Home Networking Question (MoCA/TIVO)

[salennon07]

I'm hoping someone with more networking knowledge than myself can help me out. Long story short, I wanted to get rid of Mediacom's monthly modem bill, so I bought my own modem/router all in one around a year ago. I had to do some research at the time as I had to make sure it had MoCA technolgoy (I still not have a ton of familiarity with exactly what this is). I just know i needed it to make sure the multiroom DVR and some of the other features would work on our TIVO boxes.

Anyway, I got a steal on a new router (Linksys EA8300) this week. My thinking was I could just bridge my gateway to turn off the wireless function and use it just as a modem and use this new router to give me better speed/range, and I like that it had USB for me to plug in portable hdd for my network. However, I'm now thinking I will lose the MoCA ability that comes with my modem? Is there any go around with this? Or would I have to buy a new MoCA adapter to make this all work with the new router? Sorry, hope i'm using all the correct terminology here Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[dirtyninety]

I can't help you...I have the same router I've had since 1995 and I have no doubt I am being hacked and spied upon...oh well. It's a Linksys too. Wish I'd bought stock.

 

[dirtyninety]

I can't help you...I have the same router I've had since 1995 and I have no doubt I am being hacked and spied upon...oh well. It's a Linksys too. Wish I'd bought stock.

2005....did I write 1995? anyway, I got an old router. I hope this bump finds smarter people.

 

[salennon07]

2005....did I write 1995? anyway, I got an old router. I hope this bump finds smarter people.

Haha when I first saw 95 I was slightly confused.

 

[Trice]

I can't answer your question specifically but I can tell you that soon after I switched to Mediacom, I bought my own cable modem and router. I just checked to be sure the Wirecutter's recommended products at that time were compatible with Mediacom and bought those. I'd never heard of MoCA. Everything worked, and that was that.

Then a Mediacom rep shows up at my house trying to get me to upgrade. As I'm considering it, I let him in to look at our equipment and he mentions that I don't have a MoCA. I made a note of it and ultimately didn't upgrade anything.

I'm still using the equipment, no MoCA, and to my knowledge everything is working fine. So if someone can tell me exactly what this does or why I need it, I'm all ears.

 

[cycloneG]

MoCA lets you use your coaxial wiring as part of your network. It's supposed to give you better performance than just straight up WiFi. You don't need to use this technology if the logistics of your setup make it inconvenient.

 

[Trice]

MoCA lets you use your coaxial wiring as part of your network.

Meaning what, exactly? Are we not doing that already? Our Mediacom TiVo and cable modem/router are both split off the same coax connection that comes into our home.

 

[cycloneG]

Meaning what, exactly? Are we not doing that already? Our Mediacom TiVo and cable modem/router are both split off the same coax connection that comes into our home.

I have no idea what your setup is specifically so I can't tell you. MoCA just allows you to use your coaxial wiring in your home as part of your network. It's just a different technology for network extension and perhaps performance improvement.

Here's an example of how to use it and perhaps improve performance. Lets say your wireless router is located on one side of your house and you want to connect to it on the other side. You'd be able to connect fine but the bandwidth would be "low" depending on everything between you and the router. If you have MoCA technology, you could connect a MoCA adapter to your router and then connect it to your home coaxial wiring. You could then connect a MoCA wireless extender to any coaxial outlet on the other side of your home to improve performance in that area. MoCA is a technology that is supposed to help remove WiFi dead spots in homes by making use of already existing coaxial wiring.

 

[DSMCy]

I'm hoping someone with more networking knowledge than myself can help me out. Long story short, I wanted to get rid of Mediacom's monthly modem bill, so I bought my own modem/router all in one around a year ago. I had to do some research at the time as I had to make sure it had MoCA technolgoy (I still not have a ton of familiarity with exactly what this is). I just know i needed it to make sure the multiroom DVR and some of the other features would work on our TIVO boxes.

Anyway, I got a steal on a new router (Linksys EA8300) this week. My thinking was I could just bridge my gateway to turn off the wireless function and use it just as a modem and use this new router to give me better speed/range, and I like that it had USB for me to plug in portable hdd for my network. However, I'm now thinking I will lose the MoCA ability that comes with my modem? Is there any go around with this? Or would I have to buy a new MoCA adapter to make this all work with the new router? Sorry, hope i'm using all the correct terminology here Thanks in advance for any help!

They are a little expensive ($60), but you could buy PowerLine adapters to run your network through your wiring, rather than coax.
http://a.co/d/8oBnhmt

I use these to run my network from my router to my Roku to have a direct connection.

 

[salennon07]

So even though my modem has moca ability .. It couldnt be used as a Moca adapter if I bridged it to use this new router, right?

If I'm totally understanding correctly what I read last night if I can setup my router close to my main tivo box to hook up via ethernet then that box may have ability to act as moca adapter.

This concept has me lost lol.

 

[cycloneG]

So even though my modem has moca ability .. It couldnt be used as a Moca adapter if I bridged it to use this new router, right?

If I'm totally understanding correctly what I read last night if I can setup my router close to my main tivo box to hook up via ethernet then that box may have ability to act as moca adapter.

This concept has me lost lol.

Tivo's MoCA capability allows it to use an existing MoCA network. It allows the Tivo box to be part of your home network through it's coaxial connection. You wouldn't have to connect the Tivo box through WiFi or ethernet. It's a third option that didn't exist previously. It's not necessarily better but could be easier for certain situations.

 

[cyfan2013]

Not knowing your exact set up or How Mediacom has things wired just keep a few things in mind. There is always a Master Moca and at least one slave on other end. It basically extends the LAN to the other device using Coax. You can also use One Master to several Slave devices utilizing Coax in the home as long as there is a Moca splitter in the middle. For example one Master feeding 3 slaves you need 4 total Moca devices.If you are replacing you Mediacom router with built in Moca (Master) then you will have to use another Moca device to replace that Master already built into their router.

 

[salennon07]

Not knowing your exact set up or How Mediacom has things wired just keep a few things in mind. There is always a Master Moca and at least one slave on other end. It basically extends the LAN to the other device using Coax. You can also use One Master to several Slave devices utilizing Coax in the home as long as there is a Moca splitter in the middle. For example one Master feeding 3 slaves you need 4 total Moca devices.If you are replacing you Mediacom router with built in Moca (Master) then you will have to use another Moca device to replace that Master already built into their router.

Thank you for all that info. I currently do not have a mediacom modem or router. I got rid of their equipment a long time ago and l bought the surboard Sbg6782-ac all in one modem/router. Based on talks I had with mediacom at the time they said it's moca abilities would work for what I needed.

Now I essentially wished the router potion of this all in one was better so I ran into a good deal on a better router. However I'm concerned if I bridge the gateway to use it strictly as a modem I lose moca abilities from the surboard.

 

[DeftOne]

Not knowing your exact set up or How Mediacom has things wired just keep a few things in mind. There is always a Master Moca and at least one slave on other end. It basically extends the LAN to the other device using Coax. You can also use One Master to several Slave devices utilizing Coax in the home as long as there is a Moca splitter in the middle. For example one Master feeding 3 slaves you need 4 total Moca devices.If you are replacing you Mediacom router with built in Moca (Master) then you will have to use another Moca device to replace that Master already built into their router.

I think we're getting a little off topic with regards to OP's original question and use-case, but yeah, the huge downside to MoCA is cost. Or at least it was when I setup MoCA in my old house, 10 or so years ago. Maybe prices have come down, but the main issue is the need for multiple devices (the Master/Slave devices mentioned).

MoCA in my old house worked great and provided a solid, reliable hardwired connection to some of my home theater gear that needed network connections for streaming, etc. Wi-fi just wasn't fast/reliable enough.

Even farther off topic...someone mentioned Powerline adapters...one thing to keep in mind is that Powerline adapters can be hit-or-miss depending on how your house is wired. Especially if it's an older house. That's how it used to be anyway, back when I was researching Powerline vs. MoCA.

 

[1100011CS]

Thank you for all that info. I currently do not have a mediacom modem or router. I got rid of their equipment a long time ago and l bought the surboard Sbg6782-ac all in one modem/router. Based on talks I had with mediacom at the time they said it's moca abilities would work for what I needed.

Now I essentially wished the router potion of this all in one was better so I ran into a good deal on a better router. However I'm concerned if I bridge the gateway to use it strictly as a modem I lose moca abilities from the surboard.

I had a similar setup in my old house except I still used the Mediacom modem for MOCA. IIRC, you can just run an ethernet cable to your new router and disable DHCP on the Mediacom modem/router and use your new router for everything except the mediacom boxes which will still get routed to over MoCA.