Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

Hardware costs are not regulated by FCC.

If you are not using FiOS TV service, you can use whatever router you wish.

Or you can use a cable card device and use your own router.

If you use FiOS stb, Verizon is saying you have to have a minimum level router in order for their service to operate properly.

Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
bampfer
Enthusiast - Level 2

> If you use FiOS stb, Verizon is saying you have to have a minimum level router

> in order for their service to operate properly.

It's prudent for them to stop supporting old equipment. The issue is of course the charge. If someone gives you something explicitly for free when you sign up, then later creates a new fee to charge for it, people are going to be upset. Especially a fee that only impacts the oldest, most loyal customers.

Something else I'm curious about. If I pay the $2.80 rental fee, and then the router breaks, what will they replace it with? Either another old one, that is, a model that they insist they don't want to support, or a new one that other people paid $50 to upgrade to. Neither seems quite fair, does it?

Seems to me a better way to handle this would have been to increase their rates a little when people renew contracts. That's when people expect rates to change. Would also have saved them the cost of the special mailings explaining the situation.

> If you are not using FiOS TV service, you can use whatever router you wish.

Oh? I've read that's it's possible, but you need to be installed that way up front. By default Verizon uses a coax cable between the ONT (i.e. the FIOS box in the garage) and the router, which retail routers don't support. (Plus it is claimed that you may have trouble getting tech support from Verizon if you don't have their router in place when you call.) (Source: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/14077) If you have different information I'd be interested!

Sincerely,

Matt

Re: Surcharge on old routers?
bampfer
Enthusiast - Level 2

"There was no estimate on when I'd receive the return kit and I'm hoping that this all works out the way the customer service person said it would."

I've returned equipment before and it's often gone smoothly.

I recommend recording the serial number (take a picture of the back, maybe) before sending it, just in case. One time I returned a cablecard and they lost track of the serial number, weren't sure which one I'd returned. I had to call 6 times before someone figured out why I was still getting billed for an extra card every month.

So: record the ID, check your bill in the following months to make sure you don't get charged for it later, and all will be well.

Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

I have read a number of people that use their own router.

Not much support would be needed for an internet only connection.

Its easy to troubleshoot issues.

You woukd need to run your own Ethernet cable from ont to router location.

Although you might be able to order an uogreade to 100 MB internet as that has to be ethernet.

Then you can downgrade. Just make sure that your current level us still an available option.

Re: Surcharge on old routers?
db909
Contributor - Level 3

@CRobGauth wrote:

The older Rev I routers probably are only available as refurbed.

If you want one of the Quantum rotuers, they can be gotten as new but are more expensive.



Are a FIOS shill?  I got a new non-refurbed Rev I.  Besides who cares if it is free and works?

Per my prior post go to the dslreports.com "Verizon Direct" forum.  That is your best bet.

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Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
bampfer
Enthusiast - Level 2

>I have read a number of people that use their own router.

>You would need to run your own Ethernet cable

I may very well try this suggestion at some point if I decide to stay with Fios, assuming they persist in this ridiculous router charge.

But I would have to get Verizon to switch the ONT from MoCA to Ethernet remotely. This can take some persuading apparently. In the last 2 years I have completely failed to get them to fix 3 other issues. REALLY not looking forward to chancing a 4th. (Nor do I like the idea of trying to trick them into doing it by upgrading to 100/100 then downgrading.)

>Not much support would be needed for an internet only connection.

>Its easy to troubleshoot issues.

Exactly why I think the new router support fee is unjustified! 🙂 Seems to me Verizon's reps will end up spending more time supporting my switch off of MoCA than they would supporting my "obsolete" router. So everyone loses, I guess?

Joking aside, I appreciate the suggestion.

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Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

In response to the discussion regarding switching your handoff from MoCA to Ethernet, let me say I just did this (two nights ago).

After being on FiOS for many years, a couple years ago Iswitched from using their DVR's and STB's to TiVo Roamio DVR and three TiVo Mini's.  At that point I installed my own router behind the Vz router (double NAT) which was provisioned MoCA and operated that way until recently.

I have several personally owned MoCA bridges (ECB2500C and the now deprecated 4 port version that I don't recall the model number from offhand).

With the router notice, it motivated me to finally pull the plug on the Vz router.  So, I ran an Ethernet cable from my ONT into the basement where I have my router located.  Turned off my Vz router and disconnected it, and hooked the Ethernet from the ONT to the WAN port of my router.  I also interconnected one of my MoCA bridges to my router LAN side so that I continued to have a MoCA network for my TiVO to get to the Internet although if you don't want to use MoCA and can cable the TiVo to the LAN via Ethernet directly, that's fine too.

I then called Vz 1-800-Verizon and went thru the prompts to get to an agent who could help with "issues with my internet".  This call was about 9pm in the evening Eastern.  Waited on hold about 10 minutes and was connected to a pleasant, but somewhat accented call center agent (thinking offshore most likely for those who criticize that but I did not ask).  Told her simply that I wanted to change my Internet handoff from MoCA to Ethernet.  She understood immediately, checked my account, and upon seeing no Vz STB's tried to change the provisioning.  She couldn't get it to work, so she put me on hold while she spoke with a "Netwotk Technician".  Took about another 4 minutes before I saw my MoCA light go out on the ONT and the Ethernet go green.  

At at this point, I logged into my router and released/renewed my WAN interface and immediately got an address and was able to access the Internet.

I then asked for a return label for my old router.  After the requisite cautions about using a third party router and my small white lie about getting one from eBay (the caution being that Vz couldn't support a third party router if there are issues - reasonable - if you aren't a network savvy person, you shouldn't be doing this and expecting Vz to then troubleshoot it), I ended the call and went on my merry way.

works great.  Call was uneventful and simple.

Now, if you have Vz STB's, while you technically do this with your own bridges and proper port forwards, I can see why Vz would not allow such a configuration because several of their features require being able to inquire against the router to establish the proper port forwards, etc. to allow the boxes and features to work.

YMMV, but it can be done and can be done rather easily if you don't have TV service or aren't using Vz STB's and have only cable cards.

Re: Router Maintenance Charge Unjustifiable
Capricorn1
Community Leader
Community Leader

I pretty much have the same setup as lasagna. My router is a Linux box with two network interfaces, but the result is the same. My wireless LAN is a Linksys router, but I only use the LAN side, so it's really just an access point. My setup has always been that way. When I got FIOS, FIOS TV wasn't available, so everyone got Ethernet from the ONT. Mine was also a business FIOS account, so while they gave me a D-Link router, I never even powered it up.

When FIOS TV came out a year or two later, I switched to that from DirectTV. Verizon didn't mess with the Ethernet, but instead installed a MoCA bridge and connected that to my router. I added a couple firewall rules and it's been working ever since. I have since switched to residential Internet, but I still use the same basic router. (I have replaced the box a several times and switched Linux distributions, but that's pretty invisible to Verizon. Switched out the wireless router a few times, too.)

I did have a Verizon DVR when I first got the TV service, but the second time it crashed during a superbowl (where rebooting took about 5 minutes), I got rid of that and went with Cablecards and a TiVo DVR. I still have an ancient Verizon STB (Motorola - not a DVR) for the TV in the living room. If either the MoCA bridge (A Motorola NIM 100) or the STB dies (we are on our second one) at this point, I'll have to upgrade to a newer MoCA bridge and/or STB as they both use the old MoCA 1.0 standard. Except for the ONT and the one STB, I don't use any Verizon-supplied equipment.

Re: Surcharge on old routers?
perl
Enthusiast - Level 1

I received a letter telling me that I had to buy a new router (at $59.99) or I would be charged a monthly "maintenance" charge of $2.80.  When I go to the specified URL to order the router, they want to charge me $99.99!

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Re: Surcharge on old routers?
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

There are two models of router. Actiontec rev I and quantum router.

Rev I would be the cheaper model.

So look at what models are for what price.