Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
TechHobbyist
Enthusiast - Level 2

Here is my dilemma...

Fact 1 - I'm in an older house probably (1940-50s), electric power line wiring is old.

Fact 2 - COAX has been run around the outside of the house within the last 10-15 yrs, so it should be in very good condition.

Fact 3 - VZ ONT is in the attached garage at basement level, and I get over 400 Mbps (my internet plan) via direct ethernet connection from PC to ONT. 

Fact 4 - Main TV room on the 1st Fl, another TV is in the bedroom on 2nd Fl.

Fact 5 - Office where router needs to be is on the 2nd FL. I have other equipment (NAS, Network Printer/Scanner, etc) there that I want to have wired connection to the router.

Fact 6 - Current TV service configuration for COAX cabling (ONT COAX to a COAX splitter which then feeds home-runs to each destination room)

Fact 7 - Current Internet set up ethernet from ONT to 500Mbps ethernet powerline adapter #1  in the garage - powerline adapter #2 ethernet into the G3100 router in the office. I used Actiontec PWR514K01 adapter kit and all ethernet cables are CAT5e. 

Everything works, but my Internet speed is 1/10 (30-40Mbps), which I believe is due to old and poor powerline cabling. Just to make sure my Actiontec did NOT go bad on me, I switched them with TP-Link AV200 set (slower advertised throughput but newer product), the long story short - nothing changed, I still only got 30-40 Mbps. Running a homerun CAT cable is not an option.

So my best current, and probably only, option is to utilize existing COAX cabling - I can buy Actiontec MOCA Adapters for Ethernet Over Coax (like ECB6200) and use the on both ONT and router ends with a COAX cable in-between. Basically, I would be replacing my powerline adapters for COAX. I probably would need to replace the splitter to make sure it can support MOCA 2.0 and higher.

After reading the manual for G3100, I do have a question that perhaps would save me some $$ and simplify the setup. According to the documentation, COAX on G3100 can support upto MOCA 2.5. Can I make the following work?

- Connect ONT ethernet to ECB6200 and feed the COAX from it to 3 way bi-directional splitter. ONT COAX connects to splitter, while the 3 splitter connection feeds into another splitter that feeds COAX cabling around the house.

- Use existing COAX cables to feed into STBs in TV RM and BR.

- Use existing COAX  in the Office to connect directly to G3100 (as WAN connection). 

If this setup works, I would avoid using another MOCA adapter in the Office to switch from COAX to ethernet, which then would go into G3100 WAN port.

Please let me know if my vision is possible...Thanks in advance...

I tried to attach images showing my current setup and my idea, but they were removed for whatever reason. Anyways, below are the links to those images

https://ibb.co/zVJCp0m
https://ibb.co/Rpm2sTt

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Re: Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
TechHobbyist
Enthusiast - Level 2

Smith6612,

Thanks for your detailed reply. It definitely is informative and will be helpful to others who may run into my situation.

After posting my initial message, and since I just joined this forum, I decided to help another user when an idea dawned on me. By the way, your post which I just read, since I was experimenting with my idea for the past 2 hours, actually hints to the solution I came up with. Your suggestion was to consider E3200.

I luckily had my G1100 from previous FIOS service elsewhere, which I planned to sell. Then, I saw a picture of a set up in another poster's message showing G1100 connected by ethernet to WAN and COAX in LAN mode near ONT. According to that poster, the ONT is in the basement, but s/he mentions that they have a FIOS router with WiFi and LAN in the house on the 2nd floor. And BOOM, just like that, a lightbulb went on in my head. Since I already read up on the fact that G3100 and G1100 can use their COAX in MoCA mode for LAN, I realized that I don't need to spend more money to buy COAX MoCA Ethernet adapters, I already have them and can just use my G1100 at the ONT.

I hope my solution helps others in the future. Also, it's much cheaper to buy G1100 on eBay than to buy MoCA adapters.

Here is what I did:imageMy Solution

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Re: Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
TechHobbyist
Enthusiast - Level 2

imageCurrent SetupimageProposal

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Re: Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

This can work, but you do need to be mindful of the difference between MocA LAN and MoCA WAN, of which the G3100 supports both. The frequency used for MoCA WAN is the 975 MHz - 1025Mhz range, and is typically used in a FiOS Setup only between the ONT and the router. For MoCA LAN, this is used between the FiOS router, any Coax connected network extenders, and any Set top Boxes. This operates at 1125 MHz - 1425 MHz.

If your MoCA adapter can operate at the MoCA WAN frequency used by the router (it is best to have something which can be manually switched, using a slider or DIP Switches), you should be able to use only one adapter, stationed where the ONT is. You'll need to use Band C4 specifically Otherwise, if you need to use the two adapter method because your adapter only works in the LAN frequencies (as most if not all that I've seen do), dedicate a single piece of coax between the "ONT side" and the "Router side" MoCA Adapter, where no points touch other Coax splitters or cables in your home, so you don't end up creating a Layer 2 Bridge and sending your Internet connection to something other than the router. It happens and you'll have a bad time getting things to work.

Verizon normally doesn't support using MoCA for speeds over 100Mbps, even with the MoCA 2.0/2.5 method some people use, mostly because older MoCA Technologies in the ONTS and legacy routers, despite claiming 200Mbps throughput (as an example), only have that as the "total aggregate" rating. Meaning if you have a 200Mbps symmetrical Fiber connection but you try to hit both directions at 200Mbps each, MoCA will limit you to 100Mbps in both directions, or 200Mbps in one direction otherwise. This also becomes a handicap if you choose to get Gigabit someday.

It would be best to run some CAT5e if you want to move the router, even if it ends up following the existing Coax run so that Verizon can support this in the future without too much hassle for you, or another homeowner/family member. If it has to go outdoors, make sure Outdoor rated (preferably Gel filled and with a shield tied to a ground) cable with a solid copper core is used. Once the virus scare is sorted, a Handyman, Security System Installers, or Electrician can help with this, as can Verizon.

Another alternative - Verizon's network extenders that compliment the G3100 can uplink via Coax without any fuss, and they have a Gigabit Ethernet switch inside of them. Your router can remain where it is, and all you have to do is add a splitter (or connect an unused piece of coax) to your existing Coax network, and both Wi-Fi and Ethernet are extended through the Coax cabling. The device is here: https://www.verizon.com/home/accessories/fios-home-wifi-extender/

Hope this helps.

Re: Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
TechHobbyist
Enthusiast - Level 2

Smith6612,

Thanks for your detailed reply. It definitely is informative and will be helpful to others who may run into my situation.

After posting my initial message, and since I just joined this forum, I decided to help another user when an idea dawned on me. By the way, your post which I just read, since I was experimenting with my idea for the past 2 hours, actually hints to the solution I came up with. Your suggestion was to consider E3200.

I luckily had my G1100 from previous FIOS service elsewhere, which I planned to sell. Then, I saw a picture of a set up in another poster's message showing G1100 connected by ethernet to WAN and COAX in LAN mode near ONT. According to that poster, the ONT is in the basement, but s/he mentions that they have a FIOS router with WiFi and LAN in the house on the 2nd floor. And BOOM, just like that, a lightbulb went on in my head. Since I already read up on the fact that G3100 and G1100 can use their COAX in MoCA mode for LAN, I realized that I don't need to spend more money to buy COAX MoCA Ethernet adapters, I already have them and can just use my G1100 at the ONT.

I hope my solution helps others in the future. Also, it's much cheaper to buy G1100 on eBay than to buy MoCA adapters.

Here is what I did:imageMy Solution

Re: Need expert opinion on FIOS TV with G3100 setup
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Glad to help. Awesome to hear when old hardware gets a new life 🙂