Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
mdezrin
Newbie

Hi, 

I'm somewhat of a newbie but know enough to be dangerous and take down a home network by accident.

I have FIOS phone/internet but not TV (but may add TV later so I know I need to keep the Verizon router around).

Verizon installed the Verizon MI424WR-GEN2 via Coax.

The reason for the upgraded router, if this helps, is too many wifi devices and everyone seems to be streaming video (plus I want a guest network available).  And, I need some stronger coverage/signals throughout the house.

My home setup starts in the basement. Verizon into a centrally wired box where Cat5 terminates for a number of rooms throughout the house.  So, I can put the ASUS in the basement directly to the Verizon router, or on another floor to maximize wifi throughout the house, and, if necessary, loop it back to the basement switch via cat5 (there are 2 cat5 ports in various rooms to accomplish this). 

So, what are the recommendations and steps on how to configure the Verizon router with the new ASUS. I've seen lots of references on this forum to http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16077.

I've seen various comments about a MOCA bridge (LAN?) for the verizon router to connect it to the ASUS, leaving the WiFi active on the verizon router, etc. So, I'm looking at best practices/ideal suggestions based upon my needs. With the various options on the above referenced FAQ

... options 1-3 ... Is there an advantage to keeping the verizon router as primary and making the ASUS secondary

... options 4-8 ... Is there an advantage overall to bridging?

... options 9 or 10 ... creating a MOCA bridge ... and can the MOCA bridge simply be the Verizon router?

I've read through the feature/options differentiating but I'm trying to understand the benefits from a networking standpoint.

It seems like by not setting up as a bridge, I do lose a whole bunch of potential functionality on the ASUS (media server, etc.) but it seems like that could come at a cost of some verizon FIOS tv functionality in the future?

I may have more questions, but I hope this is a decent start as I sort through the myriad of options.

THANK YOU for your time!

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
viafax
Contributor - Level 1

In your case I'd have them change the ONT provisiong to ethernet and connect your own router directly to it.

In your current setup you have no real need for the Verizon router but if you really wanted to connect it the I'd connect it as a secondary subnet i.e. your router lan port to vz router wan port.

I'd leave the VZ router at the default subnet of 192.168.1 and make your router subnet something else, say 192.168.0 You need to disable the moca broadband connection.

I think that is probably classed as option 8

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
mdezrin
Newbie

Thank you. 

This may sound stupid but the only reason I don't want to change the ONT is because I don't feel like scheduling a service call with Verizon. Doesn't the change require them to come onsite because what is physically wired into my house is a coax termination? My ASUS doesn't have any coax in.

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
viafax
Contributor - Level 1

@mdezrin wrote:

Thank you. 

This may sound stupid but the only reason I don't want to change the ONT is because I don't feel like scheduling a service call with Verizon. Doesn't the change require them to come onsite because what is physically wired into my house is a coax termination? My ASUS doesn't have any coax in.


No, Fios tech support will do it over the phone, normally takes only 15 minutes or so,

Or are you saying there is NO ethernet connection in your ONT?  It should have a coax connection, 2 rj11 phone jacks and an rj45 ethernet jack

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
mdezrin
Newbie

Ok, I've got to go home and physically look at it. Perhaps I misunderstand what the ONT actually is? Because I'd love nothing more than to get that router out of there.  The cable coming into the room where the router is (and the rest of my wiring) is a coax cable. I see nothing else in that room that I could or would associate with Verizon and FIOS. I've got a verizon box that is white in another room in the basement. Perhaps that is it? And I'd need to drag a long ethernet cable through the ceiling to where the routers would be. So, can you please explain or clairfy what I'm looking for with respect to the ONT?

Am I correct that I don't need a Verizon router until, and if I ever get FIOS Tv?

Thank you!

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
mdezrin
Newbie

Hi viafax,

I've also come across this set of instructions specfic to the verizon model router. Somewhat similar to the dslreports suggestions. One thing I notice that is missing is the hard coding of fixed IP addresses, etc.

http://support.actiontec.com/doc_files/Configure_MI424WR_as_a_LAN_MoCA_Bridge.pdf

What do you think?

thanks.

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
viafax
Contributor - Level 1

@mdezrin wrote:

Ok, I've got to go home and physically look at it. Perhaps I misunderstand what the ONT actually is? Because I'd love nothing more than to get that router out of there.  The cable coming into the room where the router is (and the rest of my wiring) is a coax cable. I see nothing else in that room that I could or would associate with Verizon and FIOS. I've got a verizon box that is white in another room in the basement. Perhaps that is it? And I'd need to drag a long ethernet cable through the ceiling to where the routers would be. So, can you please explain or clairfy what I'm looking for with respect to the ONT?

Am I correct that I don't need a Verizon router until, and if I ever get FIOS Tv?

Thank you!


The white box marked Verizon in the basement is the ONT.  

Apparently your router is upstairs connected to a coax connector.  If you have the ONT reprovisioned for ethernet you would have to have an ethernet connection to where you want to put yours or Verizons router.

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
viafax
Contributor - Level 1

@mdezrin wrote:

Hi viafax,

I've also come across this set of instructions specfic to the verizon model router. Somewhat similar to the dslreports suggestions. One thing I notice that is missing is the hard coding of fixed IP addresses, etc.

http://support.actiontec.com/doc_files/Configure_MI424WR_as_a_LAN_MoCA_Bridge.pdf

What do you think?

thanks.


I think the diagram is total rubbish.

To set up the actiontec as a bridge you need something to bridge it to i.e. another router that is connected to the outside world.  The diagram should have another connection going to the ont that is an ethernet connection to another router - could also be a moca connection so long as it's on the same coax network and does NOT have the coax broadband connection disabled.

The way the digram is written and the instructions given would result in no internet access as there is nothing there to get a dhcp address for the wan connection

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
mdezrin
Newbie

Hi Viafax,

Yeah, the diagram kept looking like it was missing something.  First, I thought turning the actiontec into a bridge IS the MOCA connection, and second, I thought the connections in this scenario, similar to what I've seen on DSLreports, would be ONT via coax/ethernet to actiontec, then actiontec is configured as a bridge to the ASUS or other wireless router via ethernet (connected to the ASUS WAN port). Then, then ASUS is connected to anything needing ethernet via the LAN ports.

Attached is the only verizon box I could find ... is this the ONT?  oddly, other than power, there is only 1 cable coming out/in (you can see it from the right side) and it goes toward the outside verizon junction box, not toward the actiontec.   I don't know where the ethernet jack would be for them to provision.

FYI, if this is the ONT ... it is in the basement as well, and in a separate room from the actiontec. I've looked and there just isn't an easy way for me to extend an ethernet cable through the ceiling.

image

So, I've got the two choices ...

(1) leave the actiontect in place as a router and turn off its wifi. setup the ASUS as a wifi router, I would put the ASUS on my main floor to extend coverage to the basement and bedroom level.  I've messed around with the settings for this option and can't (even with ASUS help) seem to get the ASUS router online. We've tried both as a wireless router (which I don't think is ideal because then it is dependent upon the actiontec for wifi) and as an access point. I've already provisioned 192.168.1.2 on the actiontec as a static IP address reserved for the ASUS, and added in the ASUS mac address. On the actiontec, I reserved 192.168.1.115 - 192.168.1.254 for DHCP. We've done all the obvious ... change the ASUS to 192.168.1.2, turned off DHCP, etc. One test config got the internet symbol to show up on the ASUS but it wouldn't give internet access to my laptop. 

(2) convert the actiontec to a bridge and hang the ASUS off of it.  This, to me is less ideal only because it leaves the ASUS in the basement and I'm also trying to expand coverage in the house. But, my worse case scenario is I buy an access point for other areas. 

Thoughts? And thank you.

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Re: Setting up ASUS AC1900 (model RT-AC68P)
viafax
Contributor - Level 1

I think that is just the bbu, Battery Backup Unit.  You shoule be able to open the door on the left and see tha battery.   I have a combined internal ont and bbu.

I'm thinking the reason you can't connect the Asus router to the Actiontec via wifi is because I believe it's not supported.

I would guess that your ont is the other unit outside and that they ran the coax cable to connect to your internal coax setup.

Similarly if you have phone service they will have run the phone wire/s to the nid - phone network interface device - typically on the outside of the house, one side belongs to phone service provider and the other can be opened by you.  I guess your ethernet connection is not used.

You could run an ethernet cat 5/6 cable externally and bring it thru the wall but if you don't have any internal ethernet cabling that won't help you much.  An alternative would be to use and ECB2200 ethernet over coax adapter which which has an rj45 ethernet jack on it.  That device would connect to any coax connector in your house.  There are several manufacturers of such devices.  Also you could just go to Ebay and purchase an old fios router/s that could also connect to any coax connector and provide 4 ethernet jacks

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