Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
eljefe2
Master - Level 1

Well, bbinnard, I can only speculate, but this is my guess.

5 GHz got picked because it's less susceptible to interference from other users.

These days, if you live anywhere other than a remote location, scanning for other WiFi networks will reveal a lot of nearby networks on most 2.4 GHz channels.  But the very fact that 802.11ac is less susceptible to penetration makes it less susceptible to interference from neighbor's networks.

If you live in an apartment, or in a house with lots of neighbors in close proximity, users .211ac will reduce the likelihood of interference from those neighbors' WiFi networks.

And then there's the fact that most lower frequency bands are already taken. Smiley Wink

Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

online with verizon tech support now - want to send me new router, but some discussion as to Westel 9100 Gen 2 or Actiontec Gen 3. I was pushing the issue of compatibility - now on hold

OK - so

  • Verizon is sending me a Westell 9100 Gen 2 router (free, 1-3 business days). Said my router was "too old".
  • Insisted Westell is compatible with Network Extender, We'll see.

And, yeah, they want the old useless one back within 30 days (weird that, seems like direct recycle makes more sense. Maybe they're worried I'll dump it in landfill)

I'll post back once I get new one here and installed

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Interesting to me to read the detailed discussion about 2.4 and 5 -- my neighbors have both and both of those signals show full signal strength throughout my entire home!!! No problems getting through my walls at all. Sure makes me wonder why my Verizon can't give me the same service.

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

By the way - one great thing about the network extender is that, despite newly introduced wifi problems, the available Ethernet connection totally solves my FireTV problem. I just need to work out getting my wifi connection for iOS devices back to at least as good as before (and hopefully to better than before, since that's what network extender was supposed to do). I'm loving the Ethernet/FireTV!

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
mfizzy
Specialist - Level 1

@djb wrote:

online with verizon tech support now - want to send me new router, but some discussion as to Westel 9100 Gen 2 or Actiontec Gen 3. I was pushing the issue of compatibility - now on hold

OK - so

  • Verizon is sending me a Westell 9100 Gen 2 router (free, 1-3 business days). Said my router was "too old".
  • Insisted Westell is compatible with Network Extender, We'll see.

And, yeah, they want the old useless one back within 30 days (weird that, seems like direct recycle makes more sense. Maybe they're worried I'll dump it in landfill)

I'll post back once I get new one here and installed


Don't be surprised when you get an actiontec in the box. Gen 3 and Quantum Gateways are the standard router now.

I know they told you it will work with your current router since it is a moca bridge, but it is designed for a gen 3 or quantum gateway. With either of those routers it is designed to be plug and play. When it is connected it configures itself to match the setting of the routers wifi settings for ssid and password.

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Hlppls - actually, the agent put me on hold for quite a while when I pushed the actiontec issue; said he was asking authorization to send Actiontec Gen 3. He came back and said his request was denied. 😞

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

@hlppls wrote:

@djb wrote:

online with verizon tech support now - want to send me new router, but some discussion as to Westel 9100 Gen 2 or Actiontec Gen 3. I was pushing the issue of compatibility - now on hold

OK - so

  • Verizon is sending me a Westell 9100 Gen 2 router (free, 1-3 business days). Said my router was "too old".
  • Insisted Westell is compatible with Network Extender, We'll see.

And, yeah, they want the old useless one back within 30 days (weird that, seems like direct recycle makes more sense. Maybe they're worried I'll dump it in landfill)

I'll post back once I get new one here and installed


Don't be surprised when you get an actiontec in the box. Gen 3 and Quantum Gateways are the standard router now.

I know they told you it will work with your current router since it is a moca bridge, but it is designed for a gen 3 or quantum gateway. With either of those routers it is designed to be plug and play. When it is connected it configures itself to match the setting of the routers wifi settings for ssid and password.


PROGRESS!!

I searched Actiontec web site for help and ended up talking to one of their tech reps.

Here's what I learned:

  • Those two strong wifi networks I was seeing are NOT my neighbor's Robot surprised, but they are broadcast by my Network Extender! The names of those networks are on a label on the back of my device, along with the password for each. One name ending in 2.4G and the other 5G to differentiate which is which. 
  • I was able to join only the 5G one, some problem accessing the 2.4G (I think related to WEP/WPA2 confusion)
  • Westell/NE incompatibility - it's looking like this is key, since I can only access the signal from the NE by using the two network names provided on the label, not seamlessly using my basic network name.

I'm thinking I really do need an Actiontec router but guess I'll have to wait for the "newer" Westell Verizon is sending me (agent said this is because I obviously need a stronger wifi signal from the router to solve my problem. I am SO discouraged and frustrated with Verizon's poor technical support. Only once in the past many years with verizon, and that after several weeks and many hours of talking to the usual V-support staff was I connected to an actual technical person who understood my problem ... and solved it within 10 minutes!) Sorry about the rant, just had to vent (and thanks for listening)

NE FAQ's are on this Actiontec site, I actually phoned them trying to figure out how to access the WiFi Assistant app mentioned here, but hadn't noticed that it isn't available for boxes with the Verizon firmware. http://www.actiontec.com/products/faqs.php?pid=305#q2

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

hlppls wrote: ...

Don't be surprised when you get an actiontec in the box. Gen 3 and Quantum Gateways are the standard router now.

I know they told you it will work with your current router since it is a moca bridge, but it is designed for a gen 3 or quantum gateway. With either of those routers it is designed to be plug and play. When it is connected it configures itself to match the setting of the routers wifi settings for ssid and password.


and, ref:

djb wrote: ...

Hlppls - actually, the agent put me on hold for quite a while when I pushed the actiontec issue; said he was asking authorization to send Actiontec Gen 3. He came back and said his request was denied. :smileysad:
________________________________________________________

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Well, now that I am able to use networks directly from the NE, I can see the incompatibility with Westell. My devices now can see three separate networks, with no automatic switching between them. I am NOT seeing the advertised "single network" appearance. But I do have great signal strength on the NE network shown (at least the one I have been able to successfully connect to). Still to resolve whatever the issue is with one network, but will just wait until after replacement router is installed. Need to take a break from all this and get some other things done anyway!

So, I got back on the phone with Verizon and just asked for "Agent" - got me eventually to a person who did seem to understand my issues (and spoke clear English too!). She assured me that I would not be getting a Westell router because they don't even ship them anymore. Weird about the other agent saying he could'nt get authorization to send anything other than Westell ?

Should have new router tomorrow and will report back after I install.

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
djb5
Contributor - Level 3

Received and installed new router today - as hlppls predicted, they sent An Actiontec (M1424WR Rev I)

I've got a few areas of confusion, but I need to do my homework before asking for help (not even sure it things are working as they should or if I just don't know how it's supposed to be). I think better to address any separate issues in a new thread, getting kinda deep here.

Impressive change in speed when connected to primary network name (my devices see that name, plus the 2.4 and 5 ones, there is no automatic switching happening and my iPhone refuses to Join the 5G network). Much of this is probably Driver Error (not software, but just ME needing to learn more about this stuff including security settings.

Here's the "BEFORE" (using my iPhone 5 and connected to primary network name):

RemoteRoom (Holding phone about 5 feet from Network Extender, can watch bars on wifi signal go up/down repeatedly (two bars/one bar mostly). - 6 test runs within 7 minutes,

download ranges 3.86 - 8.85, up 0.34 - 6.49, ping 13 - 16. much variation, peaks/valleys on test graphs

Here's the "AFTER" (same conditions), signal held steady, none of the flip-flopping that was going on before, so I just did the one test:

download 24.54 up 20.71 ping 14 !!!

(and I have  25/25 internet FiOS service level).

So it would appear that there was indeed an incompatibility with the Westell router.

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Re: Installed FiOS Network Extender - "Obtaining IP Address" message and wi fi strength question
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

@bbinnard wrote:

I'm surprised you are having the problems you described.  This link

http://www.amazon.com/Verizon-Westell-UltraLine-Series3-Wireless/dp/B003FRK80M

talks abotu your router and says it supports MOCA (Multi-media Over Coax Alliance), which is the protocol used by the extender to separate out TV & Internet signals from the coax cable.)

Nevertheless it may be necessary for you to get the "standard " FIOS router which is the Actiontec Model MI424WR Rev.I. Alternatively you could opt for the new Quantum router as you originally suggested.  


The Westell 9100em IS a standard fios router.  I used one for years until a near lightning strike last year disabled some of the functionality at which point they gave me a rubbish actiontec rev I as a replacement.

Port forwarding on the actiontec was implemented so poorly that any change meant always rebuilding the complete rule so now I use a Netgear wndr3700 as the gateway and made the actiontec a secondary just for the STBs

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