Google wifi, gigabit internet and NO Fios Router?

I have checked this forum but can't seem to get a concrete and conclusive answer to this question...

Can I use my Google Wifi mesh router without using the FIOS router? I just have internet and no TV. Can I connect the Google router via ethernet to the ONT and get good results? Thanks!!

Accepted answers

Cang_Household

@GaryDoubleU wrote:
Can I use my Google Wifi mesh router without using the FIOS router? I just have internet and no TV. Can I connect the Google router via ethernet to the ONT and get good results? Thanks!!

Yes, and maybe. If you only have Internet and no TV, a Verizon router is not required for receiving the subscribed service. Notwithstanding receiving normal service, if your Internet connect were to have issues, official technical support cannot help you (not even up to the ONT) because certain broadband-related logs are stored persistently on VZ router and not on ONT-OLT, which only transiently stores the logs and power cycling would cause it to erase the precious logs.

Whether a Google router will get good results, you should consult Google support and your experience. If Google router has a NAT and firewall throughput of larger than your subscribed speeds, then yes. If not, it would bottleneck your bandwidth.

All comments

dexman

Not having a subscription to FiOS television allows for the connection of third-party routers. I don't have any experience with Google's router, but units by Linksys, Asus and others work well with FiOS.

gs0b

When you don't have fios TV boxes, you can use any router you like.

Verizon does not support non-Verizon routers, so they don't provide any information about this use case. If you have service problems, they will verify everything up to the ONT, but not beyond. In most cases, this isn't an issue as problems are few and far between with fios. If there ever is an issue that needs help, you can come back and ask the friendly users here. Or, keep a Verizon router around to swap in if needed.

The connection to the ONT is a standard WAN port with DHCP for IP assignment. Any consumer router should work with it. I haven't read the Google mesh docs, but if it's advertised as being able to plug into a consumer ISP, it will work. Most router manuals talk about cable modems; read that as ONT and you'll be fine.

If you can't get it working to your liking, this forum should be able to help with fios related questions. If it's more about how to configure the router, you may have better luck with a user group dedicated to it.

Cang_Household

@GaryDoubleU wrote:
Can I use my Google Wifi mesh router without using the FIOS router? I just have internet and no TV. Can I connect the Google router via ethernet to the ONT and get good results? Thanks!!