Internet, phone, and cable always make me stressed out since it seems we never are in control. Who can fight the phone company? Well, we may not get our telecommunications services for free, but we can get a grip on the costs. Today, I want to share what I discovered regarding a Verizon FiOS router that can save you money from buying off of their company.
Cable companies like Comcast or Xfinity let you buy your own modem. The good news is they are not that expensive. I recommend buying a modem and then a router as separate pieces. This way if one breaks, you have less to replace. Sometimes, you get a really great deal so it’s a personal choice based on cost, performance and compatibility.
But what happens if you want to go with FiOS? They offer you a box and the rental is about $14.99 or so. I am sure it must vary depending on where you live and if you have competitors fighting for your business. Verizon also sells their box, the latest one is the G3100 that they now call a router. I swear I looked at them when Xfinity was jacking up my rates and they called it something else. In fact, I got the impression that box that I would stick in my house was the actual version of a Verizon FiOS modem of sorts.
First a modem takes the signal from the network and turns it into something that your computer can understand. But the G3100 box doesn’t do that or at least like you would expect it to function.
When I went into a store back then to look for a FiOS modem I couldn’t find one. And there’s a good reason. Although you can buy the G3100 FiOS box on their site for $299 and on Walmart.com for $279, it’s not the modem. You would technically save a few bucks, but you can save even more.
The Verizon FiOS “modem” is inside the box that Verizon installs and it is included in your monthly charge for the package you order. It’s called an ONT or Optical Network Terminal. That’s the closest thing to a modem.
Remember, the box that Verizon wants you to rent or buy is the Verizon FiOS router.
I actually found a lot of YouTube videos from people showing how to use your own router instead of Verizon’s. Just do a quick search and you can see how it’s done. There are some great sites like that which will explain how to do this. User forums on Verizon also a great resource as well.
The Verizon FiOS router, the G3100 will do more than your ordinary router. If you also bought TV service, the router you buy from a place like Best Buy won’t be enough. The G3100 also takes signals over the coaxial cable through something called a Moca bridge to enable the transmission of much more information that your TV’s would need for all the extras like channel guides and so on.
There is a fix if you don’t want their router and also want to get FiOS TV. If you are going to just stream and don’t want their TV service then you are done. Don’t buy their router, pick up you own one and save some money. You get better tech too! You just have to make sure the data port on the ONT is enabled. That port is on the ONT, which Verizon should have installed at your site, will have spots for coaxial cable and another for ethernet. The ethernet port on the ONT is what you need to have enabled if you are ditching the Verizon router.
But if you want TV and internet, you will need another small box. This is what they call a MOCA box. I have seen those for around $69 on Amazon and Best Buy!
As of this point in time, Verizon is looking better to me. Xfinity tried to rent their Gateway box for $14.99 to me. Remember buying your own equipment is cheaper and you can just toss it when the tech gets outdated. Routers seem to last a long time and are fairly reliable.
