Question about ethernet / coax connectability

[trazom]

Hello all.  I have FIOS gigabit internet only -- no tv. 

There is a Cat-5 ethernet cable coming into the family room on the first level of my house.   It connects to a Quantum router.  A coax cable runs from the router and into the wall.

I want to move the router upstairs.

My question:  do I need the router as the access point for the Cat-5 ethernet, or is there a way to bypass the router completely and use some sort of adapter to connect the Cat-5 ethernet male to the coax male on the wall?

Thanks very much.

[Edg1 · Accepted solution]

You need to have a router connected to the ethernet. The router can be Quantum router or you can purchase your own router.

If you want to move the router upstairs you have couple options. You can run ethernet from the ONT to the upstairs. Or you can use a MoCA adapter using the coax in the house. The benefit of using the Quantum router is it will communicate with a MoCA adapter. If you use your own router you will need a pair if MoCA adapters. 

[Capricorn1]

I have a few questions about your installation. If you have Gigabit service, it would come from your ONT (where the optical fiber terminates) and then as an Ethernet cable to your router. It should be connected to the WAN port on the router. Is that the case? If none of the LAN ports have Ethernet cables in them, are you only using wireless connections for all the devices in the house? The router serves as the wireless access point for any wireless devices you have accessing the Internet. (Also if that's the case, Gigabit service is way overkill, but that's a different topic.)

If I am understanding what service you have, you need the Ethernet cable going into the WAN port regardless of where you locate the router. If you can run a new Ethernet cable from the ONT to where you want the router upstairs, that will work. If it's simpler, you can also use an Ethernet coupler to connect two cables together to run a new line upstairs. It's best to keep the overall run length from the ONT to the router around 100 ft or less.

Realize that you are moving the wireless access point upstairs, too, which will change the strength of the wireless connections. Those that were upstairs and perhaps a bit weak will probably get better, and those that are near where the router is now will likely get weaker. It may not make any difference in the performance you perceive, but it's worth mentioning.

If you don't have Fios TV service (and therefore, no Fios set-top boxes attached to TVs), I'm not sure that the coax cable is doing anything at all. Unless you have something like network extenders connected to coax elsewhere, you can likely leave that disconnected.

[Edg1]

The OP stated that they have gigabit only with no TV and ethernet running to the family room. They have two options. Run ethernet from the ONT to where they want the router. Or they can also keep the router where it is and use MoCA adapters. Ethernet is limited to 100 meters(328 feet). Unless you are living in a mansion, it will be very unlikely to go over that limit.

[Capricorn1]

True, MoCA  adapters would work too. Since they don't have TV (and therefore no set-top boxes [STBs] on the MoCA LAN frequencies), they would not even have to reprogram them. 

I am still wondering why there is already a coax connected to the router. Without STBs or a network extender, what is it doing? I suspect nothing. Maybe they had Verizon TV service at one time.

[Edg1]

Your right, they probably had TV service at one point. They might of had a MoCA WAN connection at one point as well.