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Level 2

183 points

Airport Extreme and Verizon FIOS Router?

I have a Verizon FIOS router that I thought I could just replace with my Airport Extreme, but it turns out that my router also provides needed information to the TV and it can not be removed from the chain.

Is it best to hardwire from;
Outside Cable > Verizon Router > Airport Extreme
or
Outside Cable > Airport Extreme > Verizon Router

iMac 27", Mac OS X (10.6.7), 2.8Ghz Intel Quad Core i7 / 8GB / 1TB

Posted on Apr 7, 2011 10:21 AM

Best reply

Community User

Posted on Sep 1, 2018 1:08 AM

Good evening,

I thought I might chime in with my own experience of the past few days. I too have a Verizon FIOS router - the Actiontec g-band modem/wireless router. Here's my experience...

When I set up the AirPort Extreme (APE) router I used a Cat6 cable out of a LAN port on the back of the Actiontec modem to the WAN port on the APE. I used an old MacBook and the AirPort Utility to access the device. I observed that it automatically set up the device in 'bridge' mode. I then had two wireless networks operating. I set up the WPA2 password and changed the SSID of the APE and then saved the settings. I then went into the Actiontec modem and turned off the wireless network.

It is as simple as that.

Now I had played with it at some point to test its DHCP capabilities and so I turned on DHCP & NAT and wound up with a double NAT (no settings changed on the Actiontec). As a result I received an error message from the APE indicating a double NAT. Speeds were not effected across any of my wireless devices. Nevertheless I reverted back to bridge mode as there was no reason to disallow the Actiontec modem from serving that purpose.

I did notice that if you attempt to make the Actiontec modem a 'bridge' and make the APE assign IP addresses you may inadvertantly kill the internet connection to your home. I did this and found that no IP address was being assigned to my home and so the internet was down and so was Verizon services on the FIOS TV - i.e., OnDemand - the coax system wouldn't connect. The fix was to call Verizon and the technician reassigned a new IP address to the modem. The process for making the Actiontec modem a bridge are a little on the complicated side, I suggest you leave the settings on that modem alone.

Use the APE as a bridge and be happy with the results. There are no ill effects on the speed or connection of devices when APE is in bridge mode.

I am very pleased with my experience thus far with the APE, all devices cable of N band doubled their speed when compared to the G band Actiontec modem. It almost as if all devices are wired into a gigabit lan.

Excellent product. Hope you find this helpful or at least interesting.

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68 replies

brichi

Level 1

5 points

Jul 13, 2012 4:13 PM in response to OzziesMAC

is it possible to do this wirelessly? extend my network? here is my situation, similar

i have a fios wireless router installed, i want to put my airport extreme in the middle of my house and have it wirelessly extend the signal so it covers more of my house. I know you can do this with apple to apple airports but not sure if it can be done wirelessly from fios wireless router to airpot. Thanks!

Jul 13, 2012 4:19 PM in response to brichi

is it possible to do this wirelessly?

It would be extremely unlikely that this would work since Apple has designed the "extend" feature to only work with other Apple routers.

dg68

Level 1

10 points

Jul 14, 2012 2:56 PM in response to dg68

For anyone else interested, I did find a solution.

If yours was a more recent FiOS install, you probably have ethernet already connecting between the ONT and your Verizon Actiontec router. You may lose a couple of minor features if you also have their TV package (onscreen caller ID and Windows Mediashare ... but we don't need that ... psh). You can basically use the AEBS as the first connection off your ONT and hang the Actiontec off one of the AEBS' LAN ports so you still get their MoCA network access to things like the set-top-box's guides and multiroom DVR.

In short:

Login to the Actiontec control panel, release the WAN IP, and once the light turns orange, power it down.
Power down your set-top-boxes as well.
Connect the ONT's ethernet feed directly to your WAN port on the AEBS, let it acquire the connection.
Once you can successfully connect to the internet on an AEBS-networked device, hang the Actiontec off one of the LAN ports, and power it up ...

Voila, it works .. The existing AEBS and Airport Express-extended wireless network works as it did, and your FiOS TV service is still functional in all but those minor features.

If for some reason you get stuck on the step with your AEBS not connecting to the internet off the ONT's feed, call Verizon tech support and gently ask them to break the router's DHCP lease. This will allow the AEBS to pick it up and get connected.

So far so good here. Now I'm only up against the inconsistent ability of one of my Macs to connect with Gigabit ethernet via switches... It's quite a problem to think of an internet connection that gets bottlenecked by flaky ethernet ports dropping to 100BT

Ajb74

Level 1

0 points

Jul 29, 2012 5:30 PM in response to dg68

Dg68, is your guest network working under that setup? I don't use the Verizon router at all, I have an Ethernet cable from the ONT directly to AEBS, everything works fine but when I enable guest network it connects but does not have Internet, if I reset the AEBS to factory settings and enable guest network it works for few hours then it just looses Internet connection, I have tried 2 AEBS and same issue, any ideas.

Aug 11, 2012 1:10 PM in response to OzziesMAC

Hi.

I apologize for using a PC, but need it for sewing and embroidery software. Its wireless card is non-working. I have an airport extreme and would like to wirelessly extend my Verizon fios network, connecting the PC to it via Ethernet into the extreme. I set up wds with the airport admin utility from my old ibook. It sees my Verizon network, no problem. However, I can't connect to the Internet. Do the networks on Verizon and airport need to have the same name? How could I find out what ip addresses are being distributed by the fios router in order to put one in manually? Any help with settings would be appreciated. It seems as though I should need to put the fios passwordinto the extreme at some point, but it never asked for it. I can use my husband's intel iMac to access airport if that would work better.

Thanks. I am feeling stupid.

Sep 30, 2012 1:34 PM in response to dg68

I just had a FIOS installation (replacing Comcast) and they are running Coax between the ONT and the ActionTec Router.

Trying to do the same thing with the AEBS and other Airport Express devices, but not sure how this can be accomplished in this configuration.

Any ideas?

Apr 7, 2013 2:08 PM in response to OzziesMAC

I have a FIOS router that I plug into an Airport Extreme (fourth generation). I thought I'd share two tips as I recently solved a problem in which my FIOS upload speed would drop off a cliff and a Java app that I use in enterprise software would slow to a crawl.

1. I solved this problem by plugging the FIOS router directly into my Mac mini and then turning off the security settings. I also recommend turning off WiFi. Maybe I'm wrong but because I'm using security on my Airport Extreme, I don't think you need it on the FIOS router. Anyway this solved my problem. Upload speed is normal and the Java app works just as fast as in my office.

2. If you're a little more adventurous you can try this:

http://www.marco.org/2011/01/15/how-to-use-your-own-router-with-fios

icejam

Level 1

4 points

May 13, 2013 7:24 AM in response to dg68

Thanks for this... extremely quick and simple!

Stagg85

Level 1

10 points

May 18, 2013 8:52 AM in response to OzziesMAC

SO, it was very simple to use the AEBS as primary router. I have 75/35 service. Has anyone checked relative speed difference between using actiontec as primary and using AEBS? My downloads are great (above 75) but it appears that I took a dramatic speed hit on upload speed. Any thoughts?

Jul 3, 2013 5:28 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Bob - I know you posted this a while ago, but I just got FIOS, having had Cable up to now. I encountered the Double NAT warning from my AirPort Extreme. I have the wireless transmission on the Verizon router (Actiontec MI424WR) turned off. It was working fine in Double NAT mode, but as you said, may encounter some conflicts at some point. I put my AirPort Extreme in Bridge Mode. My only question - does this create any security vulnerabilities? Does Bridge Mode disable and previous protections that I had or does this all now get done in the Verizon Router? How is security handled now? Thanks.

Jul 3, 2013 7:03 AM in response to robmstein

My only question - does this create any security vulnerabilities?

Jul 5, 2013 10:01 PM in response to OzziesMAC

Hey I have modem and it has a wan port and I have a apple airport extreme so should I connect Modem wan port to apple airport extreme wan port or Modem LAN port to apple airport extreme LAN port plz help me guys plz

Jul 5, 2013 10:05 PM in response to OzziesMAC

Hey I have modem and it has a wan port and I have a apple airport extreme so should I connect Modem wan port to apple airport extreme wan port or Modem LAN port to apple airport extreme wan port plz help me guys plz

Jul 5, 2013 11:16 PM in response to Justinxninja

WAN port a modem has to go to your internet connection. if it is a dual wan router or has secondary wan for future fibre connection for instance.. then use the LAN port.. although WAN might be assigned to LAN in normal usage. Check the manual of the modem.

If the modem is router.. and the Airport Extreme is set to bridge use any port.. but we normally use WAN on the TC by convention that is the connection to internet.. but in bridge.. the AE has no wan port. So actually any port would be fine.

To keep it simple.. LAN on modem to WAN on the AE.

Jul 6, 2013 10:30 AM in response to LaPastenague

k thanks but my wan port on my modem is not connected to anything my modem is dsl and I got one wan port and 4 Ethernet port and 2 USB port so sorry for asking this again modem wan port to wan port on Apple airport extreme or LAN port on modem to wan apple airport extreme and if its LAN port on modem then there is four Ethernet LAN port so which one plz reply

Airport Extreme and Verizon FIOS Router?