MoCA® – What does it stand for?
Multimedia over Coax Alliance
What is MoCA technology?
MoCA technology is a protocol enabling the distribution of content over the existing in-home coaxial TV cabling. The primary job of MoCA technology is to guarantee delivery of packets to their destination.
What problem does MoCA technology solve and how does it make the home network better?
MoCA technology is used as an in-home backbone to guarantee wireless connectivity. As consumers bring more devices into the home all yearning for bandwidth a wire is required to guarantee the wireless network. Wi-Fi has improved dramatically over the years the stored and live content streaming, gaming, virtual reality and UHD format programming all strain even the most robust wireless network.
As a result of its high performance and reliability, and the support it provides for wireless networks, MoCA technology lowers the cost of managing the entire network, or total cost of ownership. This is important for both operators and consumers as guaranteeing the performance of the network and delivery of content reduces the need to continuously upgrade equipment and eliminates downtime from a non-performing network.
For operators, a well-performing network is especially important. Customer complaints means they are experiencing a non-functioning network and are not receiving services for which they have paid. The operator is then obligated to send a technician to fix the problem. The extra visits and associated time adds to the overall cost of network management. Integrating MoCA technology into the network reduces operational costs as delivery of services is guaranteed and additional repairs and customer complaints are eliminated.
For consumers, a well-functioning network also eliminates the downtime that accrues from inability to access the Internet.
What are some common applications?
There are numerous applications that benefit from MoCA technology. As the in-home backbone supporting wireless networking, operators and consumers have confidence to engage in numerous activities. These include multi-room DVR, HDTV and UHD video distribution, gaming and HD/UHD and live streaming and overall improvement of Internet access throughout the home.
What are some of the alternative technologies and mediums available for home networking?
Wireless (Wi-Fi®) technology is a shared medium so the more devices on the network, the less bandwidth available. A wireless network may not reach every room in the home, will not go through walls, and is prone to interference with a neighbor’s network.
Products using power line (HomePlug®) technology are easy to use and outlets are found in every room. Power line is also prone interference from everyday household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens and DECT phones. It is not an ideal medium for HD or ultra HD content distribution and it can be affected by condition and age of the wiring.
MoCA technology works over the existing coaxial cabling. Most houses and apartments worldwide have coax already installed. In addition, coax is immune to intrusions and interference. Thought coaxial outlets are not located in every room they can generally be found where homeowners are likely to watch TV. MoCA technology is the only standard that provides the performance and reliability essential for multiple streams of HD and ultra HD video reception and distribution.
When designing a home networking, products integrating both Wi-Fi and MoCA technology should be considered for maximum performance and satisfaction.
Does MoCA work with other standards organizations?
MoCA has been approved by DLNA for inclusion in their Interoperability Guidelines as a layer 2 protocol.
The technology is also part of the IEEE P1905.1 specification, branded as nVoy™ which creates an abstraction layer for discovery and identification of established transport protocols such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet and HomePlug.
Does MoCA technology work on any type of coax?
Yes. If you can receive a TV signal, you can get MoCA.
Does MoCA work with any network access technology?
Yes. MoCA technology works with any network access technology including fiber (GPON/EPON), DOCSIS, Ethernet and any other means including wireless used to provide broadband and programming to the home.
10. How fast can MoCA go?
MoCA 2.5 offers actual data rates of up to 2.5 Gbps. It is backward interoperable with MoCA 2.0 and MoCA 1.1. MoCA 2.0 is capable of up to 1 Gbps actual data rates.
Information for this article was provided by the Multimedia over Coax Alliance