Fios 2GB ONT without Verizon Router

Hi there -

Kind of a specific question, but there are a lot of experienced members on here, so I'm hoping the community can help with some feedback.

I work for a small business and we've had Verizon Fios 1GB fiber with 5 IP addresses for the past seven years or so.

The setup was:

ONT => 5 Port Gigabit Switch -> Watchguard Router/Firewall (IP #1)
-> Phone System Router (IP #2)

This worked well with no issues. The 5 port Switch was a TP-Link TL-SG105.

We recently upgraded to Fios 2GB fiber with 5 IP addresses.
Verizon came in, replaced the ONT, fixed some fiber cable issues, and enabled the service.

To prepare, I upgraded the Watchguard by adding 5GB ports, purchased a new 2.5GB Switch, and upgraded all the network cables to CAT 7/8.

So the setup now is:

ONT (Calix 812NG-V) => 5 Port 2.5 Gigabit Switch (D-Link DMS-105) -> Watchguard Router/Firewall (IP #1)
-> Phone System Router (IP #2)

Now the issue:

Connectivity is sporadic. If I watch the Switch and ONT, I can see that the lights go off on the ONT WAN port and on the port on the switch the ONT is plugged into. All data stops (pings, phone calls, data, etc.). And then starts up again. This happens very frequently and makes the internet almost unusable.

I have tried different switch ports, different cables, and even replace the 2.5GB switch with a NetGear MS-305e.

Nothing has helped. EXCEPT.

I put the original switch back in the mix, so it now looks like:

ONT => 5 Port Gigabit Switch => 5 port 2.5 Gigabit Switch -> Watchguard Router/Firewall (IP #1)
-> Phone System Router (IP #2)

And this works. Except that I am now limited to 1 GB again, but the service is clean, with no connectivity issues.

I have spoken to many Verizon Techs and my Verizon sales person and they all say that I need to use a Verizon Router.
That seems crazy.

My gut is that the 10GB WAN port on the ONT is not auto-adjusting speed correctly or is not meshing well with a "standard" 2.5GB Switch.

Any ideas?

Thanks for listening.

Accepted answers

scsnjrc

In case anyone has a similar issue, I believe we figured out the problem.

The ONT port was/is not auto speed detecting correctly.

Looking at the CR1000A router user manual, I noticed that the WAN port is a 10gb port:
https://www.verizon.com/content/dam/verizon/support/consumer/documents/internet/verizon-router-guide.pdf

So we tried a switch that also had a 10gb uplink port, namely the D-Link DMS-106XT:
https://www.dlink.com/en/-/media/business_products/dms/dms-106xt/datasheet/dms106xta1datasheetv101ww.pdf

Ironically, the Verizon tech had this this switch in his truck, as they sell it to customers that need more ports than the router supplies.

And this worked! Consistent service and speed - no drops.

So the only thing I can think of is that the ONT (we actually have a Nokia TW-210X-A, not a Calix) network port is not pairing correctly with a 2.5gb port and kept trying to re-autosense. Works fine with 1GB or 10GB though.

Anyway, hope that helps someone in the future. Maybe a firmware update on the ONT can correct this.

All comments

Cang_Household

Typically ONTs/ONUs are quite adaptive to vendor MACs.

Where are you putting the ONTs? Static electricity might be a concern.

Is the speed dropped to 1Gbps or even lower?

scsnjrc

The ONTs are mounted to plywood in tech closets - Verizon installed them.

Granted, some closets are nicer and more organized than others, but I think these are in a decent area.

When connected to the 2.5gb switches, the speed is actually fine...I have tested full 2gb up and down.
The problem is that the connection drops randomly, sometimes so often that I loose 30% of packets in a ping session (I understand that using PING to monitor connectivity is not ideal, but in this case I can physically see the switch/ONT port lights go out when the PING fails).

When using the 1gb switch, I get full 1gb up and down consistently...no drops or reduced throughput.

Is there a brand switch that you have used before that I can try? Small 2.5gb switches are not prolific, but I have tried D-Link, NetGear, and just purchased a Ubiquiti that I haven't tested yet. I looked for a small (5-8 port) Cisco 2.5gb switch, but they don't seem to make them any longer...only 24 or more 2.5gb ports.

Thanks for taking the time to reply - every bit of info helps.

scsnjrc

In case anyone has a similar issue, I believe we figured out the problem.

The ONT port was/is not auto speed detecting correctly.

Looking at the CR1000A router user manual, I noticed that the WAN port is a 10gb port:
https://www.verizon.com/content/dam/verizon/support/consumer/documents/internet/verizon-router-guide.pdf

So we tried a switch that also had a 10gb uplink port, namely the D-Link DMS-106XT:
https://www.dlink.com/en/-/media/business_products/dms/dms-106xt/datasheet/dms106xta1datasheetv101ww.pdf

Ironically, the Verizon tech had this this switch in his truck, as they sell it to customers that need more ports than the router supplies.

And this worked! Consistent service and speed - no drops.

Anyway, hope that helps someone in the future. Maybe a firmware update on the ONT can correct this.

Cang_Household

Typically this is not the case.

PHY/MAC drivers are rarely changed or buggy. I mean in the ballpark range of 5-10 years.