How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
phillygirl22
Newbie

We had Fios fiber run to our house in June 2016, and the tech set everything up. The fiber came into our basement and hooked directly into a Gateway router - no ONT. 

We started a quick remodel in Dec 2016 that turned into a 15-month remodel due to structural issues. I suspended our service and removed the router so it didn’t get damaged by the dust. 

Now we’re ready to move in (finally!) and I need to reconnect the router. Problem is I don’t see anything that looks like it should connect to a router - and of course didn’t take a picture or label anything since it was a quick move out. When I call tech support they keep telling me it has to be coax but I don’t see that. Only thing I see is a black flat unmarked cable coming through the wall with no connector.  What exactly should I be looking for down there?

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
jonjones1
Legend

I don’t know what you have but fiber is either run from a pole to your home or to a ground connection that is placed in your home. I have never heard of an install without a Optical Network Terminal installed. This is what is needed to convert your signal to the router. 

Now you may have had the wrong company. Cable broadband uses coaxial cable from the pole to the home, to the modem. However not to a router. That makes me think that is what you actually have, since if you had Fios it would be via a mounted ONT either outside the home or inside the home. Now if there is an ONT outside you could have had coaxial for your internet. So check for that ONT outside.

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
phillygirl22
Newbie

No ONT outside either. We have looked both front & back of our rowhouse. It’s an unfinished stone basement so it’s not hidden down there either.   My husband swears he remembers a fiber cable coming through the wall straight into the router, not a coax cable. But the only cable I see has no connector. 

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
jonjones1
Legend

@phillygirl22wrote:

No ONT outside either. We have looked both front & back of our rowhouse. It’s an unfinished stone basement so it’s not hidden down there either.   My husband swears he remembers a fiber cable coming through the wall straight into the router, not a coax cable. But the only cable I see has no connector. 


It could not have been fiber since it is installed inside an ONT and the residual is wrapped inside. Then an ethernet line is attached from the ONT to your router. This then gets the internet dhcp. Now if you have a coaxial cable with no connectivity I am going to guess the service was cable broadband.

you could check this out via looking on your internet invoice. 

If you want Fios internet etc. call 1-800-VERIZON or check to see if it’s available at http://www.verizon.com/Fios 

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
tns2
Community Leader
Community Leader

I know they were working on router/ont combination, but the current Gateway Router is not one of them.  Some ONT is needed with FIOS, and in 2016 they only had separate ones.

You should see a coaxial cable, and possibly a Ethernet 8p8c (rj45) connector.    If the connector was cut off you should see 4 twisted pairs.  They should lead to the ONT wherever it is.  If what you took out was really an ONT, then you would be looking for a Optical cable.

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
phillygirl22
Newbie

Only thing we removed was a router that was plugged in down in the basement. 

This is so weird. I was hoping to avoid the $170 service call fee but it’s looking like we’re going to have to pay it to figure out what they did to get us connected - we had TV and Internet before this saga started. 

Thanks for the responses!

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Re: How to find fiber in basement to connect router?
jonjones1
Legend

@phillygirl22wrote:

Only thing we removed was a router that was plugged in down in the basement. 

This is so weird. I was hoping to avoid the $170 service call fee but it’s looking like we’re going to have to pay it to figure out what they did to get us connected - we had TV and Internet before this saga started. 

Thanks for the responses!


Your welcome. However the greater question is where is the ONT. Hopefully if it was removed it was done by Fios. You can also look and see if since you are in a row house that it is not an ont shared and that is why there was only a cable.

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