Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
eee555
Newbie

I do not have FIOS yet but am looking into getting it for internet connectivity.  I already have a wireless N router I use for my home network and have the settings the way I want them.  Will I be forced to use the wireless router Verizon provides or, if I am forced to use it, can that router be set to pass through mode or something equivalent?

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
electronbee
Newbie

When FiOS is installed they install a media converter to go from the fiber to coaxial. It can however provide a standard ethernet connection. However, getting an ethernet connection is really difficult and you will have to call someone everyday for thre weeks straight until you get a response and then you can get ethernet and use your own wireless router.

That is what my friend had to do. When Verizon came to my house to install FiOS I brought up the question and the dude was so adament about it that I did not undertsand the concept. I mean, really, who cares if you use one router or the other? They really need to take a chill pill and if people pay money for a service, give them what they are paying money for.

Oh, my friend first had FiOS and the FiOS Actiontec router installed, and then had it converted over to ethernet.

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
thompa
Enthusiast - Level 1

Well... the Verizon wireless router is 802.11g and there is a great difference when compared to 802.11n

I have an 802.11n hardwired to a Verizon router and there are significant speed improvements over the wireless network.

Allan

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
cjacobs001
Contributor - Level 3

The Verizon-supplied routers have a built-in NIM (network interface module) which, among other things, converts the coaxial-supplied internet signal out to ethernet. (This is why they are as large as they are.  -A router + a NIM.)

Verizon uses those to be able to get IP adddresses across the coaxial, to your TV's (if you use the TV service.)

You can use other routers, but you have to know how to program the other router (go to DSLREPORTS.COM to look-up exactly how), and there will be administrative overhead if you do not use the verizon-supplied router. 

But if you are not using the Verizon TV service, there is no reason to use their routers.

If you are not hooked-up via ethernet, you can purchase a NIM (network interface module) to attach to a coaxial outlet, and that NIM will then have an ethernet jack on it.   Attach your ethernet cable to it and to your router, and you are on your way.

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
tsauter1
Specialist - Level 1

Here is a link to network set up options.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking

Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
Devs_Advocate
Contributor - Level 1

All we did to use my own router was replicated the MAC address from the router that Verizon gave us onto my router and it works like a charm.  You can log into the router they give you and find the MAC address, write it down and on your router that you want to use, there is a place where it asks how you want the MAC address to be used.  Either the one assigned or a custom one.  Just put in the characters from the Verizon one, restart the router and plug it in the same way the Verizon one is and voilà.  They won't know the difference.

Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@eee555 wrote:

I do not have FIOS yet but am looking into getting it for internet connectivity.  I already have a wireless N router I use for my home network and have the settings the way I want them.  Will I be forced to use the wireless router Verizon provides or, if I am forced to use it, can that router be set to pass through mode or something equivalent?


Just connect your Wireless N router WAN port to one of the Fios Router's LAN ports - make your your router is not using subnet 192.168.1.x and that it is using a static address on the VZ subnet - then ignore/disable the wireless on the VZ router.

If you are using port forwarding on your own router then forward those ports on the VZ router to the static address of your router.

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
abhi_col
Contributor - Level 3

If you are going to subsribe to FiOS TV, than there is no way that you can use your own router.

If you will only subscribe to FiOS internet, than you can request for an ethernet connection and not a co-axial connection. So than you can use your router. [Verizon will not support any internet connectivity issues with a third party router]

Most simple way would be to disable radio on verizon router and port forward to your router.

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

@abhi_col wrote:

If you are going to subsribe to FiOS TV, than there is no way that you can use your own router.


Really?

I would be so sure of that if I were you.

I point to http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16077

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Re: Can I use my own wireless router with FIOS
abhi_col
Contributor - Level 3

I meant you still have to use FiOS router and than portforwarding can be done to the third party router.

I read your website. Everything can be done but not all customers are that tech savvy and even if that setup is done, verizon will not support it.

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