitron MoCA adapters. Read up on more information on how to integrate in my home. I changed the default password, set static IP address and enabled the encryption. Currently, running Spectrum Cable internet. The few items I needed were the following:

• MoCA Filter – You place this connector where the Spectrum line comes in from the outside. The filter is essential to not let your in home data transfer bleed out to the Spectrum Network. Then connect the filter to the splitter.
• MoCA Splitter – I had to upgrade the original splitter that came with the home. It was rated up to 1000mhz. It is great for Satelite/CableTV. MoCA operates at the higher end spectrum so get a splitter that operates 5-2300/2500Mhz.
• Coax Cable Crimpers – I replaced the cable crimpers I had. These are are lot easier to work over my older crimpers.
• Coax Tester – The one that I purchased was under $25 dollars and came with several color coded ID finders. The link I used is something similar but a bit pricier. You connect a color end in a room, then test it at the Coax splitter outside the home. It makes it easier to tell which cable goes to what room.
• MoCa Adapters – Hitron MoCA adapters. The protocol MoCA is backwards compatible and vendor neutral and you can mix and match devices.

How to wire the Cable Modem to the MoCA adapter? Reddit has the answers.

Went into the rooms and set a finder at each Coax connection. Went outside and tested the cables and looked at my notes which color goes to what room. Used my label maker and marked the splitter. Even found a cable that was never terminated and did not know where it went. Found out it went to the dinning room. Terminated and tested the cable and is now part of the home network. Future Plan would be on getting a TV mounted in the dinning room and hook up a MoCA adapter to a POE switch. POE Switch would be to power an Access Point. Will be upgrading Access Points in the home with better coverage and with a controller to maintain updates and configurations. Such as Ubiquity or TP-Link.

The majority of the rooms have MoCA adapters and the end devices have 1Gb speed. Seems when using the streaming media boxes there is less lag and more responsive. Enjoying this upgrade. Next upgrade will be breaking the network with VLANS, WiFI and POE Switches…oh my.