How many bridges do I need?

You should not need any bridges at all unless you do not have wired Ethernet available to the Bolt location. The Bolt has its own bridge to create a MoCA network, and a Mini can connect to either MoCA or wired Ethernet without purchasing anything else.

 

Zero. Zero bridges (ahh! Ahh! AHH!)
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If the TiVo BOLT VOX is next to your modem/router, then connect it with Ethernet, as well as the Coax cable. The BOLT can either create a MoCA network, or join one if it already exists.

The Mini will then connect either to a coax or an Ethernet (if available) cable in the bedroom. It’s WAY simpler than it sounds, actually.

Who is your TV provider?

And welcome aboard!!

 

My only recommendation; especially if this is cable and not FiOS, is to add what’s called a “MoCA Filter” where the cable line comes into the house. I.E. before the very first splitter.

The reason for this — when your BOLT creates a MoCA network over the coax lines, the coax is shared with your neighbors. Unfiltered, you could be “extending” your network to your neighbors’ house accidentally. And if they set one up - well, you can imagine the chaos that would cause.

So drop a filter at the first point into the house to make sure your MoCA network... stays yours.

One of these work great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KO5KHS...K3V0QQTHE7Z&pd_rd_w=jctzb&smid=A1UA1XH4C0MK0D

 

might also be called poe filter

 

Yes, POE = Point-of-entry filter

Without one, you risk the cable company's network guys coming out and blocking the line to your house. Without a filter, you leak MOCA networking back out to the street and through their splitter to your neighbors.

 

Note that the "PoE" MoCA filter also provides a performance boost, often critical, by reducing the overall path loss between MoCA nodes.

See:

 

If Charter requires the use of a Tuning Adapter, which they do in this area, you would likely need an additional MoCA POE filter/ Whole Home DVR filter for that. Also the recommended connection would be via a 2 way splitter, with one leg feeding the Bolt and the other with the filter connected to the TA. There is a USB cable which connects the TA to the Bolt also.

 

Good point, and this split recommendation isn't arbitrary; the RF/STB Out pass-through port on the tuning adapter severely attenuates the signal at MoCA frequencies.

(And, yeah, many have also found a MoCA filter installed on the TA's coax input necessary to prevent instability in the TA, owing to MoCA interference.)

 

The Bolt VOX works great providing a Moca connection for my two minis.

I have no idea if Comcast put a Moca filter on my line. I requested one and they said they would install one and scheduled a service call. Nothing was put on my poe ground block and I was home all day and never saw a truck. Online it says the service call was done and the ticket was closed.

Since all works fine I assume if there is a problem it is their problem. Could they have installed it at the pedestal in the neighbors yard?

 

Ideally the "PoE" MoCA filter would be installed on the input of the first splitter encountered by the incoming cable signal, to maximize the performance benefit mentioned above.

 

If an ethernet connection is not available next to the mini; you can use a powerline adapter from the router to the mini's location. (TP-link) I use this method and it works great.