Who streams 1080p via Coax? (MoCa) - Page 2

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=PVDP2

5-860 Mhz on the TV port
950-2150 Mhz on the Sat port that I will use for MoCA.

A little over $20 with shipping for three of them to replace the three splitters on the head-end and the two remote nodes.

I'll report back when they come in and I get them installed.

When purchasing these, make sure they will pass all the way down to 5 Mhz for use with Cable TV, some of the cheaper ones are made for OTA antennas only and only pass down to 40 Mhz.

Happy to report that the Solid Signal diplexers worked correctly. Also, discovered that I was overdriving the signal with my 10db VoIP Bypass drop amp. Replaced the drop amp with a 2-way splitter. One leg of that feeds the eMTA, the other feeds an unbalanced 3-way splitter. The hot -3.5db leg on the 3-way feeds all the way upstairs to the office which contains a MoCA bridge, Cable Modem, and 2 DCTs / HD Homerun which is fed by a Unity Gain distribution amp from CableTVamps.com. One -7db drop off the 3-way feeds the living room diplexer which connects a DCH-3200 and a MoCA bridge. The other -7db drop feeds the master bedroom diplexer which connects directly to a Panasonic PZ-80 which receives analog cable and ClearQAM and another MoCA bridge.

can one of these splitters be used for moca and satellite services (dishtv) over the same link?

Nope...unfortunately MoCA and Satellite use part of the same frequency range 950-1175Mhz for MoCA, 950-2000+Mhz for Satellite.

Sorry...it would be kind of nice that MoCA worked a little lower in the band say in the 750-860Mhz range where you can tri-plex VHF/UHF, MoCA, and Satellite onto a single coax for people who use satellite instead of Cable.

I have a couple of these leftover from an old DishNetwork Install...




The specs say 5-2050, but I can't find any info on where the crossover is. I assume by reading some of the posts here that the cutoff for these "sat" specified diplexers should be around 950 mhz, but I just want to check with those of you that have actual experience.

If these will work, this might be a good option for many of us, as they can be purchased from the local satellite installation shops.

I would assume that the Sat port starts at 950Mhz (as that is where satellite starts) what I can not tell is if the VHF/UHF port goes all the way down to 5Mhz (which is important if you have cable).

Edit: Scratch that, I see on the diplexer that it says 5Mhz - This should be fine. Too early in the morning.

Ok, I was going to post this in the WDTV thread, but I don't think it's a WDTV issue. I have 2 rooms that I want to use the WDTV in. The basement (where the server with the MKV's are located) has a gigabit switch where I can stream the MKV through the WDTV without any problems at all. I have Verizon Fios with the actiontec router with built in MOCA capability.

Now if I put WDTV upstairs I get random stuttering. The upstairs is connected via an MOCA coax to ethernet (netgear MCAB1001) connection. Now before you say that that connection isn't fast enough, I connected a laptop to that same port and was able to transfer files at an average of 10-11MB/s (~80-88mbs) sustained. The mkv that I was playing stream only requires about 2.5MB/s average ranging from 2-3.2MB/s; that is according to the network monitor in windows7 task manager.

Here's what I noticed though, when network utilization was at about 3MB/s or lower it played ok but there seemed to be a threshold at around 3.2MB/s where it would sputter. And this is what doesn't make sense since I know that there is more than triple the bandwidth available to this connection as shown by the file transfer. Could there be some sort of limit on streaming content? Would the Actiontec router be the culprit?

Here's what I know.

* It's not the WDTV Live player since it works fine in the basement connected to the switch connected directly to the server.
* It's not the server for the same reasons above.
* It's on the connection speed since the file transfer test shows much more bandwidth available.


Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
Rob

I'm not familiar with the WDTV but it would helpful to know what protocol you are using for both the file transfer and for streaming.



Also, I would like to know a little bit more about the topology in the basement. My suspension is you are going to find the problem is the link between the gigabit switch and the ethernet switch port on the Actiontec router. I had a similar problem and what I found was that my Gigabit switch (a Dlink) and the switchport on the actiontec router managed to autoconfigure to a 100 mbit / half-duplex connection. Once, I manually configured both ports to 100 mbit / full-duplex the problem went away. You also may want to investigate if you can enable flow control on the server and the its port on the switch due to the bottleneck (the 100Mbps link) between your gigabit switch and the actiontec. And since it works fine when everything is connected to the gigabit switch that seems to be the case.


But I think the first step is to make sure that the two switches are negotiating a 100 megabit / full-duplex connection on their respective ports (and manually set them if possible so the problem doesn't repeat). Once that is verified see if you can setup flow-control on the server and the switchport (and you need to be able to do it on both).

I too have FIOS. I went with the NIM100 bridges a while ago, and the HD video stuttering for me seems to be random -- some mkv's stutter a little, some don't stutter at all... sometimes I can run two or three simultaneous HD streams to multiple rooms with no stutter, but sometimes they all stutter... IOW, there doesn't seem to be any science to it.

I'm redesigning my entire home network next spring -- still MoCA dependent -- so hopefully I can come up with some sort of fix when I get there...

Definitely post there if you find the culprit. I'll do the same. This is really annoying. Also, I'll be able to see if it's WDTV Live specific in my case as I'll be installing an XBMC dedicated appliance tomorrow and I'll see if it exhibits the same behavior.
Rob

I am getting ready to start a MoCA network in my house and I noticed that most of my splitters are 5-1000ghz.. Should I get splitters that allow up to the 2Ghz band and then use diplexers to STBs?

I just want to make sure that I have all the correct accessories to make the MoCA transition work..

Currently, I am a subscriber to cable with Cablevision, so I would like to know if this will work with my current setup..

So glad I found this thread so I hope to get help. I have the NIM100's connected. Set up is main cable into the NIM100 (flashing light so not optimum throughput) then cable out to a splitter with one line to the cable modem, one direct to the TV,and one to the HDTIVO box. The cable modem ethernet to my Linksys 801.b (old) router, that connects to an 8 port switch (this is all upstairs). Downstairs I have the other NIM100 connected to the cable "in" and then output is cable to a splitter (one to the TV, another to the HDTIVO) and the ethernet out to an 8 port bridge. Upstairs is a Popcorn Hour A110 w9TBs and downstairs is a WD HD LIVE box w/a 1tb drive connected. I can stream DVD rips without any problems to either location from the three PCs I have (all wired). If I try to stream any HD content from the WD to the PCH or from the PCH to the WD it stutters and no sound (there is sound if i 'pause' the playback then press 'play I get one half-second of sound). SO, the splitters mentioned in prior posts that 'split' the different frequencies - would that solve my stuttering issue? Is it due to my router being 801b? Is there no hope since I have the flashing light on my NIM100 on my inbound cable?

Check this thread also, I posted some info on the splitters which may help answer your questions..

Let us know if this helps you or not..

That thread is one I've been subscribed to for a while but that speaks to the Actiontec and not the NIM100's unless you directed me there for your post on the splitters?

Your question was regarding the splitters so yes thats why I directed you there.. From what I gather, both the NIM100 and the Actiontec's work in similar ways, so your problem may be related to your coax wiring..

With that - do you think the splitters would help? Comcast has a splitter installed to split the cable versus internet. It has specific decibel settings and one is specific to the cable modem box so I don't know if 1) the splitter will help and 2) 'where' in my wiring chain should they go. thnks!

What is the frequency range of that splitter? I am not sure if the decibel ratings on splitters (rated for maximum loss) could also factor into the signal strength of the devices or if it is required for your modem to operate correctly.. Low loss dB splitters are encouraged, but I have not seen anything that offers substantial loss savings...

As jcuesico stated, in theory, minimizing the amount of splits a signal needs to travel through should help with maximizing your MoCA connection.. A stronger and uninterrupted signal should give more of a stable connection and throughput..

Since the MoCA band operates between 800-1600Mhz, if you leave your current cable splitters in place (assuming your using typical 5-1Ghz splitters) your MoCA will not have enough bands to chose from and may run into other signal traffic.. Ideally, if you DO NOT have satellite cable, using those satellite bands should help..

Since I have CATV, simply upgrading my current splitters to allow for the higher frequency range the MoCA's can operate on, I should be able to get a 'dedicated' lane for the traffic.. And using diplexers should also cut down on signal degradation from passing through unnecessary lines and devices, thus in theory, maintaining the best MoCA signal possible..

As far as where to put them in your wiring chain, jcuesico's diagram is very helpful.. Everyone has different needs based on their unique wiring structure, but you should be able to see the basic principal behind using the diplexers.. I only add that you make sure that ANY splitters that feed INTO your diplexers allow for the higher frequency range diplexers can port otherwise its pointless to use them..

I don't have satellite - just CATV, internet, and phone through comcast. I put the moto booster in my cart but haven't purchased it. I did buy a package of 4 diplexes for @$12 that support the range needed as stated in an earlier post (5 for the low for TV and the high band to use for the MOCA. I'll probably buy the moto booster.

The Moto Booster your talking about only accepts the 5-1Ghz frequency, so if your looking to amp up your MoCA signal operating over that frequency it won't work.. As long as your cable modem is running quick and you have no problems with your HD or digital channels, you really don't need to amplify your signal..

Try using the diplexers and see what happens.. And don't forget to check your current CATV splitters to make sure they operate over the 1Ghz frequency band..

A couple of things. You won't find "Cable TV" splitters over 1GHz and none of the Cable TV tuning standards go over 1Ghz. Same with Cable TV amps. I would use Regal 5-1000Mhz Cable TV splitters before I purchased some store brand 2Ghz splitters.

That being said, the MoCA standard is designed to work with 1Ghz splitters and can compensate for the roll-off that happens above 1Ghz.

I suspect the problem is somewhere within the Coax Cable Infrastructure.

What I would check is the following.

1. Make sure all the cabling is RG-6.
2. Make sure all the F-connectors on the RG-6 cable is properly terminated.
3. You didn't describe the Comcast splitter. What I would check for is unused taps on the splitter. If you have a 4-way splitter and one is unused, I would buy a new 3-way splitter, this will increase your signal integrity.
4. Make sure you don't have runs that go into rooms that aren't connected to anything (un-terminated). If so, disconnect them from the splitter and see point 3 above.

Beyond that I do not know if the in/out coax port on the NIM-100 is a "splitter", a "tap", or a "diplexer." If it is a diplexer, there is no need for the stand alone diplexers listed above. If it is a splitter or tap, then what I would do after checking the four things above is purchase some diplexers and connect them this way.

1. From the wall connect a short RG-6 cable to the in port on the diplexer.
2. Run the TV output (5-860Mhz) to your splitter with a short RG-6 cable and feed the TV and Tivo from the outputs of the splitter.
3. Run the SAT output (950-2100Mhz) directly to the NIM-100 with the shortest RG-6 cable possible.

I have used yourbroadbandstore.com to get my RG-6 cable and splitters...the site is run/was by Arris (the same Arris that provides most of the Cable MTAs for phone and now owns Moxi). No relation other than a satisfied customer. I say used to because when I just tried to access the site it was down. I hope it is something temporary as it was a good source for RG-6 cable and the Regal splitters. You can also get the RG-6 cable from monoprice.com but I have not looked to see if they have splitters or what the quality is (although monoprice.com stuff is usually very good quality).

I did a quick search. You can find Regal splitters on Amazon.com and Monoprice carries 2-way and 4-way splitters. I am also sure you could find Regal splitters on E-bay.

Update: yourbroadbandstore.com was back up Sunday afternoon, must have been down for maintenance.

Thanks Jim for your reply, but I'm a bit confused..

My house feeds into a 4 way splitter from the main before even entering my home.. I have 2 lines running upstairs and 2 lines running downstairs.. With that said, if I wanted to connect a MoCA device to one of the lines downstairs, the signal would have to travel through the 1Ghz CATV splitter.. Since diplexers allow for the porting of the 950-2100Mhz band, I would assume that the signal in that range would not feed through the 1Ghz splitter?

You are correct that the signal will have to pass thru that 1 Ghz splitter that feeds your house. Let's see if I can better explain what the Diplexer does. Try to think of it this way.

For the signal going towards your NIM-100 and your TV/Tivo. The Diplexer will send the TV part of signal to the TV/Tivo and send the MoCA traffic to the NIM-100. This is better than a standard splitter as the splitter will send both signals to both devices. This causes the available signal to be split in half on a two-way splitter. The Diplexer on the other hand since it is only sending the appropriate signal to the port has less of a loss...about 1db/1.5db versus 3db loss on a standard two-way splitter.

Now coming from the TV/Tivo/NIM-100 backs TOWARDS the splitter, the diplexer will combine the 5-860Mhz TV band with the MoCA band @ 900Mhz - 1150Mhz so the splitter can distribute the signal through the rest of the network. Don't let the fact that MoCA operates above the 1Ghz Cable TV band concern you. The MoCA signal is engineered with the 1Ghz splitter in mind and compensates for the increased loss (roll off) that would sees through the 1Ghz Splitter.

Hopefully that makes it a little easier to visualize. The reason I went from two-way splitters to Diplexers for my install was more to fix signal problems with the TV signal than with the MoCA signal. Replacing the two-way splitter with the diplexer in my bedroom for instance cleared up the analog cable signal that I send to my Panasonic Plasma installed in that room. I suspect it also helps the ClearQAM digital I get in there as well, as well as the digital cable signals I send to the STB downstairs and to the Digital Cable Tuners and HD Homerun connected to my HTPC in the office.

I will be installing a MOCA network soon and was wondering if anyone had any comments or concerns.

I have FIOS TV/Internet and the supplied router. My feed starts with a 3 way 5-1Ghz splitter in the basement. The first port is -3.5db to my living room where its split with a 2 way 5-1Ghz splitter feeding my FIOS router and my TV. The second port is -7db and feeds one bedroom on the second floor with a cable box. The third port is also -7db and feeds the 3rd floor.

On the third floor, I want to install a NIM100 and use TV. So I plan installing another 2 way splitter. A computer here will feed 1080p rips to the first floor.

All my splitters are 5-1Ghz. Is it worth upgrading them at all to something that passes up to 2ghz? Will that make MOCA faster? If so, does anyone recommend a 3-way splitter and a 2-way?

Hopefully this illustrates how things are passed through the passive RF network.

 

Home RF Diagram.pdf 6.4912109375k . file

For the third floor I would try using the coax in/out ports on the NIM-100 and see how that works. If that does not seem to work correctly I would use a diplexer instead of a 2-way splitter. Regardless, using a 2Ghz splitter would probably not have an effect on MoCA. Please see my PDF above as to how I have my RF/MoCA network configured.

Thank you for the drawing but I'm still a little confused. See my current configuration. I also have a splitter downstairs (no diagram yet).

 

NIM100.pdf 115.6357421875k . file

Unfortunately, unless you run on different channels then the FIOS STBs you will get conflicts. Keep in mind i was using an OLD ActionTech router which I bridged the internet link and my internal MoCa LAN. I tested this out a while back and got stuttering while playing a HD movie. DVD is fine.. and I got sustained transfer rates of 65 - 85 Mbs. I gave up and ran ethernet in the areas where my HTPCs are. As you can image I was very frustrated - especially since I architect large IT Infrastructures for a living..

so are you saying that I can't connect a NIM100 to the MOCA network made by my FIOS router? How do I make sure they run on different channels?

I live an old house, so running ethernet really isn't an option as I am really banking on MOCA.


I can't use the in/out because the TV will actually be in a different room. Regarding the Diplexer, it seems like most of the ones I saw cut at 950, and that still fine? I guess I can try both and see how it works.

I believe you can but you would need to have 2 NIM 100s (speculation as I gave up). What you would do is put those NIM 100s on a different MoCA channel then your Actiontech router FIOS provided. Instead of bridging internally within the FIOS router your internet access, your LAN and the FIOS STB Communication, you would bridge your NIM 100 with the FIOS router... little more complex but it can be done. FIOS uses MoCA to transmitt all guide information to all the STBs.. I essentially high jacked their MoCA implementation and routed my LAN over the same network. I speculate that all my issues were due to the fact I was using my current ActionTech router as the gateway for my MoCA LAN... Since they are on the same channel I believe they were in conflict. If you want easy to implement then go an purchase the Linksys or Net Gear MoCA solution.. I believe they are just about plug and play.

Diplexor is only necessary if your transmitting Digital and analog signals over the same wire which need to be segregated. - FIOS requires the full spectrum as they already use MoCA as part of their implementation and is a full digital implementation (No VHF/UHF signals anymore)- in other words if you split the connection you will be turning off MoCA and/or TV for your STB - it will have one part of the spectrum but not the other.. Diplexors came out because Satellite transmitted a digital signal but people still wanted to use their antenna or basic cable (VHF/UHF Signal) without having to swap out the cable. FIOS is now purely digital and operates in the full spectrum not utilizing VHF or UHF signals.