A Guide to Verizon Fios Compatible Modems
If you’re looking forward to enjoying the fast speeds of Verizon Fios, you may be interested in learning which routers can help you achieve them. The good news is you have several choices. The best router for Verizon Fios is going to incorporate either Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 technology, enabling you to maximize the speeds you get with a fiber-optic connection. You can get the connectivity you need without spending a lot of money as well.
The router that’s best for you often comes down to the size of your home, the package you plan on subscribing to, and the number of people connecting to Wi-Fi at once. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the best Verizon-compatible routers and modems.
- Why you need a modem
- Why you need a router
- Balancing price and performance
- What are the best modems and routers for Verizon Fios internet?
- Should I buy or rent my equipment for Verizon Fios internet?
Why you need a modem
With a dual-function device, which is one with both a router and modem inside, you get the best of both worlds. This is because a modem connects your home to your internet service provider’s (ISP’s) internet connection. Your ISP will run a cable or send a signal via satellite to your home and then your modem will connect to the signal, bringing internet into your house. But a modem alone, without a router, can’t send internet to multiple devices at the same time. That’s why a modem/router combo unit is important.
What to look for in a modem
While shopping for a modem, the most important things to look for include:
- Maximum Wi-Fi speed, especially if you have fast Fios service. You don’t want your ISP’s speed to be faster than the top speed your router can send to your devices.
- Whether it has Wi-Fi 6 technology, particularly if you want beamforming capabilities.
- The number of frequencies it has. You may prefer a mix of both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
Why you need a router
The router function within a modem takes the signal coming from your ISP and sends it to the different devices used by people who live in or visit your home. In most cases, you’ll want to opt for a unit that provides a wireless router, which sends a Wi-Fi signal throughout your house. The combo modem/routers in this guide have both capabilities, as well as the ability to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal that multiple users can connect to simultaneously.
Another feature to look out for is an Ethernet port. Using an Ethernet port, you can physically connect your laptop or desktop to your modem/router combo unit, ensuring you get the best speeds possible through your router.
Features to look for in a router
The most important feature to look for in a router, particularly if you’re in the market for one that connects your home to Verizon Fios, is its ability to provide both routing and modem services. If you were to get merely a router, you would need another device to get internet into your home. On the other hand, if you were to purchase a unit that was only a modem, you’d have to find another way to distribute Wi-Fi throughout your house.
Balancing price and performance
Balancing price and performance when purchasing a modem and router ultimately comes down to choosing the features you can’t live without and only adding convenient or fun extras if your budget can justify the higher price tag. For a Verizon Fios router, there are a few features that separate the less expensive routers from those that you may have to pay significantly more for. Here are some questions you can ask to make the decision a little more straightforward.
Do you need Wi-Fi mesh technology?
Some routers may cost slightly more because they give you the ability to incorporate a Wi-Fi mesh architecture in your home. What is Wi-Fi mesh and how does it work? The concept behind Wi-Fi mesh is relatively simple: it consists of a bunch of routers connected to each other, expanding internet connectivity across a broader area. It’s called a “mesh” network due to its topology, which involves each router being able to connect to all the others, as opposed to each router connecting to a central router. The routers connect to each other through a series of connectivity “spokes” protruding from the main router.
If you have a small home, you probably don’t need a router capable of being incorporated into a Wi-Fi mesh environment. In fact, even larger homes can ensure Wi-Fi signal reaches throughout the house by using Wi-Fi extenders in areas where the signal starts to weaken. But if you want flexibility when it comes to expanding the breadth of your network, Wi-Fi mesh technology may be necessary.
Do you need Wi-Fi capable of beamforming?
You may come across a Verizon Fios router that costs more because it enables beamforming. If you don’t need this tech, you may be able to get a router that costs a little less. Beamforming is a technology that comes with Wi-Fi 6 and allows your router to send a signal directly to specific devices. You may have heard of beamforming in connection with 5G wireless technology, too, where it performs a similar function for devices outside of a home or place of business.
With regular Wi-Fi, a signal gets broadcast all over your home, randomly going out from the router in all directions. Beamforming gives a router the ability to send a signal directly to a device it detects within range. In this way, the router can provide that device with faster speeds and a better overall connectivity experience. For users that don’t need Wi-Fi speeds over 50Mbps, beamforming may not be necessary, especially if you’re able to stay relatively close to the router while online.
Do you need a mobile app?
Routers compatible with Verizon Fios sometimes come with a mobile app you can use to adjust their settings. On the other hand, all Verizon Fios routers provide some sort of access to the device’s settings—even if that means you have to log in to an online portal using a laptop or desktop computer. If you want to be able to make adjustments to your router’s settings while away from home or when you’re far from the device, it may be worth it to invest a little extra in a unit that comes with a mobile app. Otherwise, you can opt for a less-expensive one.
What are the best modems and routers for Verizon Fios internet?
These are the best modems and routers for Verizon Fios because they provide a combination of the features you need and the throughput required to handle the quick speeds that you have access to as a Fios subscriber. In addition, you can easily purchase the routers listed below online—and without spending too much money.
Best overall router for Verizon Fios: Asus AX3000 Wi-Fi 6
The Asus AX6000 is the best overall router for Verizon Fios service because it gives you a mix of high throughput, frequency bandwidths, security features, and speed. For Verizon Fios customers, speed is a crucial factor, especially because Fios can give you speeds up to 940Mbps. If you use a mesh network, you can also send multiple signals from more than one router to one unit, so you need one that can handle a lot of speed if you want to try getting even more than 940Mbps with Fios. The Asus AX3000 can give you up to 3000Mbps of speed and can also connect to a Wi-Fi mesh network.
To get that much total throughput, you would have to connect different devices to each of the Asus AX3000’s frequency bands, including 2.4GHz and 5GHz. These make it possible to get faster speeds while closer to the router if you’re using the 5GHz setting and a solid connection when you’re farther away from it while using the 2.4GHz setting.
You can get the Asus AX3000 for around $179.99, depending on where you shop, making it one of the more expensive units on the list. However, for this price you get excellent coverage for your entire home.
Pros and cons of the Asus AX3000
Pros
- Speed
- Wide coverage
- A mobile app
- Wi-Fi mesh-compatible
Cons
- High price
- Less processing power than some other units
Most affordable router for Verizon Fios: TP-Link AX1500 Wi-Fi 6
The TP-Link AX1500 only costs around $69.90 all while giving you several useful features. You get beamforming and dual frequency bands, just like the Asus AX3000, but for less than half the price. The AX1500 also gives you enough coverage to reach your entire house but can interface with a mesh network if needed. However, you may have to sacrifice some speed—at least when compared with the Asus AX3000. The TP-Link AX1500 maxes out at 1,500Mbps of total throughput when using both frequency bands on different devices, but that should be more than enough for most households.
Pros and cons of the TP-Link AX1500
Pros
- Wide coverage
- Wi-Fi mesh-compatible
- Low price
Cons
- Less speed than other comparable routers
- A maximum of only 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz frequency
- Less processing power than some other units
Most versatile modem for Verizon Fios: NETGEAR Orbi Wi-Fi 6
If you want to maximize your connection options and have a larger home, the NETGEAR Orbi may be a solid option. It can cover up to 5,000 square feet, making it a good choice for big houses or families that want to use Wi-Fi outside the home without getting an extender or another router. You can also get a satellite add-on that extends your service over a span of 7,500 square feet. With the Orbi’s throughput, you can get as much as 2500Mbps, and this can be shared across 100 different devices.
These features drive the price higher than many other Verizon Fios router options. As a result, the NETGEAR Orbi may cost you around $660. But for homes that would otherwise need two or three routers to cover all of their square footage, the Orbi could be a good investment.
Pros and cons of the NETGEAR Orbi
Pros
- Wide coverage
- You can add an additional satellite internet unit
- High speed
Cons
- High price point
- Rounded shape could make it harder to store in tight spaces
Most affordable router for large homes: TP-Link Deco
The TP-Link Deco, like the NETGEAR Orbi, also provides Wi-Fi to a large area: 5,500 square feet. But costs significantly less at $129.99. Many of its features are the same as the Orbi. It can handle up to 100 devices, you can get additional units with it to extend your network, and you get both a 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency band. But your speeds may be slower because the TP-Link Deco maxes out at 1,167Mbps when you have multiple devices, each connected to a different bandwidth.
Pros and cons of the TP-Link Deco
Pros
- Wide coverage
- You can add on an additional satellite internet unit
- Low price
Cons
- Limited Wi-Fi speed
- Rounded shape could make it harder to store in tight spaces
Should I buy or rent my equipment for Verizon Fios internet?
The decision to buy or rent your Verizon equipment may hinge on the price of a new unit when compared to how much you’d have to pay in rental fees. With Fios service, you may have to pay up to $15/month to rent your modem. That means that over the course of a year, you may end up paying $180 in rental fees. For this price, if your home isn’t too large, you can buy an Asus AX3000 and still have a little money to spare.
In some cases, you may be able to reuse a router you purchase with a different ISP’s service. This may make buying a router a better choice, especially if you may be moving in the near future and you’re not sure if your new home will have Verizon Fios as an option.
*Pricing varies by location and availability. Speeds may vary. All prices subject to change; for current pricing and availability visit our internet service page. Prices as of 3/25/22.
Disclosure | Updater articles are based on our own data and research, independent from partner relationships. We are not compensated by partners for information and opinions presented here. Our Editorial Terms of Service can be found here.
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