[patrone]

hey folks,

So I finally cut the cord and went OTA. I picked up a used Roamio OTA box on eBay and figured I’d just replace my Roamio Pro...not so fast!

Unfortunately, I forgot that Roamio OTA boxes don’t come with built-in moca! I have a mini in my bedroom and no ethernet connection available.

Here are my questions...

1) Is it possible to use my Roamio Pro (no longer in service) to create a moca connection in the house? Then connect my Mini and my OTA on that network? I wouldn’t be using the Roamio Pro for anything other than establishing a moca network. Will that work? And can I do that without paying for service on that box?

2) if that won’t work...I assume I’ll need a TiVo Bridge correct? Those things aren’t cheap ($80 - I paid that much for the Roamio OTA!) so I’m trying to avoid it if possible.

 

[V7Goose]

!. I do not know about using the Roamio Pro just as a stand-alone MoCA bridge - I might work, and should be easy to test.

2. There are much cheaper options that the TiVo Bridge - options covered in multiple threads in these forums.

FYI - Your Roamio OTA and your Mini do NOT both need to be on MoCA. Once you have a bridge in place anywhere on your network, the Mini on MoCA can talk to the Roamio on wired Ethernet. MoCA is not a 'new' network in your house, just an extension of your exiting LAN using different technology, the same way WiFi is just an extension of your existing LAN.

 

[JLV03]

Keep in mind that the Roamio OTA will need to be connected via Ethernet no matter how you create a MoCa network for the Mini. Is this possible with the Roamio in your current location?

There are much cheaper ways to create a MoCa network than using a Roamio Pro. However, another benefit of the Roamio Plus/Pro is that those boxes have the TiVo Stream built in. I am currently using a Roamio Plus with a dummy/test CableCard to record locals and act as a Stream for my base model Roamio.

If you have used the Roamio Pro for some time, I would call up TiVo and ask if you can get lifetime added for a reasonable (say $99) fee.

 

[V7Goose]

Keep in mind that the Roamio OTA will need to be connected via Ethernet no matter how you create a MoCa network for the Mini. Is this possible with the Roamio in your current location?

There are much cheaper ways to create a MoCa network than using a Roamio Pro. However, another benefit of the Roamio Plus/Pro is that those boxes have the TiVo Stream built in. I am currently using a Roamio Plus with a dummy/test CableCard to record locals and act as a Stream for my base model Roamio.

If you have used the Roamio Pro for some time, I would call up TiVo and ask if you can get lifetime added for a reasonable (say $99) fee.

The Roamio OTA does NOT need to be connected only via wired Ethernet; it can use a MoCA adapter just like any other device. But he clearly has Ethernet available in that location; otherwise, his Roamio Pro would not have been able to work as a MoCA Bridge in the past.

And since the OP clearly said his Roamio Pro no longer has a service contract, it cannot connect to any other TiVo box or device to stream programs. Since he is looking for a cheaper solution for MoCA, it really would not make sense for him to pay to add a service contract back to the Roamio Pro. If the MoCA bridge still works in it without service, then it is a 'free' solution for him (not considering the potential loss of resale value). But perhaps you were suggesting that paying for service on the Pro would make sense if he decided he also wanted to ADD external streaming capability back to his TiVos?

 

[patrone]

My setup is pretty simple. I have a Roamio OTA directly connected to an amplified antenna sitting next to my router and my living room tv. My mini is in the bedroom with no ethernet connection.

I'm looking for the cheapest, simplest solution to connect the mini. The OTA works fine...just can't connect the mini right now because I removed the box handling moca.

What should I do?

 

[V7Goose]

My setup is pretty simple. I have a Roamio OTA directly connected to an amplified antenna sitting next to my router and my living room tv. My mini is in the bedroom with no ethernet connection.

I'm looking for the cheapest, simplest solution to connect the mini. The OTA works fine...just can't connect the mini right now because I removed the box handling moca.

What should I do?

Gee, I thought we already answered this. But here it is again with more detail.

Disclaimer: I have no idea if you can even boot a Roamio Pro without a cable card in it, so that might be an issue for you to perform the first test.

First, re-connect your Pro to both the house coax and your router and see if you can configure the Network options in it to enable the MoCA Bridge. If so, you are done. (The Pro does NOT need to be connected to your antenna coax, just the house coax that connects to the Mini.) We know the network adapter in a TiVo with no service works (that is how you sign up for service), so the only question is if the MoCA part also works. In fact, it will probably already be configured correctly just as it was when you last used it, so the Mini might just immediately start working as soon as the Pro is booted - you would only need to select the new host.

If the MoCA Bridge cannot be enabled without service, then look in other threads here for cheaper MoCA options. There has been one adapter available for less than $20. Another option is an Ethernet Powerline adapter; virtually any speed should be fine. Heck, I've probably got a very old one in a junk box somewhere I'd sell you for $15 shipped. Another option is a wireless extender that also provides a wired Ethernet jack. These have all been discussed on this forum many times, and the information is available for just a tiny amount of research.

 

[JoeKustra]

I'm looking for the cheapest, simplest solution to connect the mini. The OTA works fine...just can't connect the mini right now because I removed the box handling moca.
What should I do?

You could use a wireless bridge, like the DAP-1650 if you have a decent router and nothing to mess up the signal.

You could use the TiVo wireless adapter [joke] -> Tivo Mini Wifi Adapter

Cheap? sorry.

 

[JLV03]

The Roamio OTA does NOT need to be connected only via wired Ethernet; it can use a MoCA adapter just like any other device.

I'm having trouble visualizing how a Roamio OTA uses a MoCa adapter? As far as I know the base Roamio and the Roamio OTA do not have any MoCa hardware, thus the only connection available for use with a Mini network is via the physical Ethernet RJ45 jack on the back of it.

 

[302481]

I use a Moca Adapter with my Roamio OTA. Paid $9 for it. Attach coax to one port, Ethernet to the other. There may even be a couple of threads that go into great detail.

If $9 is a deal breaker, maybe skip lunch or Starbucks one day to raise the needed funds.

 

[V7Goose]

I'm having trouble visualizing how a Roamio OTA uses a MoCa adapter? As far as I know the base Roamio and the Roamio OTA do not have any MoCa hardware, thus the only connection available for use with a Mini network is via the physical Ethernet RJ45 jack on the back of it.

You are right - those boxes do not have any built-in MoCA capability, and that is why it would need a MoCA adapter to use MoCA.

A MoCA adapter is simply a stand-alone device that has both a coax and Ethernet jack, and to use it, the network must also have a MoCA Bridge somewhere. Any Ethernet device (Roamio OTA, computer, etc) can connect to the MoCA adapter via its own Ethernet port, and the adapter will allow that device to work on your network over coax through the MoCA Bridge. With the adapter, the Roamio OTA does not need to have direct Ethernet connection to any part of your home Ethernet LAN, so it can function anywhere there is a central coax connection, just like a Mini can (the Mini just has a built-in MoCA adapter).

 

[krkaufman]

Here are my questions...

1) Is it possible to use my Roamio Pro (no longer in service) to create a moca connection in the house? Then connect my Mini and my OTA on that network? I wouldn't be using the Roamio Pro for anything other than establishing a moca network. Will that work? And can I do that without paying for service on that box?

2) if that won't work...I assume I'll need a TiVo Bridge correct? Those things aren't cheap ($80 - I paid that much for the Roamio OTA!) so I'm trying to avoid it if possible.

1) If the Roamio Pro had TiVo service, yes, possibly the largest physical MoCA adapter available -- though an equivalent cheap MoCA adapter would seem the better alternative.

2) See some alternatives to a standard MoCA 2.0 TiVo Bridge, here. The WCB3000N remains the cheapest option for supporting MoCA 1.1 Minis; and keep in mind that the Roamio OTA will be limited to Fast Ethernet, at best, by its network port.

There are much cheaper ways to create a MoCa network than using a Roamio Pro. However, another benefit of the Roamio Plus/Pro is that those boxes have the TiVo Stream built in. I am currently using a Roamio Plus with a dummy/test CableCard to record locals and act as a Stream for my base model Roamio.

If you have used the Roamio Pro for some time, I would call up TiVo and ask if you can get lifetime added for a reasonable (say $99) fee.

With the added services provided by the Roamio Pro, including the above, additional storage space, plus the promised streaming apps for Roku, Apple TV, etc., getting Lifetime/All-In service at $99 might be worthwhile. Heck, it would be worthwhile likely just to improve the resale value of the box, which would pay for whatever MoCA upgrades you'd require.

My setup is pretty simple. I have a Roamio OTA directly connected to an amplified antenna sitting next to my router and my living room tv. My mini is in the bedroom with no ethernet connection.

I'm looking for the cheapest, simplest solution to connect the mini. The OTA works fine...just can't connect the mini right now because I removed the box handling moca.

What should I do?

Cheapest likely won't equate to simplest. The cheapest sol'n would likely be a WCB3000N or a Frontier NVG468MQ, both priced in the $20-30 range; but both require a bit of configuration to downconfigure them to just simple MoCA adapters. A refurb standard MoCA 2.0 TiVo Bridge or goCoax MoCA 2.5 adapter could both be had for around $55, but should require no configuration.

 

[krkaufman]

The Roamio OTA does NOT need to be connected only via wired Ethernet; it can use a MoCA adapter just like any other device. But he clearly has Ethernet available in that location; otherwise, his Roamio Pro would not have been able to work as a MoCA Bridge in the past.

Two Ethernet connections are required to replace a Roamio Pro with a Roamio OTA and MoCA adapter, one for the MoCA adapter to connect to the router LAN and the other for the Roamio OTA to connect to the LAN. Not an issue with the DVR situated at the router, assuming the router has an additional open LAN port.

The "cheap" solutions, a WCB3000N and NVG468MQ, would resolve any concern on this front owing to both having multiple built-in Ethernet ports.

 

[Ljutic Driver]

Yes you can. I am doing virtually the same thing. Have a Bolt using OTA and 3 Mini. Instead of running MOCA on my OTA coax, I am using an UNSUBSCRIBED Roamio as the MOCA bridge. Ethernet to Roamio and Bolt, Mini x 3 connected to Roamio coax.

 

[Scrith]

I just picked up 5 of the gocoax MoCA 2.5 adapters and they are working great right out of the box. Highly recommended!