This is a FIOS and TV question but really a router question

[CharlesE1]

In 2015 we built a new house with CAT6 and Coax to most rooms. I was grandfathered in to the "free" router from my old house and they swapped out my old Actiontec MI424WR with the Rev I. I was paying for 25/25, then got bumped up to 75/75 and my recent bill says 100/100. On the hardwired computer I'm getting about 110. The equipment was installed into a panel by Verizon and I'm 99% sure they used a new ONT - the old one was left at the house, but it is a white square box that fits nicely into the bottom left of the Legrand OnQ 28 inch box. The Actiontec is sitting on top of the box. Everything is connected to a UPS and a whole house generator.

The house is pretty large and the router is in the basement, so I have an Ubiquiti UAP-LR on the ceiling of my main level that seems to work OK even though that is EOL and will be replaced at some point for the current model (unless somebody has a better idea - hopefully something that hangs from the ceiling as the outlet is there).

For TV hardware, I'm using TIVO (also an older Roamio Plus - so cablecard and no set top boxes from Verizon) and a handful of TIVO Minis - so I need MoCA and everything is working well (mostly - a couple of channels are erratic and break up periodically, but that is most likely a Verizon and not an equipment issue).

why am I posting? I'd kind of like faster internet but my current setup is working fine and I'm curious if I can get gigabit speeds with the current equipment (I also don't really want to rent equipment). From what I hear, the ancient Actiontec (Rev I) should work - but will it? It took me awhile to get everything set up and I'm not looking forward to starting over.

Thoughts?

 

[dexman · Accepted solution]

For gigabit service, an Alcatel-Lucent (Nokia) 211 ONT would be needed. (Verizon stocks a larger version of the ONT for times when a user has three+ POTS lines, but that isn't commonly seen in residential settings). So unless Verizon installed a white 211 in the new house, THE ONT would need to be replaced.

The 424 has been EoL for a while now. It no longer receives security updates from Verizon and Actiontec and should be removed.

A Verizon router would be needed if STBs are utilized for FiOS television service. The boxes would need to connect to the Internet to be able to update program guides and a few other tasks.

If the decision was made to go with a Verizon router (such as the current 3100), those can be purchased from Verizon directly or from online vendors.

Verizon recently ran a promotion where users who upgraded to gigabit service could rent a 3100 and a 3200 extender free of charge. I took advantage of the offer as I was renting a 3100. I have three 3200s. Two are owned outright and the third is rented. The rental charges for the router and extender have been dropped.

If possible, could a picture of the current ONT be posted so we can see what Verizon installed in the new house? Note that submitted pictures are vetted by Moderators before they appear, so you'll see a blank box after posting. 🙂

[MeNameJerry]

I'm curious...is your Roamio cablecard an M-card? Or is it a singlestream?

Thanks,

Jerry

[CharlesE1]

I hate posters that show up, ask a question and are never heard of again, but both COVID stuff and Ukraine got in the way.

Yes, the Cablecard is an M-Card.

It sounds like the new routers will also create a MoCA system like the old Actiontec, so I guess I'll talk to Verizon.

[CharlesE1]

Sorry. I just realized that I never posted a photo of the ONT. Any additional thoughts?

[dexman]

Once the picture is approved, we'll have a look. 🙂

[Cang_Household]

It looks you posted the image of everything else but the ONT. ONT is a black/white box with green and/or red lights on it.

[CharlesE1]

Isn't the ONT that white box at the bottom left? That's the only Verizon box inside the house (aside from the modem/router) - or is the ONT that Verizon box outside the house?

[Capricorn1]

In your picture, I think the device in the lower left is the Battery Back-up Unit (BBU) and the power brick that charges the BBU and supplies the other power. The ONT is probably in the box outside. Some ONTs are on the inside. My ONT has always been on the outside. I'll attach some pictures, but my ONT is one of the oldest models still in use, and there have been several models after that. One of the ways to tell where the ONT is located is to trace where the fiber line comes into (or close to) the residence. In my case, it comes out of the ground (in a bright orange conduit) and goes directly into the service side of the ONT. 

I have a much older BBU and power supply inside my house just on the other side of the wall (in my basement). I actually don't use the BBU any longer since that only backs up the POTS (telephone) connection and I don't have wireline telephone service any more. Instead, I use an off-the-shelf UPS to keep the power going to my ONT (and a few other network things) during a power failure. Below is a picture of the BBU when it was still in service:

[CharlesE1]

Got it. Does the outside of the box help? It was installed (new construction) in April 2015. It is starting to rain so I didn't want to fiddle around with trying to open the box.

I have the whole thing (along with the router/modem and my NAS on a  UPS.