Switch from Spectrum cable to Fios using existing coax (Or convert ethernet to coax)
ken_yong
Newbie

Finally I got Fios installed in my apartment. I am a late comer for 2 reasons: 1) I hate the contract pricing structure, which Verizon changed in early 2020; 2) I only have coax cable outlets in my apartment. I read a lot on Fios setup these few weeks, not that I become an expert now, but I would like to share my setup and hopefully this would help a few others.

My condo building is Fios ready - This means the Fios fiber optic cables are ready to run into each condo unit. The Fios technician will drill a small hole to lead the fiber optic cable in, and then it will be connected to an ONT. The ONT needs power (of course) so make sure you have an existing electric outlet. I think the technician can run the fiber optic cable as long as you want. It is a very thin cable.

I subscribed to the 300/300 Mbps internet only plan. No TV. I bought the followings: One Verizon Fios G1100 router and two ECB6200 MoCA bonded 2.0 adapters. I know these will be phased out very soon but since I am getting only 300/300 they should suffice.

In my case, there are 2 ways to use the existing coax network within my apartment to achieve 300/300:

1) ONT -> Ethernet cable -> G1100 -> coax cable -> ECB6200 (cable IN) -> Ethernet cable -> Your own router 

2) ONT -> Ethernet cable ->  ECB6200 (cable IN) -> coax cable ->  ECB6200 (cable IN) -> Ethernet cable -> G1100 or Your own router (Yes, you need the second ECB6200, G1100/Your own router will not work without it)

I did not change the RF channel nor band in ECB6200. I just plug them in as is. 

In addition, my current cable splitter (5Mhz - 1002Mhz) works in the above setup. The cable splitter is placed between G1100 and the MoCA adapter (or between 2 MoCA adapters). I don't even know if the splitter is MoCA compatible. Don't know why, but it works without a glitch. Got 300/300. 

Anyways, hopefully the above can help someone in a similar situation. I spent quite some time reading on this stuff and I must confess I am still not very good in understanding MoCA.

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Re: Switch from Spectrum cable to Fios using existing coax (Or convert ethernet to coax)
Cang_Household
Community Leader
Community Leader

Some coax splitters are capable of passing through higher frequencies despite not being labeled for that. In any case, you can always get free MoCA-compatible splitters from VZ corporate stores and VZ field techs.

The first way you listed as your MoCA setup would cap you at 500Mbps for the reason stated in a previous post. In addition, G1100 should not be placed outside your home for security reasons. G1100 would be end of life soon, so that means no more security patches will be made and simply using a G1100 would be considered a security risk.

Lastly, using coaxial ethernet bridges would introduce a 3ms ping to the overall connection to the Internet. If somebody would like a low latency gaming experience, Ethernet connection is preferred.

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