FIOS Router question

[Jodeus]

I'm scheduled to have FIOS internet installed next week. They've told me that it includes a wireless router. I already have a extensive wireless system in my house and also use a firewall for a VPN tunnel to my office. Does anyone know if I have to use their wireless router or can I just use my firewall like I'm doing now with cable? Thanks.

-Jody

[Bschneider]

It depends on what you have.

If you have FiOS TV then you will need to use their ActionTec Wireless Router or the D-Link wireless router with the Motorola NIM. Both are used for their VOD, PPV and on-screen guide. You can use their router behind your router if want. But to get the guide to work with the NIM you will need to make sure the LAN IP is 192.168.0.x.

If you don't have FiOS TV then you can use any router you wish.

[Jodeus]

Ugh. I'm signed up for FIOS TV as well and currently my LAN IP cannot be 192.168.xx.xx due to settings in my company's LAN. I need to allow my firewall (a hardware Sonicwall firewall) to do a box to box VPN connection and currently my LAN IP structure is 10.50.0.xx.

Guess I should cancel the install then. Damn.

-Jody

[Bschneider]

You should be able to still do what you want to do.. Just make sure your Sonicwall is first then the Actiontec router. Your computer will be plugged into the Sonicwall and the Actiontec router will be all by itself doing its thing.

[Jodeus]

That would be great if it would work that way. I plan on calling their support people tomorrow to find out what they say. I don't want to go through the whole process to find out I can't use it. Thanks for your help!

-Jody

[pilotbob]

That would be great if it would work that way. I plan on calling their support people tomorrow to find out what they say. I don't want to go through the whole process to find out I can't use it. Thanks for your help!

-Jody

They'll probably be clueless. Let us know how it works out. I don't understand why to use the VPN it matters what your local lan internal address is though.

I also don't understand why the lan would have to run 192.168.0.x either. This is the whole point of DHCP... do not the MoCA devices use the DHCP server to get an IP address?

BOb

[Jodeus]

Bob

I was on the phone with a FIOS support person for about twenty minutes. As I was explaining my issues he was IM-ing with an engineering department about my IP issues. Actually they said I can have whatever LAN IP structure I need.
I did figure out a workaround for my VPN issue should they force me to use 192.168.0.xx off their router.

I'm still going back and forth about cancelling the install. I won't be saving any money by going with FIOS, will be getting faster internet and better HD options (in my opinion) though. But my Brighthouse setup works fine. I'm just imagining a complete disaster with the install.

-Jody

[pilotbob]

Bob

I was on the phone with a FIOS support person for about twenty minutes. As I was explaining my issues he was IM-ing with an engineering department about my IP issues. Actually they said I can have whatever LAN IP structure I need.
I did figure out a workaround for my VPN issue should they force me to use 192.168.0.xx off their router.

I'm still going back and forth about cancelling the install. I won't be saving any money by going with FIOS, will be getting faster internet and better HD options (in my opinion) though. But my Brighthouse setup works fine. I'm just imagining a complete disaster with the install.

-Jody

Well, since FIoS have a 30 day money back I would keep the BHN stuff installed and have FIoS put in. If you are not getting TV this shouldn't be a problem. If they tell you they want to use the cable (I think they do this now rather than running cat5) tell them you are keeping your BHN as a back up and they will need to run an additional cable.

This way, if you have any problems you can just fall back on the BHN.

BOb

[Kendo]

I'm using the Verizon provided D-Link hard wired to a previously purchased LinkSys WRT54GS which provides my wireless. It works without issue, never had a problem.

I don't have FiOS TV yet, it's not available in my area.

My computer based Cisco VPN software to work functions without a hitch.

[Jodeus]

I'm going through with the install on Monday. We'll see what happens. I looked and saw what ports I need to forward to my firewall to get the tunnel to work behind another router/firewall so hopefully that will work without a problem.
I am getting the FIOS TV service as well.

-Jody

[Jodeus]

Had the FIOS install today. I had both FIOS internet and TV installed and it only took about 3 hours.
As soon at the Verizon tech arrived I asked him about my LAN IP questions. He answered that he hadn't hooked up the network other than the default IP structure but he didn't think it would be an issue considering the TV set top boxes pull IP addresses from the DHCP server.
Long story short, we never used the FIOS router (it's currently in a box in my closet), we hooked up the internet connection directly to my Sonicwall firewall. My connection is running aroud 13MB down and the TV settop boxes are getting their guides.
After seeing everything working so well right away I packed up my Brighthouse equipment and returned it to the local BH location.

Way to go Verizon, so far I'm very impressed.

-Jody

[Bschneider]

Then I am confused.. did you hook up a little black box? it would be the Motorola NIM. If you didn't then how is the set top boxes getting the guide? hmm..

[Jodeus]

Yes there is a little black box that is plugged into a LAN port on my firewall. The black box is also connected to a coax connection.

-Jody

[Bschneider]

Ok. That makes sense now.

[Harry]

I have a seperate NIM also in my install and I just decided to upgrade to an N router yesterday since my Powerline AV connection died between two of my computers. So I removed the D-Link router from Verizon and put in a Linksys 160N wireless router. I could not get Internet connection. I spent a usless hour on the phone with Linksys support and during one of their "please hold while I talk to someone up the food chain" pauses, I solved the problem. I needed to clone the MAC address of the D-Link router to get the connection to work. Everything else seems good at this point but I wanted to share this info since I would not have expected that they would tie service to the router MAC.

Harry

[SomeRandomIdiot]

I have heard the nightmares about the Actiontec router and ran into something the other day. Curious if anyone had any input.

Lost the EPG on the STBs.

After calling FiOS, they said check the lights on the router. Sure enough, the internet LED was orange.

A reboot didn't fix it. Had to totally reset the router on the back - and then they had to reboot the ONT get it to work.

Now, I have heard about the Actiontec routers locking up with too many connections, however, I have yet to even connect the router up to my home lan - so its not like it had any connections, except to the STBs for the EPG.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Can I just swap this router out for an older Motorola NIM? Any downside?

[pilotbob]

I needed to clone the MAC address of the D-Link router to get the connection to work. Everything else seems good at this point but I wanted to share this info since I would not have expected that they would tie service to the router MAC.


FYI: I've changed routers a few times, and never had to do this. If you just let the connection drop for a few minutes it usually would connect with the new router.

Anyway... perhaps we are on different "head ends" or whatever they are called and the makes a difference.

BOb

[Harry]

Well, it was a good half hour or more and it would not go thru so I don't think it was going to happen without my having done the clone. In any case, the linksys support folks had no clue so I wanted to share the info here.

Harry