Question Is MoCA secure?

[tablespoon]

Hello, I have a router in one room and my computer in another room. I plan to add a NAS (and perhaps a switch) next to my computer. I don't want to run wire between the rooms. I noticed that there is an unused COAX port in each room.

I worry that I may assign some IP addresses incorrectly and cause issues in the case of connecting only one PC to the NAS directly. If I want the IP addresses to be assigned automatically for easy connection between the NAS and the computer, will a pair of MoCA adapters from ScreenBeam (ECB7250K02) solve my problem? In this case, do I still need a switch? How secure is my network if I use MoCA and COAX?

In case I add a switch to allow more than one computer to connect to the NAS in the future, will putting the switch in between a MoCA adapter and the NAS in the computer room serves the same function as putting the router, switch, NAS and computer(s) in the same room? Both PC and NAS have 10GbE connections which I will use to connect the two either directly or indirectly. The router only have three spare 1GbE ports at the back but I consider the 2.5G version of the MoCA adapters for future proof.

 

[Fallen Kell]

If you are connecting your NAS to your computer directly with 10GbE, then you don't need a switch or a MoCA adapter. You simply assign an IP on the NIC you are using on both the PC and the NAS using some private network address that is not the same as your current network/internet connection (i.e. if you are using 192.168.1.0 subnet for your internal network, use 10.0.1.0 subnet for the private link between the NAS and PC).

Otherwise you will not have 10GbE between your PC and NAS unless you get a switch that supports 10GbE and plug both the PC and the NAS into the switch and the feed to the switch connecting to whatever you connect to your PC right now (which I assume is a wire that goes to your existing home router). If you are just connecting your computer directly to a modem and not a modem/router, you will need to get a router to provide NAT routing/DHCP services for the now 2 devices on your switch. No need to MoCA at all.

If you don't mind used equipment, you can usually find used/off-lease Brocade ICX6450 switches on ebay and other resellers for just over $100. They will support 4x 10Gb SFP+ ports (if your systems already have RJ45 10Gbase-T ports for 10GbE, you will need to get 2x SFP+ 10Gbase-T transceivers, which will run about $30 each otherwise, for the PC, I would just get a decent SPF+ based network card for cheap, as they can usually be had for $30-40 if you look around). There is a huge thread on the serve the home forums that talks about these switches and how to set them up/configure, etc as they are enterprise grade gear:

Brocade ICX Series (cheap & powerful 10gbE/40gbE switching)

NOTE #1: do not PM me with switch questions, they will be ignored - post them in this public thread, where hundreds of other members can also answer, and the answer will be public for future users NOTE #2 06-22-2023: Yes, this post is still up to date and nothing has changed: in fact judging by...

forums.servethehome.com

Personally I am running a Brocade ICX6610, but I would not recommend that or the 6650 unless it is in an effectively empty basement, garage, or sound insulated closet. Those 2 switches are not something you would want in a bedroom or office/living space due to how loud the fans will be (especially at startup or if one of the powersupplies or fan modules fails). They will hit 120db (I measured it from ~3feet away). But the 6450 on-the-other-hand is usually very quiet and can be modded if you need it even quieter (discussed in that thread).

 

[tablespoon]

Currently my PC is connected to the router via WiFi.

I am considering two cases:
1. Immediately future of 1PC connecting to the NAS directly via 10G.
2. Possible future case if I connect more than one device to the NAS "at the same time".
I guess if I connect only one device to the NAS at a time, I just disconnect the cable from
one PC and connect it to another. Is it as simple as that or I need to assign static IP again
whenever I do the switch?

How is the TP-Link TL-SX1008? I know the fan noise is horrible but some users replaced the fan. Not sure about durability after the replacement.

 

[aigomorla]

There are much better ways to do this.

1. Get a 10gbe switch for your two PC.
If its going to be in the same room, i would use a DAC cable on a SFP+ port instead of getting a RJ-45 version of 10gbe.
I would not use Fiber on SFP+ as it requires transceivers and cables can SNAP if you bend them too hard.

So something like this guy:

https://www.amazon.com/MikroTik-CRS305-1G-4S-Gigabit-Ethernet-RouterOS/dp/B07LFKGP1L/ref=asc_df_B07LFKGP1L/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343187928868&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16320911190815862673&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030961&hvtargid=pla-711787027166&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=68968886357&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343187928868&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16320911190815862673&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030961&hvtargid=pla-711787027166

You can connect 4 devices on 10gbe via SFP+.
You can connect it to another switch on the rj-45 port, so you keep your 10gbe on its own switch.

You will need SFP+ port or at least a card.

https://www.amazon.com/Lemspum-Network-Ethernet-X520-DA1-82599EN/dp/B0B2183C32/ref=sr_1_14?crid=18Z7IBC9Q9GOG&keywords=sfp%2B+card&qid=1683085997&s=electronics&sprefix=sfp%2B+car%2Celectronics%2C136&sr=1-14

I like the Intel X520 chipset for these guys.
Rock solid and stable... other choices may be

Mellanox is also a great company, but its legacy, so if windows does not pick it up automatically, you will need to get drivers for it.

MCX311A-XCAT CX311A MELLANOX CONNECT-3 10GBE SINGLE PORT SERVER ADAPTER | eBay

ETA 3 to 8 busines.

www.ebay.com

And the cable you will be using is a DAC cable:

https://www.amazon.com/ipolex-0-5-Meter-SFP-H10GB-CU0-5M-Ubiquiti-Supermicro/dp/B06XNRLWCQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3T7JN6ACPKF99&keywords=dac%2Bcable%2Bsfp%2B&qid=1683086136&s=electronics&sprefix=dac%2Bcable%2Bsfp%2B%2Celectronics%2C125&sr=1-4&th=1

So NAS -> mikrotic switch on SFP+
PC -> mikrotic switch on SFP+
A secondary switch -> RJ-45 port on Mikrotic switch.

All other PC's that do not have 10gbe, is on the 1gbe switch.