# Directv DECAs and Internet



## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

I have a SWM system with 3 HR23s(bedroom,game room,guest bedroom) and 1 HR24(living room). The 3 HR23s all have DECAs attached with another in the basement connected to my router for whole home dvr and internet. 

I have been using powerline to supply internet to my living room, bedroom and game room. In my bedroom I have another access point in bridge mode to increase my range. This has been working OK but has limited my Mbps to only 32Mbps or 4 MBs. 

Last night I was bothered by how long my backups were taking and thought about how I could use my coax instead of the electric. 

I hooked up a switch to the bedroom DECA and plugged the access point, appletv and directv box into it. This did increase my speed on the transfers to 80 Mbps or 10MBs. I was happy with this...

Now for my questions..

1. Is this a bad idea? What problems can come from using the DECAs like this? I did watch a move from the living room in the bedroom while backing up my Mac and didn't notice any issues.

2. Can I add a DECA to my HR24 and put a switch there? My plan was to put switches in the living room, bedroom, and game room. Will this amount of traffic over the coax be bad?

3. If I shouldn't add a DECA to the living room HR24 can I split the cable and then add it?

4. I notice that sometimes the speed drops down to a low 8Mbps or 1MB. It's usually faster than this but it has at times stayed at that speed for some of the backup. However if I trigger a speedtest(.net) it once again kicks up to a great 56Mbps or 7MB. 50Mbps is what i pay for. Is this normal?

5. Is there any QoS on the DECAs? Will transfers be slower if I am using my Whole Home DVRs or watching an On Demand movie?

Thanks for any help!


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

I have also looked at getting new powerline adapters. I'm not sure how much better the 500Mbps would be over my current 200Mbps. 

Linksys PLK300 -> ZyXEL PLA4225KIT??


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Don't put a DECA on the 24. It has it built in - you'll need to split the coax and add a DECA with a PI. (or a broadband adapter CCK that has a power cube)

There is a 16 device limit on a DECA cloud. If you have a spare coax, I'd create a separate cloud with DECAs at your switch locations and one at a LAN connection.

Remember, this is not supported by Directv and an installer may have a problem with it. You can always remove it if they complain.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

I have 6 rooms with coax drops in them. So they gave me a 8 way splitter as 1 connection comes from the dish itself. As far as I can tell that's the only splitting that has been done to the signal.

Will my HR24 be OK if I split that drop again? 

Do the DECAs have a channel or something I can configure? I'm not sure I get how else I would setup two clouds.. Maybe run 6 more drops and get a separate switch?

If I can't do that will having all my devices on one cloud cause problems?


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

you should be fine with a 2 way splitter on your HR24 

If you are going to do drops, why not use CAT6 cable and use a gigabit switch... far faster than having a second DECA cloud...

as far as putting all of those devices on the same cloud, you will be OK unless the traffic flow gets too high, you will start having WHDVR issues, where DirecTV will not support the configuration...


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Certainly if you're going to pull cable, pull cat6. All pre-Swim HR installations used two coaxes which leaves a spare when Swim is installed.

A second coax doesn't need to be connected to anything on the current swim. It only needs deca devices on both ends to transport ethernet on the coax.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

trust me I don't want to pull cables. lol That is the main reason I'm asking. 

can someone give me a link for the latest deca(s)? 

what traffic might be to high for this network? I will have a PS3, Wii, Mac(with time capsule backups), two iphone 5s, and all my directv boxes(4).


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

scuba629 said:


> trust me I don't want to pull cables. lol That is the main reason I'm asking.
> 
> can someone give me a link for the latest deca(s)?
> 
> what traffic might be to high for this network? I will have a PS3, Wii, Mac(with time capsule backups), two iphone 5s, and all my directv boxes(4).


Basically, if you are using the Internet or the DECA cloud for something other than Whole Home, you might see issues with Whole Home. If that's the case, stop using the network for whatever device is currently being used on the DECA cloud.

- Merg


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

DECA is probably not a good idea for heavy computer use unless you're VERY careful about when you do it. Doing backups qualifies as very heavy.

If these drops are not being used otherwise, you might try a conventional MoCA network.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

Do you think powerline would be able to give me 10MBs or 80Mbps? I have the linksys plk300s now but they seem capped at 4MBS or 32Mbps..

The below looks like a nice set. 

ZyXEL Powerline AV 500 Mbps 4 Port Gigabit Switch Wall-plug Adapter with PLA4205 Powerline AV 500Mbps (PLA4225KIT)


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

scuba629 said:


> Do you think powerline would be able to give me 10MBs or 80Mbps? I have the linksys plk300s now but they seem capped at 4MBS or 32Mbps..
> 
> The below looks like a nice set.
> 
> ZyXEL Powerline AV 500 Mbps 4 Port Gigabit Switch Wall-plug Adapter with PLA4205 Powerline AV 500Mbps (PLA4225KIT)


performance on powerline adapters is very specific to the house wiring... are the source and destination on the same leg or not, and how the wiring is generally run in the house.

Usually, I just recommend people who want to try it to buy it and make sure there is a generous return policy in case the house wiring does not allow the adapters to work at an acceptable level...


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

They wouldn't be on the same leg. It would be 4.. 1 in the basement, 1 bedroom, 1 living room, and 1 game room. They would be on one fuse box.

I was hoping for 80Mbps as I am getting 32Mbps now. 

200 500
---- ----
32 x

x should equal 80.


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

by Leg, I meant that your house has 240 volts coming in. one leg gives you 120 volts, the other leg gives you the other 120 volts. so each circuit has a chance of beeing on 1 leg or phase of your power. usually if you are crossing phases, you may not even get a connection, There is hardware that might help overcome this, but it's best to try it out and follow the recommendations of the manufacturer...


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

oh yeah its one leg then. I currently have it working just not as fast as id like. I love the DECA speed but need all my devices to have it and it seems like that isnt possible.


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

Certainly not recommended, but you might try the faster powerline ethernet adatpers and see what you get... if it's anything close to 500Mbps you will be on par or faster than the DECA speed


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

If you have the Internet at all locations of your receivers do you still need Deca to have the Whole house experience ?


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

There is an unsupported mode using your own home networking--I currently use my home ethernet for WHDVR and it works fine, but I have a gigabit network. it is unsupported by DirecTV so if there are problems, it's mine to deal with...


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

If I wanted to try to setup the DECA network are the below the correct items to get?

New DECA x 3 for bedroom, guest bedroom, game room DIRECTV Ethernet Coax Adapter DECA (DECA1MR01)

Splitter for living room kit. DirecTv MSPLIT2R1 Approved Zinwell 2-Way Wide Band SWM Splitter

New DECA for living room and by router DIRECTV DECA Broadband Adapter - 1 x RJ-45 Network - External

I have the old white DECA units now, but wanted to ensure I put the latest stuff in place if I was to try it.

I plan to try this first then get the powerline as a second backup option.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

The main reason im thinking it might work is this.

The DECA network is a shared 200Mb/s, or the same speed as full duplex 100Mb/s Ethernet

My laptop is backuping up now and its only at a 10MB/s link. Thats not close to the 100Mb/s.


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

BAHitman said:


> There is an unsupported mode using your own home networking--I currently use my home ethernet for WHDVR and it works fine, but I have a gigabit network. it is unsupported by DirecTV so if there are problems, it's mine to deal with...


Is ther any way to confirm the Home Network has to be more then 10/100 and upgrade the switch to a 1000 ?


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Rickt1962;3162381 said:


> Is ther any way to confirm the Home Network has to be more then 10/100 and upgrade the switch to a 1000 ?


I'm not sure that I'm following you here. Are you asking if you need to have a gigabit switch to use DECA for your home network? If so, the answer is no. It will work on a 10/100 network.

- Merg


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

are the parts I listed above correct?


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

The Merg said:


> I'm not sure that I'm following you here. Are you asking if you need to have a gigabit switch to use DECA for your home network? If so, the answer is no. It will work on a 10/100 network.
> 
> - Merg


Great ! I have 2 hr21 and plan on getting HR34 and I can run cat 5 wire to all locations. No need for Deca ! Yahoo !


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Rickt1962;3162571 said:


> Great ! I have 2 hr21 and plan on getting HR34 and I can run cat 5 wire to all locations. No need for Deca ! Yahoo !


You do realize though that with DECA you don't need to run CAT5 wire to all your locations. You could just have the CAT5 cable going to the HR34 and with that all the other receivers would all have access to the Internet, your home network, and Whole Home. This would also keep all of the Whole Home traffic off of your home network.

- Merg


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

seems like this thread has been hijacked! rofl!


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## Vin (Mar 29, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> If I wanted to try to setup the DECA network are the below the correct items to get?
> 
> New DECA x 3 for bedroom, guest bedroom, game room DIRECTV Ethernet Coax Adapter DECA (DECA1MR01)
> 
> ...


Well, you'll still be on your DECA cloud which may or may not impact your WHDVR service (I haven't had any issues with a similar arrangement but that's no guarantee). With that said, I don't think you need to replace your white DECAs but if you're looking for the latest model, it's this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IN-BOX-...892?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccde7bf8c

It can also be purchased with a power supply and used as a BB DECA : http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-DirecTV...913?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27cccf20a1

The older BB DECA that you linked to (also available on ebay) with the green label splitter will work fine though with your HR24.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks Vin! Didn't know the BB DECA I listed was old. Looked newer than I had before...

I just want to be sure that if i split the signal again I wont have issues. Right now it comes from the dish to an 8 port splitter. That 8 port splitter has a SWM, dish, and 4 DVRs on it. So 6 of the 8 ports are in use. I want to use the splitter I listed above to split it once more. 

Is that ok?


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## Vin (Mar 29, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> Thanks Vin! Didn't know the BB DECA I listed was old. Looked newer than I had before...
> 
> I just want to be sure that if i split the signal again I wont have issues. Right now it comes from the dish to an 8 port splitter. That 8 port splitter has a SWM, dish, and 4 DVRs on it. So 6 of the 8 ports are in use. I want to use the splitter I listed above to split it once more.
> 
> Is that ok?


I can't imagine it being an issue.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

ok. some guys at solidsignal said I couldn't do it. However the other guys at weakness said I could. lol 

Just trying to get a good answer. lol


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## Vin (Mar 29, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> ok. some guys at solidsignal said I couldn't do it. However the other guys at weakness said I could. lol
> 
> Just trying to get a good answer. lol


What exactly are they saying you can't do?


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

add another splitter. They said I can only have 1 splitter from the dish. 

He continued on to say if I wanted another connect at my HR24 I needed to run it from the 8 port splitter. 

Right now its going from the DISH to an 8 port splitter. 4 DVRs, a SWM and my Dish link are on that 8 port splitter. I just want to split it once more at 1 of the DVRs.


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## Vin (Mar 29, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> add another splitter. They said I can only have 1 splitter from the dish.
> 
> He continued on to say if I wanted another connect at my HR24 I needed to run it from the 8 port splitter.
> 
> Right now its going from the DISH to an 8 port splitter. 4 DVRs, a SWM and my Dish link are on that 8 port splitter. I just want to split it once more at 1 of the DVRs.


Again, I don't know why he's telling you that you can't split the coax behind your HR24 to feed a BB DECA, it's done all the time. I'm wondering if he thinks you're trying to connect another DVR or receiver....you wouldn't be able to do that since you're already feeding 8 tuners from your SWM LNB.

You can be sure of one thing....if there's something I'm overlooking, someone will surely chime in and set me straight.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

You can split the cable to the 24, just use a green-label 2 way.

And it'll work. The number of DECAs have nothing to do with the number of tuners.

If you're really into details (which it looks like you are!) There's a sticky with VOS' info of loss per splitter / type. In general, 8's are bad unless you're using most of the ports.

For the type of use you've described, adding these few devices to the DECA cloud won't be a problem. If anything, schedule your backup when you're not watching TV via mrv.


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

Rickt1962 said:


> Great ! I have 2 hr21 and plan on getting HR34 and I can run cat 5 wire to all locations. No need for Deca ! Yahoo !


Unless you buy your HR34 from a retailer, such as Solid Signal, and doing it yourself, this probably isn't an option. The installer will end up installing a DECA network for you at the same time that he installs the HR34.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

scuba629 said:


> add another splitter. They said I can only have 1 splitter from the dish.


Perhaps they are recommending that instead of adding a splitter, you replace one of the existing splitters with one that has more outputs.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

harsh said:


> Perhaps they are recommending that instead of adding a splitter, you replace one of the existing splitters with one that has more outputs.


That's not always the right approach.

There's science behind the right path to follow...something *veryoldschool* has posted about in detail as an expert. Perhaps he can add some insight.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> That's not always the right approach.


As the OP seems to be driven to seek dozens of answers as opposed to trying any one of them, I was simply offering a possible reason why Solid Signal seems to be giving advice that appears to be in conflict with generally accepted solutions.


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## SolidSignal (Oct 3, 2007)

scuba629 said:


> ok. some guys at solidsignal said I couldn't do it. However the other guys at weakness said I could. lol
> 
> Just trying to get a good answer. lol


Hi,

I'm sorry you got confusing information. I'll talk to my colleagues and make sure it's a little clearer.

You can add a splitter further down the line from an 8-port splitter under most conditions. Of course you can have no more than 8 tuners on a single SWM leg of a SWM-16 and no more than 8 tuners total on a SWM-8.

If you're not fully using every line coming from your 8-way splitter it might be best to replace it with a 4-way as the signal loss from a 8-way splitter is very great, and that's a good reason not to further split the line.

We've found that MRV problems due to low signal levels in the connected home (550MHz) range are very hard to diagnose and so it's best to avoid over-splitting if possible. I think that's what our tech meant to say to you.

Please let me know if there's anything I can help with.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

scuba629 said:


> add another splitter. They said I can only have 1 splitter from the dish.





harsh said:


> Perhaps they are recommending that instead of adding a splitter, you replace one of the existing splitters with one that has more outputs.


They simply gave bad info.
Splitter loss & cable loss can't exceed about 30 dB.
An 8-way + a 2-way is about 20 dB, leaving 10 dB for cable loss, or about 100' of coax.


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## SolidSignal (Oct 3, 2007)

And, of course thanks, veryoldschool, for making sure everything is clear!


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

SolidSignal said:


> We've found that MRV problems due to low signal levels in the connected home (550MHz) range are very hard to diagnose and so it's best to avoid over-splitting if possible.


There is merit to this statement, "but" it has more to do with using the SWiM-16, than with a SWiM LNB.
A 2-way has about 8 dB of loss for the DECA signal and the 8-way has about 14 dB, so about half of the loss for DECA would be through these two splitters. DECA being in the 550 MHz range, means the coax loss isn't as great as the SAT/SWiM signal loss is.

When you're using a SWiM-16, where there is the added loss of the crossover of the -16 plus the loss of the splitter on each of the -16's outputs, using a splitter "downstream" of the main splitter can easily cause too much loss for the DECA signal between the DECAs that are the farthest away from each other.


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## lugnutathome (Apr 13, 2009)

Hoping I don't confuse things here further but with what I think the OP is attempting to do could not a diplexer route to that "leg" and not have to deal with signal loss?

I apologize if that question derails things. I have tried in my overtaxed at the moment brain to figure this out but between enhanced workload and some sleep depravation. . .

Don "stupidly wondering I am" Bolton



veryoldschool said:


> There is merit to this statement, "but" it has more to do with using the SWiM-16, than with a SWiM LNB.
> A 2-way has about 8 dB of loss for the DECA signal and the 8-way has about 14 dB, so about half of the loss for DECA would be through these two splitters. DECA being in the 550 MHz range, means the coax loss isn't as great as the SAT/SWiM signal loss is.
> 
> When you're using a SWiM-16, where there is the added loss of the crossover of the -16 plus the loss of the splitter on each of the -16's outputs, using a splitter "downstream" of the main splitter can easily cause too much loss for the DECA signal between the DECAs that are the farthest away from each other.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

lugnutathome said:


> Hoping I don't confuse things here further but with what I think the OP is attempting to do could not a diplexer route to that "leg" and not have to deal with signal loss?
> 
> I apologize if that question derails things. I have tried in my overtaxed at the moment brain to figure this out but between enhanced workload and some sleep depravation. . .
> 
> Don "stupidly wondering I am" Bolton


I don't think a diplexer is going to do what the OP wants, as at the same location is a receiver using DECA. Using a diplexer would block the signal to this receiver.


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## lugnutathome (Apr 13, 2009)

Sort of had that image in mind though the new switch could be connected to the 24. Course that would give him a DECA Frankenstein network such as I run but he is sort of tending that way already.

Ideally he would have second lines from a pre SWM install and separate the whole home DECA from the unsupported network and just join them at the switch for internet access.

Don "I'll shut up now" Bolton



veryoldschool said:


> I don't think a diplexer is going to do what the OP wants, as at the same location is a receiver using DECA. Using a diplexer would block the signal to this receiver.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

wow everyone thanks for the replies! 

I went ahead and bought all of the items listed above. I also picked up some CAT6 cables and a few Gigabit Switches. 

I think the only thing I didn't account for was more coax cables. Is there a common local store(best buy, radio shack, etc) I could visit to buy two short coax cables for the splitter? I don't know if there is anything I should look for. Or maybe not get?

Thanks again!


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

scuba629 said:


> I think the only thing I didn't account for was more coax cables. Is there a common local store(best buy, radio shack, etc) I could visit to buy two short coax cables for the splitter?


I'd try Walmart or Target first. You're going to get hosed at Best Buy and probably bent over at Radio Shack. Next on the list would be Lowes or Home Depot.

Unless you're re-making the Power Inserter connection, you really can't go wrong on the RG6 cabling.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

I was looking at these.. I guess the price might be a tad high but there is a radioshack in walking distance to my house.

RadioShack® 1-Ft. RG-6 Coax Cable

Is something like this ok?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

scuba629 said:


> I guess the price might be a tad high but there is a radioshack in walking distance to my house.


Yes that cable will work and yes, you're getting bent over pretty good.

Somewhat contrary to my prediction, Best Buy offers some 1' cables for well under $3 each. Those may only be available through their website (or not).

Monoprice.com offers small quantities for $1.24 each and their shipping rates are very fair.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> I was looking at these.. I guess the price might be a tad high but there is a radioshack in walking distance to my house.
> 
> RadioShack® 1-Ft. RG-6 Coax Cable
> 
> Is something like this ok?


Monoprice.com is a great place for any kind of cables.

I've purchased over 2 dozen coax, HDMI, and other cables from them, as well as a few other things.

Between the selection, quality, and very competitive prices (and good customer service), they outshine most other places for those kinds of things.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

is there any real logic in that a better cable will get me better throughput/speed for my Ethernet transfers?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> is there any real logic in that a better cable will get me better throughput/speed for my Ethernet transfers?


There are plenty of high quality Ethernet cables out there...and as stated earlier...they can be bought exonomically as well. Price doesn't always reflect better quality...in fact, I've found high-end HDMI cables at monoprice.com for less than $10 that were selling at Best Buy for $79 with the identical specs.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

I have cat6 cables already. I guess I was mostly concerned with the RG6 cables.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

scuba629 said:


> I have cat6 cables already. I guess I was mostly concerned with the RG6 cables.


You can pick up reliable RG6 alot of places.

The connectors that come with it are as important as the cable itself. Compression connectors are ideal (in contrast to the cheaper "screw on" type).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

scuba629 said:


> I guess I was mostly concerned with the RG6 cables.


How long will these cables be?
If they'll be 3', "almost any cable" will work fine.


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

scuba629 said:


> is there any real logic in that a better cable will get me better throughput/speed for my Ethernet transfers?


With the caveat that YMMV, and that you shouldn't try this at home....

We are running 15 tuners (13 recordable) across 7 receivers with Whole Home/DECA using the same RG-6 cable (with a few minor exceptions) that was installed in 2001 to support our conversion to dual tuner DirecTiVo DVRs. Some of the cable goes back to 1997 and our initial Dish Network installation. Most of the cable is Radio Shack quad-shield RG6, but some is just plain old foil shield. Except for the outdoor cable connections (which were replaced when we had the Slimline dish installed) all the connections are crimp style. With all that, we get excellent DECA performance and 90+ on all transponders at all receivers.

Personally, I think too much faith is placed in cable "quality" and not enough care taken in how it is handled. Kinking a coax cable will hurt performance more than using a "lower grade" of cable.


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## scuba629 (Jan 14, 2013)

ive got it all setup and working. I did notice once that a show kinda skipped for a second when using my MRV. Not sure why as I wasn't really using my network. 

This was coming from the bedroom HR23 going to the now split cable of the HR24.

It bothers me a little but im sure there is nothing I can do to fix it.


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## Rickt1962 (Jul 17, 2012)

The Merg said:


> You do realize though that with DECA you don't need to run CAT5 wire to all your locations. You could just have the CAT5 cable going to the HR34 and with that all the other receivers would all have access to the Internet, your home network, and Whole Home. This would also keep all of the Whole Home traffic off of your home network.
> 
> - Merg


With all the new TV's coming out with Internet features it would be silly not running Cat5 wire to all locations. With Netflicks etc etc and Home viewing of personal Video's and music and photos


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Rickt1962 said:


> With all the new TV's coming out with Internet features it would be silly not running Cat5 wire to all locations. With Netflicks etc etc and Home viewing of personal Video's and music and photos


Your argument is air tight but it doesn't support the party line so you will likely be called out for your heresy against the Church of DECA.

Wireless is supported (directly or indirectly) by many of these streaming devices and smart TVs, but there are a significant number for whom wireless cannot work due to the proliferation of wireless installations in a relatively small area.

If for no other reason than that Ethernet can easily and cheaply be routed, it makes more sense as the device density increases.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

harsh said:


> Your argument is air tight but it doesn't support the party line so you will likely be called out for your heresy against the Church of DECA.
> 
> Wireless is supported (directly or indirectly) by many of these streaming devices and smart TVs, but there are a significant number for whom wireless cannot work due to the proliferation of wireless installations in a relatively small area.
> 
> If for no other reason than that Ethernet can easily and cheaply be routed, it makes more sense as the device density increases.


My point was not that he shouldn't run Ethernet because of the "Church of DECA". Rick made the comment that he was going to run CAT5 to all his locations to get Internet access for his receivers. I was pointing out that it was not necessary as DECA will handle what he wants. DECA has its place and using it for MRV is exactly what it is there for. If you can keep traffic off your network so that other devices have use of your network with the possibility of interference, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of that?

As for routing CAT5 being easy and cheap, while CAT5 cable is cheap to purchase, routing it in someone's house is not always easy or feasible. While I would recommend any new house being built to look at having CAT5 run to every room, retrofitting a house is not always a solution.

In my house in particular, the bedroom is part of an addition that was added onto the house. Trying to fish CAT5 cable from the basement up to the attic then over to the bedroom is not going to happen easily.

In cases like that, I would actually recommend the idea of using a modified DECA setup where you have a switch installed at one end and can connect devices to the Internet via the DECA cloud.

- Merg


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Rickt1962 said:


> With all the new TV's coming out with Internet features it would be silly not running Cat5 wire to all locations. With Netflicks etc etc and Home viewing of personal Video's and music and photos


If you can run CAT5 to all your locations, then by all means do it. I was just pointing out that for DirecTV, the use of DECA is recommended. That would keep the MRV traffic isolated from your regular network traffic.

- Merg


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

The Merg said:


> If you can keep traffic off your network so that other devices have use of your network with the possibility of interference, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of that?


Too much is placed on the importance of "keeping MRV off the network". I submit that the whole concept is a red herring in a world of switched Ethernet.


> As for routing CAT5 being easy and cheap, while CAT5 cable is cheap to purchase, routing it in someone's house is not always easy or feasible. While I would recommend any new house being built to look at having CAT5 run to every room, retrofitting a house is not always a solution.


If you're inclined to get all of your entertainment from DIRECTV, this may be a reasoned approach. Given that each TV has an average of one non-MRV device in the room with it, it makes the argument questionable as now you're looking to annex the cloud to carry content it wasn't designed to handle..


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

harsh said:


> Too much is placed on the importance of "keeping MRV off the network". I submit that the whole concept is a red herring in a world of switched Ethernet.


Well, if you have actually tried using MRV over your home network compared to using over DECA, you might have experienced this issue. I ran MRV over my home network for more than a year before moving to DECA. During that time, if network usage was heavy due to other devices being used, I definitely saw some lag/stuttering during MRV playback. Once I moved to DECA, this issue disappeared.



harsh said:


> If you're inclined to get all of your entertainment from DIRECTV, this may be a reasoned approach. Given that each TV has an average of one non-MRV device in the room with it, it makes the argument questionable as now you're looking to annex the cloud to carry content it wasn't designed to handle..


And yes, while rooms might have more than one non-MRV device in it, I would still submit that retrofitting a house/room for Ethernet is not always practical. The time and effort for me to run a CAT5 cable from my router to my bedroom means that it will most likely never happen. I currently use a Linksys WRT160N router up there as a wireless extender to which I can attach wired devices. It is not the best solution though. And while, it would not be a supported solution, I might consider using a DECA to provide a hardwired LAN connection up in the bedroom. In that case, if I am using the networked device in the bedroom, I will most likely not be using MRV so I should not experience any negative impact.

- Merg


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

"_*Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.*_"

This is the wettest idea yet from a person who has no direct knowledge of MRV, and precious little idea of how most of us employ non-MRV appliances in our homes.


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