Does Fios Router Need Coax Connection?

[bardiferously]

I have only been aFios customer for about 4 years now, ever sinceFios cable came to my neighborhood.  My router is the G1100 and it's pretty fast, but I was thinking of replacing it with a mesh router.  But no mesh routers that I've seen have a Coax connector.

My question is if the coax connector is necessary for my Triple Play service.  What does that connection do for my Fios (that has the fiber optic cable coming into my basement and wired to an ONT box and equipment)?

There was a a similar question from 2013, but the equipment has changed considerably.  I've also noticed that Verizon has some recommendations for owner-purchased routers that don't have a coax connector, so what gives?

"Asking for a friend."

Robert

[dexman]

For subscribers to Fios TV, the STBs use the coaxial connection to update channel listings. There may be more, but that is the use I remember. The coax cable can also be used as a substitute...up to a certain point...to deliver Internet service when Ethernet cable isn't available. To take advantage of top speeds, Ethernet cabling is needed, especially between the ONT and router. To utilize third party routers with coax cabling, adapters would be needed.

[jazzersaxman]

To piggy back on this question...since the verizon connection uses both ethernet and coax, if you used the ethernet feed from the ONT and not the coax to go to a mesh, would that work?  Could you still use their coax to go directly to the set top box and bypass the gateway router all together?  

[gs0b]

Welcome to the forums!  You're talking mostly to a bunch of friendly users here.

The Verizon set-top boxes utilize a LAN connection over coax for everything except linear TV channels(*).  They use MoCA to run an Ethernet like LAN on coax.  All command and control, guide data and streaming video data go over this link.  The Verizon routers create the MoCA LAN for the set-tops, thus providing them with a link through the internet to the Verizon network.  Without a device to create the MoCA LAN and route traffic between the internet and that LAN, the set-tops won't work.  That device is a Verizon router.

You may be thinking what if I create my own MoCA network using readily available MoCA adapters?  While that sounds like a plausible idea, there are problems with it.  The first is technical - the Verizon routers open and mange ports specific to the way the set-tops communicate.  This is built into the routers and the boxes.  Very few people have been able to duplicate this without a Verizon router, and maintain it when Verizon updates their systems.  The other issue is Verizon does not provide ANY support if you don't use their router.  They won't help with any issues passed the ONT for TV or Internet.  Unless you're willing to become self support when you don't have access to all the info needed to maintain your network, this isn't a great option.

What you can do is install a mesh network behind your Verizon router.  You can disable the Verizon router's WiFi and run all of your equipment on your mesh network.

Another option is to cut-the-cord and go with streaming TV such as YouTubeTV.  Then you can use any router you want as the need for a coax link and a Verizon router goes away.  Depending on how many boxes and services  you have, this may even be a cheaper option.  You'll still have to self-support the router, but it's much easier without boxes in the mix.

(*) If you have the latest FiosONE boxes, only the main box requires a coax connection.  The minis can use coax, WiFi or Ethernet.  But these must come from a Verizon router.

[Cang_Household · Accepted solution]

You can go ahead with using your own router. I mean, we (the CLs) are kind of running the "Tier 4" support over here.

When your Internet connection is delivered over Ethernet, a VZ router does not talk to the ONT over Coax, although they may appear coaxially connected physically. Two coaxial connections are required for the main STB to work, first is Linear TV signal from the ONT, so coax to the ONT, second is the MoCA LAN from the VZ router, so coax to the router. It is as if inducing corollary, 1 is connected to 3, 2 is connected to 3, but 1 does not need to be connected to 2, but still is connected.

Right now you don't need a VZ router for STB activation and upgrades. Instead of using IGMP and multicast which need to be managed correctly by a VZ router, STB can fall back to unicast to query the backend servers. The only feature missing is the remote DVR. I am not sure whether caller ID works.