[SOLVED] First time with Fiber internet.... Have some questions

[johnnytriplesix]

Hey all,

For the first time I am switching from cable to Fiber. I had a few questions though.

1. Do they supply you with a router and/or can you use your own (and what if my router is a little older - a couple of years - will it be too slow?)

2. They were asking me if I needed any outlets installed - I am guessing they mean ethernet jacks in the wall??? If so, that would be cool instead of running wires all over.
I would just plug my main PC and my game consoles into the installed outlets and have everything else be wi-fi?

3. Do you recommend installing an ethernet port anywhere that I'm not thinking
(1 in the living room for my consoles, 1 in the bedroom for the PC, 1 in the kids' room for their consoles)
Would I need one for the TV? or is wi-fi fine for that?

ALSO, Do you need MORE than 1 outlet in a room if you have more than one console, PC, etc in that room???

Sorry, I am moving and new to fiber and how it gets hooked up. I just want to be prepared - ESPECIALLY when he asks where to install the outlets


Any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[kanewolf]

Hey all,

For the first time I am switching from cable to Fiber. I had a few questions though.

1. Do they supply you with a router and/or can you use your own (and what if my router is a little older - a couple of years - will it be too slow?)

2. They were asking me if I needed any outlets installed - I am guessing they mean ethernet jacks in the wall??? If so, that would be cool instead of running wires all over.
I would just plug my main PC and my game consoles into the installed outlets and have everything else be wi-fi?

3. Do you recommend installing an ethernet port anywhere that I'm not thinking
(1 in the living room for my consoles, 1 in the bedroom for the PC, 1 in the kids' room for their consoles)
Would I need one for the TV? or is wi-fi fine for that?

ALSO, Do you need MORE than 1 outlet in a room if you have more than one console, PC, etc in that room???

Sorry, I am moving and new to fiber and how it gets hooked up. I just want to be prepared - ESPECIALLY when he asks where to install the outlets


Any other tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

We would need more specifics. Different ISPs that supply fiber do it differently. We would need ISP and country to get an idea of how that specific provider works.
"Fiber" internet doesn't identify speed of service. You can have 20Mbit with "fiber" or 10 gigabit.
BUT, a home network will work best when every stationary device is on a wired connection. Also wired infrastructure allows you to add more WIFI sources geographically distributed throughout the house.
Your ISP installer probably won't install a bunch of ethernet drops. They may terminate your service at the outside of your house (like a phone line) and all the rest is up to you. This goes back to ISP specific practices.

 

[Eximo]

Recently had AT&T fiber run to my house. They added a cable to the local junction, ran it through my yard (they buried it about 10 days later), drilled a hole through my wall and added a new fiber receptacle to the room of my choosing, and provided the mandatory modem/router (which they don't charge for, but I'm sure they enjoy selling all my info). No internal wiring was done, but I am sure there are ISPs out there willing to charge you for such a service.

All in all a little cheaper, at least for now... not an introductory rate, but they make it pretty clear they can increase the price whenever they feel like it. About double the speed of my old cable provider. 500Mbps with the option to add another 500Mbps for not much more, but it is way more than I need. Enjoyable to see games and such download that fast, but that is about the only time the bandwidth really gets used.

My old Docsis 3 modem would have topped out at 330Mbps were it compatible with a fiber signal. Was commonly pulling 240Mbps via cable though.

 

[johnnytriplesix]

Sorry, I chose the Gig package with Frontier
And yes, I would like my PC along with 4 consoles (1 living room and 3 kids room) to be wired.

Worse comes to worse, what is the speed with wired ethernet from my router to my PC, console, etc? Does it slow down since I am not using a "fiber" modem? I was thinking of getting a new router for this set up but didn't know if it mattered.
I also have a switch with 20 things plugged in...... but I obviously won't be able to do so with my fiber set up, correct?

 

[USAFRet]

Worse comes to worse, what is the speed with wired ethernet from my router to my PC, console, etc?

Generally, 1 gigabit between devices on your internal LAN.
Cat5e cabling does that just fine.

 

[kanewolf]

Sorry, I chose the Gig package with Frontier
And yes, I would like my PC along with 4 consoles (1 living room and 3 kids room) to be wired.

Worse comes to worse, what is the speed with wired ethernet from my router to my PC, console, etc? Does it slow down since I am not using a "fiber" modem? I was thinking of getting a new router for this set up but didn't know if it mattered.
I also have a switch with 20 things plugged in...... but I obviously won't be able to do so with my fiber set up, correct?

Frontier will terminate the fiber at the outside of the house. You then can get coax or ethernet from their optical network termination (ONT).
If you get ethernet, you can use any router. Gigabit service does require a fairly new router.
You should be able to use your existing switch. Getting your Frontier to your current network "closet" would be your best approach.

 

[johnnytriplesix]

But if I wanted it in 3 different rooms..... would it be best to have the ethernet outlet in each of those rooms - so I didn't have to run wires all over the house?
And also, if there were 3 consoles in one room.....would I need 3 outlets??? would a small switch work okay in rooms where more than 1 wired device is needed? (Do switches run at Gig speed?)?

 

[kanewolf]

But if I wanted it in 3 different rooms..... would it be best to have the ethernet outlet in each of those rooms - so I didn't have to run wires all over the house?
And also, if there were 3 consoles in one room.....would I need 3 outlets??? would a small switch work okay in rooms where more than 1 wired device is needed? (Do switches run at Gig speed?)?

You said you had a switch with 20 devices already. Does that switch not cover those areas ?
If you have 3 consoles in one room, then you run a single cable to that room and add a small switch in the room. Switches don't slow traffic. If one console is active it can get the maximum bandwidth.

 

[USAFRet]

But if I wanted it in 3 different rooms..... would it be best to have the ethernet outlet in each of those rooms - so I didn't have to run wires all over the house?
And also, if there were 3 consoles in one room.....would I need 3 outlets??? would a small switch work okay in rooms where more than 1 wired device is needed? (Do switches run at Gig speed?)?

Wiring in the wall to various rooms will cost $$$.
Either you do it, or you pay someone to do it.

3 consoles in one room....
Either a switch, or numerous ethernet cables.
On a switch, they all share the single gigabit uplink to the router. But for gaming, that is WAY more than enough.

Yes, even low cost switches deliver gigabit speed.

 

[johnnytriplesix]

Oh okay. Thaniks.
I guess I will get my kids a small switch for their room and consoles (and if needed anywhere else).

I do have the 24 port switch with 20 things hooked up around the house but it is in an apartment so who cares - and it's a lot easier to hide 90% of it. But it the new house I'd rather hide 100% of it if possible.

I didn't know the switch would keep the same speed or handle it. Thanks for the tip. Also, do I have to use a fiber one or just a normal gigabit one?

You recommend a better/newer router for gigabit fiber though? (I have some CISCO , i forget the PN, it was a decent one but not a Nighthawk or anything). OR will they supply me with a router/wi-fi

 

[Eximo]

I didn't know the switch would keep the same speed or handle it. Thanks for the tip. Also, do I have to use a fiber one or just a normal gigabit one?

You recommend a better/newer router for gigabit fiber though? (I have some CISCO , i forget the PN, it was a decent one but not a Nighthawk or anything). OR will they supply me with a router/wi-fi

No reason to buy a fiber home network unless you have really long distances or want something like 14Gbps between devices.

How your internet gets to the home is up to the ISP. If they supply a router that directly connects to the fiber, you will likely need to use that. It is unlikely they will provide for an adapter to convert it to standard ethernet, that is what the modem/router will do.

If they do offer a conversion to copper at the wall plate, then you can just plug in any router with no loss in performance.

You are overthinking this.

 

[bill001g]

My guess us since frontier fiber is very likely working the same as the verizon FIOS they purchased. You have 2 options at least with verizon. They can put in a ONT and use the ethernet port on the ONT. Your other option is to use the coax connection and use their router. If you buy tv service they will require their router even if you activate the ethernet port. The nice feature of these fios routers is they use moca. This means you can use the coax cable running to other rooms to carry the network if you do not have ethernet cable. You only need a moca adapters in the remote room at it will talk to the fios router.