# Google Wifi, FiOS, Tivo, and MoCA



## Ocresident (Aug 18, 2015)

I posted this thread in the Google Wifi forum, but I wanted to cross post it here since the main concern I have with implementing Google Wifi is ensuring that my Tivos and Tivo Stream continue to function correctly. Any suggestions great appreciated...

I have a Google Wifi 3 pack arriving next week, and I'm trying to do as much research as possible to ensure I set it up correctly for my environment. I've spent a few hours researching the various issues with GW and FiOS, and I think I understand the limitations. But I have not seen an environment that is quite like mine, so I wanted some guidance on whether GW will work for me.

I have Frontier FiOS coming in to my attic using an ActionTec router. The router then connects to a 24 port Gigabit switch, which distributes to various Cat 5 drops throughout my 3 story home.

I also have a MoCA network to service a Tivo Roamio, Premier, and Mini. All three Tivos connect to the Ethernet using coax over a MoCA network. In addition, I have an Apple AirPort Extreme connected over MoCA, in bridge mode, acting as an access point.

My goal is to allow GW to be a router so that I can get full mesh mode, but I need all of the Tivo devices to be in the same subnet as the rest of my network. I have a Tivo Stream device that streams shows to my IPad, and if my Tivo picks up a 192.168.1.X address from the FiOS router, it will have limited ability to stream from the IPad. It will technically work, but I will not be able to use the IPad as a remote control, and I will have some licensing issues with certain content such that I will be required to delete the content from my Tivo before I can watch it on the IPad, because it thinks I am away from home, where my content rights are somewhat restricted.

My plan is to connect the first GW pod directly to the ActionTec router, and then connect the GW pod to the 24 port switch. The remaining two pods will be on different floors, connected via cat 5 drops to the 24 port switch.

My concern is that the 3 Tivo devices, and the AirPort Extreme, will see the FiOS router first, because they are on the MoCA network, so they have to travel through the FiOS router before they see the GW routing pod. If this happens, they will pick up a 192.168.1.X address, rather than the GW 192.168.86.X address scheme. This will create problems for me.

My solution is to assign static IP addresses to all three Tivos, as well as the AirPort Extreme, all within the .86 subnet range. Once I do this, I understand I can reserve these IP addresses using the GW software so that they maintain these addresses permanently.

If this all works as planned, every device on my network will be within the 192.168.86.X subnet, and the only device with a 192.168.1.X address will be the FiOS router itself. I'm guessing I may have problems accessing that router for troubleshooting, but worst case I can directly connect my laptop into the router if I have to service it.

Does this sound like it will work, or have I overlooked something? Or is there a better way to approach this. My network works fine now with a couple of Dlink routers in AP mode, but my goal is to increase performance to AC standards, and implement a mesh network if it all will work together as I need it to. Because my home is three stories, a single wifi device is not an option. 

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


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## Ocresident (Aug 18, 2015)

Well, I thought I'd update my post since I got no responses here, but quite a few in the Google Wifi forum. If anyone is interested in seeing my efforts, the link can be found here:

Google Groups

Bottom line, I couldn't get it to work. Placing a FIOS router in bridge mode requires greater technical expertise than I have, and even with quite a few people trying to help, I could never get it to work. So I ended up with my wireless devices in a different subnet from the wired Tivo devices, which makes things very messy for streaming and watching shows on other Tivo devices.

For now I'm running the Google Wifi pods in bridge mode, which means no mesh functionality and multiple SSIDs, but at least it all works.


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