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Verizon Modem without a Router?

HuesFL

Does anyone know if I can get a Modem without a Router from Verizon?

I have my own Router using a port on the Actiontec Router and I think I can do better if Verizon could provide a Modem.

Or; is there specific configuration for this purpose in the Actiontec?

Comments

smith6612

How is your current ActionTec router connected to the ONT? Are you using Coaxial from the ONT to the router? FiOS does not use modems unless you are in a Multi-Dwelling unit where Verizon was forced to install FiOs using VDSL/VDSL2. This would be the case if Verizon could not, for example run fiber to each appartment or could not use existing coaxial lines.

HuesFL

Thank you so much for your quick reply.

Yes, connected to ONT with coax. So; are you saying the ActionTec does not have a modem?

Can you explain the best way to connect my wireless router to the network or steer me in the right direction?

The wireless router has a 4 port switch. Actually I have 2 routers and I am trying to figure out the best one to use. One is an SMC Barricade N which I am using now. The other is a Linksys E4200 (CISCO).

Thanks again,

-Brian

lasagna

There is no modem involved in FiOS.

The ActionTec is a router with a public facing Ethernet and Coax (via a technology called MoCA) interface -- only one of which is used at any given time -- in your case, you're using MoCA over the coax to talk to the ONT, It also has a private facing bridged network consisting of wireless (G or N depending on model), 4-port ethernet switch, and MoCA LAN interface (much the same as the connection which goes to the ONT, but on a different frequency).

If you have FiOS TV, you can not avoid the use of the ActionTEC router as you need the bridge functionality to allow the STB's on the TV's to talk to the internet to get their guide data, etc.

If you're not using TV services, then you can ask Verizon to reprovision you from Coax to Ethernet and directly connect a router of your choice to the ethernet port on the ONT. You are responsible for getting the ethernet from the ONT to whatever location your router will be located.

The typical configuration for your setup however is to either use the personal router in "access point" mode -- essentially disabling the DHCP server, assigning it a static address, and connecting one of the LAN ports on it to a LAN port on the ActionTEC. This doesn't make use of any of the routing functions in the device, but allows for better wireless functionality which is typically what is being sought after.

The other configuration which is common is to just piggy back the two networks. Connect the WAN port of your router to a LAN port of the ActionTEC. Make sure that the LAN interface of your router is not using the 192.168.1.x network. Some say this can have a performance impact, but I am running in this manner and have no negligible measurable impact. If you want to make it easier to program port forwards, you could consider assigning your router a static IP address on the 192.168.1.x network and then place this address in the ActionTEC DMZ.

Personally, I like this latter configuration even with the "dual NAT" concerns because it isolates my home network from that portion of the network which Verizon has access to for their STB's, etc. The only downside is that none of the Verizon multi-media sharing applications (those that allow you to stream video/audio from a PC to a STB) will work in this latter scenario since the STB's can't see your systems.

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