Swapping existing router w/ a replacement; any issues?

[videobruce]

FIOS doesn't have/use "Modems". They are called ONT's
That Router has been flashed to dd-wrt for well over a week. The 2nd thing I did after a quick walk thru their lame F/W w/ the annoying login process with the text IP address.

I don't want to be tied to their Router. $5 isn't going to kill me, besides I have a clear fallback if/when I need troubleshooting; I'm paying for it!!

 

[Bill_Bright]

That's so dumb.

I would call it a "rip-off", not dumb - from the consumer's point of view. From the company's point of view, it's free profit. That's smart - even if it means ripping off their customers, leaving them with no choice.

It is our elected "representatives" who are letting us down here. These communications providers, and power companies, etc. are getting away with these rip offs. If your cable or power goes out for 4 days, do they take 4 days off your monthly bill? Nope.

Not sure why they are called representatives, though. I don't know who they represent for it typically is not their constituents. Their primary goal from day 1 in office is to get reelected.

Still, if your provider is charging for services not rendered, I say write your representatives and complain.

 

[videobruce]

I agree wholeheartedly, but considering the Dictator that has his iron fist (or is it a golf club) hanging over his puppets in Congress with a yellow streak up their backs, there is little chance anyone that could throw things my way would care.

 

[Bill_Bright]

That defeatist attitude is exactly the one they are hoping you take.

When they don't hear opposition, they assume you are on their side and shout victory and claim righteousness.

 

[Rover4444]

I honestly just don't believe you. If you save $5 a month for using their router, why not just use their router and wire yours to it? There's no reason for them to charge you more for choosing not to rent their router, it just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[ShiBDiB]

I honestly just don't believe you. If you save $5 a month for using their router, why not just use their router and wire yours to it? There's no reason for them to charge you more for choosing not to rent their router, it just doesn't make sense to me.

I'm kinda confused about this too.

They shouldn't be able to tell if you're using their router or not unless it has some phone home firmware that they actually monitor (anything beyond the modem should be a mystery to them, if it isn't that's getting into the grey area of a privacy breach). Even if that's the case just turn off the wifi on it and run a LAN out to the new router.

I'd just unplug their router, put it in a closet, plug in yours. I doubt you hear from them about it, and if you do either play dumb and say it's there and working or plug it back in and just use it as a switch to your new router.

 

[Bill_Bright]

They shouldn't be able to tell if you're using their router or not

Don't think you understand. While I agree, they shouldn't be able to tell, it doesn't matter if they can, or can't. They are charging anyway.

why not just use their router and wire yours to it?

I can't answer that for the OP but I know the network equipment my ISP provides is barely middle of the road quality. Plus, it is a "residential gateway" device - meaning the modem, router, WAP (wireless access point) and 4-port switch are all in one box. And, they don't just let us upgrade to something newer just because we want to.

Also, like many ISPs, they offer nationwide access so if you are traveling you can still use your internet access. How? By ensuring any of their customers can access any other's wireless access point - anywhere in the country. So if a customer from Florida, for example, is visiting my neighbor here in Nebraska, if they can see my wireless network, they can automatically connect and use it to do whatever they would normally do if still in Florida.

And while this traveling account is NOT supposed to use up any of my bandwidth, and it is supposed to be totally isolated and firewalled from my own wireless network, do you trust your ISP to keep it that way? I don't

For those reasons, I use my own wireless router and my own cable modem which I know are better than anything my ISP provides. That way, if I want to upgrade just my router, I can. If I want to upgrade just my modem, I can.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, I know there are no "backdoors" in my devices the ISP can use to gain access without my permission or knowledge, nor can visitors from Florida use my router (or my electricity) to do who knows what?

So no. They can keep their router, thank you.

BTW, different jurisdictions around the world have different laws and regulations. My ISP is not allow to charge lease fees for Internet access unless the customer is indeed, leasing the equipment. But that's here, in the USA. And even then, there are some exceptions.

I have to use their cable box for my cable TV/DVR services, for example, and pay their rental fees. No choice. Well... I can choose one box that lets me record 2 channels while watching a 3rd channel for some ridiculously overpriced rental fee. Or I can choose a deluxe box that lets me record 10 channels while watching a third for an outrageously ridiculous, overpriced fee.

 

[ShiBDiB]

Don't think you understand. While I agree, they shouldn't be able to tell, it doesn't matter if they can, or can't. They are charging anyway.

Exactly. So just say you're using it, then don't.

 

[videobruce]

I'd just unplug their router, put it in a closet, plug in yours. I doubt you hear from them about it, and if you do either play dumb and say it's there and working or plug it back in and just use it as a switch to your new router.

You really think they won't notice that their Router isn't active?? AFA running 2 Routers, come on, there are enough electronics in the chain, I see no good reason to add to it.

I have to use their cable box for my cable TV/DVR services, for example, and pay their rental fees. No choice.

There use to be until very recently in my market.
Spectrum has stopped offering Cable Cards and they just took a step further. Existing ones have been de-activated which means all the customers who had a TiVo DVR won't be able to use it anymore, unless they have a decent antenna system to pick up the OTA locals. Which I just happen to have for the past 20 or so years.
And Spectrum isn't the only MSO that is doing this.
There use to be a rule/law OTA stations must be 'in the clear' on CATV systems. That went away a number of years ago.

There are alot worse restrictions/practices that are going on other than a $5 add on change to my Internet bill.

 

[ShiBDiB]

You really think they won't notice that their Router isn't active?? AFA running 2 Routers, come on, there are enough electronics in the chain, I see no good reason to add to it.

K, enjoy paying to not use something I guess. I no longer care.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Spectrum has stopped offering Cable Cards and they just took a step further. Existing ones have been de-activated which means all the customers who had a TiVo DVR won't be able to use it anymore

Not sure that is Spectrum's fault. Tivo recently announced they are no longer making hardware.