In this article, you’ll learn about Priority Room Optimization, including how it’s installed, what kind of equipment will be set up, and more. We’ve also included some troubleshooting tips to help you solve any issues that may come up.
What is Priority Room Optimization?
Wired connections offer faster speeds, better reliability and lower latency than Wi-Fi, but the logistics of hard-wiring can limit the location of wired connectivity in your home. Meanwhile, there are usually areas of a home — like a home office or gaming station — where you want the best internet performance. Priority Room Optimization solves this by having GFiber experts assess the connection, along with your home’s existing wiring, and design a custom network setup to bring wired connectivity to the rooms that matter most.
After consulting with you about how your household uses the internet, your technician will determine the best network setup for your home, which in addition to GFiber network wiring can include:
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch for pre-existing Ethernet cables in your home, or
- MoCA Wiring Adapter (for up to three devices) if the 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch is not available.
You can learn more about whether you qualify for Priority Room Optimization here.
How Priority Room Optimization is installed
During your professional installation, a technician will determine whether your home is best suited to leverage ethernet with a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch, a MoCA Wiring Adapter, or wireless mesh for Wi-Fi extenders.
- A 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch is an essential piece of networking hardware. It connects wired devices like computers, Wi-Fi mesh extenders, printers, and gaming consoles to your network, allowing them to communicate with each other and the internet via the ethernet wiring.
- A MoCA Wiring Adapter converts the signal between ethernet and coaxial wiring, so you can leverage your existing coaxial cable wiring to extend your home network with minimal hassle.
Setting up your 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch
Your technician will follow the steps below to set up your 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch:
- They’ll use an Ethernet cable to connect the switch to one of the Ethernet LAN ports on the back of your GFiber router. These ports are typically blue and have a 2.5 Gbps symbol.
- The technician can use an Ethernet cable to connect a device to any of the remaining ports on the switch. These devices could be computers, printers, or your built-in ethernet wall cables terminated at the network closet.
If you’re doing this yourself later, be sure to power off the router and switch before making the connections, and then power it back on afterwards. Blinking indicator lights on the switch will signal a successful connection.
Pro tip: Adding a switch to the network closet to where your built-in ethernet wall cables are located can activate those connections throughout your home, enabling wired connectivity throughout the home.
Setting up your MoCA Wiring Adapter
If your home has compatible wiring, your technician will follow the steps below to set up the MoCA Wiring Adapter:
- They'll identify and inspect your existing coaxial cables and outlets to ensure they meet our requirements for installation.
- A coax splitter will be installed and your MoCA Wiring Adapters will be connected to each other using your existing coaxial cables. The first adapter will be connected to your router using an Ethernet cable.
- Ethernet cables will be used to connect Wi-Fi extenders and other wired devices to MoCA Wiring Adapters in another room.
- The power cord will be plugged in for each adapter into the corresponding port on the adapter and then into a wall outlet. Your technician will perform a wired speed test from other rooms where MoCA adapters are installed to confirm that at least 850 Mbps symmetrical speeds are accessible.
Troubleshooting tips
2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch
Here’s what to do if you're having trouble with your 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Switch:
- Check cable connections: Make sure all Ethernet cables are securely plugged into the ports of your router and switch. Try unplugging and reinserting the cables to check for loose connections. You should avoid plugging both ends of the same cable into the switch twice, as this creates a loop which can disrupt your network.
- Power supply: If the switch doesn't turn on, please contact us.
- For more complex troubleshooting issues: Other network switch problems include port connection failures, physical circuit issues, and equipment compatibility challenges. These issues may require a technician appointment to resolve.
MoCA Wiring Adapter
Here’s what to do if you're having trouble with your MoCA Wiring Adapter:
- Check the lights: Make sure the lights on your adapter are on.
- Verify connections: Ensure all power cords and coaxial cables are securely connected to the router, adapter, and wall outlets.
- Reconnect the cables: Try disconnecting and reconnecting the power, Ethernet, and coaxial cables.
- Restart the adapter: Unplug the adapter from the power outlet, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.
- Reterminate the connections: Reterminate the connections at both ends. If this is not possible, please contact us.
- Reset the adapter (optional): Press and hold the reset button for three seconds to reset it to factory defaults.
Please note that reseting the adapter will erase any custom settings.