[puffdaddy]

I had a happy MoCA setup consisting of a FiOS MI424WR (bridging Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and MoCA LAN), an Edge (MoCA client), and A92 (original) minis.

I swapped out the MI424WR with a G1100, and while the Edge still works (it gets a DHCP address via MoCA and is happy), the A92 minis report no network connection. I've tried fixed IP addresses but still cannot ping them.

I couldn't find whether the original (A92) minis supported MoCA 1.1 or 1.0? And I couldn't find any settings in the G1100 that helped.

*Edit 2* I see that I'm running software version 20.7.4b.RC3-A92-6-A92 on my mini, as I never upgraded to Hydra.

Any thoughts/help would be appreciated.

 

[kpeters59]

Sometimes when replacing MoCA Nodes I've found it necessary to unplug the Nodes that that aren't a 'vital' link.

Unplug everything.

Boot up the G1100. Let it fully 'settle in'. Probably at least three minutes.

Then boot up the new Mini.

It now ought to find the correct MoCA 'path' and get an IP.

Repeat as required. Maybe even unplug the '1st' Mini.

Then boot up the TiVo so you can connect to the Host.

Report back.

-KP

 

[puffdaddy]

Thanks much,

Two things to report back, first, I attempted to configure a static IP on the second A92 mini, and it was happy for ~1-2 minutes, after which it said that it couldn't find the Host DVR, and then was back to *edit* its old state, in which is wasn't worked.

Second, I took down every MoCA node, powered the G1100 up, waited till it was happy, then plugged in a single mini. The single mini couldn't get a DHCP address.

I might revert to the MI424WR to double check the behavior.

Note that the G1100 came from eBay, and I reset it to factory defaults, so I don't know if there's a setting

 

[kpeters59]

I'm not sure about the G1100, but the Mini has a MoCA Diagnostics Page that shows MoCA Levels and MAC Address'.

What does that Mini report?

-KP

 

[puffdaddy]

I'm not sure about the G1100, but the Mini has a MoCA Diagnostics Page that shows MoCA Levels and MAC Address'.

What does that Mini report?

-KP

Link status: Up
Uptime: 0d 0h 6m 19s (I rebooted it, to double check)
Reset Count: 0
Channel: 15
Nodes: 5

The G1100's WebUI seems woefully devoid of any MoCA diagnostics pages.

I wonder if using the Coax WAN and LAN on the G1100 could be affecting things. I might be able to call FIOS and have them switch the ONT to Ethernet...

*Edit* added that I'm running 20.7.4b.RC3-A92-6-A92 software (which I'm not sure is old or current).

 

[kpeters59]

I though you unplugged everything?

There should only be 2 Nodes, then...

You can determine which Nodes are Online by sleuthing the MAC Address' which would match the label on the side of the device.

-KP

 

[puffdaddy]

My apologies,

As I had powered up the second mini and an old Actiontec 54g acting as a MoCA AP.

With those removed, the Mini reports 2 nodes, and the following info (I didn't realize one could "channel-down" in the Network Status menu.
Network version: 1.1
Coordinator MAC Address: <G1100's MAC address, ostensibly>
Packets transmitted: 145
TX Power: -6.00
Packets received: 2019
Bad packets received: 0

MoCA Link History: none

Peer Node MAC: <same MAC as above, again, ostensibly the G1100>
TX PHY Rate (Mbsp): 277559681
RX PHY Rate (Mbps): 277735644
TX power estimate (dBM): -6.00
RX power estimate (dBm): -46.07
Total packets received: 2003
Total pkts w/ errors: 0

 

[puffdaddy]

I've realized that the upstairs Actiontec Rev I might be MoCA 1.0, so I'm leaving that off the network for the time being. But the mini won't get a DHCP address with just it and the G1100 on the network.

 

[kpeters59]

Something dang wrong with that...

With those other devices powered off, what is the MoCA Levels like?

Can you move the Mini over by the G1100 with a short coax cable and see if it improves?

The G1100 is set up to provide DHCP and it's the only DHCP Server on the Network?

-KP

 

[puffdaddy]

With only the G1100 and the mini on the network, the MoCA levels report as above:
TX PHY Rate (Mbsp): 277559681
RX PHY Rate (Mbps): 277735644
TX power estimate (dBM): -6.00
RX power estimate (dBm): -46.07
Total packets received: 2003
Total pkts w/ errors: 0

Yes, the G1100 is the sole DHCP server on the network (though I could add another into the mix, if I reconnected the Actiontec Rev E and configured it to serve as well).

I don't think I can outright move the Mini, as the G1100 is in the HVAC room, where a TV won't fit, but I can remove all the splitters from the mix (the ONT Coax gets split, and each split gets split by 6, to supply all rooms. The G1100 gets one of those splits, and the minis sit on other of those splits.

Thanks

 

[puffdaddy]

Similar results with the G1100 and a mini, when both are connected to coax coming off of the 6-way splitter (and the ONT input into the splitter).

 

[kpeters59]

Maybe try removing the splitters, although the signal levels are within range.

If you assign an IP to the Mini that's in the the same Subnet as the G1100, can you then Ping the Mini with a PC or maybe the G1100 Diagnostics Page?

If you use a MoCA Adapter where the Mini is and plug the Mini in with Ethernet, does it then get an IP from the DHCP Server?

-KP

 

[puffdaddy]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't have a standalone, MoCA adapter. I've just got tivos (bolt and A92 minis), G1100, Actiontec Rev I, and an Actiontec Rev E.

With the Actiontec Rev. E connected to the network and serving DHCP, the mini's can get IPs. So clearly the G1100 isn't playing nice with the A92 minis.

I might have Verizon change the ONT connection from Coax to Ethernet, to see if that makes a difference.

 

[snerd]

*Edit 2* I see that I'm running software version 20.7.4b.RC3-A92-6-A92 on my mini, as I never upgraded to Hydra.

That's definitely part of the problem. The mini needs to be on Hydra to link to an Edge, since the Edge can only run Hydra and they have to both be either TE3 or TE4.

 

[puffdaddy]

Apologies again. It's a bolt, not an edge. I confused the two.

 

[puffdaddy]

Switching the ONT to Eternet (instead of Coax/MoCA) didn't change anything. Minis still cannot get a DHCP address from the G1100, while the *bolt* can do so. Minis can get an address from an old Actiontec rev E router configured as an AP/bridge.

Frustratingly, I'm out of ideas, and may have to fall back to more kludgy solutions (Ethernet or MoCA adapters)...

 

[puffdaddy]

Here's a thought? Is it possible to configure two MoCA networks on different channels? One "main" network, created by the G1100 router (which would serve the Actiontec "APs"), and a second MoCA network on a different channel (meant exclusively for the minis), bridged by the bolt to Ethernet? The Bolt has an Ethernet connection more readily available, so this might trade a more complex setup for minimizing re-cabling and buying additional stuff.

I'm unsure of the network implications (whether two different MoCA networks/channels can coexist?) though...

 

[puffdaddy]

So evidently the network implications were more involved than I anticipated.

I set the bolt to bridge MoCA on channel 29, but this configuration didn't seem to want to coexist with the G1100 (which is evidently hardcoded to channel 15). The entire network came down (my guess is that it created a loop?).

After removing the G1100's Coax connection altogether, the bolt could successfully bridge all MoCA traffic and the minis can get DHCP leases from the G1100. The only curious thing is that the minis reported the MoCA network as being on channel 15, despite me setting the bolt to use channel 29. I'm not sure why this was, but I did notice that the Actiontec Rev E was set to specifically use channel 15, and not "Auto", so I changed that to "Auto". Perhaps I would need to "restart" the MoCA network, one device at a time, in order to establish the MoCA network on channel 29...

The takeaway for me seems to be that the Fios G1100 doesn't seem to have very good MoCA implementation. Seems like the older Actiontec units are better.

*edit* I wonder if I could have used the "privacy" (passphrase based encryption) to further segregate the two MoCA networks on different channels. I'd welcome any thoughts on this

 

[kpeters59]

If you put the Actiontec on the Coax where the Mini is and disable the DHCP server on the Actiontec and plug the Mini in to one of its Ethernet ports, does the Mini get an IP Address?

-KP

 

[krkaufman]

Failing to review the thread to find out for myself, a question for the OP.... Are you using MoCA privacy?

(I’m too busy to hunt it down, right now, but, IIRC, a recent thread described issues w/ Mini connectivity when an EDGE(?) had privacy enabled. I’ll seek it out later, when there’s time.)