Using DECA to get an ethernet connection with no set top box present

[david78]

I just had MRV installed today. In addition to the other message I posted about my issues with HR24, I had another question:

I have some satellite outlets that currently have NO set top box connected. I was hoping to use one of the DECA boxes to get an ethernet network connection in those rooms, but it appears that that DECA box requires a set top box connection to be active - you can't just plug the satellite connection into DECA and use ethernet out.

Is there any way around this issue? Another type of DECA box perhaps that doesn't require the STB for power?

 

[JohnL]

The Deca adapter is not just routing IP traffic over RF bandwidth (on the Coax feed, but also bits from the MRV stream). The Deca switch is designed to work with a DirecTV receiver, end of story. If you just want an Ethernet/IP network connection (or network feed into another room you need to run a Hard Cat4/5 cable or use a Wireless signal).

The Deca adapter was never intended to provider a Network connection to anything other than a DirecTV receiver.

John

 

[david78]

Thanks. I did a little more reading on this - is it the case that simply installing the DECA power adapter wouldn't solve this problem?
DIRECTV DECA Networking Components for MRV

 

[JohnL]

David,

Like I said if you intend to try to use the DECA to do anything other than connect a DirecTV receiver it will not provide connectivity to anything else. If you want a network connection to a Computer, IPTV device, TV, BluRay player etc... It will not work.

 

[ybe4094]

David,

Like I said if you intend to try to use the DECA to do anything other than connect a DirecTV receiver it will not provide connectivity to anything else. If you want a network connection to a Computer, IPTV device, TV, BluRay player etc... It will not work.

Yes it will. While the DECA is not supposed to be used with anything else but DirecTV equipment, technically speaking it will work just fine since it's nothing else but a coax to Ethernet converter. Make sure your DECA adapter is powered. Your non-DirecTV device will be "stealing" bandwidth from your DirecTV MRV connected receivers.

 

[david78]

Thanks, all clear now. I'm the only person in the house so I think bandwidth shouldn't be a problem for me...I think DECA's a good poor man's solution to wiring up the house even if not officially supported.

 

[ybe4094]

Thanks, all clear now. I'm the only person in the house so I think bandwidth shouldn't be a problem for me...I think DECA's a good poor man's solution to wiring up the house even if not officially supported.

No problem, glad to help. Actually, I wouldn't call DECA a poor man's solution. The DECA connection supports transfer rates almost as high as 200Mbps. A network configuration very similar to DECA is used in many FIOS installations. They simply have more sophisticated coax to Ethernet cable-modems.

 

[dishrich]

Yes it will. While the DECA is not supposed to be used with anything else but DirecTV equipment, technically speaking it will work just fine since it's nothing else but a coax to Ethernet converter. Make sure your DECA adapter is powered.

Wow, so what you are saying is, if I had a location where I wanted a connection off my router, (which normally would be with a CAT5 cable) but I already had a coax run instead, I could just use a DECA adaptor on each end & be all set?

What about utilizing one between 2 HD Tivo's, instead of having to run CAT5 cabling?

 

[ybe4094]

Wow, so what you are saying is, if I had a location where I wanted a connection off my router, (which normally would be with a CAT5 cable) but I already had a coax run instead, I could just use a DECA adaptor on each end & be all set?

What about utilizing one between 2 HD Tivo's, instead of having to run CAT5 cabling?

Yes, it will work as long as you have the SWiM installation and a coax run is part of the DECA cloud.

 

[dishrich]

Yes, it will work as long as you have the SWiM installation and a coax run is part of the DECA cloud.

Well no, I was thinking you meant I could just put a DECA on each end of the coax run (w/a power supply on each as well) & in essence, I am now using the coax run as a "CAT5" cable run??? (NO D* equipment involved at all)

 

[ybe4094]

Well no, I was thinking you meant I could just put a DECA on each end of the coax run (w/a power supply on each as well) & in essence, I am now using the coax run as a "CAT5" cable run??? (NO D* equipment involved at all)

No, you need the SWiM multiswitch for the DECA to work. There are other various Ethernet over coax implementations but they are expensive, around $150 for a pair.

 

[dishrich]

There are other various Ethernet over coax implementations but they are expensive, around $150 for a pair.

Yea, I noticed that - THAT'S why I thought you had struck GOLD, being able to JUST use 2 DECA's. But still, good info to keep in mind, thx.

 

[Bob Nielsen]

it will work, but will cost ~$60 for each end of the connection (at a retailer, eBay should be less). Still, it is less than a pair of MoCA adapters (which use the same technology at a different frequency). Before DECA came out, I had one DVR networked via MoCA on the cable from my OTA antenna to the AM21.

 

[SpaethCo]

No, you need the SWiM multiswitch for the DECA to work.

??

SWiM doesn't have a multiswitch -- they're just high frequency splitters very similar to what is used with cable. SWiM maps each tuner to a unique frequency "slot" so that multiple tuners can be fed on the same cable.

With a straight piece of otherwise "dark" coax, you could put a DECA adapter on both ends and use it for a standard network connection and it doesn't have to touch any other DirecTV hardware.

If you want to use DECA on a DirecTV installation, the installation itself needs to be SWiM because it leaves a frequency slot open for DECA. If you tried to use DECA hardware on a legacy installation the frequencies would overlap and interfere; that's why if you want to use DECA on DirecTV you need SWiM.

 

[Clayton S]

John,
You couldn't be more wrong, end of story. DirecTV receivers use IP datagrams to communicate with each other. The DECAs merely move the signal between ethernet and coax cable. Why do you think receivers throughout a house are able to connect to the Internet once a DECA elsewhere in a house is connected to a home ethernet network (assuming broadband connection is present)? The DECA unit has no way of knowing what kind of equipment is connected to its ethernet port. As far as it is concerned, it moves any IP ethernet traffic onto the coax cable. Receivers in a setup with MRV, but not connected to a home network, still communicate via IP, anyway. They are unable to find a DHCP server on their network and assign themselves IP addresses in the 169.x.x.x range. All receivers in a house do this, thus end up on the same subnet and are able to see each other. The DECA adapter piggybacks outgoing IP traffic onto the coax network, and filters it out of incoming traffic so as not to confuse the receiver, as would be the case if you connected a receiver without a built-in DECA directly to the LNB. Do your homework, or at least know what you are talking about, before you belittle strangers online, please.
Thank you,
Clayton

 

[Clayton S]

Oh, also, all you need is a power inserter for the DECA. It needs to get its juice from somewhere.