MoCA gateway splitter

A CATV/MoCA passive signal distribution system comprising:

• an input port for receiving a CATV input signal;
• an RF/CATV output terminal;
• a modem port;
• a Gateway device receptive of CATV and MoCA signals;
• a Gateway port for connection to said Gateway device;
• a MoCA splitter comprising a first input, a second input, and a plurality of ports configured for passing MoCA signals, each of the plurality of ports configured for passing one of the MoCA signals from or to a connected MoCA device associated with a MoCA client;
• a first two-way splitter comprising an input connected to said input port, the first two-way splitter further comprising a first output and a second output, the first two-way splitter configured for receiving the CATV input signal via the input of the two-way splitter and splitting the CATV input signal into a first CATV signal output via the first output and a second CATV signal output via the second output;
• a second two-way splitter comprising an input connected to the second output of the first two-way splitter, the second two-way splitter further comprising a first output and a second output, the second two-way splitter configured for receiving the second CATV signal via the input of the second two-way splitter and splitting the second CATV signal into a third CATV signal output via the first output of the second two-way splitter and a fourth CATV signal output via the second output of the second two-way splitter, the second output of the second two-way splitter connected to said RF/CATV output terminal;
• a first diplex filter comprising an input connected to the first output of the first two-way splitter for receiving the first CATV signal via the first output of the first two-way splitter, the first diplex filter further comprising a first output connected to the modem port and a second output connected to the first input of the MoCA splitter, the first diplex splitter configured for electrically isolating said first CATV signal from said MoCA signals to prevent the MoCA signals from being connected to said input port of the first diplex filter, and for individually bidirectionally connecting the first CATV signal and the MoCA signals to said modem port;
• a second diplex filter comprising an input connected to the first output of the second two-way splitter for receiving the third CATV signal via the first output of the second two-way splitter, the second diplex filter further comprising a first output connected to the Gateway port and a second output connected to the second input of the MoCA splitter, the second diplex splitter configured for electrically isolating said third CATV signal from said MoCA signals to prevent the MoCA signals from being connected to said input port of the second diplex filter, and for individually bidirectionally connecting the fourth CATV signals and the MoCA signals to Gateway port;
• a plurality of individual MoCA devices associated with a plurality of MoCA clients, respectively, and connected to the plurality of ports of the MoCA splitter, and
• wherein the Gateway port provides the MoCA clients associated with the MoCA devices connected to the plurality of ports of the MoCA splitter the ability to program said Gateway device to record their respective desired CATV programs for later viewing.

A method of making a passive Gateway splitter device the method comprising:

• electrically connecting a lowpass filter section and a highpass filter section of a diplex filter having a first direct current (DC) blocking capacitor to a Gateway port that is connectable to a Gateway device via the first DC blocking capacitor;
• electrically connecting the Gateway port to a first surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• electrically connecting the lowpass filter section to an input port for receiving a CATV (cable television) input signal via a second DC blocking capacitor, enabling any Gateway device connected to the Gateway port to communicate with the input port via the lowpass filter section in a lower frequency band having a frequency range that is lower than a higher frequency band;
• electrically connecting the input port to a second surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• electrically connecting the highpass filter section to a MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) splitter having a plurality of DC blocking capacitors and electrically connecting the MoCA splitter to each of a plurality of MoCA ports via a respective DC blocking capacitor of the plurality of DC blocking capacitors, enabling any MoCA device connected to one of the plurality of MoCA ports to communicate with the Gateway port via the highpass filter section in the higher frequency band;
• and
• electrically connecting each MoCA port to a respective surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• wherein the passive Gateway splitter device provides only one signal path from the input port to the MoCA splitter and the lowpass filter section and the highpass filter section of the diplex filter isolate each of the plurality of MoCA ports from the input port.

A method of distributing a CATV (cable television) input signal and MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) signals with a passive Gateway splitter device, the method comprising:

• receiving the CATV input signal by an input port that is electrically connected to a first surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• providing the CATV input signal, via a first direct current (DC) blocking capacitor, to a lowpass filter section of a diplex filter having a second DC blocking capacitor;
• lowpass filtering the CATV input signal by the lowpass filter section of the diplex filter;
• providing the lowpass filtered CATV input signal, via the second DC blocking capacitor, to a Gateway port that is connectable to a Gateway device and is electrically connected to a second surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• receiving MoCA signals by a plurality of MoCA ports that are each electrically connected to a respective surge protection device configured to protect the passive Gateway splitter device from surges;
• providing each MoCA signal to a MoCA splitter having a plurality of DC blocking capacitors via one of the plurality of DC blocking capacitors;
• highpass filtering the MoCA signals by the highpass filter section of the diplex filter;
• and
• providing the highpass filtered MoCA signals to the Gateway port via the second DC blocking capacitor,
• wherein only one signal path is provided from the input port to the MoCA splitter and lowpass filtering the CATV input signal and highpass filtering the MoCA signals electrically isolates the input port from each of the plurality of MoCA ports.