FiOS - Networking/Router Help

[SoCal Gunner]

OK guys, here's the deal: I've got FiOS and it's been great, but I have a couple issues now.

1)Verizon supplies their own router which connects to a coax outlet and then either through wired or wireless connection to your PC/XBOX/ETC. Mine is located in the back of the house in a small office/den. I have signal issues to my home theater system and laptops when on the other side of the house.
Also, I'd like to be able to play XBOX 360 in two rooms (two separate xboxes), over the connection.

Can I just plug another router in at the coax outlet in the living room? I'm guessing not, so tell me what I need to do and how to do it.


2)The Verizon router can't connect to all my wireless devices (XBOXes, Laptops, Cell Phones, Wireless Printer, TV, Blu-Ray, HTR, and probably the next can opener that I buy).

Can I replace the Verizon router and retain all the FiOS features like streaming Music/Videos from my PC and Multi Room DVR, etc? In other words, is this thing special/proprietary to Verizon or will any router do?

If so, what replacement router do you suggest?

[ke6guj]

no, you can't just connect another router to anoteh coax outlet. YOu need to split the output coming out of the Fios router. If it is actually a router, it might have multiple ethernet ports that you can just plug ethernet cables into and run them to the various devices. If you don't have any extra ports, you can buy a network switch that will let you split the connection to multiple items.

sounds like you want to do this wirelessly, in that case, you might want to run a network cable to the other side of the house and then install a Wireless access point for those items to connect to. Or you can look into wireless extenders, etc.

But you can't just install a second router into a second coax line (I guess you could pay verizon for a second line, but you don't need to). Just figure out what you have now and then extend it wirelessly or wired to the other side of the house.

[T10000]

Re: FiOS - Networking/Router Help

Yes you can use a second verizon router but you would have to reconfigure the router. An easier way to do it is to buy a NIM(network interface module). Its produced by Motorolla/Actiontec and you can usualy find them on Ebay. With the NIM all you have to do is connect anywhere in the coax network then connect a cat5 cable to where ever you need internet.

[Nose Nuggets]

whats the current wireless limitation, range?

You can probably get another router from Verizon but that by itself wont do you any good, you will need another IP address for it as well. Your service likely comes with one ip address, which your current router is using. another router would require another IP.

what you can do is split the connection from the existing router into what ever you like.

wall -> verizon stuff -> 24 port switch -> computers, wireless access points, xboxs, etc.

if you purchased a wireless access point and set it up with all the same details as the current wireless network created by the verizon device, you would effectively increase the range. granted, the wireless access point needs a physical connection to the verizon router.

[SoCal Gunner]

Yes you can use a second verizon router but you would have to reconfigure the router. An easier way to do it is to buy a NIM(network interface module). Its produced by Motorolla/Actiontec and you can usualy find them on Ebay. With the NIM all you have to do is connect anywhere in the coax network then connect a cat5 cable to where ever you need internet.

Thanks for the response - your first post!

The NIM sounds promising, but when I looked on ebay I found numerous devices ranging from a few bucks to $3000. Any more info you could provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks and welcome to Calguns!

[SoCal Gunner]

whats the current wireless limitation, range?

You can probably get another router from Verizon but that by itself wont do you any good, you will need another IP address for it as well. Your service likely comes with one ip address, which your current router is using. another router would require another IP.

what you can do is split the connection from the existing router into what ever you like.

wall -> verizon stuff -> 24 port switch -> computers, wireless access points, xboxs, etc.

if you purchased a wireless access point and set it up with all the same details as the current wireless network created by the verizon device, you would effectively increase the range. granted, the wireless access point needs a physical connection to the verizon router.

The current limitations are both range and number of connections. The supplied Verizon wireless router also has 4 wired network connections.

I'm hoping to use the existing coax cable to branch out my available connections because I don't want to run wire. Heck, I don't think I could run CAT through the fire blocks/stops from one corner of the house, then over/through a vaulted ceiling and back down through more fire blocks.

If not, I need some new, KICKASS wireless router to replace the Verizon one, but I want to make sure all my FiOS services continue to work.

[bill_k_lopez]

The current limitations are both range and number of connections. The supplied Verizon wireless router also has 4 wired network connections.

I'm hoping to use the existing coax cable to branch out my available connections because I don't want to run wire. Heck, I don't think I could run CAT through the fire blocks/stops from one corner of the house, then over/through a vaulted ceiling and back down through more fire blocks.

If not, I need some new, KICKASS wireless router to replace the Verizon one, but I want to make sure all my FiOS services continue to work.

Ok, I'm a little lost - there is no limitation to the number of devices you can connect wireless. In our house, I have 4 laptops, 2 phones and 1 tablet all connecting (simultaneously) with wireless - more when we have a party and I've got 15 people connecting with their cell phones. Connecting 20 or 30 devices wireless is not a problem.

If your issue is you need more wired connections, then just go out and buy a switch and connect it to your FIOS router.

Distance IS (or could be) an issue - have you tried relocating the router to another location in the house that has a cable drop?

If you need some extra help on how to connect everything PM me and I'll help you out.

[SoCal Gunner]

Ok, I'm a little lost - there is no limitation to the number of devices you can connect wireless. In our house, I have 4 laptops, 2 phones and 1 tablet all connecting (simultaneously) with wireless - more when we have a party and I've got 15 people connecting with their cell phones. Connecting 20 or 30 devices wireless is not a problem.

If your issue is you need more wired connections, then just go out and buy a switch and connect it to your FIOS router.

Distance IS (or could be) an issue - have you tried relocating the router to another location in the house that has a cable drop?


If you need some extra help on how to connect everything PM me and I'll help you out.

Hmm... I always assumed the number of connections was an issue because I've had days where one of my devices wouldn't connect - like my cell phone or the last one in the house to fire up their laptop.

No issues with wired connections, in fact I have a couple free.

I've tried moving the router in a limited space, but the issue really is that it has to travel through multiple walls, across the house lengthwise diagonally. Most of my devices can see the signal at the far end of the house and connect, but at greatly reduced speeds. I don't want to move the router because I currently have a wired connection to my main PC for optimum speed (25/25Mbps).

[T10000]

Here is the link of the NIM I was refering to. I only found one currently for sell. You can also google "Fios router moca bridge", think dslreports has instructions on how to reconfigure a regular verizon router to basically function as a NIM.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=nim100&_frs=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m359

[T10000]

Here is that dslreports link I was talking about.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/15984

[Nose Nuggets]

So if your verizon router with built in wireless has a connection limit, turn that crap off and buy a proper wireless router.

the NIM bridge thing looks like it should work, and would allow you to use your existing coax cable to get your network into other rooms. then once you have ethernet from your router, through coax, to ethernet in the other room - you plug in 5 port switch, then another wireless router and give it all the same details as the other wireless router you bought and now you have one nice big wireless network, and ethernet on both sides of the house.

just make sure you turn DHCP off on the wireless routers and just let the verizon router issue ips.

[beastie050]

I bought the NIM-100, had them switch the ONT to ethernet instead of coax. Way better! The actiontec router is total crap

[ke6guj]

So if your verizon router with built in wireless has a connection limit, turn that crap off and buy a proper wireless router.

the NIM bridge thing looks like it should work, and would allow you to use your existing coax cable to get your network into other rooms. then once you have ethernet from your router, through coax, to ethernet in the other room - you plug in 5 port switch, then another wireless router and give it all the same details as the other wireless router you bought and now you have one nice big wireless network, and ethernet on both sides of the house.

just make sure you turn DHCP off on the wireless routers and just let the verizon router issue ips.

it might even be possible that the DHCP server in the fios router has a small pool available and he is running out of IP addresses. It might be something as simple as making the pool larger ( I dunno how big a pool of addresses the fios router has) would fix his issue of not being able to connect all his wireless devices (separate from any wireless strength issues).

[Nose Nuggets]

it might even be possible that the DHCP server in the fios router has a small pool available and he is running out of IP addresses. It might be something as simple as making the pool larger ( I dunno how big a pool of addresses the fios router has) would fix his issue of not being able to connect all his wireless devices (separate from any wireless strength issues).

a valid point. but if it was at the DHCP level then its likely hard coded. there would be no practical reason to restrict the internal network interface from issuing as many ips as there are in the subnet.

on that note, i am struggling to rationalize why the wireless would be limited, unless its just a POS device that cant route more then 4 wireless connections.

[sholling]

The easiest way to extend the network to the far ends of your house is to use powerline networking. Powerline devices use your the electrical wiring in your house to carry the signal. Plug one into your router and a wall socket and plug the other modules into each room you want to network. They come in several levels of rated speed but just keep in mind that their speed ratings are mostly marketing fantasies and 30-50% of the rated speed is more realistic depending on your homes wiring. Some of these can be finicky to setup so read the reviews. I'd look at D-Link and Netgear's offerings and expect to pay about $100-150 for a starter kit and ~$70 for additional modules. You can plug a gigabit switch into them and attach multiple devices (games, Blu-Ray players etc.

The second option is to hard wire in an 802.11n wireless access point at a center of your home like in an attic or crawl space.

The 3rd option is hard wire. I went with a combination. Hard wire paralleling the old coax running running under the eves to my main rooms. And a centrally located 802.11n access point for my mobile devices.