Help with Moca Connection & Tivo Volt Mini

Minis have MoCa built-in, Bolts also. (except 4 tuner models) Its just a question of whether the Moca connections work.

 

If the modem/gateway/router is Moca capable, you could turn it on by logging into its IP. Otherwise, a MoCa adapter (AKA Tivo Bridge) is needed at that location. Bolt 6 tuner (or Roamio Plus/Pro) has built-in Moca (host), but it also requires ethernet connection in addition to the coax.

 

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You will need at least one POE MoCA filter, possibly 2 if your Comcast modem is not MoCA friendly, but unlikely. If you have a common coax connection to your W1424WR(MoCA builtin and active by default) plus an Ethernet connection to it's WAN port you should have a MoCA network active assuming your coax runs are connected somewhere. The MoCA filter needs to be placed on the input of the first splitter to enter your home, unless Comcast used a 2 way with one leg feeding the cable modem and the other leg feeding another multiport splitter for your other coax runs. In that last case, the MoCA filter would go on the input of that multiport splitter. Your Bolt should connect to a MoCA network via coax only. If you also connect Ethernet from the router it will likely create 2 MoCA networks and fail....the minis should be connected via coax and use MoCA for their network connection.
Phone CSR's are generally the worst place to get support help...these forums are likely the best especially for MoCA issues. you should not need another MoCA adapter. If you still find you are having problems after getting everything working, do a full power reset, pull the power on cable modem, router, all Tivos, and then starting with the cable modem, to router, to Tivo DVR to minis, power on each in order and allow them to fully reboot starting with the cable modem before going to the next item and so on.
Come back, report progress. If still having issues, the easiest way to sort issues is via a diagram or sketch of your network coax and ethernet devices.

 

If you can get ethernet from Bolt to router, then the rest can be MoCa. The Bolt will be host.

 

Possie, can you describe how you have connected the Bolt DVR to Fios and Comcast? Im not clear on the coax and ethernet feeds coming into your home in this configuration. Do you have a Fios ONT, a large box where the Fiber line comes into your home and gets converted into Ethernet, Coax and phone lines? Comcast I would think delivers cable tv over its own coax cable to your home - is that the case?

 

I think that is the culprit. It passes up to that 1000 MHz and MoCa is higher, in the 2000 Mhz range.

 

Possie, the coax line on the back of your Fios router is your Moca network leg, assuming that you would use the router as the Moca bridge. Can you trace the coax line that is connected to the back of the router back to the FIOS ONT box or does it go to the Comcast coax line, which is the 3 way splitter you mention? That will help us figure out if the Router, Mini, and Bolt are on the Same physical network. If that is all wired up to Comcast then Yes, upgrade the splitter to 2ghz would help, and add a POE filter in Front of the 3-way splitter to keep Moca from flowing out of your home ...

 

Ok, so the only cable going to the Bolt DVR is the coax, correct? There is NO Ethernet cable on the Bolt (which is what we want for Moca-only), and the Bolt has connected to TiVo service, has an IP address, and all is good with comcast cable card/TV, correct? That would confirm that the Moca is working properly and the Router is handling Moca.

If all that is true, I would bring the Mini to the basement, and connect the coax that is going to the basement TV to the Mini, then re-run the Guided Setup (Help screen), choosing Moca and confirm that it can connect to the Internet. In the Moca setup, choose 'Auto' channel instead of a specific value.

One other point. Did you purchase the Mini from Tivo directly or 3rd party? When was it activated? There is a lag period between activation request and when the Mini becomes 'active'. This is a frustrating part of the TiVo experience... so all your connections may have been completely fine, but waiting for TiVo activation cycle to complete. YMMV

 

Quick take ... you have coax lines for cable TV, and you have coax for your FiOS connection, but MoCA enabled on the FiOS couldn’t reach your cable TV coax devices, since these coax lines need to be kept separate, else you’ll have signal conflicts (barring trickery).

The simplest/cleanest solution would be if you had an additional unused coax outlet available at the FiOS router location, which could be connected to your cable TV coax plant ... and then use a standalone MoCA adapter to bridge the FiOS router Ethernet LAN to a MoCA network on the cable TV coax lines. You would then configure both the DVR and Mini as MoCA clients.

 

Yes, boxes purchased from TiVo are activated at shipping. (Makes for easier setup when they arrive.)

 

But as a wireless client, correct?

(You’ll want the BOLT as a MoCA client, as well, once the kinks are worked-out.)

 

Bolt connected via WiFi is using Ethernet (just without a wire). Since you know this works, and can revert back since you have set this up already, I'd suggest trying to get Moca to work with the Bolt and disabling wifi at the Bolt. If we get that to work then we know a few things and will give you a stronger Bolt experience with hard-wired coax connections instead of wifi.

Let's disable Ethernet and Wifi on the Bolt and have the Bolt use Moca as it's method to get to the Internet. You can change those in the Network Settings screen, choose Moca Client and disable Ethernet and Wifi. If the Bolt can get an IP address and pass the Network tests, then Moca is working and provided by your Router. If not, then Moca isn't working and would point to either the router not setup for moca, or the coax wiring such that the Bolt coax and Router coax are not on the same physical network or the splitter is limiting the moca traffic.

If you don't want to touch the Bolt because it is working, then Yes, take the Mini to the basement, put the coax onto it and run the guided setup. Choose Moca. Do Not change the Bolt to moca, that is not needed for the mini. Mini and Bolt can be on different connection types, but they must be on the Same network. If the Mini can get an IP address then Moca is working. If Mini cant get IP address it will give an error message.