Verizon Fios and pfSense
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The routers that Verizon provide essentially include a built-in MoCA bridge to be able to support network connectivity over MoCA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_over_Coax_Alliance) for the TV STB's. However, you don't have to use the MoCA bridge that's part of the Verizon router, you can buy your own and run it separately on you network, for example:
https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200S02/dp/B013J7OBUU/
I have been running Verizon FiOS triple play service for a couple years now with pfSense using an Actiontec ECB6000 as the MoCA bridge on my network, and this has worked great:
https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-MoCA-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6000S02/dp/B013J7NUXO/
Both TV guide and VOD (video on demand) work without issues. I think for the Remote DVR capability a few other things have to be done to get it to work when using your own router, but I don't use this feature so unfortunately don't know specifics off hand.
Hope this helps.
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tmann222...thank you for the reply. Seeing that Verizon no longer uses coax cable, at least in my installation, instead of a coax connector on one side of the MoCA bridge, wouldn't it be nice to have an HDMI connector? Ethernet from the wall to the MoCA device and then HDMI to the TV; not sure if I have that right or not. Wishful thinking probably.
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@newUser2pfSense - Did you rent a STB when you ordered Triple Play from Verizon? If you don't have an STB or Cable Card for your TV, streaming might be the best option since the MoCA bridges are not a replacement for those devices unfortunately. However, they are viable alternative to the Verizon provided routers to be able to provide network connectivity to the STB.
Hope this helps.
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Start here: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios
Incredibly informative and maintained.
More specific information here: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16077
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@tman222 - I didn't rent a set top box at the time seeing that I declined their router which meant that I wasn't going to get their television. So, I can connect the Ethernet connector of the MoCA bridge to my network and the coax goes into Verizon's set top box? Is that the configuration?
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@newUser2pfSense said in Verizon Fios and pfSense:
@tman222 - I didn't rent a set top box at the time seeing that I declined their router which meant that I wasn't going to get their television. So, I can connect the Ethernet connector of the MoCA bridge to my network and the coax goes into Verizon's set top box? Is that the configuration?
Yep, that's correct. And then from the STB run HDMI to your TV. You'll probably need to get a coax splitter since there is a coax connection directly from the ONT that you'll need to hook up as well to receive TV service. The links @tim-mcmanus provided give a good overview of different types of setups and to how connect everything up. Hope this helps.
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I have some open Ethernet ports on my pfSense router so I wonder if I could create an interface for just the Verizon router? Block that interface from communicating with all of the other interfaces. Is there anything I might be missing here?
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@newUser2pfSense - sure, you could do that. I have a separate subnet on my network as well for media devices (e.g. Smart TV's, STB's etc.). I saw you mentioned Verizon router - are you planning on using the router from Verizon now vs. just a MoCA bridge?
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@tman222 - With an interface setup on my pfSense router specifically for Verizon, using their router is a distinct possibility for television. I'm trying to explore options on what would be the most secure way of connecting their router to my pfSense router. As well, I spoke to Verizon this evening and they don't even offer a streaming television service using say an app on Roku or Apple TV. That's a bummer. That would have solved the issue.
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@newUser2pfSense - maybe I missed it earlier in this thread, but is there a particular reason you want to use Verizon's router and having to double NAT vs. just using a MoCA bridge?
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@tman222 - My apologies...I should have mentioned that if I did use Verizon's router, I was going to administrate/login to it and disable DHCP, etc. I just wasn't going to plug it in cold to the pfSense interface I would configure for it.