Verizon FIOS and their "free" wireless router

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BeavermanA

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Have Verizon FIOS internet coming to be installed on Saturday. Never used their service or a home wireless setup.

Is the wireless router they provide any good?

Can you plug their modem directly into the pc via ethernet, and also have the wireless router hooked up to transmit for the laptop and my smartphone?

Is wireless not noticeable in lag for fast paced fps games these days, so there's no advantage to plug the connection directly into the pc?

And what is a good usb wireless receiver to get for my pc if I do need one?

Thanks for any info.
 
I don't have FIOS, but here is what I know from reading online previously. The Actiontec router actually has a decent hardware running in it. The main complaint is it has a really small state table on it. I haven't heard much talk about wireless on it though. You HAVE to use their equipment if you have cable service through them. Sometimes, depending on the conditions when they set it up, you won't get an Ethernet drop going into the router, it'd be a coaxial line instead, this rare though it seems.
 
The Actiontec is a pretty decent router, besides the small NAT table issue. There are rumors that later ones fixed this issue though. The Actiontec has 4 ethernet ports and the Wireless. You can plug the PC in via cat5 and still use the wireless for your laptops/phones etc.

Even if you get the fiosTv package you are not stuck using the router. If the installer only runs the coax, its a 5 minute phone call to the support center to get the Ethernet port turned on. I have FiosTv and run a watchgaurd x700 running pfsense for my router.

If you get fiosTv you will have to keep the router hooked up as it acts as a bridge for the cable tv boxes. *channel guides, payperview, ondemand etc* It can be handled a few different ways, Plug the Wan port of the actiontec into your new router and leave the dvr's double nat'd or put the actiontec into bridge mode. Its really up to you, I went the easy way and just plugged the actiontec wan into my router.

A really good write up > http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.1_Actiontec
 
^^ Was going to link to the same FAQ... it's great.

Another solution if you want to get rid of the Actiontec router all together, is to pick up a used Motorola NIM. It is a MOCA device that communicates with your STB's... required for FIOS TV. Then also call Verizon to switch to ethernet, and voila can use any router and sell off the Actiontec which is worth quite a bit. :c)

Most people in this area have fios, and honestly the Actiontec is just fine for them. There use to be issues with some older revisions but they will be giving you the latest revision so you are good.

Enjoy! What plan are you getting? Currently, the 35/35 people are getting 43Mbit down!
 
My brother has one and he loves it. Has a PC, several cell phones on wireless, and a Popcorn hour media tank all running through it.
 
Cool, thanks for the replies and advice guys. Getting the 25/25, should be fine for me. Just getting internet only, all i'd really watch on cable is espn, not worth another $40+. Get all local channels in HD with indoor antennas.
 
CaseyBlackburn said:
I don't have FIOS, but here is what I know from reading online previously. The Actiontec router actually has a decent hardware running in it. The main complaint is it has a really small state table on it. I haven't heard much talk about wireless on it though. You HAVE to use their equipment if you have cable service through them. Sometimes, depending on the conditions when they set it up, you won't get an Ethernet drop going into the router, it'd be a coaxial line instead, this rare though it seems.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? A client of mine has their internet (no cable tv though) and they use their own router (i should know i put it in)... but again no cable tv... my grandmother has their tv and the wireless router is behind her tv... she doesnt own a pc and doesnt pay for internet service, but that routers there... and you can access it also, just cant browse the internet
 
Adam said:
Are you sure? A client of mine has their internet (no cable tv though) and they use their own router (i should know i put it in)... but again no cable tv... my grandmother has their tv and the wireless router is behind her tv... she doesnt own a pc and doesnt pay for internet service, but that routers there... and you can access it also, just cant browse the internet
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm sure. Like I said, if you use the cable TV service you need the router. Your client doesn't use the TV service, so he can plug the ethernet into his own router. Your grandmother needs it because she has their TV service. The router handles the networking to provide the TV service over the coaxial. If I recall correctly the set-top boxes are basically just networked over coaxial and that's how it shows up on the TV. It's basically a converter box for the set top boxes to get the correct signal over networking.
 
If you have Verizon FiOS TV you need to have their router somewhere in-line simply because their STBs default mode of operation is MOCA and the router serves as an Ethernet bridge for that.

You do NOT have to use their router first however and can place it behind another (presumably better) device or configure their router in a LAN-to-LAN or bridge fashion. LAN-to-LAN keeps the device on the same network and allows you to use their Home Media DVR in addition to their On-Demand, PPV, Premium, ordering, widgets and such.

Even if you only have FiOS TV, they still install their router.

And yes, I have FiOS.

Alternatively I have been told that you can call FiOS tech support and they can flip some software switches in the STBs to allow you to plug them directly into an Ethernet switch and get rid of their router all together. This I have not done yet but am considering it.

It was linked above but it's worth linking again. Excellent write-up on all your options here: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.1_Actiontec
 
I have this FIOS Router at home, and it is very capable.

Wireless signal strength is much stronger than with my prior linksys routers, and you can use wireless and ethernet at the same time.

Right now I have it hooked up as follows:

Fiber Optic Converter box in basement -> Cable boxes and Verizon Wireless Router

Verizon wireless router -> Wired via long Cat5e to linksys router upstairs (access point mode) and PS3 and HP Laserjet 5N downstairs. Wireless available to phones and laptops

Linsys router upstairs (access point mode) -> Wired to HP Multifunction network color laser and main desktop rig upstairs. This router is also broadcasting wireless on the same SSID and password as we have a very thick cement floor that blocks a lot of wireless signals.


One question I have - however is, does anyone know if the routers Verizon ships out are gigabit lan capable?

The spec sheet i found from actiontec lists gigabit as "optional" and I don't have any equipment in the house to test it.

I am considering running gigabit ethernet in the house for NAS purposes, and I don't know if I'll need to run a short 100mbit patch cable from the Verizon router to a gigabit ethernet switch sitting right next to it, or if it supports gigabit ethernet directly.

Any help on this is appreciated.

Also, it is pretty funny to connect to the upstairs linksys router via wireless using my phone, and then log on to the router status page and see it identify my phone but connected via "ethernet" :p
 
Sweet, got it all hooked up. My appointment wasn't till today actually, was thinking it was last Saturday lol.

The tech plugged my main pc in via ethernet himself, laptop and phone do wireless, so everything working as I had hoped.

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I am using one of those ActionTec Routers as a switch and wireless access point upstairs and it works decent.
D-Link router downstairs does the DHCP for the entire network and supplies wireless for downstairs.
 
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