# Using DECA to enable ethernet to other devices?



## VeniceDre (Aug 16, 2006)

I did an installation yesterday where they had no hardwired ethernet to the A/V system. DirecTV however had been out to do a whole home install days earlier and they DECAd everything out with ethernet. It was my first time trying this but I used the second ethernet port of one of the HD DVRs and was able to get internet to an Apple TV.

I then connected a gigabit switch to this port, then a Samsung Blu-ray player, Apple TV, & Denon A/V Receiver to it. Everything worked with no speed issues. Got full 1080p HDX off the Vudu on the Blu-ray player.

Anybody else using a similar setup? Any drawbacks?


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Supposedly, using the second port on the DVR will cause the DVR's CPU to bog down handling the ethernet traffic through it, however, since Its doubtful they will be watching the DVR when using the stuff you have hooked through it, it probably will not be noticable. Test it with recording two HD shows at once, while using the ethernet to stream a video to one of the other devices. If it records both shows ok, it will probably be ok.


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## TITAN_53 (Jul 23, 2007)

I've used and can confirm the problems with the 2nd ethernet port on the DVR. I would take a look at this setup that the poster is using in the living room. Be aware that by doing this you are moving traffic onto the Deca network which could cause problems. 
http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=2468290&postcount=11


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Dre,

That was a nono :nono2: .. You'd be better off connecting the DECA to a switch and then the switch back to the DVR and the Apple TV. Still that's not really "right" but it would be better than the way you set it up.

The @21s with dual Ethernet ports should NEVER have a second device plugged in. They sorta work and look like they work, but they introduce situations that can lock up the entire home network and are very difficult to diagnose in the heat of the moment.


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## VeniceDre (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks for the input guys. I will monitor the performance the next couple of days. I was thinking I might be able to get away with this since pulling a new cat6 line will be difficult to this location.


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## VeniceDre (Aug 16, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> Dre,
> 
> That was a nono :nono2: .. You'd be better off connecting the DECA to a switch and then the switch back to the DVR and the Apple TV. Still that's not really "right" but it would be better than the way you set it up.
> 
> The @21s with dual Ethernet ports should NEVER have a second device plugged in. They sorta work and look like they work, but they introduce situations that can lock up the entire home network and are very difficult to diagnose in the heat of the moment.


So wiring the deca to the switch first, then everything out from there including the DirecTV box?

Like I said, it's my first attempt on something like this. Trying to be all MacGyver on this one and save the homeowner the expense of the ethernet run.


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## TITAN_53 (Jul 23, 2007)

Didn't you say that you already had a switch? I wouldn't worry too much about monitoring it. You may not notice any issues today or tomorrow (maybe you will) but there will be problems. Just run the DECA to your switch and then run everything from there.


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## TITAN_53 (Jul 23, 2007)

VeniceDre said:


> So wiring the deca to the switch first, then everything out from there including the DirecTV box?
> 
> Like I said, it's my first attempt on something like this. Trying to be all MacGyver on this one and save the homeowner the expense of the ethernet run.


You got it.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

VeniceDre said:


> So wiring the deca to the switch first, then everything out from there including the DirecTV box?
> 
> Like I said, it's my first attempt on something like this. Trying to be all MacGyver on this one and save the homeowner the expense of the ethernet run.


DECA to switch to DVR is SOOOO MUCH BETTER than using the 2nd port of the DVR.


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## VeniceDre (Aug 16, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> DECA to switch to DVR is SOOOO MUCH BETTER than using the 2nd port of the DVR.


I was under the impression that the deca had to be on the first leg for it work right. When I'm back over there later in the week I'll swap the connections.

Thanks for the input guys. One of the biggest obstacles I come across is getting ethernet runs to different rooms in existing homes. This particular room is on slab so it's a tough one.


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## RobertE (Jun 10, 2006)

Keep in mind that by adding all this other gear onto the deca network on any future DirecTv service visits the tech would be completely be within his rights to 1) Disconnect everything you have plugged it, 2) Walk away from the job completely. Support goes completely out the window now. 

But as long as you are willing to pick up that slack and the customer is aware they will be in a quasi-supported state, then have fun.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

VeniceDre said:


> I was under the impression that the deca had to be on the first leg for it work right. When I'm back over there later in the week I'll swap the connections.
> 
> Thanks for the input guys. One of the biggest obstacles I come across is getting ethernet runs to different rooms in existing homes. This particular room is on slab so it's a tough one.


DECA is "simply" RF to ethernet, so there isn't any "order". The DECA has a 100 Mb/s port so you should explain to your customer that this shouldn't be overloaded with traffic and MRV could suffer.

Another thing you might think of is adding another DECA there and let it handle the other devices. The DECA cloud is about 250 Mb/s, so this might reduce some of the bottleneck.
One of these:


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## DogLover (Mar 19, 2007)

VeniceDre said:


> I was under the impression that the deca had to be on the first leg for it work right. When I'm back over there later in the week I'll swap the connections.
> 
> Thanks for the input guys. One of the biggest obstacles I come across is getting ethernet runs to different rooms in existing homes. This particular room is on slab so it's a tough one.


One advantage of DECA is that only 1 connection to the ethernet is needed, not one in every room with a receiver.


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## MadMac (Feb 18, 2008)

Funny, I was just thinking about something like this over the weekend.

I recently went SWM/DECA - no issues, all went OK. Where my big screen is located is a very difficult location to get cables to (we're talking about busting a wall open), but I now have a spare coax to there. If I added a blu-ray player with internet capability, could I stick DECA adapters (with power inserters) on either end of that spare coax, plug one into the blu-ray and the other into an internet switch?


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## dsw2112 (Jun 13, 2009)

MadMac said:


> Funny, I was just thinking about something like this over the weekend.
> 
> I recently went SWM/DECA - no issues, all went OK. Where my big screen is located is a very difficult location to get cables to (we're talking about busting a wall open), but I now have a spare coax to there. If I added a blu-ray player with internet capability, could I stick DECA adapters (with power inserters) on either end of that spare coax, plug one into the blu-ray and the other into an internet switch?


Absolutely


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## Yog-Sothoth (Apr 8, 2006)

> If I added a blu-ray player with internet capability, could I stick DECA adapters (with power inserters) on either end of that spare coax, plug one into the blu-ray and the other into an internet switch?


If you're already using one for broadband access for your DVRs, then just connect the other end of the extra coax to an open port on your SWM splitter (if you have one); that would alleviate the need for _two_ extra DECAs (just one would be required).


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## MadMac (Feb 18, 2008)

Yog-Sothoth said:


> If you're already using one for broadband access for your DVRs, then just connect the other end of the extra coax to an open port on your SWM splitter (if you have one); that would alleviate the need for _two_ extra DECAs (just one would be required).


True, but that then gets it into the DECA "cloud".


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## Yog-Sothoth (Apr 8, 2006)

> True, but that then gets it into the DECA "cloud".


I'm not a DECA "purist," so I have a number of "foreign" devices in my DECA cloud. MRV performance hit: none.


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## menkelis (Jun 26, 2007)

I have a HR24 in my bedroom. Also in here is a ethernet over powerline adaptor to feed my blu-ray player.
Could I buy a external DECA, connect it the the coax to the HR24 for signal/power and the use the
ethernet for my blu-ray player without it cutting of the built-in DECA? I know this would put the
lu-ray player on the DECA cloud.


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## dsw2112 (Jun 13, 2009)

menkelis said:


> I have a HR24 in my bedroom. Also in here is a ethernet over powerline adaptor to feed my blu-ray player.
> Could I buy a external DECA, connect it the the coax to the HR24 for signal/power and the use the
> ethernet for my blu-ray player without it cutting of the built-in DECA? I know this would put the
> lu-ray player on the DECA cloud.


The HR24 doesn't have enough "juice" to power an external DECA dongle. You could attach a splitter behind the '24 to attach the dongle, but the dongle would need to be powered by its own PI.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

menkelis said:


> I have a HR24 in my bedroom. Also in here is a ethernet over powerline adaptor to feed my blu-ray player.
> Could I buy a external DECA, connect it the the coax to the HR24 for signal/power and the use the
> ethernet for my blu-ray player without it cutting of the built-in DECA? I know this would put the
> lu-ray player on the DECA cloud.





dsw2112 said:


> The HR24 doesn't have enough "juice" to power an external DECA dongle. You could attach a splitter behind the '24 to attach the dongle, but the dongle would need to be powered by its own PI.


As dsw posted, the HR24 can't/won't power the external DECA "AND" would also block the DECA signal from the HR24, like a bandstop filter does.
Using a 2-way splitter and a 18 volt PI for the DECA is the only way to do this.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Yog-Sothoth said:


> I'm not a DECA "purist," so I have a number of "foreign" devices in my DECA cloud. MRV performance hit: none.


Verizon provides TV, MRV and Ethernet over MoCA. I've seen half a dozen FiOS "triple play" installs in the NY area, and they run coax to every room and connect your TV and or computer with the appropriate adapters. The only cat5 they use are the short connecting cables from their MoCa adapters to your PC or switch.


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## Yog-Sothoth (Apr 8, 2006)

> Using a 2-way splitter and a 18 volt PI for the DECA is the only way to do this.


Not the _only_ way to do it, but certainly the best.

When a friend had his system installed, the installer didn't bring a PI for the broadband DECA, so he used (and is still using :lol an old SD DirecTV receiver to power it. I wonder where he got the idea....


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Yog-Sothoth said:


> Not the _only_ way to do it, but certainly the best.
> 
> When a friend had his system installed, the installer didn't bring a PI for the broadband DECA, so he used (and is still using :lol an old SD DirecTV receiver to power it. I wonder where he got the idea....


In the context of the poster I was replying to, it is the only way.
The 24s don't power the DECAs, or at least the H24s don't, since this has been tried before.


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## Yog-Sothoth (Apr 8, 2006)

> The 24s don't power the DECAs, or at least the H24s don't, since this has been tried before.


Correct, but if the poster had an old receiver (doubtful, but possible), he *could* use that in lieu of an 18-volt PI to power the broadband DECA (or Blu-ray DECA in this case), though it wouldn't be the prettiest of setups. My point was that an 18-volt PI isn't the only way to power a broadband DECA.


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

I might want to use this trick for a customer, using a Netgear switch after DECA, and running one Ethernet connection from the switch to a HR20-700 and another to a music server.

(1) Would I have more than just the Internet at the second Ethernet connector? Would I see the customer's home computer network? Her computers are hooked up to the same router that provides the Internet to the DECA cloud. 

(2) A SWM8 with empty outputs is sitting right there, too, at distribution. Would it be better to screw a DECA module straight onto the SWM8 and hook its Ethernet connection to the music server, eliminating the switch altogether?


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Carl Spock said:


> I might want to use this trick for a customer, using a Netgear switch after DECA, and running one Ethernet connection from the switch to a HR20-700 and another to a music server.
> 
> (1) Would I have more than just the Internet at the second Ethernet connector? Would I see the customer's home computer network? [...]


Yes and Yes.



> (2) A SWM8 with empty outputs is sitting right there, too, at distribution. Would it be better to screw a DECA module straight onto the SWM8 and hook its Ethernet connection to the music server, eliminating the switch altogether?


You'd eliminate the switch, but need a second DECA. 6 of 1...


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## Carl Spock (Sep 3, 2004)

Thanks, *Steve*. I think I'll use the second option. I have an extra DECA module, as we retired a H21 from her system in favor of a H24.


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## mojo21 (Nov 16, 2010)

I am also trying to connect my PS3 using a wired connection. I have the HR24. I really just wanted some clarification on how to hook this up. I saw a couple of post back what I believe is the answer I need but would like clarification.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I got from it...

coax from wall to splitter > (a)splitter to DECA (b)splitter to HR24 > ethernet from DECA to switch > ethernet from switch to PS3 and HR24 

please let me know the correct diagram if this is wrong....thanks


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

mojo21 said:


> I am also trying to connect my PS3 using a wired connection. I have the HR24. I really just wanted some clarification on how to hook this up. I saw a couple of post back what I believe is the answer I need but would like clarification.
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I got from it...
> 
> ...


Answered by VOS here...

- Merg


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## dsw2112 (Jun 13, 2009)

@ Mojo

That will work with some tweaks:

1. Use a P/S on the DECA or use a true Broadband DECA.
2. Do NOT plug the HR24 into the switch (it already has an internal DECA and will see the cloud with the coax connection.)


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