MoCA Adapters: The Most Underrated Home Networking Upgrade

If you've ever wished you had Ethernet ports in every room but didn't want to tear open your walls, I have good news: you might already have the infrastructure you need.

It's called MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance), and it's one of the most underrated networking technologies out there. If you have coaxial cables in your home—the same ones used for cable TV—you can turn them into a high-speed wired network.

What Exactly is MoCA?

MoCA adapters convert your network signal to travel over coaxial cables—the same cables that bring (or brought) cable TV into your home. Most houses built in the last 30+ years have coax running to multiple rooms, often just sitting there unused now that streaming has replaced cable.

Think of it this way: MoCA turns your existing coax cables into Ethernet cables.

The latest MoCA 2.5 standard delivers up to 2.5 Gbps of throughput with incredibly low latency—often under 4ms. That's faster than most people's internet connections and rivals running actual Ethernet cable.

How MoCA Works (Simple Version)

The setup is surprisingly simple:

1. Connect one MoCA adapter to your router via Ethernet, and plug it into a coax outlet
2. Connect another MoCA adapter to a coax outlet in another room
3. Plug your device (gaming console, smart TV, mesh WiFi node, PC) into the second adapter via Ethernet
4. That's it — you now have a wired connection

The MoCA signal travels through your home's coax wiring, completely separate from any cable TV or internet service that might also use those cables. They can coexist without interference.

A Typical Setup

Here's what a basic MoCA setup looks like:

Router → [MoCA Adapter] → Coax in wall → [MoCA Adapter] → Device

You need a minimum of two adapters to create a MoCA network. Add more adapters to extend to additional rooms—up to 16 devices can share a single MoCA network.

Why MoCA is So Underrated

Most people don't even know MoCA exists. When they want better network performance, they think their only options are:

• Run Ethernet cables through walls (expensive, invasive)
• Use powerline adapters (inconsistent, slow)
• Hope WiFi is good enough (it often isn't)

MoCA sits in this perfect middle ground: wired performance without the hassle of running new cables.

MoCA vs. The Alternatives

MoCA vs. Powerline Adapters

Powerline adapters use your home's electrical wiring to transmit data. Sounds great in theory, but in practice they're plagued by:

• Inconsistent speeds depending on your home's wiring
• Interference from appliances, motors, and other electronics
• Real-world speeds often 50-100 Mbps (despite advertising much higher)
• Higher latency

MoCA consistently delivers 1-2.5 Gbps with sub-5ms latency. It's not even close.

MoCA vs. WiFi

WiFi is convenient, but it has limitations:

• Signal degrades through walls and floors
• Congestion from neighbors and other devices
• Higher latency (problematic for gaming and video calls)
• Bandwidth shared among all devices

MoCA gives you a dedicated, stable connection that doesn't fluctuate based on who's streaming Netflix in the next room.

Who Should Use MoCA?

MoCA is perfect for:

Gamers

If your gaming setup is far from your router and you're tired of lag spikes, MoCA gives you that wired connection stability without running cables across your house. The low latency is crucial for competitive gaming.

Mesh WiFi Users (Backhaul)

This is the killer use case. If you're running a mesh WiFi system like Eero, the nodes communicate with each other wirelessly by default. This works, but you're using WiFi bandwidth for backhaul that could go to your devices.

Connect your mesh nodes via MoCA, and suddenly your entire mesh system performs dramatically better. I covered this in detail in my article on wired vs wireless backhaul for Eero—MoCA is how you get wired backhaul without actually running Ethernet.

Home Office Workers

Video calls dropping? VPN connection unstable? If your home office is in a WiFi dead zone or just not getting reliable speeds, MoCA can give you that rock-solid connection for work.

Streaming Enthusiasts

4K streaming, especially with HDR, needs consistent bandwidth. If your smart TV or streaming device is buffering, a MoCA connection can solve that instantly.

Anyone Who Can't Run Ethernet

Renting? Don't want to drill holes? Multi-story home where running cable is a nightmare? If you have coax already installed, MoCA is your answer.

What You Need to Get Started

Before buying MoCA adapters, make sure you have:

1. Coax outlets in the rooms you need — Look for those round, threaded connectors (same as cable TV)
2. Connected coax wiring — The outlets need to be part of the same coax network (usually connected at a splitter)
3. At least two MoCA adapters — One near your router, one where you need the connection
4. A MoCA filter (Point of Entry filter) — Installed where coax enters your home to keep your signal private and prevent interference

Recommended MoCA Adapters

The most popular options:

• goCoax MoCA 2.5 Adapter — Great value, reliable performance, what I use
• Motorola MM2025 — Solid brand name, easy setup
• Translite MoCA 2.5 — Budget-friendly option

Expect to pay $60-90 per adapter. You'll need at least two, so budget around $120-180 for a basic setup.

Important Things to Know

Don't Skip the MoCA Filter

A Point of Entry (PoE) filter is essential. It prevents your MoCA signal from leaking out to the street (security concern) and stops outside interference from affecting your network. They're cheap—about $10-15—just install it where the coax enters your home.

Check Your Splitters

If you have coax splitters in your setup, make sure they support the MoCA frequency range (typically 1125-1675 MHz). Older splitters designed only for cable TV might filter out MoCA signals. Look for splitters rated for MoCA or at least 5-1675 MHz.

MoCA Works Alongside Cable/Internet

If you still have cable TV or your internet comes in over coax, MoCA can share the same cables without interference. The frequencies don't overlap.

The Bottom Line

MoCA is one of those technologies that solves a real problem elegantly. If you have coax cables in your home and need reliable wired connections without the hassle of running Ethernet, it's a no-brainer.

I especially recommend it for anyone running a mesh WiFi system. Wired backhaul makes a huge difference, and MoCA is the easiest way to achieve it. If you're curious about why backhaul matters, check out my detailed comparison of wired vs wireless backhaul.

Quick summary:

• Use existing coax cables for wired networking
• Up to 2.5 Gbps speeds with low latency
• Way better than powerline adapters
• Perfect for mesh WiFi backhaul
• No new cables to run

Have questions about setting up MoCA? Drop a comment below!