using my own Wi-fi router along with Verizons....

[biikman]

I am having Fios installed next Tuesday. I would like to ask a question regarding the wi-fi portion. First, I already have a netgear wi-fi router that I am very happy with. From what I haver read I don't have a choice and must use Verizons router, since I am getting the TV/Internet/phone bundle. I have heard and seen may complaints about the wi-fi quality with this as far as signal strength, distance etc and was wondering if it was possible to use my own in conjunction with Verizons. And if so, how... I am not very network savy so you may have to "dumb it down" as far as an explanation.

Thank you!

[mleduc35651 · Accepted solution]

You should find everything you need here. There is a section "What are the trade-offs" that you should start with.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking

[biikman]

Thanks for the reply and the informative link. I did read it, and understand some of it lol. I guess my biggest concern is the router provided and the distance it can achieve. Google searching seems to find many people unhappy with them. Ideally I would just use Verizons and not my own,but reading the link it doesn't seem to be a simple thing to piggyback (maybe just me) and if I am unsatisfied with the then I am stuck for 2 yrs. Install is Tuesday and just not sure.

[spacedebris]

Now I would need a little more info about your internal network to be exact. BUT, generally Netgear does use a different internal network than Verizon. A lot of Netgear routers use 192.168.0.1. If this is what yours uses, then its simple. Leave your network the way it is.. Verizon will install their router, and you just run an ethernet cable from a LAN port on the Verizon router to the Internet port on your Netgear. Problem solved.

In this manner, you basically just use the Verizon router as a modem and your computers are all connected to the Netgear just as they are now. No difference as far as your computers are concerned.

[biikman]

to login to the netgear router interface, It needs 192.168.1.1. I hope this doesn't make it not possible to do this?? I only use the wireless for my ipod touch, and new epson printer...oh, and a Wii 🙂 I'm excited, but man a little (ok alot) nervous about all this. Appreciate your help!

oh, one last thing ...i was told I would either get the actiontek MI424WR or westell 9100EM...is one preferable over the other?

[tsauter1]

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@biikman wrote:

to login to the netgear router interface, It needs 192.168.1.1. I hope this doesn't make it not possible to do this?? I only use the wireless for my ipod touch, and new epson printer...oh, and a Wii 🙂 I'm excited, but man a little (ok alot) nervous about all this. Appreciate your help!

oh, one last thing ...i was told I would either get the actiontek MI424WR or westell 9100EM...is one preferable over the other?

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I am not familiar with the exact steps for the net gear, but you can change its default IP and address distribution range. Thats what i did with my Belkin. I have the Verizon supplied router running the wireless B/G network on the 192.168.1.x network and the Belkin set with a 192.168.1.2 WAN IP(statically assigned in the Verizon Actiontec router). I have then configured the Belkin Wireless N to 192.168.2.x.

Not having ever owned a Net Gear I cant tell you the steps to make the change, but perhaps someone else on  the forum can.

Keep in mind that if you subnet(2 networks) you lose functionality of the media manager for FIos TV unless you set up Port Forwarding on the routers.

[Johnny-5-lives]

I just had Fios install mine on Saturday (feb 20) and I was wireless in my whole house. I have a 1949 brick/plaster townhouse.  I have had no problems with signal anywhere in the house using a laptop upstairs.  I have my linksys on standby just incase but if I can signal all over my house and its brick and plaster I assume if you are in a newer house you should not have any problem with their router.  I think I read the same thing as you did as I was worried. 

When the install is complete before you let them pack everything up, just use a wireless device on the **bleep**hest point from your house to the router and if you get signal you know you are fine.  If not then the suggestions above work great as well, as I was going to do that.  But don't give yourself more pain from a few people's comments than what you find in your own house. 

On a side note/funny story, I had a friend who was cursing out verizon as she would keep dropping signal on her router.  Turns out that her router was right next to her microwave and the signal kept dropping because she had a microwave running and her TV on right next to a router.  The amount of interference she created from this was causing her signal to get all wonky whenever she would run the microwave.  Once we moved her router away from all that, problem solved.

[biikman]

well, it's all installed and I am very happy. I was worried at first, as the first guy came was ok, but not very talkative. He got a call an hour into the install and had to leave for an emergency. He said another guy was on his way. An hour and a half later #2 comes in, and he was great. Answered all my questions, and when I mentioned my router concerns, said no problem he'd help me out. He installed the actiontek, and plugged my netgear into it. It immediately started working. All I needed to do was go into the actiontek settings and turn off it's wi-fi. Looking at the wiring he has my netgear connected from one of its lan ports to the actiontek Lan ports. I assume this is correct since it is working?

[tsauter1]

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@biikman wrote:

well, it's all installed and I am very happy. I was worried at first, as the first guy came was ok, but not very talkative. He got a call an hour into the install and had to leave for an emergency. He said another guy was on his way. An hour and a half later #2 comes in, and he was great. Answered all my questions, and when I mentioned my router concerns, said no problem he'd help me out. He installed the actiontek, and plugged my netgear into it. It immediately started working. All I needed to do was go into the actiontek settings and turn off it's wi-fi. Looking at the wiring he has my netgear connected from one of its lan ports to the actiontek Lan ports. I assume this is correct since it is working?

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Yes it is one of the ways to connect.

[viafax999]

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@biikman wrote:

well, it's all installed and I am very happy. I was worried at first, as the first guy came was ok, but not very talkative. He got a call an hour into the install and had to leave for an emergency. He said another guy was on his way. An hour and a half later #2 comes in, and he was great. Answered all my questions, and when I mentioned my router concerns, said no problem he'd help me out. He installed the actiontek, and plugged my netgear into it. It immediately started working. All I needed to do was go into the actiontek settings and turn off it's wi-fi. Looking at the wiring he has my netgear connected from one of its lan ports to the actiontek Lan ports. I assume this is correct since it is working?

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Wonder which dhcp server is responding to requests? and assume both are capable so you might end up with conflicts if the ranges overlap.

[biikman]

I have no idea myself which is responding to requests. I did notice that both can be on, and I could alternate between them with no problems. I thought that this could result in issues at some point, so I did turn off the wi-fi on Verizon. If I type in 192.168.1.1 then I do get actionteks setup screen. Would I need to turn off DHCP on one or the other router to prevent conflicts?

thanks!

[viafax999]

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@biikman wrote:

I have no idea myself which is responding to requests. I did notice that both can be on, and I could alternate between them with no problems. I thought that this could result in issues at some point, so I did turn off the wi-fi on Verizon. If I type in 192.168.1.1 then I do get actionteks setup screen. Would I need to turn off DHCP on one or the other router to prevent conflicts?

thanks!

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Yes you need to turn off the DHCP service on one of the routers or if you don't  do that you need to ensure that the 2 servers are using different dhcp ranges.  You don't need to turn off wireless.

Does the second router even have an IP address?, it's connected lan port to lan port isn't it? which effectively is just using it as a switch.  Not sure if that means the dhcp server on it has any effect. 

Maybe somebody else can offer some insight?

[biikman]

How would I determine if the second router has an ip? I'm unable to access it's configuration the way it is setup now. You are correct, they are plugged in lan-lan. thanks fro your help.

Dave

[tsauter1]

If it is connect LAN to LAN than it is set up as a bridge and does not distribute address on the the LAN. The wireless should be handing out IP addresses though, nut it is possible it is acting as a DHCP Relay. On your wireless pc, if you open a cmd window and type ipconfig/all, what address do you get from the wireless nic?

[biikman]

I actually don't have a wireless PC. I have a iPod touch, wireless printer and wii.

thanks

[prisaz]

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@biikman wrote:

I have no idea myself which is responding to requests. I did notice that both can be on, and I could alternate between them with no problems. I thought that this could result in issues at some point, so I did turn off the wi-fi on Verizon. If I type in 192.168.1.1 then I do get actionteks setup screen. Would I need to turn off DHCP on one or the other router to prevent conflicts?

thanks!

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1. If you are going to run the Actiontec as a bridge. Set the IP address on the Actiontec as 192.168.1.2 or your router as 192.168.1.2.. To do this you may have to be connected to only one router at a time because of conflicting addresses.

2. They both can not have the same IP if on the same LAN connected LAN to LAN. One should be 192.168.1.1 an the other 192.168.1.2., but not bothe the same.

3 Then you can access both routers to manage them. The router that is running DHCP should be the default gateway.

4. If you have STBs they should be issued 192.168.1.100-106

5. If you have DHCP turned off on the Actiontec, the default gateway should be your router that is connected to the ONT via the WAN.

My setup is the Actiontec LAN to my LAN. Actiontec DHCP off, WAN disabled, my router DHCP on. The Set Top Boxes are issued IP, DNS, and Gateway from my DHCP server based on the STB MAC addresses. Wireless device security is still handled by the Actiontec, but addresses are issued by my DHCP server. My Linux IP-COP box is my router. The Actiontec handles the bridge to MOCA and wireless. I hope this gives you some ideas.