MoCA connectivity between RF amplifiers or splitter devices

1. A bi-directional RF signal amplifier comprising:

a housing;

an RF input port on an exterior of said housing for communication with a CATV service provider;

a power divider network within said housing and having a plurality of active RF output ports on said exterior of said housing;

an active communications path within said housing connecting said RF input port to said power divider network, said active communications path including at least one power amplifier to amplify upstream CATV signals or downstream CATV signals passing along said active communications path;

a passive RF output port on said exterior of said housing;

a passive communications path within said housing connecting said RF input port to said passive RF output port, wherein said passive communications path has no power amplifier;

a MoCA only input/output port on said exterior of said housing; and

a MoCA signal path within said housing connecting said power divider network to said MoCA only input/output port, wherein said MoCA only input/output port communicates MoCA signals but does not communicate upstream CATV signals or downstream CATV signals.

2. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 1 , further comprising:

a MoCA pass filter within said housing and located along said MoCA signal path, said MoCA pass filter having a first node connected to said power divider network and a second node connected to said MoCA only input/output port.

3. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said MoCA input/output port is configured as a female coaxial port.

4. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said first node is connected upstream of said power divider network between said power divider network and a MoCA rejection filter of said active communications path.

5. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said first node is connected to a location within said power divider network, wherein said location is between an output of a first power divider of said power divider network and an input of a second power divider of said power divider network.

6. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said power divider network includes a plurality of connected power dividers, and wherein said first node is directly connected to only an output of an individual power divider within said power divider network.

7. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said power divider network includes a plurality of connected power dividers, and wherein said first node is directly connected to only an input of an individual power divider within said power divider network.

8. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first diplexer having a common port, a high frequency port and a low frequency port, wherein said common port of said first diplexer is coupled to said RF input port and said high frequency port of said first diplexer is coupled to said power amplifier; and

a second diplexer having a common port, a high frequency port and a low frequency port, wherein said high frequency port of said second diplexer is coupled to said power amplifier, and said common port of said second diplexer is coupled to said power divider network.

9. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 2 , wherein said housing is a first housing, said RF input port is a first RF input port, said power divider network is a first power divider network; said plurality of active RF output ports is a first plurality of active RF output ports, said active communications path is a first active communication path, said at least one power amplifier is at least one first power amplifier, said passive RF output port is a first passive output port, said passive communications path is a first passive communications path, said MoCA only input/output port is a first MoCA only input/output port, said MoCA signal path is a first MoCA signal path, and said MoCA pass filter is a first MoCA pass filter, further comprising:

a second housing;

a second RF input port on an exterior of said second housing;

a second power divider network within said housing and having a second plurality of active RF output ports on said exterior of said second housing;

a second active communications path within said second housing connecting said second RF input port to said second power divider network, said second active communications path including at least one second power amplifier to amplify an upstream signal or a downstream signal passing along said second active communications path;

a second passive RF output port on said exterior of said second housing;

a second passive communications path within said second housing connecting said second RF input port to said second passive RF output port, wherein said second passive communications path has no power amplifier;

a second MoCA only input/output port on said exterior of said second housing;

a second MoCA signal path within said second housing connecting said second power divider network to said second MoCA only input/output port;

a second MoCA pass filter within said second housing and located along said second MoCA signal path, said second MoCA pass filter having a first node connected to said second power divider network and a second node connected to said second MoCA only input/output port; and

a connection link between said first MOCA only input/output port and said second MOCA only input/output port.

10. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 8 , further comprising:

a directional coupler interposed between said RF input port and said first diplexer, wherein an input of said directional coupler is coupled to said RF input port, a first output of said directional coupler is coupled to said common port of said first diplexer, and a second output of said directional coupler is coupled to said passive communications path leading to said passive RF output port.

11. The bi-directional RF signal amplifier of claim 9 , wherein said connection link is a coaxial cable.

12. A passive splitter comprising:

a housing;

an RF input port on an exterior of said housing for communication with a CATV service provider;

a power divider network within said housing and having a plurality of CATV/MoCA RF output ports on said exterior of said housing, wherein said power divider network includes a plurality of connected power dividers;

a CATV communications path within said housing connecting said RF input port to said power divider network and communicating upstream CATV signals or downstream CATV signals;

a MoCA only input/output port on said exterior of said housing;

a MoCA signal path within said housing connecting said power divider network to said MoCA only input/output port; and

a MoCA pass filter within said housing and located along said MoCA signal path, said MoCA pass filter having a first node connected to said power divider network and a second node connected to said MoCA only input/output port, wherein said MoCA only input/output port communicates MoCA signals but does not communicate any upstream CATV signals or downstream CATV signals.

13. The passive splitter of claim 12 , wherein said first node is connected a location within said power divider network, wherein said location is between an output of a first power divider of said power divider network and an input of a second power divider of said power divider network.

14. The passive splitter of claim 12 , wherein said first node is directly connected to only an output of an individual power divider within said power divider network.

15. The passive splitter of claim 12 , wherein said first node is directly connected to only an input of an individual power divider within said power divider network.

16. The passive splitter of claim 12 , wherein said power divider network includes:

a first power divider having a first input forming an initial input for said power divider network and first and second outputs;

a second power divider having a second input and third and fourth outputs, wherein said second input is connected to said first output of said first power divider; and

a third power divider having a third input and fifth and sixth outputs, wherein said third input is connected to said second output of said first power divider.

17. The passive splitter of claim 16 , wherein said first node of said MoCA pass filter is connected to an additional output of said first power divider.

18. The passive splitter of claim 16 , wherein said power divider network further includes:

a fourth power divider having a fourth input and seventh and eighth outputs, wherein said fourth input is connected to said third output of said second power divider;

a fifth power divider having a fifth input and ninth and tenth outputs, wherein said fifth input is connected to said fourth output of said second power divider;

a sixth power divider having a sixth input and eleventh and twelfth outputs, wherein said sixth input is connected to said fifth output of said third power divider; and

a seventh power divider having a seventh input and thirteenth and fourteenth outputs, wherein said seventh input is connected to said sixth output of said third power divider, wherein said seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth outputs are connected to first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh CATV/MoCA RF output ports of said plurality of CATV/MoCA RF output ports, and wherein said ninth output is connected to said first node of said MoCA pass filter.

19. A method of installing a communication system within a premises comprising:

installing a first bi-directional RF signal amplifier including a first RF input port and a first MoCA only input/output port in a premises;

installing a second bi-directional RF signal amplifier including a second RF input port and a second MoCA only input/output port in the same premises;

attaching an RF signal feed from a service provider to the first and second RF input ports of the first and second bi-directional RF signal amplifiers; and

establishing a communication link between the first and second MoCA only input/output ports of the first and second bi-directional RF signal amplifiers.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein attaching the RF signal feed from the service provider to the first and second RF input ports of the first and second bi-directional RF signal amplifiers includes:

providing a signal splitter;

attaching the RF signal feed from the service provider to an input of the signal splitter; and

attaching first and second outputs of the signal splitter to the first and second RF input ports of the first and second bi-directional RF signal amplifiers, respectively.