On Tuesday Verizon will be coming to install Fios. Currently we have Comcast with their phone/cable/internet package. Right now the Comcast “cable modem” is in the room above the garage where there is also two switches and a wireless router. There is also an Ethernet cable running through a hole in the floor back to the garage then into the room next to the garage to provide an Ethernet switch for the media room.
This room is directly above the garage where the coax comes in off a splitter. The other leg of the splitter goes in the to attic then out to all the rooms in the house.
The house is on a slab so there is no basement. I believe the coax in the house was replaced once from the initial install in the early 80’s when we had a company I forgot which became Adelphia then Comcast took over.
I’m wondering what to be prepared for on Thursday regarding the reconfiguration of my home network.
They will bring fiber cable into the house to a location you choose. It will need power outlet. They will have a 4 port w/ wireless router which has both Cat-5 and COAX outputs. They will want to send the COAX output to your TV boxes. They can send the Cat 5 upstream to your existing router and then to switches, or your could let their router replace your existing router.
Generally I’ve heard better things about FioS installer’s inside wiring work compare to Cable. I expect you will be dealing with Verizon employees and not contractors paid by piecework. However, a relative had a particularly bad experience with FiOS installer so it is worthwhile to keep an eye on them and make sure they get your approval before drilling holes & etc.
The FioS cable is flat black cable a bit smaller than 14g romex. My first install they trenched it up the side yard in a pretty shallow trench. After landscapers cut it about 5 years later, they came back (no charge) and buried it in plastic conduit. The same day it was cut, they came out specially to run a surface cable to restore my TV & Internet service in the meantime, which I though was nice service.
The will install an ‘ONT’ (optical network terminal) which converts the optical fiber/signal to coax TV, Ethernet Internet and voice telephone. They will run those 3 types of cable from the ONT to the existing points of entry.
The ONT needs a power supply which needs to be installed near an electric outlet and the ONT must be grounded separately, to your electric panel. I believe that the power supply can be 50 feet from the ONT.
The ONT is typically installed outside, with only the power supply inside - but there is a ‘JIONT’ (just inside ONT) for closet installs which does not require a separate power supply or grounding, just a 3 wire outlet. Since access to my electric panel was a problem, I ended up with a JIONT.
I noticed a huge difference from Comcast when my install was done.
Other than a lower bill, and more channels to choose from and oh yeah a better DVR interface?
Currently there is a coax splitter on the outside of the house. One leg from the splitter goes into the Attic where there is another splitter that feeds the cable boxes in the house.
The other leg goes into the “computer room” where the Comcast Router/Voip unit is and from that “computer room” a cable goes outside the house to the main box for phone service.
There is a wall outlet in the garage that is used by a freezer and sprinkler system controller. I can put a surge suppressor there to add outlets otherwise the next closest power outlet is in the “computer room”