MoCA 101: Connect a computer (cable subscribers only)

Interested in other MoCA 101 articles? How about:
What is MoCA?
Can I diplex with MoCA?
Connect a computer (DIRECTV subscribers only)

With all the fuss about DIRECTV and Dish using MoCA, you might have thought that MoCA was only for satellite subscribers. In fact, MoCA adapters are used by several cable companies to provide programming throughout the home. It’s harder to know if you have a MoCA system though, with so many different systems in place. MoCA can be used to provide networking for antenna programming, too.

There is a “generic” MoCA adapter that can be used with many cablesystems to provide extra network functionality. It’s the Actiontec ECB2200 and it’s available from Solid Signal. As with the MoCA adapters from DIRECTV, you need two: one to connect to your router, and one to connect to your device (computer, blu-ray player, whatever needs a connection.)

Using this adapter is incredibly simple. Plug it into the wall, run cable into it, and run ethernet out. You can even use it as a passthrough instead of using a splitter to split the line. Make sure one adapter is connected to your router. In some cases the cable system will already have some sort of ethernet bridge installed and this step can be skipped, but unless you know for sure, it’s best to have two adapters ready. They simply don’t work if only one is used.

For Verizon FiOS users, the equivalent product is the Actiontec ECB2200V and it works in exactly the same way. Plug into the wall, plug in the cable, and instant connection.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.