Can I use WCB6200 Extender with Fios Router G3100

[drrich711]

I just got the new 3100 router, and it has instructions for pairing it with a network extender,  These instructions, however seem specific for the E3200 Extender.

Will the older extender (WCB6200Q) work with the 3100 router?  If so, how do I pair them?

Last and unrelated question-does enabling a guest network affect the speed or bandwidth of the primary home network?

[drrich711]

Hi-

I just got a 3100 router, and I have an older 6200WCBQ extender.

The instructions for pairing say to place them next to one another, and push both buttons for two seconds, until the lights on both blink blue.

There is NO blue light on this extender.  Only green.

Is this extender compatible with the new router?

Can I pair them?  Do I need to?

Will they both operate on a single network (not separate 2.4 and 5)?

Help appreciated.  Thanks.

[Cang_Household]

I do not recommend using WPS buttons to pair two devices (even it cannot be done). For setting up an extender, I would go to both devices' Web GUI and configure them from there.

WCB6200Q requires either a coax or ethernet linkage to G3100 (not just during the setup, but for it to function). Since WCB6200Q does not support meshed WLAN, you need to change its SSIDs and passwords to those of the G3100.

If you have more questions, please ask.

[Cang_Household]

Will the WCB6200Q work with G3100? Yes.

How to "pair" them? You need a wired uplink from WCB6200Q to G3100, either ethernet or coax is fine. When using coax, make sure you enable LAN coax on G3100. Once the connection is established, go to both devices' Web GUI Config and change WCB6200Q's SSIDs and passwords to those of G3100. Supporting WLAN protocols (i.e. 802.11ax/ac/n/g/b/a) should be the same on both devices for each frequency as well.

If you need detailed instructions, please ask.

"Does enabling a guest network affect the speed or bandwidth of the primary home network?"

I think you mean: does Guest WLAN affect the bandwidth of the main wireless networks?

Yes. G3100 needs to divert processing power to handle the traffic on Guest WALN.

[drrich711]

Thanks.  The extender/router are both connected to the network via coax.  Is this the connection to which you were referring?

How do I get to the settings for this extender?  I have an admin name and password, but I don't know the IP or URL.

Lastly since the router has only one network, and the extender calls for one on each band, do I set up 2 on the extender both with the same name as the router?  Or do I disable one of the two?  And, will this pair work as a "self organizing network" as the 3100 router does by itself?

[Cang_Household]

Coax link is fine as per your situation.

You should disable "Self-organizing network," as it produces more hassle than help. G3100 should have two frequencies and two SSIDs. For instance, the 2.4GHz is "FiOS-WS23P" and the 5 GHz is "FiOS-WS23P-5G." If you only see one, then either your device does not support 5GHz WiFi or it is disabled on G3100.

On WCB6200Q, 2.4GHz SSID and password should be the same SSID and password of the G3100's 2.4GHz, the same for 5GHz. How to find your WCB6200Q's IP address, good question. Go to My Networks connection list on G3100 and locate WCB6200Q as the device name, its IP should be the IP of the extender.

[drrich711]

So, the saga continues.

I have the 6200 extender connected via coax, and this is enabled in the router settings.  The extender is not visible in the device list, I would suspect because the SSID for both 2.4 and 5 is different with the new router, and the extender has the old network name, etc.  There is no way for me to access the extender settings.

Suggestions on how to get to the extender settings to change things to the new network name, etc. would be appreciated.

😥

Thanks again!

[Cang_Household]

Do not rely on the Device List on G3100, it takes some time for the router to ping scan every IP.

To see whether the MoCA is connected correctly, go to LAN Coax status page. You should see all the information there.

My Networks -> Network Connections -> Network (Home/Office) -> Coax -> Settings -> LAN Coax Status.

[LTCret]

Can you provide detailed instructions for this.  I have the same problem.  How do I connect my extender to the G3100.

[LTCret]

where do you find the path listed is this on the 3100 or within windows?

[Cang_Household]

Ok. Here we go.

Definitions/Scope of Applicability

• Router: Verizon router G1100, G3100, MI424WR rev. I, or G.
• Extender: WCB3000N, WCB6200Q, or E3200.
• LAN Coax: a MoCA-based network segment on the router.

Prerequisite

• LAN Coax on the router is enabled
• An ethernet or coax connection is established between the extender and the router.
• The extender is in factory settings.

Manual Configuration Steps

1. Obtain the IP address of the extender

• Go to the router's Web GUI, My Networks -> Show More -> find the device name starting with "WECB," "WCB," or "ECB" and with Connection: Coax; OR
• Ping scan your network segment and look for MAC Address identified with Actiontec Electronics

2. Go to the extender's Web GUI using the IP address

3. Login with default username and password printed on the side of the extender

4. Wireless Setup -> Basic Setup ->

• Wireless Network Name -> input the same as your router's for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, use Multiple SSID dropdown manual to switch settings between 2.4 GHz and 5GHz.
• Password phrase -> input the same as your router's for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

5. Apply.

Further Reference

Consult Actiontec WCB6200Q Manual, or Quick Setup Guide

[drrich711]

Thanks so much.  This should not be so hard.

When I go into the router GUI to my networks, it lists 3.  The 2.4, the 5 and the guest.  There is no option to see more, or to see them by type of connection, etc.  Please advise.  On the list of connected devices, there is none with a prefix that suggests it is the extender.

Please advise, and/or a bit more detail on the “ping” step you mentioned, including what to do with the MAC address if I can get it.

[Cang_Household]

Ok, let me take a step back.

Is your router's MoCA LAN enabled? Do you have STBs? Go to the back of the router and check whether the LED for Coax LAN is lit.

When you connect the WCB6200Q with the Coax, did you see the LED for Coax lit on the front display? Do you have the WCB6200Q next to G3100 right now, or connecting from a different location in the house? Make sure the coaxial cable on both sides are linked.

You only have three devices connected to the network? How could this be? You probably is looking at the wrong place. Unfortunate, I can only give instructions based on my G1100's interface. G3100's interface is more complex than G1100. I wish Verizon can create web-based emulators for all the configuration interfaces.

Also, if you can upload some pictures, that will be very helpful (please redact out your MAC Address, passwords, and other identifiable information).

[drrich711]

Thank you so much.  I feel like I should be paying “Cang Family” either tuition for teaching me about this stuff, or for a virtual service visit!

Some of your questions I can answer, others not.

1. I have 3 networks showing up, 2.4, 5 and guest, the latter is disabled.  There are 15 active devices, and 7 inactive showing on the user interface.  One of the inactives is labelled FNE6200Q followed by 4 numbers.  This certainly sounds like the extender.
2. When I click on that device, I get an IP address which does not bring up anything when put into a browser (not surprising since it is “inactive” as well as a MAC address that I do not know what to do with.
3. The “coax” LED is not lit on the extender.  The 2.4 and 5 LED’s are lit, which is surprising since the SSID’s have both changed since I last used the extender.
4. The extender is on a different floor than the router.  The extender is next to a TV with a STB which works fine.
5. On the router, the “coax LAN” LED is lit, but not the “coax WAN” LED.

I did copy my settings, etc. onto a .pdf but I cannot see away to attach it, just to include a link to a URL.

I hope this helps you to help me.  Thanks again.

[Cang_Household]

You have Coax LAN LED lit, that probably indicates the link to STBs, not the extender.

I believe your LAN Coax Privacy password is enabled. WCB6200Q probably do not allow Coax Privacy to be enabled. I know for WCB3000N, you need to disable LAN Coax Privacy in order to connect. The same goes for ECB5240M. Disabling Coax Privacy is not a big deal unless you have a coax cable that goes out of your house.

G3100 probably detects WCB6200Q, then WCB6200Q fails to respond with the correct password to establish the link.

Can you go to My Networks -> Network Connections -> Network (Home/Office) -> Coax -> Settings. Can you see Coax Privacy is enabled? You can also go to LAN Coax Status on the page to see all the connected devices on the LAN Coax.

Maybe you should upload some screenshots since they are very helpful for other forum users to help.

[drrich711]

So, I went into places where I felt uncomfortable being, like one inadvertent click and my internet would be disabled forever!

In any case, the coax privacy was not enabled (or disabled, I guess.)

This is as much time as I am going to devote to this.  A couple of lessons/conclusions:

1. I am going to buy a 3200 extender, and/or increase my speed, I have not decided which yet.  I will probably do some trial and error.
2. I am going to get a reference of some kind and learn more about this stuff.  The acronyms alone are enough to fill a book.
3. I STILL do not know how to post a screenshot along with this post given that you cannot drag and drop a file into the post, select a file or the other usual methods.
4. There are really nice people who are willing to share their knowledge and help others.

[Cang_Household]

I mean you can buy an E3200 ($200) since it is built for G3100. Still, that might not work because I felt your MoCA issue is a systemic error for G3100.

[JB0071]

Hi. Thanks for all the suggestions in this thread.

So I currently have the G1000 connected with the various WCB6200 extenders. The network works well - but before I go out and upgrade all the WCB6200 to E3200, I was wondering if the setup can be as simple as replacing the G1000 with the G3100 and using the previously existing SSIDs? Or will I have to go to the various WCB6200 as well and force the configuration to the same SSIDs?

If i recall correctly, the G1000 provides the SSID config to the WCB6200 upon establishing a connection between the two - unless it was not a Vz WCB6200 which then you have to go into the admin module and do the configuration manually.  

Thanks again!

[Cang_Household]

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@JB007 wrote:

If i recall correctly, the G1000 provides the SSID config to the WCB6200 upon establishing a connection between the two.

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WCB6200Q automatically configures with G1100 if Self-Organizing Network (SON) is enabled at G1100. E3200 does not understand G1100's SON, and WCB6200Q does not understand G3100's SON.

I do not recommend you to upgrade WCB6200Q to E3200 and G1100 to G3100. WCB6200Q has known compatibility problems with G3100. (this updates My Solution in this thread). What is the rationale for your upgrade? For more speed?

[JB0071]

I understand the incompatibility with SON between G1100 and E3200 and between G3100 and WCB6200. However I dont use SON, and dont plan to. I already do my network segmentation across the wired/wireless bands. Eventually I want to upgrade the WCB6200 (my endpoints) to allow for higher bandwidth and coverage. Currently I only get 450mbps (D) / 250mbps (U) through the extenders - either wired or wireless. 

When I setup the WCB6200 with Vz firmware, they auto-configured without SON. I did have to manually configure a WCB6200 that was not Vz branded (just regular Actiontec firmware). It actually did the SSID correctly, but the password I needed to enter to fix the issue.

Right now I have the G3100 (bought) and the current G1100 I have to return as the free cost promo is ending, and dont see the point of paying $10/month for outdated technology. Because of this, was trying to see if the setup would be easier or time consuming - I guess I will know this weekend.

I do have a question...does SON provide mesh capabilities or how does the navigation from extender to extender work when you roam around the house?

All I have been able to find about SON is that you have only 1 SSID, and the device will dictate through which band it will transmit. But I have found anything around the roaming across extenders.

[Cang_Household]

First of all, I suggest you to open a new thread for more exposure.

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@JB007 wrote:

Eventually I want to upgrade the WCB6200 (my endpoints) to allow for higher bandwidth and coverage.

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Are your WCB6200Q connected to G1100 via MoCA? If so, I need to clarify the bottleneck to you. G1100's MoCA 2.0 is unbonded and is capped at 500Mbps (I see 550Mbps+ in testing). WCB6200Q's MoCA 2.0 is bonded and is capped at 1Gbps. When WCB6200Q connects with G1100 through MoCA, your throughput is as slow as the slowest standard (500Mbps). For purely expanding coverage, I would recommend having multiple extenders.

WCB6200Q is decent. It has 6 antennas (4 on 5GHz and 2 on 2.4GHz). It has 4 x 4 MIMO. It should theoretically achieve a throughput of 1300Mbps. Your mobile phone is typically a 2 x 2 MIMO wireless configuration. It should be way overkill for wireless devices. To get 1Gps wired speed on WCB6200Q, you need a MoCA 2.0 bonded adapter, such as an Actiontec ECB6200 or ECB5240M (Fios Network Adapter).

I would recommend G3100 and E3200 when 1) You need WiFi 6 802.11ax for 650Mbps+ wireless download speed. 2) You need to use MoCA 2.5 (2.5Gbps throughput) as your network bone. OR 3) You has a G3100 (either rented or bought, expensive) already and would like to extend the network wirelessly with an E3200.

If none of the above condition applies to you. I won't recommend the G3100-E3200 combination.

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@JB007 wrote:

does SON provide mesh capabilities or how does the navigation from extender to extender work when you roam around the house?

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Yes, and no. SON helps to setup a mesh network. E3200 is capable of meshing with G3100 through the hidden 5Ghz band, hence G3100 is called a tri-band router. To clarify your terms, "meshing" in your context probably means a wirelessly backhauled wireless network.

SON's main feature is called band steering. It determines which devices are dual-band capable and pushes them onto the 5Ghz band by decreasing the reliability of the 2.4Ghz band.

What you are looking for in terms of "navigation from extender to extender" is called access point steering. There are protocols governing this mechanism, especially 802.11k/r/v. I believe G3100 only support 802.11k and r. At all times, an access point only tells and suggests what neighboring access points to connect for better performance. The device needs to make the ultimate decision to switch from one to another. Typically, even without access point being instructive to tell the clients what neighboring access points to connect, the clients should be smart enough to make this decision proactively.