About a week ago I spoke with a Frontier Field Tech Rep who led me to believe that I could REPLACE my Frontier FIOS Actiontec Router with any new router as long as my Frontier FIOS Router is connected via an ethernet cable connection, which it is (some of them are connected with a COAX cable feed to get their internet service connection in to the router. That said, I told him indeed our FIOS router is connected through Ethernet Cable & not COAX, so I'd like to replace it with a new Linksys E2500 Router with Simultaneous Dual-Band (2.4ghz & 5ghz) capability. The Actiontec Router they provided us (actually I think we pay to rent it each month) gives us the speed we're paying for, 35/25 & sometimes I even get speeds as high as 45/40mbps, but ONLY WHEN I AM CONNECTED WITH ETHERNET CABLE. This is the problem though, because our house is over 4,000sq ft & the router is in the den at one end of the house, with the signal degradation being so significant that at only 35'-50' away, depending on whether you're in the basement or the main level Family Room, brings our speed down to 14/9, 12/8 & sometimes we lose connection with it altogether for a couple minutes.
This may seem like a small annoyance to some, but this is a huge annoyance to myself, & my son, who are the 2 who use the internet most. We also have a LOT of wireless devices that use this router to connect, around 9 to be exact. 3 of them are directly connected to ports 1, 2 & 3 (a Laser Printer, an Ooma VOIP Phone & a Desktop), all of these are located in the den where the router is. When home there are 2 4G Verizon smartphones that connect wirelessly to the internet, 2 Sony Vaio Laptops (both high-end with Intel Core I7 processors & a large Memory Bank), a Sony Network Adaptor for the TV upstairs to watch Netflix & other internet TV shows/movies & finally my son's Xbox 360. The Xbox gets affected adversely probably more than any other item. IF the Actiontec Router just had simultaneous dual-bandwidth, or any kind of decent range then there probably wouldn't be an issue.
Now I've called Frontier about this issue & they've made it crystal clear that we've already got the best router they have to offer & are paying for the fastest internet speed they offer as well. We pay a lot for our internet service, over $70 a month for just their internet access! That said, here's where I have some questions & am hoping someone can help with some advice or suggestions of ANY KIND?!
QUESTION #1: Can I disconnect my Actiontec Router, which was provided by Frontier, & instead connect my Linksys E2500 Router, or will this cause an issue with compatibility with the Frontier Network?QUESTION #2: I am hoping to get better wireless speed with this new router seeing as it's a simultaneous dual-band router & got great review for it's range & signal strength at longer distances. If anyone has this model router & knows differently that would be good to know, as I will be receiving the router any day now & have only 90 days to return it. I just don't want to get into spending $100 or more for a different router, which from what I read probably won't make any noticeable difference anyway.QUESTION #3: Does anyone know if the Frontier Actiontec Router is a single band router, if it's an N-Range Router (or worse could it possibly be a G-Range Router)? Any info on this router would be greatly appreciatedQUESTION #4: Assuming I can swap out the Actiontec Router for my Linksys Router I'm going to need some guidance. I'm assuming I'll have to get into the router's settings & ensure it's set to the same IP Address as the Actiontec Router I'm removing. Is this correct, and also can anyone provide me with step-by-step instructions on how to do this swap with as little hitches as possible?Thanks in advance,
AndrewTSU-Fort Wayne, INALSO: I'm in the process of trying to run CAT 6 wire throughout the house, all in the 568B Configuration, which seems to be the new standard & most common for CAT 6. Ideally I'd like to use one of the ports on the Linksys to run line down to the basement & dedicate it to my son's Xbox. My biggest problem I'm having is that I bought a spool of Stranded, Unshielded CAT 6 Ethernet Cable & a 10pk of RJ45 Ethernet Plugs for CAT 6 Cable, but these are VERY DIFFICULT to terminate successfully. I have gone through 3 of these RJ45 Plugs already trying to get the connection successful, but to no avail.
QUESTION: Can anyone recommend a good, EASY-T0-USE RJ45 Plug for CAT 6 Cable that are easier to use than the kind I'm currently using (the kind I'm currently using I got from cablesandkits.com, & here's the link so you can see exactly what they look like: cablesandkits.com/RJ45-cat6-modular-plugsconnectors-for-stranded-wire