Oh come ON. What a {please keep your posts courteous}mplimentation of a service. I try to switch to Ethernet (Your router choice is ... less then adequate at best.) You gice us a direct line to an IP television service, and then you restrict what router we can use.
YAY!
So... Why in the sam hill do we have to use a wireless router to connect to a COAX NETWORK, when wireless would have worked just FINE. I would even settle for a hard LAN connection at this point.
The way I see it, I have a few choices.
Go without advanced features.
Stay with a crummy router.
Use a convoluted solution using my router with the actiontec.
Wait for a firmware that allows me to bypass itself on my IP4 network,
1 and 2 are out .. and 3 is looking very enticing right now. And I would imagine 4 wont come anytime soon (Same with wireless N.)
Perhaps if you describe what you are trying to do, somewhere here will help you understand how to accomplish it. You may find that you simply don't understand how the service operates -- there are quite a few networking things going on behind the scenes.
The ActionTec router is actually a pretty good router -- it's user interface is quite confusing, I'll admit that -- but the reality is if you know how to work with it, you can pretty much do anything you need. Sure, the wireless is a bit underpowered, but that's easily addressed with a WAP or auxiliary router running in transparent mode. And some of the early functional complaints have long since been addressed with firmware.
If you understood what's going on behind the scenes, you would know what role the ActionTec plays in bridging the wireless, ethernet, and coax via MoCA networks (needed to allow the STB's to access the one another as well as the internet for VOD, guide data, as well as streaming content).
So, tell us again what problem you want to solve (and not "I wanna use my router instead of theirs" because that doesn't help understand why you think you need to do that).
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking
Use this link, and all of your wildest dreams will come true.....
use of your own router, with fz fios and still retaining advanced features and VOD
Not that eases your pain any, but the reason they use the Actiontec or Westell (and MoCA for IP) is because it makes their (Verizon's) installations easier as the average household has coax throughout but not CAT-5 or CAT-6 wiring to every TV outlet.
Can't really blame them with the number of installations they do.
In the beginning, Verizon used a Dlink router + Motorola NIM for thier installs. The Dlink with ethernet for the internet and the NIM to convert internet to moca for the TV service. Then to save money and to reduce the number of devices they had to install. They switched to Actiontec which combined the NIM and router into one. This also had the added benefit of only having to run one cable to the router instead of two. This made for an easier install for both Verizon and the customer.
Now if you want to use your own router. Thats easy. I do it myself. You just have to go back to the way Verizon did it in the past. Run ethernet to your router, buy a NIM (you can still find these on ebay and craigslist occasionally), and you have your service working. The only thing I cant seem to get working with this setup is the remote DVR access (program from website) and the caller ID on TV. Seems those two features need software or firmware from the actiontec router. But everything else (VOD, guide, widgets, etc) all work fine.
"Why in the sam hill do we have to use a wireless router to connect to a COAX NETWORK, when wireless would have worked just FINE. I would even settle for a hard LAN connection at this point"
We all would probably. I think the reason we are constrained to use their router(s) is because they are somewhat propriatary. If not, anyone could just serve the entire neighborhood with free wired TV service and internet. Requiring communications to be somewhat limited to wireless restricts the range of use to 100 feet or less (mostly less). Most other cable companies deliver the program guide and VOD services via coax only, but limit the drive capability in other ways. My third DVR is located about 60 feet from the router and cannot use any services, including the program guide. Once a week, I move the router into that room for a few minutes to download a week's worth of the guide. VOD is out of the question of course. I would love a solution that would fix that, other than ordering an extra installation.
Actually there is nothing "propriatary" about the setup at all. I see a lot of kvetching here but no one posting anything specific that they would like to do functionally (beyond I wanna do it this way, but they won't let me). Outline a specific need or capability and perhaps someone here will tell you how to solve you particular issue... Moving a router to connect to a DVR? Why in the world would you do that? Not having a hard wired connection to your router? Why then do I see 4 ports on the ActionTec? Feeding the entire neighborhood with TV? Technology-wise, nothing you could with or without the router would allow you to do that. I understand that some folks might be frustrated by not being able to get something to work -- but trust me, I have a pretty complicated home network and have not yet found something I can't make it do.
Please outline what you are trying to do and let those here who understand the technology help you.
The ActionTec router is a multi-functioned device that has five distinct networks inside of it (MoCA Coax-WAN on 1000mhz, MoCA Coax-Lan on 1150mhz, 4-port 10/100mb Ethernet, 1-port WAN ethernet, and 802.11b/g wireless). Definitions inside of this router map how these various interfaces behalf (and are, in fact, fully configurable by the user). The default configuration which Verizon sets for the router bridges the MoCA-Lan, Ethernet, and Wireless segments to form a "local network", and defines the Moca-Wan and Wan Ethernet to be two distinct interfaces on the other side of the NAT/PAT router/firewall from the local network.
You can, in fact, use any of these components or not, and extend or replace any of these networks with your own gear. What you can't do is break the basic fact that that there needs to be a bridged local network for your MoCA LAN, Ethernet, and Wireless -- but with that said, there are numerous ways to make that happen.
The STB's use the MoCA Lan to reach the internet for VOD and Guide information and for talking to one another for streaming DVR content if you are using the Home DVR. This saves having to have to interfaces into the STB's as the TV and Local network can ride the same cable. TV is not delivered thru the router at all -- it is a seperate relationship between the ONT and each STB again over different frequencies on the Coax.
The only two things which are specific to the ActionTec are the use of some special DHCP settings to insure that the STB's get a QOS bit set on their packets (prioritized over regular internet traffic your are generating) so that your real time video activity always gets precidence over any other kind of traffic and the interaction between the central FiOS systems, your STB's (across the internet), and the router to enable functions like the remote DVR application, Mobile Remote, etc. In this latter case, you really don't need the ActionTec specifically, but since they need to add special forwarding rules in some cases (where UPnP isn't sufficient), they look for the ActionTec so they can remotely/programatically configure it. The QOS stuff is a nice to have and not absolutely required provided you don't mind the blips that occur when you starve the bandwidth from an STB. For the port forwarding stuff, if you know what's required, you can circumvent the need for the ActionTec to be in the picture beyond the initial setup.
So, I say again, would someone like to describe they're specific networking challenge in terms of why they can't do it with the ActionTec? There are lots of people here who are willing to help if you'll let them.
OK, lasagna, I'll byte....
"Moving a router to connect to a DVR? Why in the world would you do that? "
Well Einstein, at 60feet plus (as the crow flies) from the router... and with the home's steel roof..... and bronze screening around the pool enclosure in-between the router and the DVR, the signal just can't get through without moving the router closer. That's why! I like to have the program guide. Maybe you don't.
And moving the router to a more central location has been tried without success. This house is expansive with two wings. The only place it might work for both entertainment room and master bedroom is in the middle of the pool! But then it won't work for the living room, so.... once a week I cart it around. And the logical "central" location (front foyer) is 75 feet from either room and then works for neither.
Bottom line: This router does not have the range for DVR/STB communication that Verizon claims (150'); at least not under these conditions. Oh and by the way, I have wireless PC internet connection in every location of the house and yard, why not the program guide???. Can you otherwise explain why my cheap laptop PC can outperform the DVR at 4 times the distance?
"Feeding the entire neighborhood with TV? Technology-wise, nothing you could (do?) with or without the router would allow you to do that."
Technology-wise it is very possible, if it were not for the requirement of using the router for the program guide, without which most people "could not live". I'm not saying I want to do that, just that it must be a reason for the router use by Verizon. Other cable companies have guides and VOD and such and do not use routers for that purpose.
Finally and specifically, can you help extend the range of the wireless communications to the DVR/STB's? Without going into ponderous details. Verizon says nothing can be done except for a separate install. Thanks.
p.s.
proprietary: "used, produced, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right"
Since I can't find this for sale anywhere (except used on Ebay), and Actiontech apparently does not sell it even on their web store, I think it applies.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
