[SOLVED] Clueless About Replacing FIOS Router

[MassWineGuy]

My WiFi has terrible range and I want to get a better router. I have FIOS for Internet, phone and tv. I am technically challenged and would be very grateful to anyone who can give me some advice. I tried a WiFi mesh system, couldn’t get it connected and returned it.

The FIOS router is a modem/router combination located on the second floor connected to a coax cable. The ONT box is in the basement two floors below so I can’t run a cable between them. Re: tv: I don’t care about channel guides; just need to receive tv and be able to change channels.

What’s the easiest, most direct solution?

Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

It may not be any better the latest FIOS router is actually very well rated. The wifi radio chips are the same as any other router with similar specs. They all transmit near the legal maximum power.

Your best option if you have more coax in other rooms is to get a moca adapter and hook a AP or cheap router. You will use the coax cable to extend the signal to the remote room and the AP will provide the wifi. Most the modern models of the FIOS have a moca adapter in the router so you only need the one on the remote end.

You have very few options I suspect unless you happen to have ethernet cable run in your house. You could have them change the ONT so the ethernet port is active and then hook any router to that port.

You are not going to find any device you can buy that will connect to the coax cable coming from the ONT other than the ones the ISP provides.

 

[MassWineGuy]

So I need to call (and pay for) Verizon to come over and relocate the router and/or the ONT terminal? I absolutely wouldn’t know where or how to start messing with more coax, Ethernet cables or a moca.

 

[kanewolf]

So I need to call (and pay for) Verizon to come over and relocate the router and/or the ONT terminal? I absolutely wouldn’t know where or how to start messing with more coax, Ethernet cables or a moca.

It sounds like you need an "onsite consultant". That would be someone you trust that feels more comfortable with networking. It could be a friend, high school or college student, coworker, etc.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Yes, that would be great. Only wish I knew someone. I’ll ask around.

 

[kanewolf]

Yes, that would be great. Only wish I knew someone. I’ll ask around.

Unfortunately, without being able to see and touch things, our help can be limited.

 

[USAFRet]

My WiFi has terrible range and I want to get a better router. I have FIOS for Internet, phone and tv. I am technically challenged and would be very grateful to anyone who can give me some advice. I tried a WiFi mesh system, couldn’t get it connected and returned it.

The FIOS router is a modem/router combination located on the second floor connected to a coax cable. The ONT box is in the basement two floors below so I can’t run a cable between them. Re: tv: I don’t care about channel guides; just need to receive tv and be able to change channels.

What’s the easiest, most direct solution?

Thanks!

Verizon FiOS?

If so, which specific FiOS router do you have?
How is it connected to the ONT?
Do you also have TV via FiOS?

 

[MassWineGuy]

Unfortunately, without being able to see and touch things, our help can be limited.

Yes. It’s like that a lot on the Web.

Don’t know the model, but my router is white, vertical as has a red check mark on the front.

Yes I also get tv through Verizon FIOS. The router has a coax cable plugged into it from the wall. The ONT is in the basement.

 

[gggplaya]

FIOS already has MOCA wifi range extenders, no need to reinvent the wheel. Verizon already sells them.

OP, do you have coax ports in other rooms in the house?

You can buy or rent FIOS extenders which connect to the main unit. They'll use your houses coax network as a wired backhaul.

Fios has 2 extenders, a new wifi 6 white extender and an older black wirelessAC extender. Either will work: https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/internet/equipment/network-extender

You can buy them at your local verizon store, or get a used one on ebay.

 

[MassWineGuy]

I detest Verizon and refuse to give it any more money than absolutely necessary. I’ll definitely look on eBay.

How does such an extender work? Do you hard wire it to the router? I’ve tried plug in extenders and they didn’t work very well.

Thanks.

 

[bill001g]

Moca is a industry standard so devices from many companies will work.

It would be nice if they didn't call every box a network extender.

The ones that work poorly are wifi repeaters where the signal between the main router and the secondary unit is wifi. These devices are much closer to a AP. With a AP you connect between the main router and the secondary radio with a ethernet cable. MOCA uses coax cables instead of ethernet.

The moca adapters I have used just take a coax cable in and output ethernet. You when then need to hook a AP or inexpensive router acting as a AP for wifi. The verizon devices seem to have the AP built into the moca adapter. I have no idea how well they work but it is a simpler install than have 2 devices. Looking at the specs their latest extenders seem fairly impressive but also costly.

 

[gggplaya]

Bill is correct, these are better referred to as Access points, rather than wifi extenders. However, to the layman, extender gets the point across better.

The Verizon WCB6200Q is made by actiontec, they can be found for about $60 on ebay. It's a wireless AC access point but unless you have a real need for Wifi 6, I would just get this one.

The key question is, do you have other coax outlets in your house? Are they capable of being connected to Fios television, or are any connected to fios TV now? If so, the install is super easy, just connect a splitter to the outlet in the room you want the wifi, use a MOCA compatible 2000+mhz splitter and connect the new access point to it. Then use the WDS button to sync the new access point to the main router.

Here are the install instructions: https://www.verizon.com/supportreso...port/consumer/documents/wifi-extender-qsg.pdf


Update: according to verizon you do need to match the newer Wifi 6 WHITE extender to the newer G3100 WHITE router. Match the Black Wireless AC extender to the black router. MOCA is supposed to be backwards compatible, but apparently not with these verizon units and their custom firmware that allows them to copy the wifi config from the main router.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Hmm. My set top box is definitely connected to a coax. I may actually be able to do this. Whoa! More to follow.

 

[USAFRet]

If you have TV through FiOS, you MUST have a Verizon router in there. This is what talks to the TV STBs.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Is this the router/extender I need?:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/203576031810

Or won’t it work with my white Verizon router?

 

[gggplaya]

Is this the router/extender I need?:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/203576031810

Or won’t it work with my white Verizon router?

What main router do you have, the white G3100? Or the older Black Actiontec??? I think you need too match White(G3100 Router) to White(E3200 Extender) and black(WCB6200Q ) to black(G1100).

Also, I'm not sure, but you might want to get a verizon branded version. It might already have an authenticated MAC address or special firmware. I have comcast, so I don't know the intricate details of this.

UPDATE: Nevrmind, according to the amazon reviews, you don't need the verizon branded black WCB6200Q, the normal actiontec branded one pairs just fine if you follow the instructions: https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-802-11ac-Extender-Internet-Antennas/dp/B01BV1Y3W2?th=1 If you have the white G3100 router, you'll still need to pair that with the white E3200 extender.

 

[MassWineGuy]

My set top box in my living room connects by coax from the ONT. Could I put the splitter there and connect the box and second router? Connect just the box by coax and run the new router cable through a coax to Ethernet converter?

 

[gggplaya]

Yes, you can add a splitter to the wall outlet running to the set top box.

It should look like this with the 2 way splitter is on this pic, the wall outlet would wire to the input of the lower splitter:

Your primary router could be on any leg of the main splitter where any of the STB's are in the picture.

Your secondary extender can be anywhere on this map that a stb would reside. You can add a splitter to any of those legs. Just make sure the splitter is 5-2000+mhz for moca compatability.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Rather more complex than I imagined. I was hoping to leave the existing FIOS router on the second floor, split the coax coming from the ONT in the basement to the tv in the living room. Keeping one in the set top box, the other in the second FIOS router.

 

[gggplaya]

Rather more complex than I imagined. I was hoping to leave the existing FIOS router on the second floor, split the coax coming from the ONT in the basement to the tv in the living room. Keeping one in the set top box, the other in the second FIOS router.

Yes, that's exactly what you can do.

Ignore the split and STB on the first picture for the primary router. Just imagine that's going directly to the main splitter.

 

[MassWineGuy]

Ok. Thanks! Now all I need is an E3200 extender and the right type of coax splitter.