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!

Accepted answers

json2001

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!

All comments

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