do i need a fiber modem router?

[BoggerBoss]

i have a fiber connection and was looking to buy a modem router, the rx500. but it doesnt specify if it supports fiber. do i need a fiber one like the D7800?

[GenericFanboy]

1 minute ago, BoggerBoss said:

i have a fiber connection and was looking to buy a modem router, the rx500. but it doesnt specify if it supports fiber. do i need a fiber one like the D7800?

I mean, technically you dont NEED anything besides water and food and oxygen, But yes. you need it to be fiber compatible to use fiber.

[fuzz0r]

All routers will work.

Speeds depend on the routers specifications.

Your fiber installation most likely has a box with a LAN cable going into your router.

[BoggerBoss]

Just now, GenericFanboy said:

I mean, technically you dont NEED anything besides water and food and oxygen, But yes. you need it to be fiber compatible to use fiber.

well in that case is there anything similar to the dumaOS that i can use wiith any router?

[BoggerBoss]

1 minute ago, fuzz0r said:

All routers will work.

Speeds depend on the routers specifications.

Your fiber installation most likely has a box with a LAN cable going into your router.

the thing mounted into the wall that the modem plugs into?

[fuzz0r]

6 minutes ago, BoggerBoss said:

the thing mounted into the wall that the modem plugs into?

Your modem should have the LAN cable.

[Enderman]

You don't plug fiber directly into a router.

[BoggerBoss]

3 minutes ago, fuzz0r said:

Your modem should have the LAN cable.

the optical network terminal? it plugs into the wan port on my modem

 

[BoggerBoss]

6 minutes ago, Enderman said:

You don't plug fiber directly into a router.

there is no visual optical fiber cable from the ONT to the TP. but there is one port blocked off so maybe it behind the wall?

 

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, BoggerBoss said:

there is no visual optical fiber cable from the ONT to the TP. but there is one port blocked off so maybe it behind the wall?

 

Probably.

Just buy any router and plug it into the modem with an ethernet cable and you should have internet.

[BoggerBoss]

Just now, Enderman said:

Probably.

Just buy any router and plug it into the modem with an ethernet cable and you should have internet.

wait so whats the difference between a modem and a router?

[Donut417]

25 minutes ago, BoggerBoss said:

i have a fiber connection and was looking to buy a modem router, the rx500. but it doesnt specify if it supports fiber. do i need a fiber one like the D7800?

Depends on how your ISP sets you up. Some provide an ONT router combo. Some do a separate ONT and router. Also depends on if they convert to Ethernet or Coax at the house. 

[dalekphalm]

39 minutes ago, BoggerBoss said:

wait so whats the difference between a modem and a router?

A modem (Which actually stands for "Modulate demodulate") which indicates how old analog telephone modems worked.

 

Generically, we still use the term "modem" for "the box that interfaces with your ISP physical connection, and translates it to Ethernet" - whether the physical connection is a DSL line (Digital Subscriber Line - copper pair phone cable), or DOCSIS (Coaxial Cable "Cable TV" cable), or something else.

 

With Fibre, the term Modem isn't used as much - you'll often hear the term "Fibre Media Converter" or "ONT" instead. That's basically your "modem".

 

A Router is something that routes - the short answer is that a router is a combination Firewall, NAT, Switch, and usually Wireless Access Point too.

 

It negotiates an IP Address from your ISP (or is assigned one, depending on the setup) - this is your "WAN" IP. It then "converts" that IP into the many local IP's you have on your LAN (Local Area Network - your "internal" network).

 

The Router does many things, but routers and modems are different things.

 

However, to confuse things even more, a lot of ISP's use "Router/Modem" combo boxes (often called Gateways), which take a Router, and stick a modem inside it.

[Enderman]

1 hour ago, BoggerBoss said:

wait so whats the difference between a modem and a router?

The ONT converts the fiber to ethernet, the router takes that ethernet and makes wifi and adds extra ports just like a switch.

You could have just as easily typed your question into google too, btw.

[BoggerBoss]

41 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

A modem (Which actually stands for "Modulate demodulate") which indicates how old analog telephone modems worked.

 

Generically, we still use the term "modem" for "the box that interfaces with your ISP physical connection, and translates it to Ethernet" - whether the physical connection is a DSL line (Digital Subscriber Line - copper pair phone cable), or DOCSIS (Coaxial Cable "Cable TV" cable), or something else.

 

With Fibre, the term Modem isn't used as much - you'll often hear the term "Fibre Media Converter" or "ONT" instead. That's basically your "modem".

 

A Router is something that routes - the short answer is that a router is a combination Firewall, NAT, Switch, and usually Wireless Access Point too.

 

It negotiates an IP Address from your ISP (or is assigned one, depending on the setup) - this is your "WAN" IP. It then "converts" that IP into the many local IP's you have on your LAN (Local Area Network - your "internal" network).

 

The Router does many things, but routers and modems are different things.

 

However, to confuse things even more, a lot of ISP's use "Router/Modem" combo boxes (often called Gateways), which take a Router, and stick a modem inside it.

okay so back to my original question. will it mater if the router doesnt say if it supports fiber?

this one says nothing about supporting fiber

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/networking/routers/routers/netgear-nighthawk-xr500-ac2600-pro-gaming-router

But this one does

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/networking/routers/modem-routers/netgear-d7800-nighthawk-x4s-gigabit-modem-router

[dalekphalm]

14 minutes ago, BoggerBoss said:

okay so back to my original question. will it mater if the router doesnt say if it supports fiber?

this one says nothing about supporting fiber

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/networking/routers/routers/netgear-nighthawk-xr500-ac2600-pro-gaming-router

But this one does

https://www.computerlounge.co.nz/shop/networking/routers/modem-routers/netgear-d7800-nighthawk-x4s-gigabit-modem-router

I need to know what kind of Internet Service you actually have. Is there an ONT box with an Ethernet Cable? What kind of "cable" does your ISP provide inside the house?

 

The 2nd router has an integrated VDSL Modem - so it'll need a Copper Pair phone cable and a VDSL connection to work. VDSL is a kind of Fibre (FTTN - Fibre to the Node), which means that they run fibre to the junction box in your neighbourhood, and run regular phone cable back to your house from the junction box (this is called "The Last Mile").

 

If you have a pure true fibre connection, then literally any router will work, since you'll have another box (an ONT or Fibre Media Converter) that gives you an Ethernet Cable that plugs into any router's WAN port.

[BoggerBoss]

2 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

I need to know what kind of Internet Service you actually have. Is there an ONT box with an Ethernet Cable? What kind of "cable" does your ISP provide inside the house?

 

The 2nd router has an integrated VDSL Modem - so it'll need a Copper Pair phone cable and a VDSL connection to work. VDSL is a kind of Fibre (FTTN - Fibre to the Node), which means that they run fibre to the junction box in your neighbourhood, and run regular phone cable back to your house from the junction box (this is called "The Last Mile").

 

If you have a pure true fibre connection, then literally any router will work, since you'll have another box (an ONT or Fibre Media Converter) that gives you an Ethernet Cable that plugs into any router's WAN port.

it is a true fiber connection. its run around pretty much in every town here in new Zealand. my isp (spark, otherwise formally known as telecom here) provides us with a fiber connection and we are upgrading to fiber max witch is a max upload speed of 900mb/s

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, BoggerBoss said:

it is a true fiber connection. its run around pretty much in every town here in new Zealand. my isp (spark, otherwise formally known as telecom here) provides us with a fiber connection and we are upgrading to fiber max witch is a max upload speed of 900mb/s

So do you have an ONT with an Ethernet Cable?

[BoggerBoss]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

So do you have an ONT with an Ethernet Cable?

yes

 

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, BoggerBoss said:

yes

 

Then you should not get a router that is "Fibre compatible" - it's talking about a different type of Fibre connection (VDSL). I mean... you could, assuming it still had an Ethernet WAN port, but you'd be entirely wasting that VDSL feature.

 

You can buy literally any router that you like, and they will all be compatible.

[BoggerBoss]

2 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Then you should not get a router that is "Fibre compatible" - it's talking about a different type of Fibre connection (VDSL). I mean... you could, assuming it still had an Ethernet WAN port, but you'd be entirely wasting that VDSL feature.

 

You can buy literally any router that you like, and they will all be compatible.

okay thanks