Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
Joeygueez
Newbie

Hi guys,

                      I have had fios service for about a year now and i have had enough with their router. I live in a apartment complex and i can pick up better signals from other peoples routers than i can with verizon's suppied router. I currently have their Actiontec router and i would like to replace it or atleast use a different router ibn conjunction with it. Right now im currently using an iphone to connect to it, but my roommate uses a laptop and i will be getting a Macbook for xmas and i dont want anymore issues with it. Overall its very poor quality and things take forever to connect to the network. Long story short, Is there a guide or wiki that has a step by step process on how to go about this and have you guys had success hooking up your own router with verzions Actiontec router?

                         Thanks in advance!

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Re: Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
Hubrisnxs
Legend

You can also use the FAQ at dslreports.com for more detailed information.  there are several ways to set up your own router.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking

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Re: Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
goldchip
Enthusiast - Level 1

Joey,

I have been looking for instructions to set up my own 811.n router, which is supposed to be 5+ times faster than the g router that Verizon users (although to Verizon's credit the n specification is pretty new, although wireless n has been in the market for a couple years, until recently the routers had to use a draft specification; the final spec was approved only a few months ago.)

I recently received these instructions from a knowledgeable source, and have not yet tried them but intend to in the near future. hopefully they will work for you.  Note that Verizon will not support a different router -- if you have any problems you will be on your own.

First, you want to buy a wireless n router. Depending on the vintage of your laptop, you may also need to buy an access point that matches the wireless n router; these look like USB flash drives you plug into your laptop. Newer laptops (that provide built-in support for 811.n) will not need this.

You must change the default IP address on the new router, using the new router's administration software. You may also be able to do this by connecting the new router to your computer using an ethernet cable (NOT to the ActionTec just yet), then accessing the router by typing 192.168.1.1 in your browser.  This is nearly always the default IP address for new routers. Find the screen where the IP address is specified, and change it to something else.

Next, you want to connect the new router to your ActionTec.  You can do this by simply plugging it in, via an ethernet cable, to one of the four ethernet ports on the ActionTec. Do not touch anything else on the ActionTec-- it still needs to provide a cable signal (via the big coax cable to your Fios box) and Internet signal (via the ethernet cable to your Fios box.)  The new n-wireless router will serve as an additional, daisy chain router.

Finally, it was recommended to me that you disable the wireless function on the ActionTec.  Again, you will type 192.168.1.1 in your browser.  Type in the admin and password:  This should be: admin/password or admin/password1.  (If it's not, it means that somebody, most likely a Verizon installation tech, changed the admin password, and you can set it back to its default value by resetting the ActionTec (little tiny tiny button you press in for 15 seconds.)) Once you're in, find the screen where you can disable the ActionTec wireless function, and turn it off. 

The reason you need to turn Wireless off on the ActionTec is so it won't be fighting over the same airspace with the Wireless n router. 

Anyway, this is what a knowledgeable source shared with me, and I intend to try it out over the holidays. Best of luck.

Re: Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
Hubrisnxs
Legend

You can also use the FAQ at dslreports.com for more detailed information.  there are several ways to set up your own router.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking

Re: Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
Joeygueez
Newbie

That link is exactly what i needed. All 3 of the laptops im using are 2009 models, so they are very new. Now i just got to find a good router and ill try this out, if it works ill make sure to share my thoughts and what not.

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Re: Instructions On How To Set Up Your Own Router
goldchip
Enthusiast - Level 1

Just an update -- I tried these instructions last night and they worked pretty well. I bought a Belkin N+ router (I think the + stands for a USB port, enabling you to hang an external disk drive off the router, but I'm not 100% sure). I did not need to change the IP address of the Belkin N+, because it had already been assigned a different IP out of the box (192.168.2.1).  I simply added it as a daisy chain router to the ActionTec, then disabled the wireless on the ActionTec.  So far so good, I can vouch that these instructions worked, at least for me!

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