Actiontec Router MI424-WR REV E

I currently have the Actiontec MI424WR REV E.

Is this the most up to date Actiontec router, or is there a newer version?

Sometimes Norton Security gives me a Pop Up that tells me I have weak router security and my router is using a standard that is being phased out.

Accepted answers

gs0b

That's a very old router. It is using a WiFi security encryption that is not secure. You should upgrade your router ASAP. It was replaced by the Actionrec MI424 rev I, which was replaced by the G1100, which was replaced by the G3100. Like I said, very old.

You're probably getting charged a few bucks a month for "support" on that router; as Actiontec stopped supporting them years ago. Verizon charges a support fee as they can't go back to Actiontec anymore. Yet another reason to trash it (and I do mean TRASH it, it is worthless.)

If you contact Verizon, they will offer to sell or rent you the G3100. It's $15 a month or $300 purchase. This is a WiFi-6 router that is very fast. If you've gigabit service and want the latest and greatest WiFI, you should consider this.

Another option is to buy a used G1100. These are decent dual band routers that are officially supported by Verizon. It works with all their latest services including gigabit. It's WiFi is a bit slower then the G3100; but works well for people who aren't concerned about pushing 500Mbps through WiFi.

If you buy a used G1100, be sure the seller has a fair return policy in case of any issues. In particular, you don't want a router that has Verizon markings on it but Frontier Firmware in it (Verizon sold some FiOS territories to Frontier). A Frontier firmware router is not a Verizon supported router.

You could also try finding a used Actiontec MI424 Rev I., but I wouldn't recommend it. While they do have secure WiFi and can handle wired gigabit speeds; they are quite out of date in other areas. They don't work with the latest TV service, for example. If Verizon hasn't stopped supporting them yet they will very soon.

All comments

Cang_Household

Well, if you really want enhanced security features. You can just buy a Security Gateway from enterprise-grade solution providers, such as Aruba Networks or Cisco.

gs0b

Cang_Household

Hello again the original poster. I believe the Actiontec Router you have only supports 100Mbps ethernet ports, so I can make an assumption that you have a Verizon internet subscription that is below or at 100/100?

Are you considering updating your internet to a higher speed or even gigabit? Do you have Verizon TV STBs?

If you don't want to update the internet subscription (at least for now), buying a $300 G3100 would be a waste. Despite it has 802.11ax ("WiFi 6" somebody calls it) and MoCA 2.5, your speed will be bottlenecked below 100Mbps.

For saving money, I would recommend you buy a WCB3000N, not sold by Verizon any more. (Mine was provided by Verizon for free 5 years ago, still using it for backup) This unit costs under $30 on Amazon, much cheaper than a new router. You would get WPA-2 instead of WPA on the old router for WiFi security. WCB3000N only supports up to 802.11n (135Mbps ish, per M-Lab), so called WiFi 4, but is better than your old router's WiFi 3 802.11g. Your old router will remain in place. You can disable the WLAN on it and use your WCB3000N only.

You can place WCB3000N at a better location than your router too, if you feel the router is located at a distance from your devices. WCB3000N can be uplinked to the router either by MoCA 1.1(old) and ethernet.

If you do not have Verizon TV STB, or did not subscribe to the TV service, you can consider buy a third-party router. For instance, I would recommend some Cisco products. Cisco routers can definitely give your scalability (perhaps gratuitous in home) flexibility, and security. It does not have MoCA necessary for the STBs though, so this is a catch.