Which Routers Are MoCA-enabled?

I'm thinking of upgrading from a 75- to a 300-Mbps Fios plan and buying an inexpensive but well-rated third-party router (which would connect to the ONT in my basement) and an adapter (that would plug into the coax jack upstairs and would allow my desktop computer to connect to it via ethernet cable). I'm told that to avoid having to buy a second adapter for the basement, I need to make sure the router is MoCA-enabled. How do I know whether that's true of a given model - e.g., TP-Link Archer AX 21? (The company was of no help.) Can I assume most routers are, or are they not MoCA-enabled unless the product description says they are?

Accepted answers

gs0b

EOL means no longer no longer supported. No firmware updates, including security patches. EOL'd devices will still work, but as time goes on they become a bigger and bigger security risk.

Your choices are:

Purchase a used G1100 now to solve your current problem. Keep it in service until your contract renewal in April, then maybe get a free rental router from VZ.
Purchase a used G1100 now and keep using it for years ignoring the security risk after it goes EOL, as you've done with the ancient Actiontec.
See if you can get a free rental router from VZ now if you switch to a current plan.
Purchase a current, supported non-Verizon router and MoCA adapter now, and don't worry about VZ's equipment.

I recommend 1 or 4.

Note that if you use a non-Verizon router, they, too, go EOL. You should be checking your router provider's web site for firmware updates on at least an annual basis. If you don't see new updates in at least 12 months, it's likely they are no longer supporting it and it's time to get a new router or ask their support for a status update.

All comments

gs0b

"MoCA enabled" is not a commonly used term. If you mean routers that have integrated MoCA adapters, I'm only aware of Verizon routers with this feature. I've never heard of a non-Verizon router that has an integrated MoCA adapter.

That said, you can easily connect a MoCA adapter to any router using Ethernet. The router does not need any specific features to work with an external MoCA adapter.

You mentioned you're considering upgrading from 75Mbps to 300Mbps. 75Mbps is an old, grandfathered Verizon speed tier. If you're currently using a Verizon router provided for that service, it may work fine with 300Mbps. Or, it could be so old it should be removed from service ASAP due to lack of security updates. If you post your current router's model number, I and others can advise you on what to do with it.

The current 300Mbps plans include a free Verizon router rental. That could solve your problem, too.

Also, those old 75Mbps plans can cost more than the current 300Mbps plans depending on the status of your contract and any discounts you may have. Do be sure to check out current pricing as Verizon won't proactively tell you about potential cost savings. If you need help with contracts and pricing, reach out to Verizon's social media support team by tweeting @Verizonsupport or DM'ng them on their Facebook page.

Bleb1

Thanks for this very helpful reply.

1. My 10+-year-old router is an Actiontec MI424WR (Rev. 1). I assume it's out of date in all sorts of ways - security, speed, compatibility with faster plans, etc.

2. That's too bad about non-Verizon routers not being MoCA-enabled. While I understand third-party routers can be connected to an adapter, I was hoping to avoid the expense of buying or renting two adapters, one on each end.

3. I've been monitoring Verizon's offers pretty carefully and pushing reps for better deals (particularly since I'm currently grandfathered in on a plan with no router rental fee). The new free-router offer costs $10/month more than the plan I could otherwise get, all else being equal, so it's not really free. Also, my bargaining power may be more limited because I want to keep my landline.

Cang_Household

Any reasons to not use a VZ router besides cost?

You might be able to get a $40 G1100 on Ebay for cheap, then add a $60 goCoax MoCA 2.5 adapter on the other side. This gives you 500Mbps on the other end of MoCA, should be good enough for your purposes.

gs0b

There is no market for routers with integrated MoCA adapters outside of Verizon deployments. MoCA simply never gained enough market presence to make it worth the added cost for consumer routers. Verizon needs it due to their set-top-box architecture, which may change if they go full IPTV.

Ethernet is always better than MoCA, if you can run the cables. If not, MoCA is a great way to use existing coax cables for data transfer. Can you run Ethernet and get rid of the need for MoCA?

If you must stay with MoCA, adapters aren't that expensive if you don't need the fastest speeds. Or do as cang_household suggested and purchase a used Verizon router. The G1100 is a solid device that is still supported by Verizon for security updates (however, we don't know how much longer that will be.) You can probably find used G3100's, too. But not as cheap as G1100s.

If you haven't tried the social media support team at Verizon, you should. They may have additional pricing options for you. Or not. But if you don't ask, you won't know. If your current plan is a "contract" with an expiration date, know that prices go up a lot at renewal time. That's what happened to me. Continue to keep a watchful eye on your current pricing and any offers; that's how you have to deal with Verizon.

Whatever you do, take that ancient silver band Actiontec out of service ASAP. Aside from abysmal performance by today's standards, it's a security risk as it hasn't received patches in many years.

Bleb1

No, I don't know of any reason other than cost to look beyond a Verizon router. The G1100 for $40 will really be comparable in quality and durability to the model that Verizon is offering to sell me for $300?

Bleb1

@gs0b:

1. Yeah, I had a feeling that would be your verdict on my ancient Actiontec. 🙂

2. The big revelation for me today is that Verizon routers are available from other retailers.

3. I started what became a lengthy thread on this forum a few weeks back on the question of whether it would make sense to run an ethernet cable up 3 floors from the ONT to where my desktop is (which I'd like to have a hardwired connection), and decided against it.

4. I have a contract with Verizon that expires in April. It started as a triple bundle and continues even though I dropped TV. They said I'd still be bound by it if I changed to a new (300 Mbps) plan. What I'd like is some obligation on their part -- that is, price protection for several years on a new plan I sign up for.

[Deleted User]

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to post your comments and opinions related to this topic. This topic has been thoroughly discussed and will now be closed. Please feel free to open a new thread for further discussion. Thank you.