Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
lajohns
Newbie

I just recently had Verizon Fios installed for tv, phone, & internet.  Everything is currently set up with coax, but I recently built a new addition that has a cat 5 line installed for a new home office.  I would like to move the router to that location...how do I hook it up since there is no coax connection there?

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
Comet2011L4
Enthusiast - Level 3

Hello lajohns,

I think in this particular situation it would be best to run the ethernet cable to the original location of the router.

If you choose to move the router, you might need to extend the coax cable coming from the ONT and splitter to the new location. But if you instead run an ethernet cable from the new addition to the location of the router then you will save yourself a lot of trouble. 

You could possibly bridge two wireless routers but then your network would suffer performance. Best way to go is run the CAT5e to the router. Anyone have any other ideas?

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
lajohns
Newbie

Just to be clear the router is only being used for internet service...everything else runs off coax to individual boxes on tvs

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
Comet2011L4
Enthusiast - Level 3

Hello lajohns,

Are you using Verizon Set top box?

The Verizon Set top box uses a Coax to the router for Programming Guide and Information. This may also include Video On Demand.

The Coax to the router is also used for the WAN internet in some cases too.

So, what I am trying to say is that the router is not only used by computers for internet. It's also used by the set top boxes for the Programing Guide, Information, and Video On Demand. The junction occurs at the splitter/ combiner.

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
lajohns
Newbie

From the verizon box outside there is a coax cable that comes out and splits into 4 cables which go to the tv's in the house and one to router.  The router has nothing to do with any of the boxes within the house as far as I can see.  I know this because they used the exact cables that I had in place with Comcast and they didn't run thru anything special for them either...

The router is wireless, there is a coax cable currently coming into and only one ethernet cable coming out to my desktop computer..all other computers in the house are wireless.

I'm just wondering if in the new room, there is a cat 5 plug...can I hook the router up to that and then to my desktop computer.  As far as I can see outside the cat 5 cable goes into a phone box, but then there is a cable from the phone box over to the verizon box.

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
weedeater1
Contributor - Level 3

Once again, the ROUTER is connected to the ONT via COAX and supplies VOD, channel lists and other things (IP addresses) to the STBs in your house via the COAX connection. V used the same cables since they were good enough as they were.

If the 'new room' has a Cat 5 outlet, the other end of that outlet needs to be connected to an unused port on your router where is is current located.  Or wherever the other end of that Cat 5 and the house coax coexist.

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@lajohns wrote:

... The router has nothing to do with any of the boxes within the house as far as I can see ...


Not sure exactly what you can "see" but as several others here have explained, the router is required if you want to use the Guide, VOD, and various STB/DVR features.  Search "MoCA" and the many related articles for details.

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
lajohns
Newbie

I think I misunderstood...I do not have the Set Top Box...I have 3 multi-room dvrs....it doesn't appear to me that the router has anything but the computer linked to it.

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
Anti-Phish1
Master - Level 1

STB is often used genericly to include DVRs.

The router supports two MOCA communication channels.  MOCA WAN which is used between the router and the ONT; and

MOCA LAN which is used between the router and the STBs (including DVRs).  All MOCA communication is over the single coax connection to the router.  If you look on the main status page of your router, you should see an entry for each of your DVRs.  These are usually labeled IP-STB1, IP-STB2, etc. 

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Re: Fios Internet - coax vs cat 5
armond_in_nj1
Master - Level 1

@lajohns wrote:

I think I misunderstood...I do not have the Set Top Box...I have 3 multi-room dvrs....it doesn't appear to me that the router has anything but the computer linked to it.


If you reread my post you will note the generic term "STB/DVR.  If you check again, you will also note that your router is connected to ALL the other wired DVR devices via coax at the splitter, so it is connected to more devices than a computer.  The splitter itself is bi-directional.  Further, you can only have a single multi-room DVR on the network.  "Anti-Phish" has described the basic MoCA regime, but perhaps you should study this system in more detail.

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