I'm trying to extend my network over coax using a spare Actiontec MI424WR Rev F. I've followed the directions from "Can I get an ethernet connection in a room with only coax?" http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.2_MOCA#15984
Primary router is MI424WR Rev. E running firmware 20.21.0.2
Bridged router is Frontier branded MI424WR Rev. F running 20.12.2.4 firmware it shipped with.
3 STBs in the house.
The problem is this: whenever I connect the coax with the channel set to 1150MHz or automatic, I get the message on my Rev F GUI that coax LAN is disconnected. I can't pull an IP from Rev. E DHCP server, and get no internet. If I switch it to 1200 or 1250, it connects up and works perfectly. The only problem is then my STBs all get disconnected.
Things you should know (I don't know how much of this is relevant)
1. The first issue I ran into was no Guide or VOD on a STB connected to the coax in the room where I want internet. Switching the 1-to-4 splitter in the basement solved that problem. With 3 STBs, the main Rev E, and the remaining coax I'm trying to use, there is certainly at least one other splitter somewhere that I haven't found.
2. I tried setting up the Rev F as primary, with the Rev E bridged, keeping them in the same locations. Same problem, but the Rev E loses contact with the rest of the network. The problem with getting internet is not location specific.
3. My Rev F isn't broken. In the neighbor's house, it connects up on 1150MHz perfectly, although their network is strictly internet, no TV.
4. The coax I'm connecting to at home works just fine with a STB including guide and VOD. I'm guessing that means 1150MHz is making it through the cable.
5. MoCa diagnosis shows currently running version is 1.1
6. I have not tried channels higher than 1250MHz. No reason to really because the STBs won't work on anything but 1150MHz. Am wrong about this?
7. My SSID on the Rev F is deliberately different than the rest of the network.
8. When I set the coax channel to 1200 or 1250, and connect devices to the bridge, they show up on the primary router as coax connections. I suppose that makes sense.
9. WiFi range extender, power line, or running ethernet are not options.
10. I've taken the additional step of disabling WAN autodetect on the coax connection, just for good measure.
Possible causes
1. Maybe my splitter is not bi-directional. I doubt it because VOD and guide work and I'm pretty sure those require bi-di splitter. Correct me if I'm wrong.
2. My Rev F is Frontier branded. I suppose it's possible there's a bug in the Frontier firmware. I doubt this because the two firmwares look and behave identically, except for the Verizon logo. This suggests Actiontec uses the same firmware for both brands, just changes the logo. That would mean a bug in the Frontier firmware would have shown up in the Verizon firmware at some point too. I've searched and found nothing to suggest any such thing ever existed.
3. Most likely, I'm completely missing the point of everything and it was never even possible to take a spare MI424WR Rev F, make it a bridge according to the instructions I linked above, and simply plug it into the coax to extend my network to a room with only coax.
I'm obviously doing something wrong, and it's probably super obvious. Can somebody here help?
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