I have the Westell DSL modem/router that Verizon issued to me years ago. It is starting to act up, so I want to replace it. I contacted Verizon and they are willing to sell me another 802.11 b/g router for $34.99. Since I have to change routers, I want to get an 802.11 b/g/n router. The guy at Verizon kept pushing me to get the router from Verizon, though he said that I could get my own “as long as it is G”. Why would Verizon care if they Wi-Fi is G or N compatible, as long as the modem part of the router complied with their requirements? If I got my own router/modem, how could I get Verizon to recognize me as a legitimate Verizon customer? The guy in the chat window just said “that’s why I recommend getting the Verizon router”. Duh. I want a better router than that. I suppose I could just turn off the wi-fi part of my existing router and plug in a new router that is N compatible.
Any networking gurus out there?
I’m not a networking guru, but I had DSL for years. I always told the company I wanted a plain DSL model with no Wifi, and then added on my own wireless router.
First of all, the b/g/n refers to how your internal wifi communicates and not how the router communicates to the DSL line. If you have an N wifi card and router, you have an N network. Sounds like the guy didn’t know what he was talking about. As for having to use one they recommend, Ma Bell used to be able to control everything attached to a phone jack. It took a lawsuit to establish that their authority ended at the trunk. I suspect that DSL is the same.
Verizon recently sent me a new router (free). I called to complain about slow internet and their “solution” was to send me a new router. I think the reason was the old router was quite old (7-ish years).
I don’t know how old your old router is, but if it isn’t particularly new, you might try complaining about something other than your router and see if they replace it for free.
For what it is worth, the new router isn’t any faster than the old one. I kind of want to ditch DSL, but I have a feeling that Comcast won’t be much better.
Edit: And by router I mean “modem.” Sorry. We use our own router.
I have a fairly new (only used for about 2 months) AT&T DSL modem. When I get home, I’ll post what model it is. Does anyone know if that is compatible with Verizon?
Yeah, just did the same myself. They upgraded my old Westell modem to a new router for free. My primary motivation was that I got a new laptop, so I now have wireless connectivity as well as wired (for the desktop).
I will point out that the documentation was nonexistent. I would never in a million years have succeeded in setting the thing up without getting on the phone with tech support – which, contrary to my expectation, was both US-based and excellent.
The DSL modem I mentioned upthread is a Motorola Netopia 2210. Although it was configured for AT & T, it should work on Verizon.