[gabbleratchet]

Just received notice that FibeTV is finally available in my neighbourhood (North Toronto). As a long-suffering Rogers subscriber, I'm sold on FibeTV, but ambivalent about switching ISPs (Rogers Internet has been rock-solid and fast for years). Two questions:

1. Is the DSL modem connected to the traditional phone jacks or to the FibeTV network that is set up using coax or CAT5 for the TV boxes?

2. I assume these days the DSL modem always comes with a built-in router. Do you have to use the router, or can you opt to use your own router attached to it? (I currently have two wireless networks daisy-chained to my cable modem, one 802.11g router and one -n router simply acting as a wireless access point for faster devices)

Thanks.

 

[Norman_C]

Fibe TV / Internet - non-technical answer

The supplied modem/router serves as your gateway, and is connected to the outside Bell line, thence to the local fibre node.
It connects to your house network by ethernet (or wireless) and to your cable wiring.
I treat the modem/router as only a modem - it feeds my DIR-655 router/switch and the remainder of my house network. The Bell modem does do the PPPOE and authentication. You may need to have a technical discussion with your installer to have it set up the right way.
Having both the Bell modem and the DIR-655 router duplicating the PPPOE doesn't seem to slow down the service. I get 12 down and 7 up (paying extra for the faster upload speed)
The only drawback of my setup is that you cannot address the Bell modem's settings without bypassing the in-house router, as it is handling the DHCP.

While I don't have the FIBE TV service, the installer explained that the wiring is the same regardless.

 

[gabbleratchet]

Thanks. Goes to show I am a little behind the curve on this!

 

[pshine]

If you are getting Fibe TV (and Fibe Internet) then the modem will most likely be an Alcatel Lucent Cellpipe 7130. This is a VDSL2 modem which support both the data and video connections off your POTS service. (i.e. Fiber to the node then copper into your house/apartment). It has 4 ethernet ports and wireless (B/G/N).
It can connect to your TV's either by ethernet or cable.

There's plenty more info about the service in the Fibe TV thread.

 

[Gino Cerullo]

As to the reliability, where I live (Jane St/Wilson Av area) the fibe (fibe 25) service has been rock-solid (generally, Bell's DSL has been for a few years now). My understanding is if you are served by fibre-to-the-node your service should be rock-solid no matter what speed you subscribe to. YMMV though.

My service came with the Alcatel Lucent Cellpipe 7130 and a Linksys WAP610N access point. The Cellpipe 7130 is notorious for its very poor wireless performance, that is why Bell is/was also giving their customers the additional access point to handle the wireless connections.

In my case I already owned an Apple Airport Extreme and opted to use it to perform the PPPoE connection to Bell's network and to act as my router/access point. The Bell supplied Cellpipe 7130 only acts and a dumb modem to bridge my network to Bells and the Linksys WAP610N is still sitting in it shrink-wrapped packaging.

I found the instructions on how continue using your existing wireless router with the Cellpipe 7130 (as only a modem) on another web site. It involves resetting the Cellpipe 7130 to factory defaults and only configuring PPPoE on your router NOT the Cellpipe. Also make sure to disable the wireless network on the Cellpipe.

I believe (I haven't tested it) you can use the same configuration with fibeTV as the fibeTV receiver makes its own connection to the Bell network. You just have to change one setting on the Cellpipe. Under WAN settings, select 'VLAN + 2 PPPoE'. Again don't configure PPPoE on the Cellpipe let your router handle that and the FibeTV receiver will do it's own thing.