Roommates are accessing my Internet service

[smallrw]

The issue at hand is I subscribe to Verizon FIOS Internet, TV and Phone service. The main feed from Verizon runs from a box outside of the house to a coax cable splitter located inside the master bedroom. The Verizon coax plugs into the splitter and then there are coax cables screwed into the splitter that go to each room in the house. Several months back I rented the master bedroom out to a couple. Immediately, after they moved in I started having connection issues with my Internet service. I was also notified by Verizon that my usage was over the top. Long story short the problem was from the new tenants and they agreed to get their own internet service. Once the roommates got their own service everything was back in order. No problems using my Verizon service and no notices about my usage from Verizon. About 45 days passed and I started noticing issues using the internet again and my usage with Verizon was very high again. The roommates continue to tell me they are not using my internet service and to stop bothering them. I think they are lying to me and want to know if there is a way to find out if they are using my internet service and/or a way to block them from using it. While I don't know factually I think they have disconnected the main line for my Verizon service added a splitter then plugged on coax line back into the splitter box for all the rooms in my house and taken another coax cable and plugged it into their cable modem. Therefore I cannot see their cable modem and if I access my cable modem it only shows devices connected to my network. For an immediate solution I have unplugged the coax line from the Verizon box on the outside of my house so there is no connection upstairs in the master bedroom and put my modem/router in the garage and connected a coax cable from the Verizon box outside of the house directly to the modem/router. This allows me to gain access and control of my internet service so they cannot access the service but I lose TV in all the rooms in my house since they are connected to the splitter in the master bedroom. I have contacted Verizon and asked if they see another modem/router connected to my service other than my Actiontec modem router but so far they have not seen another device connected. This is because the roommates disconnect the modem when they are not home or if they think I am looking into the matter. Does anyone know of a way I can see if they are in fact hooking up their own device so I can address them with the facts rather than them continue to run me around? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[getochkn]

Every ISP I have ever dealt with won't just let you hook up modems. Each modem has to be added and authorized into order to receiver the internet signal. Simply plugging in any modem has never worked for me, not sure how FIOS runs, but the half dozen ISP's I've dealt with work that way. Verizon would be the only ones to tell if another modem was hooked up, and if they even allow it.

 

[USAFRet]

1. WALL OF TEXT. Please don't do that.
2. I have Verizon FiOS. Let's see if we can figure this out.

Bottom line...you can't just connect any random coax enabled modem/router to a FiOS line and expect it to work.
It will not.

From the ONT box on the house, where does the wire go? Is it the default config of a coax to the Verizon ActionTec router, or is it ethernet to that router, and coax to your TV box?
Do you also have FiOS TV with this service?

 

[USAFRet]

If you log on to your router (192.168.1.1 + username/password), you will be able to see ALL devices connected to your router and account.

 

[smallrw]

Thanks for responding. I currently have an ActionTec G1100 Quantum modem I purchased from Verizon. For the record I also have another ActionTec modem I purchased from someone on Craigslist and I can plug it in and get service from Verizon. No phone call or contacting them necessary to provide any mac id or serial numbers. It just starts working. Other ISP's in the past don't work this way and I have had to call to provide information about the router to make it work. I have logged into the router to see what devices are connected. That works when devices are connected is a traditional fashion. From the Verizon ONT on the outside of my house Verizon connected a coax cable to the ONT and it goes upstairs to the master bedroom. Inside the closet of the master bedroom is a box and inside is a cable splitter (PDI model pdi-6wmvs 5 way splitter). The coax is connected to the splitter which distributes cable service to each room in the house. Each room has a coax plug and you connect your tv. When the service was first installed and I was in the master bedroom (which I now rent to this couple) the Verizon guy took the main coax line coming into the house and connected it to a splitter. So the main coax line was going into the splitter, then one coax cable came out and was plugged into the PDI splitter and one coax cable came out and was plugged into the Verizon modem/router. When I moved out of the room I took the Verizon modem out of the master bedroom and plugged it in to the coax line in another bedroom. So this left the main coax line coming into the master bedroom plugged into the PDI splitter which is how we get the Verizon TV service in all the bedrooms. All the roommates have to do is disconnect the main coax line, add a splitter, and attach one coax to their modem/router and one back to the PDI splitter box and I would never know. The master bedroom is the first point of contact in the house since the main line goes into that room. Is this making any sense or am I confusing matters?

 

[USAFRet]

Your main router, the Quantum gateway (I have that same one), WILL detect any and all devices, be they coax or ethernet connected. Everything flows through that same connection. ONT -> Quantum -> other stuff.
For instance, I can see both of my set top boxes, that are only connected via coax. And obviously all the ethernet connected devices. About 20 or so.

Log on to your router.
Click on 'Show More'
What does it show under "My Network" ?