Do I need my Fios G1100 anymore?

[json2001]

Perhaps a simple question, but do I need to use my G1100 anymore? 

My internet comes in from the Fios box on the outside of my home on Cat6 Ethernet. That then plugs into my G1100 which in turn serves my Lan through an ethernet switch. The switch then hooks up to 2 Netgear Orbi (AX6000) devices set up in AP mode (allowing the G1100 to continue to serve as the router).

Simplified:

Fios Box -> (via Ethernet) -> G1100 -> Ethernet Switch -> Wireless APs

Can I take the G1100 out of the picture completely and simplify my network by plugging the ethernet directly from Fios to the Switch which then connect to the Wireless Orbi (re-configured in Router Mode?). Or is the G1100 still serving as a modem as well and it's necessary.

In other words:

Fios Box -> (via Ethernet) -> Ethernet Switch -> Orbi Router & Wireless -> Wireless APs

Note: I ONLY have Internet service through Fios. I do not have television or phone.

If this is possible...is this a good idea?

Thanks for your help!

[Cang_Household]

ONT must be eventually connected (may via a layer 2 switch) to a WAN port of a router (a layer 3 device). Verizon Home FiOS does not allow multiple public IP addresses.

Your switch is likely a layer 2 device, unless it is a layer 3 switch that has static routing features. Therefore, you can only connect the router and the ONT on the same switch.

G1100 is not a modem, only a router with MoCA capabilities. If you don't have a Verizon STB, it is safe to assume you can replace G1100.

If you have more questions, please ask.

[json2001]

Thank you for your reply!

I BELIEVE my Orbi has a WAN/Internet port. 

This is the description from Netgear on the "Router" (Currently in AP mode):

Ports – Orbi Router
- Four (4) 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
LAN ports
- One (1) 2.5Gbps Multi-Gigabit Ethernet WAN
port (WAN Link Aggregation by adding one of the
1Gbps LAN ports to the 2.5 Gbps WAN port.)

There is a separate port for WAN listed (the back of the device has this as a yellow port separate from the normal ethernet ports) Is this what you mean by a layer 3 device?

[Cang_Household]

It seems you can just connect the WAN port to the ONT's ethernet port.

Can you tell me the model of your Orbi so I can better assist you?

Layer 3 device can route based on IP addresses, for instance a router routes traffic based on IP addresses between two or more networks, or a layer 3 switch can route between different VLANs.

Layer 2 device can switch packets based on MAC addresses. It is used in the same network.

[json2001]

Sure. Thank you for your help and hand holding here.

This is the model/kit I have: https://www.netgear.com/orbi/rbk852.aspx

[Cang_Household]

Just checked the manual. Try plug the ethernet from the ONT into the yellow WAN port of the Orbi Router.

Orbi supports that port up to 2.5 Gbps, you will only get 1 Gbps because of FiOS speed and the ONT.

[json2001]

Thanks! I'll give this a shot when I have a little time (and the family won't kill me for taking down the net).

To my last question...is this a good route to go?

[Cang_Household]

Well, I typically configure home networks past midnight, so nobody is using the internet.

Is this a good Router/Access Point? Maybe, I don't have them, so I cannot test them by myself, so I cannot comment on their merits.

[appDev]

Much like Cang, i too can only mess with my network after 11 pm or before 6 am 🙂

I actually have an inferior version of your hardware - RBK752 - and been pleasantly surprised so far. I have one satellite hardwired and one on wi-fi backhaul, but things are ok so far (about a month or so into it). only time i rebooted was when i messed with settings.

Good luck.

[json2001]

Hi folks - quick update. Finally was able to test this out.

Good news is...it worked (for wifi)!

Bad news is...I hadn't thought enough about my wired network. My orbi router is at the end of a single Cat6 run. So when I took the G1100 out of the picture the wifi network worked just fine, but since I only have 1 ethernet cable to my router location, I didn't have the ability to plug another line into the switched ports on the router to feed back into the primary switch (at least I think this is what is happening).

Taking a pause to think through (and I'm back in AP mode with the G1100 in the mix). A few of the options I'm thinking about:

• A new location for my Orbi router where I have 2 ethernet runs
• Adding a small gigabit switch at the end of the current ethernet line where my router currently is
• Just leave it as is and in AP mode with the G1100 (though I would really love the simplicity of just managing everything through my Orbi)

Welcome any thoughts!

[Cang_Household]

Wait, does not every Orbi router have more than one LAN ports? You can use them, they are switched.

[json2001]

This could be my lack of network topology understanding.

So I have a single ethernet cable to the router (not feasible where it is to run a second one from my central switch). So That cable is plugged into the WAN port. I think I need a second cable from a switched port on my orbi (yes, you're right it has 4 switched ports) to feed back to the router. Yes?

Or is there some way to use link aggregation modes and skip the WAN port entirely so I can route the internet AND feed the rest of my wired connections with a single ethernet cable?

Appreciate the input!

[Cang_Household]

I am quite confused here. I think you are using "router" when you really mean "access point?"

So you have ONT <--WAN> Orbi 1 (as a router/switch/ap) <LAN--LAN> Orbi 2 (as a switch/ap)?

<-->      =     Ethernet cable

Where is your central switch located? Near Orbi 1 or Orbi 2, or either of the places at a third location, or near the ONT? How is your home wiring setup? The ethernet cables terminate in the basement?

[json2001]

Maybe this diagram will give a little better understanding of my network:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fLMMFhQ2SQwwKbkwM5vAxcJ-cjDuNr0c/view

The ONT connectino comes into a wired switch that has connections to the rest of the home. The switch then has the ethernet out to the orbi in router mode which I have plugged into the WAN. This worked just fine for wireless connections, however I think since I didn't have a second ethernet cable from the Orbi LAN back to the Switch it wasn't able to connect to my wired connections.

Does this make more sense of it? I have a plan that I think will work to relocate the router where I can connect to the WAN and a LAN port.

Thanks for your help and second set of eyes! Much appreciated. Let me know if I'm totally missing the boat on something!

[json2001 · Accepted solution]

FYI team - I was finally able to get this working by moving the Orbi router to a location where I had access to 2 ethernet cables so it could plug into WAN & LAN.\

Thanks for all the advice along the way!