# MoCa via Mini and Roamio to supplant home network



## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

I'm new to the MoCa scene. I have a Roamio Plus and a Mini on order.

My current network cable-modem and router and GigE switch are in my office, this is is where the Mini will sit. I have a single cat5 cable running via a very difficult run to have installed, running to a GigE switch and router running as a Wireless Access Point in my living room which is where my main TV is and Roamio Plus will live. 

I'm wondering if A) can I plug my router or switch via a Cat 6 cable into the Mini in the office, and then plug the switch into the Ethernet port in the Living Room, and use the remaining ports on the switch to feed the WAP and other networked devices in my living room area? B) Will the performance over MoCa with the prior scenario be better than my current scenario?

What are the pros and cons of these situations?


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If you have gigbait in the livingroom already then you don't need MoCa. Just connect the Mini to your office switch via Ethernet and the TiVo into an open port on the wifi AP. If you need extra ports buy another switch for the livingroom.

MoCa should only be used if you don't have access to Ethernet. The priority of network types for TiVo streaming should be Ethernet > MoCa > Wifi. If you have Ethernet available then it's by far the best option and you should use it.


----------



## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

Dan,
Thanks for the quick reply. My concern was that I made the ends of the long cat 5 cable years ago, and I'm not sure they are 100% of what they could be. I was planning on trying the above mentioned scenario, if indeed it is at all capable of working, to see if I get better results via Ethernet or MoCa, but you seem solidly sure that Ethernet will indeed outperform MoCa.


----------



## jstevenson (May 6, 2007)

Dan203 said:


> If you have gigbait in the livingroom already then you don't need MoCa. Just connect the Mini to your office switch via Ethernet and the TiVo into an open port on the wifi AP. If you need extra ports buy another switch for the livingroom.
> 
> MoCa should only be used if you don't have access to Ethernet. The priority of network types for TiVo streaming should be Ethernet > MoCa > Wifi. If you have Ethernet available then it's by far the best option and you should use it.


so here's my question. Right now my cable goes into my main TV viewing area and is where my Tivo Roamio Plus will be.

Currently my downstairs TiVo gets internet via a powerline adapter (this will be replaced by a Mini).

Is my best bet to leave it as is? Or can I replace the powerline adapter with MOCA (ethernet into the Roamio Plus, Moca out to the downstairs Mini)? Obviously Moca would be nice as I wouldn't have to worry about using powerline anymore, and any additional TVs could be easily added in the future with a mini


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

MScottC said:


> Dan,
> Thanks for the quick reply. My concern was that I made the ends of the long cat 5 cable years ago, and I'm not sure they are 100% of what they could be. I was planning on trying the above mentioned scenario, if indeed it is at all capable of working, to see if I get better results via Ethernet or MoCa, but you seem solidly sure that Ethernet will indeed outperform MoCa.


I doubt bad ends would really cause that much of a loss. There is packet loss detection built into the Ethernet protocol so even if they were causing a problem all it would do is slow down your connection, maybe make it drop to 10/100. That's still better then MoCa in most cases.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

jstevenson said:


> so here's my question. Right now my cable goes into my main TV viewing area and is where my Tivo Roamio Plus will be.
> 
> Currently my downstairs TiVo gets internet via a powerline adapter (this will be replaced by a Mini).
> 
> Is my best bet to leave it as is? Or can I replace the powerline adapter with MOCA (ethernet into the Roamio Plus, Moca out to the downstairs Mini)? Obviously Moca would be nice as I wouldn't have to worry about using powerline anymore, and any additional TVs could be easily added in the future with a mini


You can get rid of the powerline adapter. The Mini can talk to the Roamio via MoCa and then the Roamio will talk to the internet via Ethernet.

This is of course assuming you get a Plus/Pro. The 4 tuner Roamio doesn't have MoCa, so if that's the one you got then you'll need to keep using the powerline adapter or get a standalone MoCa adapter for the network.


----------



## punklux (Nov 5, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> You can get rid of the powerline adapter. The Mini can talk to the Roamio via MoCa and then the Roamio will talk to the internet via Ethernet.
> 
> This is of course assuming you get a Plus/Pro. The 4 tuner Roamio doesn't have MoCa, so if that's the one you got then you'll need to keep using the powerline adapter or get a standalone MoCa adapter for the network.


So I have FiOS gigabit and a roamio 4 tunner. My wife got my a vox mini for upstairs and a Motorola mm1000 moca. I'm trying to set it up by essentially following the instructions as if it was a TiVo bridge, however, when I go to settings on the Romeo fortuna I don't see a setting to flip it to MOCA... Ideas?


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

If the modem has MoCa then all you need todo is set both the Roamio and Mini to use MoCa as their connection type. The modem should do the rest.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

punklux said:


> So I have FiOS gigabit and a roamio 4 tunner. My wife got my a vox mini for upstairs and a Motorola mm1000 moca. I'm trying to set it up by essentially following the instructions as if it was a TiVo bridge, however, when I go to settings on the Romeo fortuna I don't see a setting to flip it to MOCA... Ideas?


You haven't provided enough details to know exactly how your devices can or will be connected, but on the one point Re: the 4-tuner Roamio... the 4-tuner Roamios have no built-in MoCA functionality, so if the DVR can't be connected via Ethernet and a MoCA connection is needed, you'd use a stand-alone MoCA adapter at the DVR location to make the MoCA ~client~ connection, and the Roamio would be connected via Ethernet (Cat6) to the MoCA adapter and configured for an Ethernet connection. (i.e. You won't find a MoCA option in the 4-tuner Roamio's Network Settings dialog, just Ethernet or Wireless.)

Assumptions/Notes:

You're using a FiOS-supplied gateway (MI424-WR, G1100) that is functioning as the MoCA/Ethernet bridge, enabling the Mini VOX and MM1000 to link via MoCA once connected to the shared coax plant.

A supported TiVo whole home setup can consist of both Ethernet- and MoCA-connected boxes.


----------



## Darrell Patton (Jul 19, 2018)

punklux said:


> So I have FiOS gigabit and a roamio 4 tunner. My wife got my a vox mini for upstairs and a Motorola mm1000 moca. I'm trying to set it up by essentially following the instructions as if it was a TiVo bridge, however, when I go to settings on the Romeo fortuna I don't see a setting to flip it to MOCA... Ideas?


You need the Roamio attached to the router via Ethernet, don't use wireless. Connect the MOCA adapter to the router with Ethernet. On the Mini disconnect any Ethernet wire, and go into network settings on the Mini, and enable MOCA.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Darrell Patton said:


> You need the Roamio attached to the router via Ethernet, don't use wireless. Connect the MOCA adapter to the router with Ethernet. On the Mini disconnect any Ethernet wire, and go into network settings on the Mini, and enable MOCA.


Not necessarily; as previously stated, it depends on the router in use. Or that it matters; doubtful the OP will ever return to participate in the discussion they started.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

MScottC was last seen:
Today at 7:42 AM
But it doesn't say where.


----------



## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> MScottC was last seen:
> Today at 7:42 AM
> But it doesn't say where.


Sorry, different poster. OP of latest thread topic branch (here) rather than the Thread Starter OP.


----------

