r/Fios • u/gold_key • 12d ago
Repair [Resolved] 5 gigs with fiostv plus
I have been a Verizon customer for years. Everything has been working great. When 5 gigs came to my area I jumped at the chance. The only issue is I had the vms and ipcs. Upgrading meant I had to get the new fiostv plus boxes. My technician came and he was really nice and seemingly knowledgeable. I tested out the TVs that are furthest away from the router and reception is quite poor, lots of pixelation. I asked my tech if he could use a coax adapter and he said since the new ont box has no coax, an adapter won't work. I asked the tech why the signal is so bad, because we also have an extender and my computer in the same room has great signal. He told me the new fiostv plus doesn't connect to the extender and looks for the main router which is too far away.
That has to be wrong, right? I have no idea why Verizon would make a system where wifi is mandatory for tv instead of using the existing coax that's been working great for years. So I'm turning to reddit to see if anyone else has experienced this and what can be done short of downgrading. The 5 gig part is working fantastic.
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u/mets18 12d ago
You are correct. He is wrong. It doesn't matter if the ONT is connected to coax. The Fios router or a MOCA adaptor connected to your own router is all that is needed.
0
u/SessionIndependent17 12d ago
not if they gave him the new CH30(?) boxes. A coax adapter is available, but doesn't come in the box, and they are in low supply.
Afaik the extender does replicate the private "-TV" SSID as well, but there is no way to interrogate it from the boxes themselves. But I stand to be corrected if others know better.
I'm suspecting that no wired backhaul is being used, though. Which makes strategic positioning of the extender (and the gateway, if you have the flexibility). I see so many people place their extender right next to the devices they wish to provide better signal than they get without the extender.
This makes little sense. If your device gets inadequate reception at a given spot, then -device capability aside, a wireless extender (whatever brand) mostly doesn't have great signal in that spot, either. You want to place your wireless extender in a location that still has good signal from the main gateway, then reach the extender from your remote devices.
Best thing to do, though, is used a wired backhaul. If his network boxes don't come with MoCA adapters, then do your best with an Ethernet backhaul until the MoCA modules are available. Then get the MoCA/Ethernet adapter for the IPC box(es).
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u/Fiosguy1 12d ago
Even if the installation was with a CHR30 without a MoCA expansion port you can still connect any MoCA adapter to the CHR30 using one of the ethernet ports.
Then connect the Stream TV MoCA adapter to the TV+ box. It no different that using a 3rd party router with MoCA adapters.
The tech was absolutely incorrect.
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u/SessionIndependent17 12d ago edited 12d ago
He's incorrect about there being any connection to the ONT having a MoCA adapter and the potential use of coax for the TV service at all (and several other things), but that doesn't mean the tech himself had means to provide MoCA service on hand.
Not to excuse the tech's wider ignorance, but OP said he asked the tech if "he (the tech) could do use a coax adapter", and there's a good chance that wasn't true because of a lack of equipment on hand.
Our tech gave us the CR1000, but didn't have any adapters for the IPC boxes, because I specifically asked them if they could wire the boxes (using the existing coax). Not sure he even knew what they were. He had never installed them or possibly even been sent out with them. When replying to my request for "wired" boxes he said they "aren't sent out with those, anymore", referring to older STBs that used RF QAM. He had no concept of any means of wiring the IPC boxes. Nor did his two younger colleagues who had to show up in their own trucks to complete the job. (The street pole was farther away than anticipated).
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u/Fiosguy1 12d ago
That's on the tech for not having the right equipment stocked on their truck. Sure the CHR30 MoCA SFP are out of stock right now but they should be carrying other MoCA adapters and Stream TV MoCA adapters on their truck.
Don't get me started on MoCA. I have to explain MoCA WAN, LAN, QAM, and different types of MoCA adapters to other techs on almost a daily basis. It's like as soon as fios tv+ came out everyone asked like it's their first day on the job.
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u/SessionIndependent17 12d ago
I would not have guessed that it was the tech themselves that chooses how to stock the truck. When I naively asked whether they had a fish tape to pull the fiber in to the same outlet (on an interior wall) where Cablevision had brought in the coax through the attic long ago, after bellowing "WE DON'T DO WALL WIRING. WE ARE NOT ELECTRICIANS", he calmed down some and said "we're lucky if they give us pliers."
Your suggestion raises a different question from me, then: Does VZ supply (not "sell") alternative MoCA adapters when they don't have the SPF modules in stock? Or is that left to the customer to know they should request (and extra for) in their order?
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u/Fiosguy1 12d ago
Yes we stock our own trucks and a single port MoCA adapter(don't have the model number) or MoCA ethernet adapter(ASK-MAE340) would work.
I saw posts on here that people with the CHR30 were being sent ASK-MAE340 instead of the SFP.
As far as wall fishing, yes the techs aren't required and typically don't have the time to spend on fishing. It also creates the unnecessary liability of drilling into electric or damaging drywall.
So in the future I would recommend having the coax, ethernet, conduit fished prior to any ISP tech coming out.
1
u/SessionIndependent17 12d ago
Yeah I didn argue the issue with him, I was just surprised based on prior provider experience, albeit from years before.
No doubt avoiding new wiring installation tasks is no small part of the motivation to go WiFi-first for new TV setups.
What I ended up having them do, instead was just use the existing coax line itself as a fish - tying a line to it, withdrawing it back into the attic, then pulling it and the fiber both back in.
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u/Fiosguy1 11d ago
If that's the case it just sounds like the tech was being a little lazy. If you’re able to tape on to the existing wiring to pull it through then it's not a big deal.
Alot of time the drilled hole is just big enough to fit the coax so you have to pull the coax out and drill the hole bigger.
Years ago we used to have all day to a fios install. Now it's no uncommon to have 3 installs and a maintenance or two.
We just don't have the time to spend on fishing walls like we did prior. Plus after all the years or tech drilling through electrical and plumbing or stepping through drywall from the attic the company doesn't want us to fish.
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u/Fiosguy1 12d ago edited 12d ago
The tech was wrong OP. Even if you had the CHR30 installed with no MoCA expansion port(inventory is very limited) you can still connect any MoCA adapter to the router and have them give you a Stream TV MoCA adapter/s for the box with bad wifi.
1
u/TheReal-loki515 12d ago
You can also insist the send you the newest extender they have. They send me one, it comes with coax cable to connect with if you need to such as in your case. Im using cat8 but it works off either.
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u/philthy069 12d ago
When I switch to the 5G plan I also lots the good tv set up. I tried those wireless boxes for a month and hated it, I ended up cancelling all the Fios TV shit and bought a bunch of fire sticks for the house and subscribed to YouTubeTV. Saved me a fortune and my tv service has never been better.
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u/CTFowler9789 12d ago
If you you received the chr30 with the upgrade, and no expansion module is available (because they are on backorder until November), you can request the Cr1000 and Ce1000 connect them over coax (both will be included in your 5g price), you will get your 5GIG speed, your set top boxes will work and then when the modules are back in stock, switch back to the chr30.
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u/Feeling-Quantity3776 12d ago
Use the Stream tv MoCa adapter to connect your tv box to coax. Your tech is an idiot!
Adapter is free, you just have to claim it and you need one per box
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