Romeo Moca Scenario Help ...Tricky

You need to create MOCA for the second mini. It won't do to just attach the coax from the antenna. I'll let the experts give you the exact instructions.

 

Who is your ISP? What is your router? Can you get an Ethernet cord to your Tivo OTA? Can you provide a diagram of you current situation coax/network wise?
In any case you will probably need one MoCA filter, possibly a couple sat grade diplexers, and at least one MoCA adapter.

 

The TiVo "Whole Home" solution works fine with a mix of Ethernet and MoCA. The main things you'll need to avoid are allowing the OTA antenna and cable TV/Internet signals onto the same coax lines, and letting the MoCA signals get to the antenna. Also, if you find that you do need an amplifier for your antenna signal, its placement will be crucial, since amps can pose problems for MoCA signals. Of course, you first have to have a MoCA network for these concerns to matter. Since none of your TiVo devices are capable of creating a MoCA network, you'll need a MoCA adapter to provide this function, connected to the Ethernet LAN and to a coax line connecting back to the coax outlets at which you want MoCA connectivity.

OTA/CATV signal isolation :: Your described setup with the isolated cable Internet run, and known Ethernet connectivity at the Living Room Roamio location, indicates you'll be able to keep the cable TV/Internet signals completely physically isolated from the OTA antenna signals, so you're good on this front.

? Question ? :: Separate from the cable Internet coax run, will you also have an antenna coax run from the "OTA" splitter in the garage to the cable modem location? (Not critical that you do, just need to know what options are available for placement of the MoCA-creating MoCA adapter.)

 

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Re: antenna/satellite diplexers

Though we're not working with satellite signals, antenna/satellite diplexers can be helpful in some MoCA setup scenarios. The difference maker is that the MoCA technology employed in TiVos uses frequencies up in the satellite range (MoCA "D band") ...

Signal frequencies:

OTA: 54-806 MHz
cable (TV/Internet): 5-1002 MHz
MoCA (D band): 1125-1675 MHz
​

Diplexer passpand frequencies:

ANT (VHF/UHF) port: 40-806 MHz
SAT port: 950-2150 MHz​

... allowing use of a diplexer for merging or splitting OTA & MoCA signals.

Some users have used diplexers to isolate OTA and CATV coax segments while allowing MoCA to flow between the segments through the diplexer "SAT" port (not needed by you, owing to the planned physical separation); to conserve OTA signal strength while delivering the antenna signal to a single outlet of a MoCA-enabled multi-outlet coax plant; or simply to split MoCA & OTA signals onto separate coax lines, at a slightly lower signal loss than would be experienced using a 2-way splitter, when each line only needs the associated signal.

 

We're typing past each other. I understand your setup, given the excellent description in the OP, and MoCA is easily doable for you -- in case that wasn't made clear in the earlier posts.

I appreciate the latest post, and do understand some of the frustration, but this post doesn't provide any additional detail beyond the OP, didn't answer the one question posed above, and doesn't make clear where the information provided thus far by several commenters falls short in advancing your understanding of MoCA and how to make it happen for your setup.

I had other feedback and details to add, but figured it would be best to wait until I heard back on the outstanding question -- and, further, didn't want to invest too much time posting if your's was just another drive-by query, as often happens. How you proceed is entirely up to you -- obviously -- but a bit of MoCA flavoring in your network setup will be quite trivial, provided a bit of dialogue back and forth.

Again, I understood this from your very detailed OP (thx!); however, it doesn't answer my one question regarding whether there would be an additional OTA-only coax run to the same location as the cable modem & router. This run isn't critical; it would just allow for more flexibility in your deciding where to place the necessary MoCA-creating MoCA adapter.

-----
edit: p.s. The diplexer background info post was just informational. You won't have a *need* for diplexers in your setup; however, understanding how they function may allow you to save a few dBs of signal strength in some areas of your configuration.

 

Correct, although... NONE of your Minis will need the "OTA signal"; the Roamio will do all the OTA tuning, and will stream the recorded or live content to the Minis via your home network (a mix of Ethernet and MoCA, in your case).

Yep.

Zero problem, once a MoCA network has been established on the coax lines connecting to that coax wall outlet.

- - -

I guess part of my issue is not understanding your level of knowledge of MoCA.

At its most general, MoCA's not much different than wireless or Powerline, with which you're obviously familiar. In the case of both wireless and Powerline you'll have an access point that links devices using the associated protocol over to the Ethernet LAN -- in the case of wireless it's typically via a wireless access point in-built in the router, and Powerline will require a Powerline adapter connected to your Ethernet LAN (and connected, by necessity, to an electrical outlet). MoCA is more similar to Powerline, per my previous description...

So, tossing aside the generalities, the Office coax outlet for Mini #2 needs a MoCA signal. The simplest solution for you will be to connect this outlet back to your OTA splitter, and have the MoCA signal injected onto these lines via a MoCA adapter at another of your OTA-connected outlets, though it must be a location where there is also access to your Ethernet LAN. The most logical choices are the Roamio location, or at the cable modem/router.

Given the available options, the typically preferred modem/router location could only be recommended if a second coax run to the location were available, separate from the cable Internet run -- thus the open question. If the MoCA adapter is installed at the Roamio location, both the Roamio and MoCA adapter will need connections to the Ethernet LAN -- either via independent runs or by connecting both devices to a network switch which is connected back to the router's Ethernet LAN.

As for what MoCA adapter to choose, there are a number of alternatives available. Seriously. >See here<. And your choice will hinge on your plans for MoCA, your budget, and desired simplicity vs. openness to a bit of DIY configuration. The cheapest solution would likely be buying a Verizon MI424-WR Rev.I router off eBay and down-configuring it into a simple MoCA 1.1 adapter w/ a built-in Gigabit Ethernet switch. The options aren't endless, but they are many.

Some other possibilities, as examples...

​

edit: As can be seen from the example diagrams, how the MoCA adapter would be connected to the coax lines is dependent on the MoCA adapter chosen, and user preference. If one opts for a MoCA adapter with a second coax port, labeled "RF/TV Out," to which the DVR could be connected, a splitter (or diplexer) wouldn't be needed -- unless preferred by the user. (If unused, cap a MoCA adapter's "RF/TV Out" port with a 75-ohm terminator.)


Still to be addressed:

• "PoE" MoCA filter
• Amplifier

 

And you'd have been correct if TiVo had included MoCA bridging functionality in either the OTA-capable 4-tuner Roamios or the Mini. As just posted, you need to add a MoCA "access point" to your OTA coax lines to enable connectivity for any MoCA clients attached to those lines.

As an aside...

• The Mini can only connect as a MoCA client; it cannot bridge between MoCA/coax and Ethernet.
  
• The only TiVo DVRs that can act as MoCA bridges, providing the ability to establish a MoCA network, are the 4-tuner Premieres, the 6-tuner Roamios and either BOLT series model.

 

Ok, thanks; so Roamio location for the MoCA adapter it is...!

 

As you work on whittling down your options, keep in mind:

• 4-tuner Roamio network interface is Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps)
• Mini MoCA interface is MoCA 1.1
• Mini Ethernet interface is Fast Ethernet

 

I believe both of these concerns were addressed in the latter portion of my earlier post, >here<. Let me know if not.

p.s. Oh, one thing I didn't cover, related to your second question, is that the splitter (or diplexer) feeding the MoCA adapter and Roamio wouldn't be needed if you opted for a MoCA adapter with a second coax port, labeled "RF/TV Out," to which the Roamio could be connected. For example:

​

 

FYI... links to various MoCA-friendly products or components that you may require...

• MoCA adapters
• MoCA filters (aka PoE filters; more info >here<)
  
• MoCA splitters: Holland GHS-PRO-M, Starburst, Verizon
• Hybrid MoCA splitters: Amphenol, PPC, eBay (How-to: Video1, Video2)
• MoCA bypass amplifiers
• antenna/satellite diplexer (background info >here<)
• 75-ohm terminators (though almost always better to right-size splitters)
• 3 GHz barrel connectors

Xx#moca #mocaparts

 

Re: "PoE" MoCA filter

You'll want to get a "PoE" MoCA filter (e.g.) installed on the coax line heading to your antenna, to prevent MoCA signals from emanating from your antenna and to more efficiently reflect the MoCA signals back onto your coax lines, improving your MoCA network performance. This filter would typically be installed on the input to the first split encountered by the coax line coming from the antenna. More info on "PoE" MoCA filters >here<.

 

Re: amplifier

Amplifiers can be problematic for MoCA signals, often blocking or severely weakening MoCA signals between the amplfier ports. Ideally, any required amplification would happen upstream from your MoCA coax segment, perhaps using an in-line amplifier prior to any splits of the antenna coax line -- allowing insertion of a "PoE" MoCA filter on the input of the initial splitter to isolate the MoCA signals from the amp circuitry. For example:

​

This is effectively what basic "MoCA amplifiers" with a built-in MoCA filter are doing... albeit within a single device (e.g.).

NOTE: "MoCA bypass amplifiers" designed for cable installations are slightly different animals, providing a bypass path to route the MoCA signal between the unamplified modem port and the other output ports (e.g.).​

See also >this parallel thread discussion<, posts 3-9, for additional options and background.

 

Ah-ha!, that explains why you were looking at the 2-pack.

The Mini has MoCA connectivity built-in...

... and so doesn't need the assistance of a standalone MoCA adapter to connect to an established MoCA network. You'll just configure the Mini via the 'Change Network Settings' dialog to "Connect using MoCA" --- once you've established the MoCA network via a MoCA adapter at the Roamio location.