Verizon Quantum Gateway ORBI installation

[#1]

***Print this out or at least copy to a word doc before starting***

This is where ORBI and Verizon send you for installation instructions.

<https://kb.netgear.com/31100/How-do-I-set-up-my-Orbi-system-to-work-with-Fios>

The full instructions provided by the Knowledge Base article are below in black. My coaching is in red. Be aware: Verizon distributes different routers that work with their internet packages. This applies to the Quantum Gateway. Another router model, you are on your own.

Also: Verizon sells a top-of-the-line ORBI. In many homes and certainly city apartments, it is overkill. Check the ORBI web site to determine what you REALLY need, and understand you can always add satellites. Costco (as of 5/24/18) was selling model RBK-22 for $199 (about $50 less than list) and it has a range of 4000 feet.

Before going any further, it would be useful to photograph your ORBI box where it shows the serial number, model number and the password. If it isn’t on the outer box…look everywhere and find it. Print out the photo. Some of this information will be required if you give up and have to call Netgear: 888-NET-GEAR. Also have your Verizon router number, login and password. You will find these on the side of your router in tiny type. Photograph and enlarge…or make a copy. It is likely that Verizon suggested that you keep the user name ‘admin.’

If you do need to call Verizon for help (800-VERIZON), you already know not to call on weekends. About 830A ET weekdays is good. Definitely NOT AFTER 4PM ET or you too can have a 3 hour hold.

Next, if you have a computer without an Ethernet port, you are probably better off using the iOs app or the Android app. The iOs app is not perfect either. 

Get the BIG picture: Your final system will be use the ORBI as the wireless router through your home with one or more ORBI satellites. In the end, your Gateway Router can provide hardwired Ethernet connections. So can your ORBI.

Best to charge your cell phone before embarking on this project (especially if you have FIOS voice) because there could potentially be some temporary service interruption during installation. A cell phone and the Netgear phone number (see above) will be helpful. If you are lucky, you will speak with Atun at Netgear who can figure anything out.

Also, think ahead to what you want your SSID and password to be on your ORBI. For simplicity, I chose the ones I was using on my 2.4mhz frequency since it served most of the area. I did have to change the SSIDs on 5.0 and on another range extender used the electrical wiring.)

Fios is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service that operates over a fiber-optic communications network. For your Orbi WiFi System to work with Fios, you must set up your Orbi router as an access point (AP), following these high-level steps:

1. Turn off your Verizon Fios wireless network.
2. Set up your Orbi router in AP mode.

These steps are explained in detail in the following sections.

To turn off your Verizon Fios wireless network:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to your Verizon Fios router.
2. Enter 168.1.1. It is highly likely you have not visited this web location before
   A login window displays.
3. Enter your Verizon user name (likely admin) and password (likely the same as on the label unless you got fancy).
   The Main page displays.
   Note: If you haven't logged in to your Fios router before, you are prompted to create a new user name and password. (This does not make sense to me since the username/password are provided on the router)
4. On the Main page, click Wireless Settings > Basic Security Settings.
5. Under Turn Wireless ON, select Off. (Note that this might require turning both 2.4 and 5.0 frequencies off, depending on the wireless frequencies you have set up)
6. At the bottom of the page, click Apply.

To set up your Orbi router in AP mode:

1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Internet port of your Orbi router to the LAN port on your Verizon Fios router.
2. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to your Orbi network.
3. Enter com.
4. Enter the Orbi router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
   The BASIC Home page displays. (You can change these later; admin is useful to keep but ORBI assigns very long passwords)
5. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Router/AP Mode.
   The Router/AP Mode page displays.
6. Select the AP Modecheck box.
7. Select the radio button for the IP address setting that you want to use:

• Get dynamically from existing router. Your Verizon Fios router that is on the network assigns an IP address to your Orbi router while your Orbi router is in AP mode.
• Enable fixed IP settings on this device (not recommended). Use this setting if you want to manually assign a specific IP address to your Orbi router while it is in AP mode.
  
  Note: To avoid interference with other routers or gateways in your network, we recommend that you use different WiFi settings on each router. We recommend that you turn off the WiFi radio on your Verizon Fios router and use your Orbi router only for WiFi client access. (I did not understand this and I have built computers, so don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense to you)

1. Click the Apply The IP address of your Orbi router changes, and you are disconnected.???? 
2. To reconnect, close and restart your browser and enter orbilogin.com.

If you use the ethernet method: At some point, it will be necessary to connect the Ethernet cable from your computer to your ORBI, not to Gateway router where it started. Since I gave up and called Netgear, I bypassed steps 5-8 and have failed on the iOs app and the Ethernet methods before giving up.)

Finetuning your system

Familiarize yourself with the ORBI web interface enough to click on the tab that shows the devices connected to you Wi-Fi. If your ORBI router is in fairly permanent proximity to any devices, set the 5.0 frequency as the one to use. Over time, ORBI would probably figure it out, but immediate gratification is always better.

If you use the SSID and password you had on your old FIOS system, you may still need to re-login on the other devices. My iPhone was smart, my Kindle was not.

GOOD LUCK

[#2]

Note:  The IP address to access your router is 192.168.1.1  ('192' is missing in the preceding post).