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Old 28-Jul-2020, 4:44 PM   #1
johnodon
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OTA (with distribution amp) + MOCA

Looking for some guidance.

My current setup is...

Clearstream 2MAX --> PCT-MA2-8P (distribution amp) --> coax endpoints

WiFi strength in my Roku TVs is 'ok' but just doesn't cut it if I want to watch unencoded bdrips from my Plex server without the need to transcode (especially when there is a lot of other traffic).
So, I am now entertaining adding MOCA 2.5 adapters at various points in the house to address this. (fyi...internet is provided via Frontier FiOS so is a non-factor here).

From the reading that I have done, I think that the distribution amp will interfere with the MOCA signals. Is this true? If so, what distribution amp can I by that will not interfere and allow OTA and MOCA to traverse the same coax runs?

Last edited by johnodon; 28-Jul-2020 at 4:46 PM.
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Old 28-Jul-2020, 5:22 PM   #2
johnodon
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Is this the product I need: https://www.pctinternational.com/product/pct-vc-f19a/

The 'modem' port is throwing me off. Do I need to connect anything to that to take advantage of the MOCA bypass technology?

Last edited by johnodon; 28-Jul-2020 at 5:25 PM.
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Old 28-Jul-2020, 8:02 PM   #3
rickbb
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Wouldn't it be less expensive and easier to add another WiFi access point to increase your speed at the problem TV's?

Unless you already have good coax in every room, seems like a lot of trouble.
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Old 28-Jul-2020, 8:25 PM   #4
johnodon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rickbb View Post
Wouldn't it be less expensive and easier to add another WiFi access point to increase your speed at the problem TV's?

Unless you already have good coax in every room, seems like a lot of trouble.
I already have 3 access points (Ubiquiti AC Pros) throughout the house and getting ethernet to any room I care about would be a major PITA. One of the AC Pros is literally 20ft LoS to the TV in my family room and I still can't stream a 35mbit (unencoded) movie like Avatar without buffering. To rule out a player issue (Plex on the Roku TV), I am able to play the same MKV without issue from a USB stick (not streamed).

There is RG6 runs in pretty much every room in the house.

ps. I hate wifi with a passion.
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Old 29-Jul-2020, 6:10 PM   #5
Tower Guy
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Your plan to add MOCA to your existing set-up is a good idea. The MOCA distribution amp that you found would work fine, or you could simply add a MOCA filter between the distribution amplifier and your existing splitters. The splitters for MOCA need to be able to pass higher than the usual off-air frequencies.

A problem with WiFi extenders is that they use up bandwidth to send data between them. If you use MOCA to extend your WiFi, you get that bandwidth back.

Another trick you probably already know is to move your WiFi channels off of the factory settings. This may get you a frequency that your neighbors are not using.
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Old 29-Jul-2020, 6:17 PM   #6
Tower Guy
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Does Frontier FIOS allow the addition of your own MOCA adapters? My son-in-law has Verizon FIOS, and they use MOCA to their own set--top boxes as WiFi extenders. He replaced all his TV equipment to get that feature.
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Old 29-Jul-2020, 7:14 PM   #7
johnodon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tower Guy View Post
Your plan to add MOCA to your existing set-up is a good idea. The MOCA distribution amp that you found would work fine, or you could simply add a MOCA filter between the distribution amplifier and your existing splitters. The splitters for MOCA need to be able to pass higher than the usual off-air frequencies.

A problem with WiFi extenders is that they use up bandwidth to send data between them. If you use MOCA to extend your WiFi, you get that bandwidth back.

Another trick you probably already know is to move your WiFi channels off of the factory settings. This may get you a frequency that your neighbors are not using.
As far as splitters...I'm good there. There are actually 8 separate runs from the dmarc box...no splitters.

I have a moca filter on order but I thought that the only thing the filter did was prevent the signal from leaving the home and you place it on the incoming line before the distribution amp.

As far as FiOS and a moca adapter...I'm not using their router ( I use pfsense) and the runs from the ONT are Ethernet. Also, from what I can see online the moca adapter is only v1.1 but could be wrong.
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Old 31-Jul-2020, 3:57 PM   #8
johnodon
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For anyone following this thread, I decided to email PCT for advice. They were quick to respond.

My email...

Quote:
Hello.

I am hoping that you can help me with introducing Moca technology into my current setup.

Today, I have the following:

Digital Antenna —> PCT-MA2-8P —> Coax endpoints in the house (no splitters).

I would like to add a pair of Moca v2.5 adapters so I can bring ethernet-over-coax to a room that does not have an ethernet drop, without impacting over-the-air reception via the coax drop in that room.

Will the current PCT-MA2-8P work for my needs, or, do I need to replace it with an amplifier that will not interfere with Moca frequencies? I need to keep a distribution amp in the mix as signal quality drops ~30% on some off my runs if I don’t use one.

FYI…I do not have cable TV or internet. I have FiOS which is distributed in the house over ethernet so the coax infrastructure does not come into play.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

John
PCT's response...

Quote:
Hi John,

Thank you for contacting PCT. You should be able to add the MoCA 2.5 adapters to the PCTMA28P without any issues. My only recommendation is to make sure that the MoCA adapters are on adjacent ports, either the top two on the left, top two on the right, bottom two on the left, or bottom two on the right. This will minimize internal splitter loss in the MoCA frequency range. As long as your cable lengths to each MoCA 2.5 adapter are under 100' from adapter, thru the amplifier, and to the second adapter, you should have plenty of signal for MoCA to work.

Please let me know if you need more information.

Regards,

Doug MacLeod
Product Manager
Director of Technical Services
PCT International, Inc.
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