If you have a TV cable running to the bedrooms, you’ve got a treasure: this is how you can turn it into a high-speed Ethernet network

When it comes to carrying the Internet connection In all rooms of the house, it is ideal to have a good “standard” installation based on Ethernet cables, but since it is not always possible to have one, the most common thing is to use wireless systems with WiFi, which are simpler and faster to use.

We may also prefer to use a wired connection using the resources that we already have deployed and installed at home. For this we can opt for the popular PLC adapters that use the home electrical network to send the information, or another less known option that is based on the use of classic coaxial cables.

Using the antenna cable to bring Internet to the rooms

Many current homes have some installation inside that manages to bring the television signal of DTT coming from the outside antenna to one or more rooms in the house using cables that cross the different spaces in the house and that were once deployed making grooves. They are coaxial type cableswhich have also been used by some telephone operators to bring Internet to our homes before fiber optics became popular.

The idea is to be able take advantage of these cableswhich often directly connect several rooms with the living room or lounge to have an additional physical medium on which to carry the Internet connection. And for this there are a number of devices on the market coaxial-ethernet adapters that can create a local network without having to deploy new wiring, thus achieving a kind of point to point ethernet extender that reaches different rooms.

Image: Comtrend

These adapters are usually small and compact devices with the size of a PLC and practically They do not offer configuration or management options. They just plug in, connect to the electricity and that’s it, they should start performing their function.

There are models with different transmission capacities, the most common being those that are limited to one 100Mbps Ethernet connection (which in practice will then synchronize at a slower speed due to losses) and which are focused on security camera installations or equipment that does not require much bandwidth, although they are more than sufficient for most activities that we ask of them such as browsing, playing Full HD videos, playing games, etc.

In addition, there are also more advanced models that promise higher synchronization and data transmission speeds with figures that surpass gigabit and in some specific teams they reach the 2.5 Gbpsso they are recommended for intensive network uses when we want to frequently move large amounts of data.

What do I need to consider before purchasing one of these adapters?

Image: goCoax

The main drawback of these devices is that not all homes are prepared for them to work correctly, since We need direct coaxial wiring between the two ends of the network we are going to create. If there are signal splitters, amplifiers and the like, something very typical to carry the TV signal to different areas of the house, the performance may decrease considerably or We cannot directly establish the Ethernet network.

Therefore, before buying anything it is advisable Check out our facility and check that between the rooms where we want to carry the signal We have direct wiringwithout splitters or other intermediary equipment that could hinder the Ethernet network. And if necessary, if possible, it is advisable to remove these splitters to avoid signal loss.

Image: ScreenBeam

You also have to think about the type of use of the adapter, since there are models designed specifically to transmit the signal from the IP security cameras which are cheaper but offer fewer features. If we want it for a cutting-edge Ethernet network, we will have to look for an adapter focused on this type of use, something that will raise its price.

It is also advisable that we evaluate beforehand How many connectors are we going to need?There are models with a single coaxial socket on each adapter and others that allow for several sockets, for example, to simultaneously carry the Ethernet signal and the television signal to the room in case we want to continue having access to DTT throughout the house.

It is also common to include some interference filtering system from other services that may be using the same coaxial cable, such as cable modems from some telephone operators. If you have one of these, it will be useful to have this type of filter.

Interesting models

Comtrend GCA-6000 Powerline

This model of Comtrend GCA-6000 It is one of the few “name brands” that are for sale and consists of a set of two devices that promise speeds of up to 1200Mbps. Each adapter has two coaxial socketsone of them to maintain the TV signal, an Ethernet output and the power socket. Its price is 209 euros.

ScreenBeam Mocha 2.5

Another interesting option is this model of Screen Beam which promises to achieve synchronization speed of up to 2.5 Gbpsalthough the Ethernet port is limited to 1 Gbps. This is a kit with everything you need, including two adapters, coaxial cables and Ethernet in case you need them. It costs 185 euros.

GoCoax Mocha 2.5 Adapter

Another option is this model of GoCoax which also has a capacity of 2.5Gbps sync and this time an Ethernet port at that speed. In this case it is an individual model, so we will need at least buy two identical ones to establish the network. Its price is 80 euros.

LINOVISION POE Over Coax

This POE IP over coaxial converter LINOVISION’s IP camera can be used to upgrade an existing analog surveillance system to a new IP model while using the existing coaxial cable. Acts as MoCA (Multimedia over Coax) in a point to point connectiontransmits video/audio/data/control signal through a coaxial cable, as if it were used with twisted pair, with a maximum speed of up to 100 Mbps. The price of the kit of two units is 99.99 euros.

Cover image | CNBINGO on Amazon

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