I never said a tech wasn't coming
I was simply trying to get the signal issues sorted. The drop amp was there for signal issues with the modem which also helped with signal issues with the DCT6200 which was originally installed (The DCT is now disconnected and the modem has been upgraded since the drop amp was first installed). When the tech came and hooked everything up.... he left everything where it was and just added more splitters and the MoCa Filter. The extra coax is just loose now (no, nothing's connected on the other end, it's a cable connection in a spare bedroom.... with no tv at the moment.).
So if I understand correctly: (and I'm amalgamating some of the answers I'm hearing.)
amplifying the Gateway and legacy equipment may help, but amplifying the signal to the portals won't make a difference because they're operating on a higher frequency than the drop amp deals with anyway, but if I amplify the gateway.... I'm also amplifying the portals (or at least the coax lines connected to them) because they run off the same splitter run as the gateway.
Also if the amp is the start of the splitters feeding the gateway (and everything non gateway related is before the amp)....then wouldn't the MoCA filter be good in either location? (as long as it's before the first splitter feeding the gateway and portals?) I just treated the amp like a splitter (the only difference being that it's amplifying the signal passing through it and not just splitting it in multiple directions, thus if I connect the Moca to it's input and everything else after it is Gateway and not legacy.....then the filter is blocking out the frequencies from the legacy equipment still.) Yes, if everything is moved after the amp, i'd move the filter to the first 2 way filter connected after the amps output and have the 3 way filter connected before that:
grn to amp
amp to 3way
7db to phone, 7 db to phone/modem, 3.5 db to Moca Filter on 2way splitter
2 way splitter to Gateway and 2 way splitter
2 way splitter to Portal and 2 way
2 way to portal and portal.
if i added a 2way splitter I could move the first phone out from the amp.
as for simplicity, before all this it was one cable line into the drop amp into a 6 way splitter and 5 cable lines went out to various parts of the house to feed tube tv's, a phone and modem, the dct6200, a bedroom tv and the spare run to the extra bedroom.) I'm all for simple
When extra splitters and filters are added to the mix that's where things get a little tangled.
As for the setup now, I'm not having any really noticable network issues; other than my internet being a tad slower.
to recap: Starting from the drop:
Drop to RG6
RG6 under house to basement panel
RG6 to Grounding Block in Panel
Grounding Block to 3way Splitter
7.0 db leg to main phone, 7.0 db leg to basement (modem, phone, sling), 3.5 db leg to drop amp (MoCa filter on Drop Amp Input - can be moved if needed),
Drop Amp to 2 way splitter
2 way splitter to Gateway and additional splitters and portals.
What could get complicated (and I'm not doing it...at least not yet) would be to put the Gateway and Modem after the amp, and the phones and portals before. With the one phone it's not possible without running a new line (it's on the same line as the modem which is by the computer and router), and the portals need to be running off the same splitter as the gateway from my understanding. Plus it would take more than one Moca filter to do it.
what i'd like to do (regardless of if it's possible or not.)
Main cable to Ground
Ground to 5 way splitter
One run to main phone (un amped)
one run to 2nd phone (unamped)
one run to modem (amped)
one run to Gateway (amped)
one run to portals off of 3 way splitter (un amped)
problems: one phone and modem are on the same run, portals and gateway are on the same run.
which leaves:
amplify everything except the first phone.
amplify the gateway and portals and nothing else (now)
amplify the modem and 2nd phone and not the Gateway or Portals. (every sketch I tried with the portals and gateway being on other sides of the amp = feedback. )
closest i can think of (if it would even work)
main to ground
ground to 3 way splitter
7db to phone, 7db to amp, 3.5 db to 2 way splitter
amp to 2 way splitter, one leg to gateway, one leg to modem/phone
2 way splitter to portal and 2 way splitter
2 way splitter to portals.
now if that was possible do I need one or two Moca filters and where would they go? on the input of the unamped 2 way splitter for the portals or the 2 way splitter for the Gateway and modem? (could I even put the modem/phone and gateway on the same splitter?)
ok, here's a thought: Did Arris ever think of putting coax outputs on the gateway so everything could be run to a central location and then every device connecting via coax could connect directly to the gateway and everything else would be separate (without having to rely on a formula of splitter and filters) so main line to 2 way splitter: one line to legacy gear, one line to gateway input. Coax out on gateway to portals.(((i know it's not, but i can dream
)
everthing is staying as stated above in the recap: the rest is what I've considered but hesitated to do for various reasons. (mainly being that this set up seems to work and I need to be 120% convinced that altering it will help...... i'm at about 60% right now.)