MoCA + PoE: Wired Cameras Over Coax

How to use MoCA adapters and a PoE injector to run a wired baby monitor camera over your home's existing coaxial cable — no Ethernet required.

The Problem: No Ethernet, But You Want Wired

PoE cameras are the most reliable option for baby monitoring — no WiFi drops, no interference, just a rock-solid wired connection. But what if your house doesn’t have Ethernet cables run to the nursery?

Most houses built before ~2010 don’t have Ethernet wiring. But many of them do have coaxial cable (coax) — the same wiring originally installed for cable TV. MoCA lets you turn that existing coax into a high-speed wired network connection.

You don’t need cable TV service. MoCA uses the physical coax wires in your walls — it doesn’t matter whether you have an active cable subscription or not. Even if you cut the cord years ago, those wires are still there and work perfectly.

What Is MoCA?

MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) is a technology that sends network data over coaxial cable. If your house has coax outlets in the nursery and near your router, you can use MoCA adapters to create a wired network link between the two rooms — no new wiring needed.

MoCA 2.5 adapters deliver up to 2.5 Gbps, which is far more bandwidth than a baby monitor camera needs. The connection is low-latency and rock-solid, just like Ethernet.

What You Need

  • Two MoCA adapters — One near your router, one in the nursery. We recommend the goCoax MoCA 2.5 Adapter (you need a pair)
  • A PoE injector — Powers your camera over Ethernet. A single-port injector is all you need for one camera
  • A PoE IP camera — We recommend the Amcrest 5MP PoE Camera
  • Coax cables — Short ones to connect adapters to your wall outlets (often included with adapters)
  • A short Ethernet cable — To connect the nursery MoCA adapter to the PoE injector
  • A MoCA filter — Installs at the point where cable enters your house to keep your MoCA signal from leaking out (usually included with adapters)

How It Connects

Router / Living Room Nursery iPhone WiFi Router Ethernet MoCA Adapter To cable provider MoCA Filter/ Splitter Coax (in-wall) MoCA Adapter Ethernet PoE Injector Camera

Your router connects to a MoCA adapter via Ethernet. That adapter sends the signal over your home’s existing coax wiring to a second MoCA adapter in the nursery. The nursery adapter connects to a PoE injector, which provides both network and power to your camera through a single Ethernet cable.

Your iPhone connects to the same router over WiFi. Everything stays on your local network.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install the MoCA Filter

Attach the MoCA filter (also called a PoE filter — different from Power over Ethernet) to the coax point-of-entry where cable comes into your house. This prevents your MoCA signal from leaking out to the street and keeps your network secure.

2. Set Up the First MoCA Adapter (Router Side)

  1. Connect the MoCA adapter to a coax outlet near your router using a short coax cable
  2. Connect the MoCA adapter to your router with an Ethernet cable
  3. Plug in the MoCA adapter’s power supply
  4. Wait for the link light to turn on

3. Set Up the Second MoCA Adapter (Nursery)

  1. Connect the second MoCA adapter to the coax outlet in the nursery
  2. Plug in the adapter’s power supply
  3. Wait for the link light — once both adapters show a solid connection, your MoCA link is up

4. Connect the PoE Injector

  1. Connect the MoCA adapter’s Ethernet port to the Data In port on the PoE injector
  2. Connect the camera to the PoE Out port on the injector
  3. Plug in the PoE injector’s power supply
  4. The camera will power on within a few seconds

5. Open LocalNanny

Open LocalNanny on your iPhone. Your camera should appear via auto-discovery. Tap to connect, enter the camera’s credentials, and you’re streaming.

Why MoCA + PoE?

  • No new wiring — Uses coax cables already in your walls
  • Wired reliability — No WiFi interference or signal drops
  • Low latency — MoCA 2.5 delivers near-Ethernet performance
  • Clean install — Only one cable visible in the nursery (Ethernet from injector to camera)
  • No WiFi congestion — Doesn’t compete with your other WiFi devices

MoCA vs. WiFi for Baby Monitoring

MoCA + PoE WiFi Camera
Reliability Rock-solid wired connection Can drop due to interference
New wiring needed No (uses existing coax) No
Latency Very low Variable
Setup effort Moderate (one-time) Easy
Camera placement Needs coax outlet nearby Anywhere with WiFi signal

MoCA is the best option when you want wired reliability but can’t run Ethernet. If your nursery has a coax outlet, this setup gives you all the benefits of a wired camera without tearing into walls.

Tips

  • Check your coax — Make sure the coax outlets in both rooms are connected to the same coax network (splitter). If they’re on separate runs that aren’t connected, MoCA won’t work between them.
  • No cable TV or internet service required — MoCA just uses the physical coax wiring in your walls. You don’t need an active cable TV or cable internet subscription. Even if you’ve cut the cord, those coax cables still work perfectly for MoCA.
  • MoCA and cable internet coexist — If you do have cable internet or TV, no problem. MoCA adapters use different frequencies and won’t interfere with your existing service.
  • One PoE injector per camera — If you want multiple cameras in the nursery, use a small PoE switch instead of individual injectors.
  • Adapter placement — MoCA adapters need a power outlet nearby. Place them close to the coax wall plate.

See our full compatible cameras list for more options.