I'm thinking about upgrading my router

[pcnerd]

I have an Actiontec router. It was a free upgrade to the original router.

I want to get 2 Rokus. I live in an apartment. I have 2  TVs - one in the living room & one in the utility room where my computer & router are. One of the Rokus can be connected to the router via LAN cable. The other Roku must be connected to the router wirelessly.

I reckon it would be a good idea to upgrade my router. I don't know how long I've had my current router.

I know that I can either rent or buy the router. If I buy the router, can I get tech support?

My mom's house has a basement. My sister told me that the basement can be converted into an apartment for me after mom is called home.

The house router is upstairs in my dad's office. I think it's the current router - the quantum router. That's the current one, right?

When I move to my new apartment, do I bring my router with me or turn it in to Verizon? I don't know what the signal strength would be downstairs.

Does Verizon allow 2 routers at a specific street address?

I reckon one option is to get a mesh network.

[jonjones1]

Yes if you buy a verizon router G1100 or G3100 I believe is the new one. You get two years of warranty as well as unlimited tech support.

i don’t know if verizons people will install two ONT’s on a one family home. It would be possible to use the existing system as a mesh system or get a network extender to get the internet down in the basement. 

I am not sure if Verizon would want that old router back. But don’t toss it out, put it into storage Incase they do want it back. And since there is fios already in the house you could cancel yours and just chip in with the folks Internet.

[pcnerd]

I recall asking elsewhere in this forum about adding a second ONT to a single residential address. The answer was "probably not".

My sister had problems with an older revision of the Actiontec router. The router was, I think, Rev. C. She asked the tech if she could get the Rev. I Actiontec router. The tech told her that the techs don't carry the Rev. I routers. They carry the Quantum router. So, she got the Quantum router which WAS the current router at that time.

Anyway...

I don't even know if there's coax cable in the basement.

I'm guessing that the Actiontec Rev. I is a wifi-5, isn't it? The new router is wifi-6.

I wonder if my router can be used as an access point in the basement.

I do want to stream wirelessly. I don't want to see buffering or freezing on the TVs. I don't know what the reception would be like for me in the basement with just the one router upstairs. That why I'm hoping that I can bring my router with me when I move into the basement apartment. Who would give me a definitive answer as to whether or not Verizon allows 2 routers at a single residential address?

I'm wondering what my options are.

The less money that I & my sister have to spend, the better!

[lasagna · Accepted solution]

This got be relatively easy for you provided you are "downstairs" and your sister is "upstairs" and you remain on good terms with one another.   🙂

Leave the installation upstairs in place.  You said it's a quantum router -- which is plenty good for what you need.   Just cancel your current service when you move and return any equipment they want back.

Next, is there a TV installation for your sister on FiOS as well?   If so, then there will be a Coax connection into your sisters quantum router upstairs already -- great!  If not, you need to connect the router upstairs to your coax cable plant for the house (which will track back to the ONT or where the coax enters the home).

Now, downstairs, order whatever STB's you need for your own TV's on the shared FiOS account for the house and connect them to the coax cable plant (same on that you sister is on upstairs).   If you don't have coax run into the basement, run one from the ONT and connect it to the cable plant using a standard MoCA rated splitter.

Now for your options ... 

- Add a network extender to your sisters FiOS plan and connect it to the Coax in the basement.   It will "just work" and you'll have the same network and wifi as your sister.

- Get your own router (I wouldn't recommend keeping the ActionTec "C" -- it's junk) -- there are any of a number of good routers on the market (Netgear, ASUS, TP-Link, etc) and also get yourself a MoCA bridge on your favorite online retailer (ActionTec ECB6200).   A standard MoCA 2.0 bridge is fine -- you don't need bonded and you don't want MoCA 1.0 or 2.5 (if there are STB's for TV involved, a MoCA 1.1 would be fine as well since you'll run at that speed anyhow, if not STB's then MoCA 2.0 or sure).  Connect bridge to the coax, connect WAN port of router to bridge.   Configure your router as you desired -- access point mode (same network as your sister and no double NAT) or router mode (isolated from your sister's network -- she can't see your stuff but you'll have a double NAT).   If access point mode, you and your sister can share the same WiFI SSID and password.   If router mode, then you must configure a different SSID and password from your sister.

Hope that helps.