Technology

Here’s Why You Should Replace Your Verizon Rental Router

Rental Router

More and more people are deciding that cable boxes are becoming unnecessary because of streaming services. Therefore, consumer behavior has changed when it comes to the selection of bundled packages with Verizon. Even the people who have cable boxes, for the most part, seldom put them on.

Additionally, internet service costs have risen especially with the greater demand for faster internet speed and capability.  This increase in demand may also be attributed to the greater demand for streaming service platforms.

With the decision to have an internet-only plan, internet service providers including Verizon make their customers pay a fee for the rental of the router. Not everyone would be keen on the idea to rent a router that they can buy for themselves. A third-party router would be able to work just as fine with only an upfront cost and no rental fees. 

The good news is that you will be able to use your own router that is compatible with Verizon and in many cases even improve your wireless service. The following steps will guide you in purchasing and setting up, your own router in place of the Verizon rental router. 

1) Buy a new router to replace your existing Fios router 

You may already have an old router in your possession that you may want to use but if you want a faster Wi-Fi speed then now may be your opportunity to purchase an upgraded router for faster Wi-Fi. your best bet is to obtain a router that provides gigabit Wi-Fi speeds and WPA2 encryption. Stay away from routers that only offer WEP encryption. 

Additionally, you will need an Ethernet cable to connect the Verizon Optical Network Terminal ONT to your new router.  These Ethernet cables are inexpensive and widely available. you need to consider the length of the chord that is needed to connect your router to your ONT box.

2) Call Verizon technical support to switch your ONT from coax to Ethernet

Call Verizon’s support number and follow the prompts to access internet technical support. When you get a real person on the line, you should inform them that you would like to change your ONT from coax to Ethernet, so that you may be able to use your own router. The agent will most likely know what is needed and complete the request quickly. It may take a few minutes for the switch to be activated.  The Ethernet signal should be automatically picked up by your router. Before you hang up the phone with the agent, you must verify this by unscrewing the coax cable from the router. Ensure that you still have internet access by opening a website on a device that is connected to your Wi-Fi network.

3) Release the IP address on your Fios router

You must release your IP address from your existing Fios router to allow the ONT box to attach the right  IP address to your new router when you plug it in. This should happen on its own after a short period of time, but you also have the option to do it manually just to make sure.

4) Factory reset your Verizon Router

Your router will have various types of personal information saved on it, the name of your Wi-Fi network, your Wi-Fi network password info, as well as the MAC addresses of each device that connected to the router. You need to do a factory reset before returning it to Verizon.

You can reset your router by pressing and holding the red Reset button on the back of your router for at least 3 seconds. Furthermore, you can also log into your router, and go to Advanced > Save & Restore > Restore Options > Restore Factory Defaults and select “Out of Box settings” located in the dropdown menu. You can now click the Restore configuration button. 

As soon as the router has been reset successfully, the login page for the First Time Easy Setup Wizard will be displayed. You can now unplug the Ethernet cable from your router, and pack it up for return.

5) Connect and set up your new router

Remove the Ethernet cable from your Fios router and plug it into your new router’s Ethernet input jack. This jack may be labeled input, WAN, or something else that will be stated in the setup instructions. The next step is to, turn on your router. The router should automatically recognize the available signal from your ONT box and proceed with the setup process. 

6) Return your equipment to Verizon

Once you choose to use your own router, you will then have 30 days to return your Fios router to Verizon, or a rental fee will be applied. You also need to return the power cord as well as with the router. Ensure that you get a receipt from the store to confirm that your equipment has been returned.

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