Third Party Fiber Optic Modem Inquiry
Third Party Fiber Optic Modem Inquiry
Your ISP will need to suggest the best option. Typically, the ISP manages the modem or ONT's output settings.
A "modem" provides just one output. To use more ports, you'd need a router, as only one IP address is given to the fiber line.
Are there several public IP addresses assigned to your ISP account?
The only place I have heard you can buy your own device that has a fiber port is in india. Most other place do not allow it. First there is the technical issue. Almost all these systems use some form of GPON but there are many variation in the optical modules used and the configurations. The second reason is they don't want people misconfiguration stuff and taking all their neighbors down. There is only a single piece of fiber that has more than 20 houses spliced to it. I also suspect like cable modems the ISP does not want to support a large number of brands and models. The ISP will be responsible for firmware updates just like cable modem are.
In any case the answer is always call the ISP and ask. Even if something will technically work the ISP may not allow it. Huawei cable modem technically will work in the USA but the government and the ISPs refuse to allow you to activate them and lately they have made it extremely difficult to even import them.
I was checking Google or ATT to switch to.
The responses are really good! Thanks everyone.
It seems Google Fiber and ATT Fiber haven’t been widely available yet for manufacturers to consider a solid investment. This would allow extra market fiber modems you can purchase at stores like Best Buy, CDW, ABT, Newegg, Amazon, etc.
As some of you suspected or already mentioned, you can definitely get a modem from the ISP, but it comes with its own set of issues, pros, and cons.
The main point is that it isn’t always as customizable as one might need or desire.
I’ll keep looking!
I rely on ATT for my ISP connection. Fiber is excellent.
For services, I use their ONT/Gateway but only for that purpose. I connect my UniFi router to theirs and then place all my devices behind it.
It’s secure, well-set up, and tailored to my requirements.
I don’t pay any rent for their equipment. I bought it outright when I started getting service a while back.
It isn't as if you'll have many options. You could be limited to a single fiber provider or one that uses coax cables. It's very unlikely there will be several fiber companies supplying your home.
As noted, the ATT router performs quite well. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and offers numerous features that would make a third-party router preferable. However, ATT makes it difficult to avoid using their own device entirely. Some users have tried setting up their own routers and successfully adjusted the GPON settings. They found that ATT has significantly enhanced security by employing certificates. These are typically used in enterprise environments to control access on corporate networks. The certificates are crafted to be nearly unrecoverable or replicable, meaning even a perfect copy of an ATT router would fail to operate correctly due to the lack of valid certificates.
In general, most fiber ISPs in the USA don't charge additional fees for routers, and it's possible to mask their presence by using your own device. For instance, ATT cannot be configured in bridge mode, yet it can transmit public WAN IP addresses to downstream routers for its own use.