Shaw Gateway: Installation and setup discussion

[Jetranger]

rrcool, no, and; yes, in that order. Sorry

CowtownBiomed, I just got off the phone with Motorola(yes, I like to go the extra mile) and, unfortunately, they don't have an output frequency response graph available in the general library. I could take my amp to a friend who has the necessary equipment and get a graph printed out but that's a lot of work for me. Given that the rating is so wide to begin with and they are specific enough to list it to 1.003GHz, I would think the effective output above that range would be generally insignificant.

Now, I have been wrong before but I'm quite certain Shaw isn't using a low frequency amp to boost an already 'hot' output that is likely above said amplifier's rated output, ie: MoCA network from Gateway.

[CowtownBiomed]

That's my take on it..
When you start with sufficient signal below 1Ghz to start with then why add an amp at all..
All I can assume is that it is actually there to amplify signals slightly higher than its rated output..
Which in my mind would work just fine..

I could do the same myself (remove it and bring it here) but I agree...too much hassle...

[LD500]

Kuri: I decided to take out my Netgear MOCA adapters before Shaw installed my Gateway. Didn't want any confusion about what was the problem if things didn't go smoothly. Glad I did that because my intial Shaw installer seems to have made various errors in the install. I might try re-installing the Netgear MOCA later on. For now I'm going wireless but won't get the same speeds.

[LD500]

Re: 1GHz splitters and Shaw Gateway.
Is it possible that the MOCA (standard) used by the Gateway system is simply choosing frequencies close to or below 1 GHz when a 1 GHz splitter is being used?
I believe MOCA can scan the channels and choose accordingly however I can't recall if any of those channels are below 1GHz. If so, having a 2 GHz splitter could indeed yield better results if there is some issue under or near 1GHz but unlikely.

[Jetranger]

It's too bad you haven't tried your Netgear equipment yet. I'm curious to see the results just for the sake of it.

As for the splitter issue, I think it's all moot. You could buy a satellite splitter and try it and see if there is any difference but I doubt you would notice anything. Shaw has tested this Gateway system with the equipment they have in the field and determined it is 'compatible'. They have extensive abilities for testing and have far more experience than most of us here.

[JasonB]

I've got splitters all over the place and believe mine is running above 1GHz with no problems.

I would also be interested to see if your home networking gear can coexist with the gateway, either by luck or autonegotiation I'm running PowerLine and, while consistently more solid and with better latency than wireless for my kids' gaming, I'm only consistently getting between 15 & 25 mbps. Would love to try the MoCA gear it it has a chance of working.

The trade article below indicates that multiple MoCA networks can operate on the same cabling as long as they are on separate bands and the NetGear MoCA ethernet adapters apparently allow you to modify the band you're using...

http://www.cablefax.com/ct/sections/features/44237.html

[cdncableguy]

LD500 - As I said before, the mocha network runs above 1GHz, with acceptable losses through the splitters that Shaw uses.
As for amps, there is no need to boost the signal to the portals as they only get signal from the gateway which outputs at a high signal strength. I can't remember right now what that is though. The amp (if needed) will boost the signal going to the gateway and any other dct in the house (in most cases). Every situation is different and therefore needs a different setup scenario. I have done many gateway installs and some needed amps and some didn't.

[JasonB]

cdncableguy, can you provide any insight into current best practice on use of MoCA filters to isolate other gear (cable modems, dcx3200/3400) from the MoCA network?

Everything seems to be working fine on my install without any in-home isolation, but I keep hearing about others getting them installed. More curiosity than anything

[LD500]

OK, you guys have me curious again. Now that my Gateway system is up and running smoothly I'll try out the Netgear MOCA and see how it works together.
Someone mentioned the order in which the different units are powered up might affect things, apparently not wanting the Netgear units to get an IP from the Gateway itself.

This will probably take some time. Hope to report back within a couple days.

[JasonB]

Found this interesting application note from a company that sells MoCA testing equipment:

http://www.spirent.com/About-Us/News...ationNote.ashx

Gives a really good (and geeky) technical overview of how MoCA works and what can go wrong, while trying to sell their gear

If nothing else, it made me feel sorry for technicians out there trying to figure out complex quality issues in a mostly uncontrolled environment. Brought me back to the bad old days of troubleshooting 10base2 networks...

[Jetranger]

Nice portable tester. I was thinking it might be nice to have one but I finally found an article that says pricing starts at $3000. A little too much for a 'home user'. Also probably explains why we haven't seen them in any tech's hands either. Funny thing is, ARRIS is involved with that particular product so it would seem it should be the ideal tool for troubleshooting these MoCA systems.

[J_e_f_f]

Can't find this in a search so hope it's not a repeat...I just got a Gateway installed a couple of days ago. On my main TV with surround-sound tuner, the Portal audio output is set to Digital and for sound I digital optical cable direct from the portal to an older Yamaha surround sound amp/tuner. When watching TV, the HD channels that broadcast in 5.1 are output in 5.1 from the amp. However, I have recorded a couple of HD movies and last night played an HD VOD movie and both are only outputting from the amp in 2.1 stereo.

I traded out a 6416 HD Tuner/PVR for the Gateway and the older one had no problem playing recorded material in 5.1 so I have no idea if there is a problem or if the Gateway doesn't record in 5.1 or what?

Anybody know? I intend to contact tech support but if it's just a simple tweak of a setting, it would be great to find out here.

[CobraGuy]

My scheduled Gateway and 5 portal install went reasonably smoothly on Sunday and I’ve been very satisfied with the results so far. Other than a minor glitch getting the Gateway up and running, it was a rather innocuous experience compared to some of the stories others have shared.

Overall impression so far is an unequivocal two thumbs up. Everything is working as expected with only a couple of minor video/sound drops here and there. (according to the installer, this can be expected for the first few days) In my opinion, the GUI is a refreshing change to the old Motorola boxes and the rest of the family is adjusting much more easily than expected.

My only frustration at this point is the apparent rudimentary parental controls implementation. I have 3 teenagers in the house so my goal is pretty simple, lock out access to adult content on Shaw on Demand and also require a different PIN for any VOD purchases that have a fee attached, i.e. free VOD should not require a PIN. Unfortunately, the purchase PIN is also the content unlock PIN. So, if my wife and I are out and the kids want to rent a movie, the PIN not only enables a purchase but also unlocks all of the content we don’t want to see unlocked.

Another anomaly is when I lock down NC-17 movie content, it automatically applies a lock to “Not Rated” content as well. In theory this makes sense but in reality most of the NR content that get’s locked down is older classic content such as movies on TCM and other innocuous material. I’d rather have the ability to lock down NC-17 content and leave unrated content open. Overall, I found the Motorola Parental Control logic much more granular for my needs. I’m hoping that I’m either missing something in the Parental Controls set-up or we’ll see a better Parental Control implementation sooner than later.

I’m open to suggestions if anyone has ideas...

PS: A big thanks to Jetranger, JohnnyCanuck 7 and Reboot for the Harmony One advice. My remote was ready to go before the Gateway install was finished!

[Jetranger]

Glad we were able to help and thanks for doing your homework by reading up on the Gateway here and then posting your specific questions. Since I don't need Parental controls(no kids), I can't help with any suggestions but you do bring up some valid points to be considered by both ARRIS and Shaw for possible incorporation in future updates.

[Nixxo]

I agree with your statements about the parental controls Cobraguy. Specifically being able to uncheck the not-rated rating in movie and TV but leave the adult/nc-17 checked. Maybe in the next update we will see some improvements.

Another thing that I would find handy is in regards to recording options. I found that I had to change my default recording settings to start early and end late due to shows being cut off or starting late(I believe a few others have reported this as well). I changed my default settings so any new recordings will do this. It would be nice to be able to apply those new defaults to all existing series recordings. Because the option doesn't exist I had to manually change all 20 existing series recordings. This isn't a huge deal but it would be a nice feature.