How to upgrade from COAX to Ethernet with Alcatel I-211M-H?

[bfrizz]

Hi,

I have hunkered down with my girlfriend at her parent's home to get out of the city during the global pandemic. Her parents have fios, but it's 25/25 service, which is not fast enough for the work my girlfriend and I need to do (we both are simultaneously livestreaming now for our respective jobs). We want to upgrade the service to something around 400, but Verizon said they need to send out a technician to do this. They are currently running internet over COAX, and I realize that we need to switch over to Ethernet, but frankly I do not need a technician to run ethernet through the house to the current router location, I brought an extra modem and router with me and can set it up directly at the ONT if that will work. 

It seems like this is something I should be able to do myself, but I have been unable to find a manual for the ONT that they have in the home. The ONT that we have here is the Alcatel I-211M-H, does anyone have a manual for this model? 

I've included pictures of the setup below. They currently have Fios for internet/TV/phone. The cable boxes are hooked up via coax as well. 

Open questions that I have: 

• Are line 1 and line 2 actually doing anything? If so, what are they doing? 
• What does the DATA / MODE / LINK port do? 
• Can I plug a wifi router directly into one of these ports?

Happy to provide more photos as needed. If anyone has the same model running with high speed fios, if you could send me pictures of the inside of your box that would be amazing. 

[gs0b]

Your photos haven't posted yet due to a delay in the forum process.

The ONT can be switched from Coax WAN to Ethernet WAN, but only by Verizon.  If you can run the cable yourself, do it.  Then contact Verizon via their Twitter support or https://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect and they can make the change.  Once you get connected with an agent, it takes just a few minutes.  They don't charge for the change.

Once switched, give it a day or two to make it from Verizon's provisioning system to their billing system.  Then you'll be able to order faster speeds online.

Enjoy.

[bfrizz]

Great, thank you! And just to clarify, I can still run TV over coax right? 

[gs0b · Accepted solution]

Just add an Ethernet cable from the ONT to the router.  Do not disconnect coax at the router, as it creates a MoCA LAN for the Verizon set-top-boxes.   Do not disconnect coax from the ONT, as it provides linear TV to the set-top-boxes.  TV is not impacted by this change.

Once the cable is installed, contact Verizon for the switch and enjoy.

[chromium]

Hello there, 

We're you able to switch from MoCa to Ethernet going this route? I have the same ONT and I was wondering if using that single Ethernet port and connecting it to a router would do the job after asking Verizon to switch from MoCa to Ethernet. 

Thank you for the help!

[gs0b]

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@chromium wrote:

We're you able to switch from MoCa to Ethernet going this route? I have the same ONT and I was wondering if using that single Ethernet port and connecting it to a router would do the job after asking Verizon to switch from MoCa to Ethernet. 

Run the Ethernet before contacting Verizon for the switch.  You want it in place and ready so you and they can verify it's working.  The switch takes just a few minutes once you contact them.  It's really easy.

[chromium]

Interesting, they told me it takes 48 hours and had to call me back to follow up, but the connection via ethernet is still not working and I was unable to answer the call back because I was at work. *eye roll*

[gs0b]

Contact their social media support team and you'll have it done in a matter of minutes.  Two options to contact the same team:

"@verizonsupport" on Twitter

https://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect

Choose depending on if you like to tweet or post.  Once you reach them, they will likely start a chat session with you.

[chromium]

Called them today and they said that the upgrade is scheduled for tomorrow anytime between 8am and 5pm. 

I currently have a ethernet cord running from the ethernet port on my ONT to the WAN port of my MoCa router (Verizon MI424WR) because I think if they change it during that time it wont interrupt the internet connecting for my wife as she is working remote.  

Once I get home at 5pm they said if I do not see the switch to call them and ask them to try again. 

[gs0b]

Don't call them.  Use the social media team.  The phone reps often mess this up.  Use the links listed several times in this thread.

You may need to reboot the router when the switch occurs.  That's why you want to be part of the process.  The social media support team will get on a chat with you and do it while you wait.  It takes just a few minutes.

Again, do not call them.  Use the social media support team.  You'll be much happier.