Outside wiring for FIOS TV

[randym1]

Verizon set me up for FIOS internet and phone.  I added FIOS TV and was sent a self-install cable card.  I believe the outside wiring needs to change but I can't find any wiring diagrams to go all the way to the outside boxes.  I’m hoping I can wire this myself so I don’t have to waste time meeting up with a Verizon service technician. 

Below are two photos, one of each of two outside Verizon boxes.  The first photo of Outside Box 1 shows three cables going out the bottom of the box.   The coax from the "cable out" terminal at the bottom right goes inside to my router.  The CAT5E cable originating at the upper right goes to Outside Box 2.  The CAT5E-like cable originating at the lower left goes to the battery/power unit inside.  There is also a cable not shown going to Outside Box 1 from the telephone pole.  Notice that the video light in the photo of Outside Box 1 is not lit. 

The second photo is of Outside Box 2.  The two white cables on the right are for phone—one goes to Outside Box 1 and the second goes inside to my telephone distributor box.   The wire at the bottom left comes from the telephone pole.

It seems that I need a second coaxial cable going to my TV or set-top box.  But I see no unused coaxial connections on the outside boxes.  Also, it is confusing that the coaxial cable going from Outside Box 1 to my router originates from the “cable out” connector rather than coming from the Ethernet connection just to the right (not a coax connection).

Thanks in advance for your help.

[gs0b]

Your pictures have not been made visible yet.  However, I can give you information to help you understand your options.

A typical ONT has the following connections:

Power: A custom cable containing many wires that connects to a BBU (battery backup unit).  It is not CAT5, or CAT anything for that matter.

Phone: Standard phone wire, typically connected to the demarc, which is most likley "box 2" in your description.  When phone is installed, the old line from the central office is disconnected from the demarc and a new connection is made to the ONT.  This can be done with a variety of cable types including CAT3, CAT5 and CAT5E.  For a single phone line, only one pair will be used.

Coax: Used to carry the Internet WAN connection to the router using a protocol called MoCA *and* TV channels.  When FiOS is installed in a home that already has coax, this will be connected to the existing coax network.  Of course the connection to the old cable provider needs to be removed.

Ethernet: Used for the Internet WAN connection to the router in installs where a coax link doesn't make sense.  Typical installs will use coax, not Ethernet for this link.  Faster speeds (150Mbps and higher) must use Ethernet.  Some customers request Ethernet regardless of speed.  Either Ethernet or coax is active for the WAN connection, but not both.  It can only be changed by Verizon.

So, in your case, you most likely need to connect the existing coax from your ONT into your existing coax network in your home.  This is usually as simple as properly installing a two-way splitter.  You also must be certain to disconnect any coax coming from your old cable provider.

Note that with FiOS TV, the router must have a coax connection as it creates a LAN on coax that is used by the set-top-boxes.  If  you have Internet slower than 150Mbps, you might as well stick with coax for the WAN to avoid extra wires.

Good Luck.

[randym1]

Thanks for the info.  Just to be sure I understand, are you saying all I need to do is to connect the existing coax to a splitter, run one line to the router as currently, and run the other line to my coax network?

I’m thinking I should use the Ethernet connection on Outside Box 2.  I have a robust Ethernet network (CAT6A+), I will install my cable card in an external Ethernet device that will plug into my network (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815706004&cm_re=cable_card-_-15-706-004-_-Prod...) and I will watch TV on my network-connected PC with Windows Media Center as my DVR.  In this setup, I gather I would run CAT6 wire from the Ethernet connection on my Outside Box 2 to my router.   But would I also run the coax to my router as I do now, so as to get more total bandwidth between the Outside Box 2 and the router? 

Thanks again. 

[randym1]

I included 2 image with my first post.  Only the second came through, which is for Outside Box 2.  The first  (for Ouside Box 1) was rejected because it showed my OINt serial number.  Below is that photo with serial number blacked out.  

[gs0b]

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@randym wrote:

Thanks for the info.  Just to be sure I understand, are you saying all I need to do is to connect the existing coax to a splitter, run one line to the router as currently, and run the other line to my coax network?

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Yup, it's that simple.  Just be sure to DISCONNECT any feed from any other cable or satellite TV service.  You don't want to backfeed FiOS into someone elses network.  Bad things will happen...

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I’m thinking I should use the Ethernet connection on Outside Box 2.  I have a robust Ethernet network (CAT6A+), I will install my cable card in an external Ethernet device that will plug into my network <snip> and I will watch TV on my network-connected PC with Windows Media Center as my DVR.  In this setup, I gather I would run CAT6 wire from the Ethernet connection on my Outside Box 2 to my router.   But would I also run the coax to my router as I do now, so as to get more total bandwidth between the Outside Box 2 and the router? 

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Again, coax OR Ethernet will be active for the WAN connection.  Never both.  There is no way to get additional bandwidth from the ONT by using both because you can't.  If you want additional bandwidth, you call up Verizon and order it.

Your internal Ethernet network will connect to the LAN ports on your router.  Thus, the WAN connection between the router and the ONT is a don't care as far as your internal network is concerned.

If you use Veriozn's set-top-boxes, you pretty much must have a Verizon router in the system. Verizon routers create a MoCA LAN on the coax, which is a different connection than the MoCA WAN used between the router and the ONT.  The MoCA LAN is used by the STBs for guide data, VOD and other management functions.

The primary reason to use Ethernet instead of coax for the ONT to router WAN connection is speed.  If you subscribe to 150Mbps or higher, Ethernet is required.  Lower speed tiers work fine with coax for the WAN link.  When Ethernet WAN is configured and TV services are used, the router connects to both Ethernet for WAN and coax for LAN.  So, you end up with more wires to the router.

Another reason to use Ethernet for the WAN is if you want to use your own router.  However, this tends to complicate things especially if you have TV service.  Since Verizon doesn't provide any support for a non-Verizon router and due to the complexity of managing a network with TV services with a non-Verizon router, this approach is only for the most technically savvy folks.  Read the FAQ mentioned before for more details.

I like to keep things simple, so I use a Verizon router connected to the ONT via coax and call it a day.  The Verizon routers work quite well.

Good Luck.

P.S.  Your pictures showed exactly what I expected and described in my first post.

[randym1]

Thanks again for the detailed info.

Sorry if I'm being dense, but let me check my thinking again.  I infer from the info you provided that my current coaxial connection from Outside Box 1 to the router allows me to get video through the configuration I outlined in my previous post.   That configuration has a device that contains my cable card connect to my routher via an ethernet connection, and that device connects to my DVR PC that is connected to my ethernet network.   (The PC is connected to the TV via HDMI.) And this configuration allows me to get internet via the same coaxial router connection that I get video through.    Is this understnading correct?

The device that will include my cablecard is here:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815706004&cm_re=cable_card-_-15-706-004-_-Prod...

Thanks again for your help.