MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm new to FIOS and MOCA so I'm having a few problems understanding the terminologies and what my router is capable of.  Even reading the manuals doesn't supply the simplest answer.  So I thought I'd as the forum for advice and problem solving on some basic questions.

I have the 50MB/25MB plan and my Verizon bill is charging for a FiOS GigE Wireless "N" Router (1).  Is that the same as the MI424WR?

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Is the MI424WR dual band?  Doesn't look like from what I can tell.

No guest user SSID seems to be a feature.

So, did I just take a major speed and feature downgrade by going to FIOS?

Thanks for the assistance.

Mike

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2
Okay, so now I feel like a real Doofus.  Looked at the back of the router and found the lights.  They were right under the label that had printed on it " 10 100 1GB Eithernet".
Thanks for everyone's help.
 
Mike
 
@walt178 wrote:

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I can't find any 10 or 100 lights on the router.  But the label clearly has it as Rev I.  Hopefully I'm good to go.


The 10/100 lights are on the back next to the lan plug.


View solution in original post

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I'm new to FIOS and MOCA so I'm having a few problems understanding the terminologies and what my router is capable of.  Even reading the manuals doesn't supply the simplest answer.  So I thought I'd as the forum for advice and problem solving on some basic questions.

I have the 50MB/25MB plan and my Verizon bill is charging for a FiOS GigE Wireless "N" Router (1).  Is that the same as the MI424WR? 

YES

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Your max download speed is 50Mbps.  Your router and cards can handle more, but your service plan will limit it to 50Mbps.

Is the MI424WR dual band?  Doesn't look like from what I can tell.

No.

No guest user SSID seems to be a feature.

So, did I just take a major speed and feature downgrade by going to FIOS?

No.  If your prior service plan was greater than 50Mbps, you currently have slower speed. But FiOS does offer higher speed plans.

Thanks for the assistance.

Mike


Re: MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks for the quick reply.

Let me explain this question so we are clear:  Your response is in Blue.

When transferring files between my PC's, does the MI424WR support GB transfers?  I realize that the WAN is 50MB.  But since my PCs share a common router, if the MI424WR doesn't support 10/100/1000 I've lost transfer rate.

Thanks

Mike

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Your max download speed is 50Mbps.  Your router and cards can handle more, but your service plan will limit it to 50Mbps.

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
Justin46
Legend

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I'm new to FIOS and MOCA so I'm having a few problems understanding the terminologies and what my router is capable of.  Even reading the manuals doesn't supply the simplest answer.  So I thought I'd as the forum for advice and problem solving on some basic questions.

I have the 50MB/25MB plan and my Verizon bill is charging for a FiOS GigE Wireless "N" Router (1).  Is that the same as the MI424WR?

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Is the MI424WR dual band?  Doesn't look like from what I can tell.

No guest user SSID seems to be a feature.

So, did I just take a major speed and feature downgrade by going to FIOS?

Thanks for the assistance.

Mike


1) All of the Verizon Actiontec routers are MI424WR. But there have been a series of models used, starting with Rev. A up to the most current, Rev. I.

2) If you have the Rev. I model of the Actiontec router, then yes it has 1 Gb LAN ports. Easy way to find out what you have is to check the model on the label, and/or look at the LAN ports, the Rev. I model very clearly says that if both the 10 and 100 Gbps lights are lit then that port is actually using 1 Gbps.

3) No, not dual band. However, on the Rev. I there is an "N-only Performance Mode" setting that will provide the best N speed possible with that router. Be sure to use AES encryption. Plus of course you should determine what channel is the least used in your area and set the wireless to use that channel (1, 6, or 11) to get the best wireless performance. I have used the free program InSSIDer to survey my neighborhood and found that the least used channel is 1. 

4) I don't think any of the Actiontec routers have guest SSID, not sure though as I have never tried to use that type of function. I use a second router (Actiontec Rev. F) daisychained off of my Rev. I, but set for B, G, N speed to allow non-N speed devices to connect, since I use the N-performance option on my Rev. I.

5) I don't think so, but without knowing for sure what what model your Actiontec router is, can't say for sure.

Have you done any speed tests? If not, I suggest you do, wired and wireless, to get an accurate measure of what you have right now, and then if needed start making changes, and measure again (wired and wireless as appropriate) after each change. This is the only way you will really know what you are getting, and what the effect of any changes you make are.

Edit to add: One other thing: If you do not have FiOS TV service, you can run Ethernet between the ONT and your router and then use any router you want. You would need to get Verizon to change the setting in the ONT to use Ethernet rather than Coax, but they can do that remotely.

Hope this helps.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.4
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2

@Justin wrote:

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I'm new to FIOS and MOCA so I'm having a few problems understanding the terminologies and what my router is capable of.  Even reading the manuals doesn't supply the simplest answer.  So I thought I'd as the forum for advice and problem solving on some basic questions.

I have the 50MB/25MB plan and my Verizon bill is charging for a FiOS GigE Wireless "N" Router (1).  Is that the same as the MI424WR?

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Is the MI424WR dual band?  Doesn't look like from what I can tell.

No guest user SSID seems to be a feature.

So, did I just take a major speed and feature downgrade by going to FIOS?

Thanks for the assistance.

Mike


1) All of the Verizon Actiontec routers are MI424WR. But there have been a series of models used, starting with Rev. A up to the most current, Rev. I.

2) If you have the Rev. I model of the Actiontec router, then yes it has 1 Gb LAN ports. Easy way to find out what you have is to check the model on the label, and/or look at the LAN ports, the Rev. I model very clearly says that if both the 10 and 100 Gbps lights are lit then that port is actually using 1 Gbps.

3) No, not dual band. However, on the Rev. I there is an "N-only Performance Mode" setting that will provide the best N speed possible with that router. Be sure to use AES encryption. Plus of course you should determine what channel is the least used in your area and set the wireless to use that channel (1, 6, or 11) to get the best wireless performance. I have used the free program InSSIDer to survey my neighborhood and found that the least used channel is 1. 

4) I don't think any of the Actiontec routers have guest SSID, not sure though as I have never tried to use that type of function. I use a second router (Actiontec Rev. F) daisychained off of my Rev. I, but set for B, G, N speed to allow non-N speed devices to connect, since I use the N-performance option on my Rev. I.

5) I don't think so, but without knowing for sure what what model your Actiontec router is, can't say for sure.

Have you done any speed tests? If not, I suggest you do, wired and wireless, to get an accurate measure of what you have right now, and then if needed start making changes, and measure again (wired and wireless as appropriate) after each change. This is the only way you will really know what you are getting, and what the effect of any changes you make are.

Edit to add: One other thing: If you do not have FiOS TV service, you can run Ethernet between the ONT and your router and then use any router you want. You would need to get Verizon to change the setting in the ONT to use Ethernet rather than Coax, but they can do that remotely.

Hope this helps.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.4
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)


Thanks Justin,

Your comments are really helpful.

I can't find any 10 or 100 lights on the router.  But the label clearly has it as Rev I.  Hopefully I'm good to go.

Thanks again

Mike

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
Justin46
Legend

@MikeForum12 wrote:

Thanks Justin,

Your comments are really helpful.

I can't find any 10 or 100 lights on the router.  But the label clearly has it as Rev I.  Hopefully I'm good to go.

Thanks again

Mike


There are two little LEDs immediately next to each LAN Ethernet port (and the WAN port). And some small text there describing the meaning of the lit LEDs.

Edit: Oh, and I should have said in my original post, the easy way to identify the Rev. I version of the router is it has a wide Red stripe next to the all of the status LEDS on the front.

__________________________________
Justin
FiOS TV, 25/25 Internet, and Digital Voice user
QIP7232, QIP7100-P2, IMG 1.9.4
Keller, TX 76248 (VHO 1)

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I can't find any 10 or 100 lights on the router.  But the label clearly has it as Rev I.  Hopefully I'm good to go.


The 10/100 lights are on the back next to the lan plug.

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@MikeForum12 wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply.

Let me explain this question so we are clear:  Your response is in Blue.

When transferring files between my PC's, does the MI424WR support GB transfers?  I realize that the WAN is 50MB.  But since my PCs share a common router, if the MI424WR doesn't support 10/100/1000 I've lost transfer rate.

Thanks

Mike

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Your max download speed is 50Mbps.  Your router and cards can handle more, but your service plan will limit it to 50Mbps.


Not to beat a dead horse, because Verizon routers will support the plan you have.  When it doesn't they will give you a new router. And as Justin pointed out, you do have a 1GB router.

But, routers only provide hardware capability.  The limiting factor in transfer rate is your plan.  Regardless of your routers maximum capability, it can't provide a greater transfer rate than your plan.

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Re: MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2
Okay, so now I feel like a real Doofus.  Looked at the back of the router and found the lights.  They were right under the label that had printed on it " 10 100 1GB Eithernet".
Thanks for everyone's help.
 
Mike
 
@walt178 wrote:

@MikeForum12 wrote:

I can't find any 10 or 100 lights on the router.  But the label clearly has it as Rev I.  Hopefully I'm good to go.


The 10/100 lights are on the back next to the lan plug.


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Re: MI424wr Speeds
MikeForum12
Enthusiast - Level 2

I think you misread what I wrote.  The transfer rate I was writing about was about my LAN (PC to PC) connections through the router.

This is what I am reading from your post:  You're saying if I have a 50/25 plan from FIOS, I can't transfer a file from one PC to another PC over my LAN  through the router at any higher speed than my plan.

With a 10/100/1000 router my 1GB NIC cards hit speeds beyond my FIOS plan.

Downloading from the Web, of course, is limited to the plan since the FIOS speed is slower than the hardware.


@walt178 wrote:

From what I have learned, the LAN speed on the Actiontec MI424WR router is 10/100.  Since all my wired PCs have 10/100/1000 cards and a switch I have connected to the router is GB speed, is my max speed 100MB?  Put another way, since I previously had a GB router and switch, did I just down grade my LAN speed by going to FIOS?

Your max download speed is 50Mbps.  Your router and cards can handle more, but your service plan will limit it to 50Mbps.


Not to beat a dead horse, because Verizon routers will support the plan you have.  When it doesn't they will give you a new router. And as Justin pointed out, you do have a 1GB router.

 

But, routers only provide hardware capability.  The limiting factor in transfer rate is your plan.  Regardless of your routers maximum capability, it can't provide a greater transfer rate than your plan.


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