Compare MoCA and Powerline for wireless home networks without physical wiring.
Compare MoCA and Powerline for wireless home networks without physical wiring.
Hello, earlier I shared an experience about installing a hardwired setup outside my home. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned because of unforeseen issues. Now I’m considering three possibilities: Powerline, MoCA, or a combination of both. My house is a duplex with distinct electrical and phone wiring for each side, plus a single coaxial line covering the entire property (refer to the diagram). Presently, I have 80 Mbit/s DSL internet (actual speed around 60-65 Mbit/s), a landline phone from one provider, and cable TV from another. My goal is to switch my TV provider for both internet and landline. For Wi-Fi, I use a Google Wi-Fi mesh system linked to the DSL modem in house 1, with nodes on both properties. My DSL comes from phone line 1, while the landline connects via phone line 2. Both lines remain separate. The coaxial cable and phone line 2 pass through the garage. If I switch to a cable TV provider for internet and landline, I’d need a DOCSIC modem, router, VOIP gateway, and AP combobox. The challenge is keeping the landline in house 2 while internet stays in house 1. Ideally, I want the cable modem in the garage to connect phone line 2 so the landline in house 2 functions as before. In the garage of house 2, I’d install a MoCA adapter and a primary mesh point. Near STB1, I’d place a second MoCA adapter, plus more adapters next to other STBs to extend the mesh network. My concern is whether the signal strength will be sufficient for MoCA on STB 1, especially since my main PC is in that room. Would you think this approach makes sense, or should I stick to MoCA only between the cable modem and STB2, Powerline Ethernet between STB2 and STB1, and a separate modem with the STB3?
There are coaxial splitters at each port, or something similar. From what I learned, MoCA handles around 50 dB loss between nodes, with each splitter adding about 3.5 dB, meaning you can pass through many splitters. Coax cable itself has minimal loss, which is why it's preferred for distributing cables.
It could be more complicated since I'm in Europe and we use pass-through aerial wall sockets, so I might need to adjust them. Regarding MoCA, it's fine as long as you have one adapter; the others can act as sources and the two or three as clients on the same network.
MoCA was built as a multi-node network (I've implemented it myself and it functions). EDIT: The original intent regarding the European market isn't clear to me. In the US, TV and cable companies use 75-ohm RG6 cables, while I'm unsure if Europe has different standards for home coaxial connections.