MoCA Adapters Broke my Fios One Mini Connections

After installing a MoCA adapter to my home network (to bolster the backhaul from my Unifi mesh access points), the two Mini STB's that were connected via WiFi totally lost their connection and have been bricked. Whether I connect them via coax or keep them on WiFi, they stop booting at "Preparing Network Connection." Coincidence, or did my MoCa adapters somehow break my STB's? I have the G3100 Fios router.

Accepted answers

Capricorn1

I'm stumped. I'm wondering if you are facing issues with the number of MoCA adapters on your network. The theoretical max is 16 devices, but I've seen recommendations not to exceed five. The 3100 and each STB has a built-in adapter, so if all seven other STBs connect via coax, you are at eight. Adding the two goCoax adapters puts that a 10.

Do you have the Ethernet from the ONT going to the Gateway Max or G3100?

I'm assuming one Unifi Mesh is connected to the Gateway Max, and the other(s) was (were) using a wireless backhaul. Are the Fios Mini STBs connected to the Unifi Mesh for their wireless? (Rather than the G3100.) I have read that those (for some reason) need to get to the G3100 when they start up, but I don't know that for a fact. If that's the case, they must not be able to reach it. I'm still hazy about what the MoCA adapter could have to do with it.

I'll attach a drawing of what I think you have. Let me know if I'm close. (It may take a bit for the drawing to show up.)

Gateway-max-33pct-first.jpg

stevetrigs

UPDATE: After spending 2 hours on the phone with an incredibly-helpful Technician (Jimmy), we determined that the MoCA adapters were indeed conflicting with the Fios network. Since the G3100 also has MoCA 2.5GhZ built-in, it appears that my MoCA adapters were conflicting with the Fios MoCA, and the STB's were connecting to the Ubiquiti gateway rather than the G3100.

The resolution was to pull out my MoCA adapters, he remotely pushed firmware updates down to the VMS and the affected two STB's, and voila! We were back up and running.

Now that all being said, he said I could hook up my Fios Network Extender (G3200, which I had still in the original box in my attic for the past 6 years), and essentially use that as a MoCA adapter for my Ubiquiti AP's. But that doesn't work, and my Ubiquiti Gateway can't see the AP when it's plugged into the G3200. That's a problem for another day, but at least my STB's are back up and running.

All comments

Capricorn1

In general, adding MoCA adapters shouldn't affect the wireless network. Which MoCA adapter are you using? If you had to use a coax splitter to add the adapter, which one did you use? Is there a Verizon router in the mix? Where was the MoCA adapter added? A drawing of the chain of connections would be helpful.

Do the mini STBs work again if you return everything to your original hardware configuration? As a guess, I suspect that the MoCA adapter didn't mess up the wireless network, but it may have broken the mini-STB's ability to configure themselves from the Verizon router (assuming you have one).

stevetrigs

Using goCoax MoCA 2.5 adapters. Yes - Cable Matters coax splitter, splitting the signal coming in to the house to the Verizon G3100 router and the MoCa adapter. The MoCa adapter's ethernet run goes directly into a Unifi Gateway Max.

Also, for what it's worth, I'm not using the Verizon's wifi network for my home network. The SSID is still broadcasted and it's there as a fallback if I ever need it, but the G3100 is connected to the Gateway Max, and I administer my own wifi network through Ubiquiti.

I haven't tried returning everything to its original hardware config, but I guess I should as a troubleshooting measure. Verizon is sending me one replacement Mini STB today so I'll also see if hooking that up is successful. It's just odd that out of 9 STB's in my house, the two that stopped working were the two on wifi connections.

Capricorn1

Do you have the Ethernet from the ONT going to the Gateway Max or G3100?

I'll attach a drawing of what I think you have. Let me know if I'm close. (It may take a bit for the drawing to show up.)

Gateway-max-33pct-first.jpg

stevetrigs

The resolution was to pull out my MoCA adapters, he remotely pushed firmware updates down to the VMS and the affected two STB's, and voila! We were back up and running.

stevetrigs

And thank you @Capricorn1
for all of your help and for the sketch. That was incredibly helpful, as well, and you basically got it 95% right.