WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
shepdave
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have phone and internet, no TV. I dropped TV about a year and a half ago.

I want to use my own router instead of Verizon's. To this end, I have run a Cat 6 Ethernet cable from my ONT to the Verizon Quantum router location. I want to make sure the Verizon router is working fine with an Ethernet feed before I try switching to a new router.

I called Verizon tech support last night and asked them to turn off MoCA and turn on Ethernet out of the ONT. Initially all looked fine, but as soon as I got off the phone, I noticed that WiFi speed was abysmal all of a sudden. (I ran the Verizon speed test from their website and got speeds on the order of 3 Mbps down and 1 up. I pay for 75/75.)

I called tech support again and this time was told my Ethernet cable was "too long." It was about 30 feet long, running straight to the router from the hole in my outside wall. I had about 18 feet of excess, in case I wanted to move my router later. (I was under the impression that a long run for a Cat 6 cable is something like 150-200 feet.)

So I cut the cable, terminated it with a new Cat 6 connector, and tried again. WiFi worked, but poorly. But when I ran the Verizon speed test with my laptop hardwired to the router via an Ethernet cable, speeds were consistently blazing, like 85/85 or higher. I ran a speed test with a couple other sites and got similar results.

This morning when I woke up, my router showed only a red globe icon, not the white globe and WiFi icons. I rebooted and noticed the same results: crappy WiFi, very fast Ethernet connection to my laptop.

So my question is this: did I just happen to do this whole changeover at the precise moment my Verizon router started to kick the bucket? Or is there something wrong with the cable I installed from the ONT to the router? (One end of the Cat 6 cable is "store-bought"; the other end has a connector that I installed.)

Why is my WiFi painfully slow but the hard-wired connection to my router perfectly fine? The only changes are my installing a cable and asking Verizon to enable Ethernet on the ONT.

Thanks.

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
jonjones1
Legend

Well first I would have turned your Verizon router off completely and then waited until it was fully back up online then would have checked that the WiFi on the Verizon router was on and functional.

it is then a good practice to turn off all devices not using ethernet direct to the lan ports on your Verizon router.

i would check for connectivity to be stable on the WiFi devices. Please note WiFi will not be more that half of your hard wired speed.

Additionally Verizon routers have been shown to not be all that great WiFi wise to other top of the line routers like Netgear or Asus or TP Link etc.

another thing to remember is once you install your own router your tech support is only for feed to your home. Nothing more. So if you are savvy and since you can do your own ethernet cabling and terminating on that cable then you should have no problem fixing your router issues.

Just a suggestion would be to use the Verizon router for internet connection and put your own router in for Access Point Mode then use the WiFi from your router and terminate the WiFi on the Verizon router. This way your own router will handle the WiFi and assign the ip to your devices. The high end routers like I use produce a higher quality WiFi than the Verizon routers. Just google it and you will see people prefer their own routers for WiFi over theirs.

Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
shepdave
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks.

Just to be clear, I have rebooted the router several times during the process, leaving it off for 2-3 minutes at a time.

I am aware, too, that WiFi test speeds will much lower than hardwired speeds. I'm used to seeing speeds over WiFi of anywhere from 28 to 50 Mbps, which I consider normal and fine.

Right now speed tests over WiFi are yielding anywhere from 1 to 3 Mbps in both directions. The same router, same laptop, same test site yields 80-90 Mbps hardwired. Moreover, the WiFi connection seems to go in and out sporadically.

It seems to me that something is wrong either with the router or with my cable termination on the inside end of my Ethernet cable. That last situation, though, seems unlikely, since the Verizon signal out of the ONT is obviously quite robust with high hardwired test speeds.

The only two things I can think of doing right now are replacing the cable and using "store-bought" terminations on both ends, or replacing the router.

I don't want to replace the router, though, until I know 100% that the signal from the ONT to the router position is completely fine. I realize that once I decommission Verizon's router I'm on my own.

I'll be calling FiOS tech support at least one more time, and I may try to escalate the call to a second-level support tech.

If anybody else has any ideas, I'd be grateful.

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
jonjones1
Legend

The best way to test is to simply put another router in service after you do a dhcp release  https://www.dslreports.com/faq/15898

after following the above instructions try your new router or router or borrow one from a friend. Then make sure WiFi is on in the new router. If it works as it should then you know it’s the Verizon router.

i also gave you the idea of placing your own router in AP mode then turning off the Wifi on the Verizon router. But you may be looking for a better answer.

Good Luck 

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
shepdave
Enthusiast - Level 2

I appreciate the tip.

Just to be clear, I can release dhcp on the Verizon router, try my new router, and then if need be reactivate the Verizon router so I can get guidance from FiOS tech support if it's something else?

I expect the new router to come in tomorrow. I'd say if I switch over and the new one works fine, then I'll forget all about the Verizon one.

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
jonjones1
Legend

@shepdave wrote:

I appreciate the tip.

Just to be clear, I can release dhcp on the Verizon router, try my new router, and then if need be reactivate the Verizon router so I can get guidance from FiOS tech support if it's something else?

I expect the new router to come in tomorrow. I'd say if I switch over and the new one works fine, then I'll forget all about the Verizon one.


Correct. Only keep a Verizon router if you need tech support in your home. 

If your new router works great tomorrow then you know it’s the Verizon router.

Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
shepdave
Enthusiast - Level 2

Okay, since our last posts I figured out that my big problem was having a faulty cable coming from the ONT to my router. I replaced it with a Cat 6 with "store bought" terminations on both ends. 

I tested the incoming internet by firing up the Quantum router again and it worked fine. Speed tests gave me about 85/85 (better than the 75/75 I pay for). I then released the DHCP lease in the Quantum router and set up my new Asus router. It worked fine.

However, speeds through the new router were very slow, about 1/10 of what I was getting through the Verizon router. After a long time on the phone with a couple Asus techs, we agreed that I probably am only going to get the paid-for speed through Verizon's Quantum gateway router.

So I guess the solution is to put the new Asus router (which I bought because Ican configure it as a VPN client) downstream of the Verizon one, and let the internet come through the Verizon router to the Asus. Then I assume I should (and would like to) configure the Asus router as my main WiFi router and VPN client.

But I'm fuzzy on how to do that. I know I'll have to disable WiFi in the Verizon router and connect from a LAN port on the Verizon to the WAN port of the Asus. But I don't know what I need to do in the setup of the two routers to have the Asus deliver IP addresses to devices. 

Any help would be appreciated.

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
jonjones1
Legend

@shepdave wrote:

Okay, since our last posts I figured out that my big problem was having a faulty cable coming from the ONT to my router. I replaced it with a Cat 6 with "store bought" terminations on both ends. 

I tested the incoming internet by firing up the Quantum router again and it worked fine. Speed tests gave me about 85/85 (better than the 75/75 I pay for). I then released the DHCP lease in the Quantum router and set up my new Asus router. It worked fine.

However, speeds through the new router were very slow, about 1/10 of what I was getting through the Verizon router. After a long time on the phone with a couple Asus techs, we agreed that I probably am only going to get the paid-for speed through Verizon's Quantum gateway router.

So I guess the solution is to put the new Asus router (which I bought because Ican configure it as a VPN client) downstream of the Verizon one, and let the internet come through the Verizon router to the Asus. Then I assume I should (and would like to) configure the Asus router as my main WiFi router and VPN client.

But I'm fuzzy on how to do that. I know I'll have to disable WiFi in the Verizon router and connect from a LAN port on the Verizon to the WAN port of the Asus. But I don't know what I need to do in the setup of the two routers to have the Asus deliver IP addresses to devices. 

Any help would be appreciated.


There is two things I want to address. First before you give up on the Asus as a single router it is first advisable before you use it to insure the router has been set completely to first use settings. Press in the reset button wait for it to operate as first use. This should clear any setting that was used previously as if you used it for cable speeds of 15/1 etc. it will still operate at that speed.

Now the best possible way to get your speeds is to keep the Quantum Gateway Router G1100 as primary and then after you have reset your Asus you take a ethernet cable from the LAN port from the Quantum to the WAN port of the Asus. Then login to the Asus with the original login name and password (most routers use something like ADMIN for login, and PASSWORD for the password. Look at your documentation for the right way.

Once in the Asus go to the section on Access Point Mode, turn it on and then your Asus will use its WiFi and will assign IP addresses as needed.

Then go into the Quantum and turn off all WiFi (2.4,5.0 & guest networks) you will only use the Verizon Quantum to get DHCP to their network. Also you don’t lose Fios support if you need it.

Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
shepdave
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks so much for this. The fuzziness is slowly fading, and I'm getting a clearer picture.

Just so you know, it was only after talking with two different Asus techs for over two hours yesterday and trying several different setups that we concluded the key to the speed problem might be going straight from the ONT to the Asus router. That's why the second tech with whom I spoke suggested putting the Asus downstream of the Quantum router. In the process of our conversations we reset the Asus about 4-5 times.

I understand what you mean about going from LAN on the Quantum router to WAN on the new Asus. Other than turning off WiFi on the three networks (2.4, 5, and guest), there's nothing else I need to do on the Quantum router?

One more question: If I use the Asus in Access Point mode, can I use it as a VPN client? That was, after all, the whole point of getting it in the first place: because it should be easy to set up with Nord VPN as a client.

If this setup will work, I'll try to get it going this evening. If I get fast speeds and can use it with Nord VPN, then all my problems are solved.

Thanks again.

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Re: WiFi nearly dead after switching to Ethernet
jonjones1
Legend

@shepdave wrote:

Thanks so much for this. The fuzziness is slowly fading, and I'm getting a clearer picture.

Just so you know, it was only after talking with two different Asus techs for over two hours yesterday and trying several different setups that we concluded the key to the speed problem might be going straight from the ONT to the Asus router. That's why the second tech with whom I spoke suggested putting the Asus downstream of the Quantum router. In the process of our conversations we reset the Asus about 4-5 times.

I understand what you mean about going from LAN on the Quantum router to WAN on the new Asus. Other than turning off WiFi on the three networks (2.4, 5, and guest), there's nothing else I need to do on the Quantum router?

One more question: If I use the Asus in Access Point mode, can I use it as a VPN client? That was, after all, the whole point of getting it in the first place: because it should be easy to set up with Nord VPN as a client.

If this setup will work, I'll try to get it going this evening. If I get fast speeds and can use it with Nord VPN, then all my problems are solved.

Thanks again.


Sorry for the delay.

having the WiFi off on the Quantum is for non conflicts with the WiFi signals .

after the router is in access point mode and it is handling your internet, I don’t see any reason why a vpn would not work from the Asus.

A secondary thought is if the Asus is capable of handling as a primary the connection from the ONT to the Asus WAN port should function at high speeds. When speeds are diminished it is because your Asus cannot handle higher speeds. I use a high end Netgear Nighthawk which can function at top speeds without a Verizon router.

depending on your model of Asus router check and see if it can be used as a stand alone.

But in your situation I would still use the Asus in access point mode. Let the Quantum get the dhcp and your AP will handle everything else. And you still get tech support from Fios if needed.

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