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Converting the inbuilt coaxial wiring into a reliable wired internet connection isn’t a hassle anymore. A device called MoCA Adapter helps convert coax to Ethernet. And the most exciting part, you can rely on the stability of the wired internet. If you are wondering about speeds, bother not. They can support Gigabit speed.

You can get all the benefits of a well-established wired internet most cost-effectively. Yes, you can keep your old wiring intact. And there is no strenuous wiring process involved. Plug in the adapters, connect it to coax outlets, run an Ethernet cable, and power up. Fret, I’ll walk you through all the steps in the following section.

Converting Coax To Ethernet with MoCA Adapters

Depending on the number of coax wall outlets you intend to use, you will need as many MoCA adapters. Get Ethernet and coaxial cables of suitable length for all the devices you plan to run a wired internet connection.

Step 1: Plug in one end of the coaxial cable to the MoCA adapter.

Note: If you are using a TV bundle, you can use a coaxial splitter and run one end to the TV set-top and the other to the MoCA adapter.

Plug in coaxial cable to MoCA adapter

Step 2: The other end of the cable to the Ethernet adapter ends up in the coax wall outlet.

Connect Ethernet adapter to wall outlet

Step 3: Plug the power cable into the power I/O.

Plug the power cable into the power I:O

Step 4: The other end of the power cord goes into the power outlet.

Step 5: Depending on the type of MoCA adapter, you might have one or many Ethernet ports. Plugin one end of the Ethernet cable into the MoCA adapter.

Plugin Ethernet cable into MoCA adapter.

Step 6: The Other end goes into the gateway or modem as an input into the WAN port.

If the gateway has an inbuilt MoCA, you might connect it directly to the wall outlet and use a coaxial to ethernet adapter for a router or wireless extender.

Step 7: You can connect the MoCA adapter to other coax wall outlets in the rooms and connect them to your TV or gaming/streaming devices.

A sample setup with a MoCA adapter will look like this:

Sample setup with a MoCA adapter

Advantages of Using MoCA Adapters

Converting coaxial to ethernet comes with a lot of advantages.

  1. Saves you the Ethernet rewiring with an average cost of $0.10-0.35 per foot.
  2. Offer stable wired internet for your TV, gaming consoles, wireless routers, and extenders.
  3. With MoCA adapters, you can use your Coaxial line to get high-speed internet up to 1 Gbps.
  4. MoCA is available in a point-to-multi-point system where you can set up one access point and use multiple modems to provide wired, stable internet across large homes, hotels, and apartment complexes.
  5. You can connect up to 16 MoCA adapters in your network.
  6. They offer robust security features like MoCA Sec and data encryption.
  7. Coaxial to ethernet for gaming is pretty good. You have an edge in the first-person shooting games by replacing coax with ethernet.
  8. You can use your MoCA adapter with various cable-based service providers like Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox.
  9. Easy Plug-N-Play setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ethernet over Coax Good?

Yes, running Coax to Cat 6 or Cat 7 ethernet cable turns your existing coaxial wiring into a powerful internet carrier. You can multiple adapters at different wall outlets and add reliable internet throughout your home.

Should I run a coaxial cable or ethernet?

This depends on the service provider and technical feasibility in your neighborhood. Both coaxial and ethernet can support higher internet plans. In case of the absence of fiber internet, you can use an adapter to convert the coax into Ethernet by running a coaxial cable to an ethernet adapter. 

Is MoCA as fast as Ethernet?

Using MoCA, you can get internet speeds as high as 1 Gbps. For multi-gigabit plans, Ethernet is the preferred modality. 

Is it possible to convert Coax to Ethernet without Modem?

No, you need a modem to convert the data from your ISP through the coaxial cable. But if your home has well-established coaxial wiring with a cable modem, you can use a MoCA adapter and convert them to Ethernet signals to get wired Ethernet at every nook and corner of your house.

How to set up the internet without a coaxial cable?

There are other alternatives to coax-based internet. You can use internet services of cellular-based providers or satellite-based service providers. Fiber optic-based internet rules out using coaxial cables for your internet connection.

Conclusion

Replacing Coax with Ethernet using MoCA is one of the cost-efficient methods of spending a bunch on rewiring. Otherwise converting a coax cable network into an Ethernet line becomes cumbersome in old-style homes, where rewiring has been ruled out.