Review: Actiontec Ethernet over Coax MoCA Network Adapter

It sounds like you're asking about an HDHomerun tuner?  If the cable outlet by your router is live (i.e. you get cable TV there) then it's probably simpler just to put the HDHomerun there. 

I don't see why you couldn't use these adapters, though there isn't a lot of headroom as far as throughput goes (if there's other network traffic going over the coax you might have issues with 2 streams from the HDHomerun having enough bandwidth.)

It sounds like you're asking about an HDHomerun tuner?   If the cable outlet by your router is live (i.e. you get cable TV there) then it's probably simpler just to put the HDHomerun there. 

No. 

A home run is explained here -
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/dos_and_don_ts_of_cable_routing_part_1

"No matter how large or small your network is going to be, you should have a home-run location where all your cables will terminate."

Just an FYI that the consumer versions of MoCA equipment won't really work with satellite TV becuase of the frequencies it uses.

Where would a cable modem be located in the diagram on Page 3 of 8?

If that line comes directly from the cable box attached to the outside wall of the house would that make a difference?

The test I did, though not explained all that well is where I had the first moca adapter connected. You don't need it near a router as long as the cat5 that is connected goes to a switch or something to connect it to the rest of your network.

You can put this device anywhere you want in your home as long as it has RG6/59 coax.

- Josh

Internet is reffered to as the "cloud", you see in the bottom right hand corner, shows your router, then a line that goes to a "cloud" and inside that cloud says cable, telco, that is your router/modem location.

- Josh

these things are awesome, great for people like my parents who have older large homes which of course had coaxial run but never ethernet. I had talked to them about powerline networking, but this seems more reliable given the few reviews i've read on them.

josh, it would be awesome if we could get you a powerline kit to compare performance!

yes but in most peoples cable setups the amp goes between the main feed from outside, to your splitter, then out to each tv.

like this

====== main coax from outside===== amp === splitter==== rest of the coax

if you put these devices anywhere in your house on the back side of the splitter, even with an amp it works. I am running a motorola two way amp in my home now. and setup just as described above and had zero issues.

- Josh

One. In fact just like cable modems the whole node (typically your neighborhood) is the whole network. Which is why MoCA uses DES encryption.

One. In fact just like cable modems the whole node (typically your neighborhood) is the whole network. Which is why MoCA uses DES encryption.

not entirely true, depends on the pedestal outside, if its a standard splitter then it might work, however if is a powered/amplified, splitter then it won't work.

Wondering why someone would have three runs from the pedestal from the outside in the first place?

What do you mean by pedestal?  The box out by the curb serving several houses?  I have three runs from the box attached to the outside of the house.

not true, with Direct TV it won't work, but if you are using Dish, and use the dish dvr, where the second output of your dish dvr goes to another tv in another room via coax, it'll work with that coax.

this device just doesn't go through multi-plexors which direct tv uses.

- Josh

A bit late to the game here but...  Sorry Josh, Matt had it right.  The retail Moca adapters will not work with satellite.  As Matt mentioned, the reason is because they operate in the same frequency range.  Satellite typically operates in the 950Mhz to 1450Mhz range on the coax in your house.  This overlaps with the frequency range that the Moca adapters operate in (as is stated in the specs in your review).  Two devices operating in the same frequency range on the same coax = bad.  This has nothing to do with whether or not multiplexers are in use.

As long as you have a satellite signal running down the coax you'll have a hard time making it work. It isn't just about the multiplexer/switches.

While MoCA 1.1 was updated to allow for a wider range of frequencies for sat users it won't work out of the box. You can try and force the adapters that have a web interface configuration mode (not the Actiontec, but the Netgear and D-Link have a config mode) into choosing a more compatible frequency range, but it takes a lot of trial and error from what I've read.

The MoCA DirecTV is using in their new whole home DVR receivers is their own special variant of 1.1 that works below the satellite range.

Some day we'll see MoCA 2.0 hardware, which should be pretty easily configured for either cable or sat. But that standard just got ratified last month, so we'll see how long it takes to get to market. I imagine it won't be too quick since MoCA hasn't been widely adopted by end-users as of yet.