# Tivo w/ Fios



## Shizim (Feb 14, 2019)

hi. I am new to team Tivo and trying to set up my system but am having some trouble. I have attached a sketch of the setup. this is how my fios setup was with no issues (on demand and Netflix app worked with no issues). 

I am getting pixilation and issues connecting minis to the bolt

any feedback is appreciated.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Shizim said:


> I have attached a sketch of the setup. this is how my fios setup was with no issues (on demand and Netflix app worked with no issues).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Questions:

What model is your FiOS gateway?

Can you report how your FiOS gateway is WAN-connected to the ONT, via Ethernet or coax (MoCA WAN)? The status LEDs on the gateway should indicate the connection type; otherwise, the gateway's UI should do so.

What speeds are you actually seeing via a PC/laptop wired to an Ethernet port on the FiOS gateway?

Are there any other Ethernet connections not depicted in the diagram?

Your signal levels sound quite low given the relatively simple setup, and there is nothing obvious from your diagram that could improve MoCA connectivity. (Downsizing the initial 3-way splitter to a 2-way shouldn't be necessary, and likely wouldn't do much, if anything.)


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## DVR_Dave (Apr 19, 2017)

Remove the POE filter.

POE + Cable = Yes
POE + FiOS = No


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## Shizim (Feb 14, 2019)

Thanks for the initial feedback .

The router is the g1100. I don't rent it I bought it brand new a couple years ago. More than paid for itself at this point.
I actually get 145-155mbs on my computer attached to the router. 
The LAN light is on not WAN. The router is connected to the ONT via cat 5e.it's about a 75ft run. 
Not sure it's important but the coax run between the two splitters is about 100ft . Distance from second splitter to bolt and router is less than 10ft.
I'll pop the POE off the system in the A.M. thanks for that .
Any issue with the MOCA light on the ONT being off complete? Its always been off but I've never had issues with the stb communication with the fios dvr.
Thanks again guys . I'm spending 55 a month on equipment rental. I'd love to stop sending that money to Verizon .


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

Shizim said:


> Thanks for the initial feedback .
> 
> The router is the g1100. I don't rent it I bought it brand new a couple years ago. More than paid for itself at this point.
> I actually get 145-155mbs on my computer attached to the router.
> ...


It sounds like you are having 2 issues, first signal strength and the second issue is your MoCA network but the signal strength your Bolt is showing is also very, very low for Fios. Sticking with MoCA for the time being, I would swap out the initial 3 way with a MoCA rated 2 way, which would give you a slight boost to both issues. Removing the initial POE filter is likely a mistake as far as MoCA is concerned. While the MoCA filter is not needed on Fios for security purposes, other than a very small amount of loss, it will do no harm and will tend to boost your MoCA signals significantly. If removing it does by chance have a significant positive effect on either the MoCA network or your Bolt's signal strength, I would suspect a defective filter. I have a MoCA filter on my Fios service, but for me and most folks, Fios tends to run hot and it is not unheard of to have folks use a multiport splitter up "front" or an attenuator to reduce the signal strength. Edit: Just checked the signal strength on my Bolt+ which is after a MoCA filter, one 4 way and 2 two way splitters, it was 89 to 92.
One thing not clear is if you are using Ethernet to feed the Bolt's network connection or MoCA.
Other things, get an old style pencil with eraser then open all accessible coax connections and if not bright and shiny, try spinning the eraser down over the center conductor of the coax until it is nice and shiny and then reconnect, and use a small wrench to fully tighten the connection. When finished check the system again, this can occasionally bring improve signals particularly if a few tarnished ones are found.
I would also consider asking Fios if they might be able to boost your signal strength a bit. It is possible they can check some things via your Fios router and they may be able to boost the signal at the ONT without a Tech visit though they may want to send one anyway.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Shizim said:


> Any issue with the MOCA light on the ONT being off complete?


No. This is the MoCA WAN status LED only, and your WAN connection is via Ethernet.

As for your issues, I'd agree w/ @fcfc2's suggestion to review your coax connections (and that handy repair remedy) and FiOS call. It seems peculiar that you'd have both cable signal and MoCA issues; your coax plant is pretty simple, so I wouldn't expect any MoCA problems. Can you report your MoCA stats for any of your MoCA-connected TiVo boxes? (see here)

The simplest you could make your coax, given an Ethernet connection to the FiOS router, would be to eliminate the router's coax connection and rely on the BOLT to establish your MoCA network.

For example:






​... except the theoretical signal loss at the BOLT wouldn't be any better than what it should have had at location (2).


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## Shizim (Feb 14, 2019)

thanks for the thoughts. sorry I wasn't clear. I am hooking the bolt up via ethernet. I also tried it just moca in a different location in the house too to see if my longer coax run was the issue. didn't work there either. I am going to pop the POE back on and try some of the above. if its still not great I will call fios.

Is there a way to tell my signal strength without the bolt? I'd like to eliminate the bolt as being the cause of the problem. from what I google'd (and I could be wrong) the TxRate and RxRate indicate the strength/quality of the MOCA connection on the client boxes (Fios boxes). this figure should be >600 on both for reliable service. my two client boxes have SNR >36 and Rx/TxRate figures >630.

I bought the Bolt used and I am concerned that there is an issue with the system.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

Shizim said:


> thanks for the thoughts. sorry I wasn't clear. I am hooking the bolt up via ethernet. I also tried it just moca in a different location in the house too to see if my longer coax run was the issue. didn't work there either. I am going to pop the POE back on and try some of the above. if its still not great I will call fios.
> 
> Is there a way to tell my signal strength without the bolt? I'd like to eliminate the bolt as being the cause of the problem. from what I google'd (and I could be wrong) the TxRate and RxRate indicate the strength/quality of the MOCA connection on the client boxes (Fios boxes). this figure should be >600 on both for reliable service. my two client boxes have SNR >36 and Rx/TxRate figures >630.
> 
> I bought the Bolt used and I am concerned that there is an issue with the system.


A couple more thoughts, if you happen to have any electrical contact cleaner around, you might remove the coax from the Bolt and power it off, then give the coax port a couple good shots of the cleaner, allow it to dry for a couple minutes and then retry. This might help if it somehow got some dirt/crud from a dirty coax cable. 
One other thought if you have cable amp around anywhere, you might try just connecting it just before the filter and check out the problem channels to see if there is any improvement in the picture quality. This isn't a recommendation for a permanent fix, but if the problem clear or improves you have some idea what is going on. This would have no effect on the MoCA issues you are having though.


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## Shizim (Feb 14, 2019)

checked the moca via the link above the tx phy rate and rx phy rate are both above 270 for both minis. looks like the moca is fine? 

if the moca is fine and I never had a signal issue with the fios, could it just be the bolt? I tried the bolt on three separate coax spots and the signal is teh same 67% on all three. granted two are off the same splitter but the third is only off the main splitter.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Shizim said:


> checked the moca via the link above the tx phy rate and rx phy rate are both above 270 for both minis. looks like the moca is fine?


That's the MoCA 1.1. target PHY rate, so good.

What's the power estimate? (range is -30 to +3 dBm ... and the closer to -30 the better; anything below +3 should be good, in your case, given your PHY rate)



Shizim said:


> if the moca is fine and I never had a signal issue with the fios, could it just be the bolt? I tried the bolt on three separate coax spots and the signal is teh same 67% on all three. granted two are off the same splitter but the third is only off the main splitter.


Could be.

Given your FiOS router WAN connection is Ethernet, at the loss of Mini connectivity to the BOLT, you could test the BOLT with a direct coax connection to the ONT, using barrel connector(s) (and a Wi-Fi connection) if needed. edit: You could conceivably even get the Minis working, as part of the test, so long as they're wired; similar to the following:






​


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## Shizim (Feb 14, 2019)

thanks for all the feedback guys. on a lark I went out and grabbed a new Bolt box from Best Buy. figured I could always return it if I needed to. I just connected it and ran a signal strength test. 92%. looks like it was the other Bolt box. 

I have everything up and running without any issues


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Shizim said:


> thanks for all the feedback guys. on a lark I went out and grabbed a new Bolt box from Best Buy. figured I could always return it if I needed to. I just connected it and ran a signal strength test. 92%. looks like it was the other Bolt box.
> 
> I have everything up and running without any issues


Nicely done!!


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