Topic '[Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99' in forum 'Verizon FiOS' - dslreports.com

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:54:32 EDT

compuguy posted :

said by BiggA:

Yes, you would still need an ethernet router. A simple MoCA adapter will get the STBs online if you have any of their crappy STBs. A user who is going to bring their own router is most likely also bringing their own TiVo Premiere/Roamio and Minis, so they have their own MoCA system, and have nothing to do with Verizon's STBs anyways. And if a TiVo user gets an HD box from Verizon, it will just bridge through the TiVo to get MoCA anyways.

I do this currently, but I don't have Ethernet running to my router. I use a diplexer to spit off the moca wan to a older netgear moca adapter that works with the moca wan. That goes to the 3rd party router. The ant side of the diplexer goes to a splitter and goes to the various tv's in my condo.

Re: [Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:46:23 EDT

Thinkdiff posted : Well you asked for one that does not, and Cablevision does not (in addition to others besides the big two).

I'd also argue providing a choice of router / modem brands (even if limited) is significantly better than requiring a single brand and not the same at all.
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:12:33 EDT

guppy_fish posted : Cable you rent or buy the DOCIS modem, Verizon no charge for the ONT. You can also buy the Verizon router, not really any different than buying a cable modem to not pay rental fees

Also I believe it was TW the mandated certain models or brands for DOCIS 3 modems, at least they did for a while

I'm not sticking up for them, its just they all do the under the line charges

Re: [Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 18:43:02 EDT

Thinkdiff posted : Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, etc. None of them require a single specific brand of router. In fact, Cablevision provides a modem and router free of charge.

TWC and Comcast charge for renting modem, yes, but you can use your own fairly easily. They have no restrictions on what router you can use.
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 17:46:06 EDT

guppy_fish posted :

said by dvarona:

They want the benefit of saying it's a lower price, while also getting the benefit of charging a higher price. Just charge me $65 for the whole thing, instead of pretending you're giving me a $60 deal. Pretending is for babies. And greedy companies.

Please link a company you can get similar services from that DONT do this ...

You can't, they all do it ...

Re: [Pricing] Re: Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 17:26:06 EDT

dvarona posted : Then why charge extra? Why not just include it in the price?

They want the benefit of saying it's a lower price, while also getting the benefit of charging a higher price. Just charge me $65 for the whole thing, instead of pretending you're giving me a $60 deal. Pretending is for babies. And greedy companies.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 14 May 2014 12:21:49 EDT

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 14 May 2014 12:10:12 EDT

Squirrelly posted : OK, so nothing special I need to do? Currently I need to use theirs because I still have the STBs but once I switch to TIVO I can just remove their router and hook up my own?

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:43:19 EDT

gadgetboyj posted : Assuming you already have FiOS Service, you can use whatever router you're currently using, or switch it for your own if you're currently using the Verizon router.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:07:08 EDT

Squirrelly posted : I'm getting ready to switch to TIVO. When I do can I use any router for Verizon TV and internet or do I still have to use their's?

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 14 May 2014 07:53:49 EDT

guppy_fish posted : Fee's started being charged in April

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Tue, 13 May 2014 22:48:50 EDT

KGB7 posted :

said by guppy_fish:

The fee just went into effect, not two months ago ...

This thread is 3 month old and thats when the so called fees were supposed to go into effect. But there are no fees for new customers. At least not for me.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Tue, 13 May 2014 21:03:46 EDT

guppy_fish posted : The fee just went into effect, not two months ago ...

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Tue, 13 May 2014 20:33:27 EDT

KGB7 posted : Im a new customer as of 2 months ago and i can confirm that i have no rental fee the router/modem!

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 07 May 2014 18:14:23 EDT

BiggA posted : Yes, you would still need an ethernet router. A simple MoCA adapter will get the STBs online if you have any of their crappy STBs. A user who is going to bring their own router is most likely also bringing their own TiVo Premiere/Roamio and Minis, so they have their own MoCA system, and have nothing to do with Verizon's STBs anyways. And if a TiVo user gets an HD box from Verizon, it will just bridge through the TiVo to get MoCA anyways.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 07 May 2014 18:12:47 EDT

BiggA posted : Interesting. If you wanted a faster rev, I wonder if you could install at 50/25, switch to your own ethernet router, and then call them up and have them boost the speed? Of course, that assumes you have a GPON ONT in the first place to support the 150+mbps packages.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 07 May 2014 15:21:13 EDT

nothing00 posted :

said by BiggA:

So by their rules, you could rent for a month and then return it?

It sure sounds like that should be possible.

You will still have to:
own your own MoCA router _OR_
(have an Ethernet connection to the ONT _AND_
connect your STBs to the network somehow)

Even after that a lot of things can go wrong. At that point we'll get the answer to the question about whether they require you to have an Actiontec/Verizon router. And whether you can get away with lying to them. Unless we don't... and the CSRs are confused. Or, in spite of what their online forms say, their billing system won't allow it. Or... sun spots.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Wed, 07 May 2014 10:32:44 EDT

anon posted : I have a scheduled install for 50/25 in a few weeks and talked to an online tech who told me if you have a plan 100 Mb/s and above, you need Rev. I. because it requires a gigabit router. I told him I already had an earlier revision and he said I would be able to use it because of the plan I was signed up for.

Now I need to buy one though... Does anyone know any difference between revisions C through F and which one I should purchase? The rev D look like they're going for about $20 but E's and F's are a bit more expensive.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Tue, 06 May 2014 20:16:13 EDT

BiggA posted : So by their rules, you could rent for a month and then return it?

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Tue, 06 May 2014 07:27:20 EDT

nothing00 posted :

said by BiggA:

The question is, will their billing system allow this?

From the text it's clear the option is there to bring your own router. So they must have a way of removing the charge. It looks like they just need a MoCA enabled router for install.

If they really insist you have one, you could, you know, *gasp* lie to them and tell them you acquired one elsewhere when you return the rented one.

They even include a Westel on the list so sounds like they're not too picky. You can get an old rev Actiontec for real cheap on eBay if you want one as standby for troubleshooting.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 22:24:12 EDT

BiggA posted : The question is, will their billing system allow this?

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 22:10:36 EDT

nothing00 posted :

said by Thinkdiff:

There's really no valid reason for this new policy other than Verizon needs to pad their bottom line.

Yeah, ultimately it's a money grab. I mean, they used to do the install and leave you with one with no charge. I don't read the quoted text as a requirement that you USE their router. It sounds like it's a requirement that you have one for installation.

Sounds like you should be able to "rent" it for installation your first month and return it. They probably won't support you over the phone unless you're using one though.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 20:45:35 EDT

dfwguy posted : Is there any evidence that the requirement is actually being enforced? We know that once the installer is gone that everything works fine without an Actiontec, but are installers actually refusing to set things up for people who don't have one? If they aren't, then there's nothing to stop people from choosing the option to buy one elsewhere, then just not buying it.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 17:48:05 EDT

Thinkdiff posted :

said by nothing00:

A tech arriving and having to attempt to deal with everyone's home network is a bit much to ask considering their STBs require connectivity.

Then make the router required for TV installation. Why is it required for Internet-only? Or better yet, make the support policy "we will just provide an ethernet cable if you use your own equipment - no further support". That's worked fine for ~10 years.

There's really no valid reason for this new policy other than Verizon needs to pad their bottom line.
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 17:46:46 EDT

BiggA posted : But according to that theory, they would tie the router to their rented STBs. The Ethernet user with their own router is also likely to be a TiVo user.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 17:45:10 EDT

BiggA posted : MCE is a MESS. I built an HTPC and tried to use it as an HTPC, I ended up using TiVo. TiVo today isn't much more expensive, as you can use one Roamio and a bunch of Minis. You can have up to 10 TVs total per account officially, although some people have more. You can't just use another account, as they wouldn't be able to share content with a box on the original account.

TWC is a nightmare for TiVo or MCE, since they improperly flag their content, although in theory, that concept of swapping providers via CableCard works if you have two good providers in your area, like Verizon and Comcast.

Your overall point of saving money by buying your own equipment, however, is correct, and the calculations are almost identical for MCE and TiVo, typically a 36 to 48 month payback depending on how many TVs you have and what the provider charges for boxes (more TVs typically pay back quicker).

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 17:39:12 EDT

BiggA posted : I don't think they care to do anything technical. Doing it by the billing system, and not enforcing what's actually being used achieves their goal of making more money. The annoying part is that very few people know how to set it up with Ethernet and use their own router anyways, so you'd think they'd just let people not buy their crappy router, but they got greedy. They don't care if you use your own, as long as you've already paid for theirs.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 16:13:22 EDT

nothing00 posted : Just tried to check out online to find out a bit more. When getting to the FiOS Internet installation page you're offered options:

1. Rent a Wireless Router $4.99/mo
2. Buy a Wireless Router from Verizon $99.99
3. Buy a Wireless Router from Actiontec.com $n/a
View important purchase information

So I clicked on "View important purchase information" and up came:

Note that because of many advanced features recently integrated to the FiOS Service, only one router model will ensure full compatibility with all FiOS TV services:
•Actiontec Model MI424WR Rev I

This router can be recognized as follows:
•  Red band around the front side of the router
•  Model #MI424WR Rev  I
•  The model number is located on one side of the router red band
•  Two WiFi antennas integrated to the rear panel

The Actiontec model MI424WR can be purchased at »www.shopactiontec.com/ve ··· bhr.html

Also, you must have this router on hand the day of your service installation. Without it, your service cannot be installed or activated.

There's also something that says:
Already have a Verizon Router? View compatibility info

So I clicked on "View compatibility info" and up comes:

Note that because of many advanced features recently integrated to the FiOS Service, you must have one of these 2 routers for your FiOS service to work:   
 
•Actiontec Model MI424WR
Required for speeds of 150 Mbps & higher;
•Westell Model 9100EM

Please be sure you have one of these models by checking the following items:

•Verizon logo on the router
•The model number, typically located at the bottom of the router.

If you currently have one of these routers, please call us at 1-888-389-7299 to complete your order.

For added convenience, select the “Save Now” button at the top of the ordering page and all the selections you’ve made so far will be saved and available when you speak to a representative.

If you do not have one of these routers, you will need a new router.  You can make a selection as part of your online order.  Close this message to continue.

I'm not one to give a lot of slack to Verizon but it seems like what they want to ensure is that the installation can complete [quickly]. A tech arriving and having to attempt to deal with everyone's home network is a bit much to ask considering their STBs require connectivity.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 16:03:12 EDT

elefante72 posted : If it's on the approved list. If not YMMV w/ TWC. I personally don't use AT, but a openwrt router. I could care less what Verizon thinks.

My point earlier is that you suck it up as a cost out of your Visa card, or pay the vig and call it a day. It's not like it's going away. The reason that TWC can offer you many different CM is because DOCSIS is a standard. Verizon's is somewhat proprietary, so you have to go with their hardware. Sure they use MoCA, but MoCA WAN providers of equipment out there, there is only a single source. If you decouple MoCA WAN and go ethernet, then I agree their position is BS, because then you open it up to every router out there. Which is a support nightmare, and hence why they probably take this stance.

I was referring to Tivo Mini. I really only need 2-3 tuners total so 1 DVR. That would be crazy expensive. I don't have 5k sitting around :)

Referring to setup much easier than WMC. Can't comment on tinkering of latest Tivo, except a bud has one and I set it up. It took me 5 minutes w/ Verizon because activating CC is really easy. W7MC was a science project.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 15:37:15 EDT

Thinkdiff posted :

said by elefante72:

Well you have the same options as me, and TWC also charges for their modem. You can buy that one too.

That's not the same. If Verizon was charging a rental fee for the ONT or making you purchase one from X number of vendors, then I might agree. With TWC, they give me an option of what modem to buy (I bought a $50 linksys) and I get to use whatever router I want - so they're still providing just a "dump pipe". With Verizon's new policy, you are restricted to whatever routing features they sanction and no more. There's also a technological requirement to have a modem of some kind - there's no technical reason you need to have a router, let alone a Verizon-branded Actiontec.

said by elefante72:

I have 5 TV's and this would have cost me a mint to do on Tivo, and I think they only support 4 anyways.

TiVo allows up to 10 boxes per account. If you really wanted to, you could just make multiple accounts and have a theoretically unlimited number of TVs (obviously a practical limit is probably in the 15-20 range due to splitting the signal so many times).

said by elefante72:

Tivo is cool if you don' want to tinker,

Not sure why we're talking so much about TiVos here, but I'd argue you can do as much or more "tinkering" with a TiVo as with WMC (especially the TiVo HDs).
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 15:19:50 EDT

elefante72 posted : Well you have the same options as me, and TWC also charges for their modem. You can buy that one too.

An even cheaper alternative to Tivo is WMC (windows media center), because you can get a Ceton or Xbox 360 for under $100 now and if you use the new BayTrail Intel NUC you can have a server for about $200 including disk. The only thing you need is a tuner. I use HDHRPrime which can be seen for $99 from time to time.

I have 5 TV's and this would have cost me a mint to do on Tivo, and I think they only support 4 anyways.

I've had WMC for over 3 years now, and my equipment has been paid off more than once at this point...

To get the complete experience, I have xbox360/ceton and a Roku using an el cheapo Logitech remote, and no worries. I ditched MSFT family plan (well they got rid of it), so I just use the Roku for any apps, which are quite nice and way more than what XBG offered anyways.

TBH the VMS is a HUGE moneymaker for Verizon. I mean the boxes probably cost them no more than $50 and the DVR maybe a few hundred. Considering they would be grinding you for hundreds per year and no app ecosystem is a damn shame.

On the upside, if you wanted to flip to TWC, just swap out the cablecard and update the channel list. You don't lose your recordings. Always a problem when swapping out hardware...

Tivo is cool if you don' want to tinker, and you can always resell your equipment (WMC too), unlike lease fees which go into fueling up the G5 for the executives to jet around. Most people don't include that in their calculations and they are missing out. It's no different than a car. You are getting soaked on a lease, period.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 13:27:19 EDT

deactiveacct posted : I think it's total bs and I think it's all about money for them because...

1. Their router is a piece of garbage and basically not even up to date with 802.11ac and especially not even dual band. Like come on already it's 2014 get with the program Verizon. Making their router a requirement is bs as there are better routers than Actiontec and I think it's really not right that a cable company don't give new users that option to use their own because in my opinion most of the problems I hear users complain about either they have their own box with Verizon's router or both Verizon's router and set box and have tons of problems. I think going with your own router and set top box is problem free with just a cablecard rental fee

2. Your wasting money with Verizon boxes anyways. With your TiVo box or your own set top box it saves you money as a one time payment compared to the rental box fee Verizon charges you that adds up if you think about it.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 12:55:43 EDT

batsona posted : How will VZ enforce that all customers [eventually] must be running an Actiontec? A mention of a certificate-based handshake was mentioned a while back. Other than that, I don't see how they can quickly enforce use of Actiontec.

I guess the next thing, will be VZ sending out letters such as: "As of date-ABC, Verizon will mandate the use of our Verizon-branded Actiontec routers. After this date, all personally-supplied routers will no longer function on the Verizon FiOS network. Please visit xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to have an Actiontec router sent to your home before the deadline!"

I wonder what the real business reason, or technical reason is, behind this. --People have been using self-supplied devices for 10 years now. What changed??

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Mon, 05 May 2014 10:53:07 EDT

dewdude posted : I got my Rev I. for free. Someone had for some reason gotten two of them at their business; and was told to "keep it as a spare or use it elsewhere".

If they want to charge me for the old Rev. D; they can have it back. All it's doing is functioning as a basic gige switch anyway.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sun, 04 May 2014 19:18:25 EDT

BiggA posted : TiVo is a better DVR and a better deal, no matter who you are with. In NY, you can avoid the horrors of TWC by going to Verizon.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sun, 04 May 2014 19:18:00 EDT

BiggA posted : That's a good idea.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sun, 04 May 2014 12:29:19 EDT

JackBauer posted : That's a good idea.

I'm not quite ready to order but this required fee pisses me off so much that I have been having second thoughts on finally moving to Fios.

(And the ridiculous fees for the VMS - making me think of buying a Tivo with lifetime and extended warranty)

But if VZ wants to be jerks and fee me out of being a customer, than I might very well stay with TWC and become a cord cutter.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sun, 04 May 2014 11:07:18 EDT

PA23 posted : Why doesn't somebody who is being charged the rental fee and DOES NOT need or want the router file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I had a billing issue once that I went around in circles with Verizon with, I filed a complaint with the BBB outlining the issues and Verizon verzy quickly made good on the issue..

-PA23
--
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sun, 04 May 2014 00:34:00 EDT

anon posted : My verizon FIOS internet was installed today, this is the ONT that was installed:

»p-ec2.pixstatic.com/52d6 ··· fit_.jpg

Got the router I don't need, but paid a $100 for, one PC, so I turned off wireless, I wish I asked him for the box, this way when I sell it I probably could have gotten more with the original box, oh well, I got 15/5, but it seems like a solid connection...

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Sat, 03 May 2014 18:29:27 EDT

Mon posted : Talked to VZ Direct about this fee, they started this policy on 4/1/14 for NY State.

Talked to live chat, they also admitted that it used to be free but not anymore. Basically if you are going for 2-year contract, buying it will save more than renting.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 22:07:20 EDT

dfwguy posted : I just helped a friend set up FiOS internet+TV (CableCard+HDHomeRun) 2 weeks ago and this is what we did. Worked fine then and continues to work fine now.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 19:39:49 EDT

BiggA posted : I'm sure it's the money... Comcast does the same thing with their modem/wifi racket, but with Comcast, they don't fight you if you want your own gear. I have Comcast, and the only thing they own is the CableCard in my TiVo.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 12:09:04 EDT

elefante72 posted : Ancient history, and when I started they didn't want them back. Mine is almost 4 years old now (which I don't use). Are they going to replace it? Nada. And they ask you to return them now. They aren't going to redeploy it, because its EOS.

And FiOS isn't even closest to the cheapest internet out there, so assume the $40 or so they actually pay for the router is figured out in that plan.

What is more disturbing is that apparently for new people that you MUST get the AT even if you get provisioned ethernet and have no STB. This means you don't need one, but you are forced to have one and pay. So I say take whatever package you have and add $5 and that is the real price. next year it will be $7, and so on.

Over time, they will retroactively start going after existing subscribers or wait on a product swap to ding them. I was shocked that they didn't charge for them to begin with.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 08:17:09 EDT

anon posted : Sure $360 million is a lot. Enough to recover all those routers people took with them upon disconnection and then sold on ebay.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 08:08:57 EDT

guppy_fish posted : Its simple math, at 6 million subscribers for 5 bucks a month, that's 30 million month or 360 million a year they can harvest. For number crunchers that's pretty darn appealing. Granted that's a few years out but doing with only new customers keeps the peasants from rioting :)

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 07:47:26 EDT

nothing00 posted :

said by Thinkdiff:

Good point - somehow forgot about the TR-069 control over the router.

I was just going to point this out. Other reasons using the Actiontec may become "required":

1. They're envious of Comcast (who Verizon now seems to idolize) and will roll out subscriber public Wifi via the routers

2. Their "we'll share your desktop browsing habits" program may become a lot more expansive
»www.verizonwireless.com/ ··· -ad.html

3. The 0.05% of people who use their own routers take longer on tech support calls because of completely untrained "technical support" script readers

4. FAST LANE an awesome new service from Verizon that allows them to charge content companies could be tweaked/enhanced using new Actiontec firmware

5. They're tired of providing all of that bandwidth fluff for VOD and will restrict non-VOD bandwidth to your subscribed rate

6. They just want the money

I'll put my money on $6. I mean, #6.

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 05:09:46 EDT

Thinkdiff posted : Good point - somehow forgot about the TR-069 control over the router. That's definitely the easiest way to enforce the requirement...
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 04:59:19 EDT

serge87 posted :

said by dfwguy:

As soon as he's out the door, release the DHCP lease, shove the Actiontec back in a box, and hook up your own router.

Every single tech visit this is what I've always done, it's too much hassle to explain that my pfSense router can run circles around their Actiontec performance-wise. I'm just concerned if there is a way to detect non-Actiontec usage remotely. I've read that Verizon had a remote management feature not too long ago and maybe they'll be able to tell that way?

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 04:51:31 EDT

Thinkdiff posted : I think we all know that's how it has worked in the past, but given this strange new "requirement" to have a Verizon-branded router we are speculating how they could actually enforce such a requirement on an on-going basis.

I hope you're right that you just have to pass the installer visual inspection test, but until somebody actually tries it...
--
University of Southern California - Fight On!

Re: [Pricing] Here comes the Router rental fee of $4.99

Fri, 02 May 2014 04:23:20 EDT

dfwguy posted : There's no need to even clone the MAC address. Have the installer provision things via ethernet, and hook up the Actiontec for the amount of time it takes to have you agree to the ToS on his fancy tablet. As soon as he's out the door, release the DHCP lease, shove the Actiontec back in a box, and hook up your own router. Tada everything works. It's only required in the sense that their dumbass Indian callcenter reps won't support anything else. 95% of the people who post on their site have nothing but disdain for those morons anyway, so no real loss. We can fix our own problems, and there's VZDirect for anything that isn't in our control.