From: Andrew Schulman on
What's the latest on getting Linux to work with FIOS? Will I need to
supply a Windoze machine during installation?

In particular, I don't want to use their supplied router. I have my own
router/firewall built in Debian, to my specifications. Once the service is
installed, I want to take their router out of the loop and put mine in its
place. Has anyone else had success with that?

Thanks,
Andrew.

--
To reply by email, change "deadspam.com" to "alumni.utexas.net"
From: Lew Pitcher on
On January 14, 2010 10:57, in comp.os.linux.networking, andrex(a)deadspam.com
wrote:

> What's the latest on getting Linux to work with FIOS? Will I need to
> supply a Windoze machine during installation?

I don't use FIOS or Verizon, and have had no experience with either.

Having said that, the first hit off of a Google search for /linux +fios/ is
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/liberating_verizon_fios_using_free_operating_systems
which seems to discuss the very topic you are interested in.

> In particular, I don't want to use their supplied router. I have my own
> router/firewall built in Debian, to my specifications. Once the service
> is installed, I want to take their router out of the loop and put mine in
> its place.

Sounds simple enough. According to that freesoftwaremagazine.com article,
the FIOS termination block (the fibre equivalent of the POTS Demarcation
point) has both a phone jack /and/ an ethernet jack. You should have no
problems running ethernet from the "public" side of your Debian router to
the jack on the termination block.

Apparently, the only Windows requirement is for an "activation program", but
(according to the article) the Verizon installer can do the same through a
web browser.

> Has anyone else had success with that?

Probably. Let's see who else responds.
--
Lew Pitcher
Master Codewright & JOAT-in-training | Registered Linux User #112576
Me: http://pitcher.digitalfreehold.ca/ | Just Linux: http://justlinux.ca/
---------- Slackware - Because I know what I'm doing. ------


From: Bit Twister on
On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:57:12 -0500, Andrew Schulman wrote:
> What's the latest on getting Linux to work with FIOS?

I connected ethernet cable to fios router, Set ip as fixed 192.168.130
with opendsn.com's dns servers, restarted network and was surfing away.

Optionally, you can set nic for dynamic ip and use the ISP's dns servers.

> Will I need to supply a Windoze machine during installation?

Fios tech can do any registration with their laptop if needed.

I happen to have "general.appname.override", "Mozilla" in about:config
That fakes out most site's requiring a windows browser.

I have java.com's jre and Adobe.com's flash installed. I have no problems
getting around in http://www.verizon.net/central/appmanager/portal/vzcentral
to manage my accounts using Firefox.

> In particular, I don't want to use their supplied router.

Then you buy an approved fios router.
From: Andrew Schulman on
> > What's the latest on getting Linux to work with FIOS? Will I need to
> > supply a Windoze machine during installation?
>
> I don't use FIOS or Verizon, and have had no experience with either.
>
> Having said that, the first hit off of a Google search for /linux +fios/ is
> http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/liberating_verizon_fios_using_free_operating_systems
> which seems to discuss the very topic you are interested in.

Yes, I saw that. That article seems to be about running Linux hosts behind
Verizon's router, which, yes, I would expect to be routine. Most of the
search results for Linux + FIOS are of that kind. I guess my real question
is about substituting my router for theirs.

> > In particular, I don't want to use their supplied router. I have my own
> > router/firewall built in Debian, to my specifications. Once the service
> > is installed, I want to take their router out of the loop and put mine in
> > its place.
>
> Sounds simple enough. According to that freesoftwaremagazine.com article,
> the FIOS termination block (the fibre equivalent of the POTS Demarcation
> point) has both a phone jack /and/ an ethernet jack. You should have no
> problems running ethernet from the "public" side of your Debian router to
> the jack on the termination block.

Yes, I saw that too, but it wasn't clear to me from that description
whether the network would still run if I just plugged my router into it.
Maybe if I clone my outward-facing MAC address to match theirs? Or is
there some other sneaky way they have of making sure I'm not using
"unauthorized equipment"? I'd hate to make the switch and then find out
that I can't run my own LAN as I like.

Then again if I do have to use their router, I guess I could just turn all
of the NAT and firewall functionality off, and route straight into my
router. Anyone using that approach?

Also, the latest I've seen about ports is that they block inbound to port
80, but not others. Can anyone give any recent experience with that? In
particular, can I connect in to ssh and https?

> Apparently, the only Windows requirement is for an "activation program", but
> (according to the article) the Verizon installer can do the same through a
> web browser.

Fair enough.

Of course I could just call them and ask. I guess the key would be not to
say the word "Linux" (as in, "we don't support Linux") but just to ask if I
can use my own router instead of theirs.

Thanks,
Andrew.

--
To reply by email, change "deadspam.com" to "alumni.utexas.net"
From: Bit Twister on
On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:30:55 -0500, Andrew Schulman wrote:
> Or is
> there some other sneaky way they have of making sure I'm not using
> "unauthorized equipment"? I'd hate to make the switch and then find out
> that I can't run my own LAN as I like.

Worst case, just plug your router into the Fios router.

> Also, the latest I've seen about ports is that they block inbound to port
> 80, but not others. Can anyone give any recent experience with that? In
> particular, can I connect in to ssh and https?

I have ssh port forwarded to my linux box.

Some light reading found here
http://www.fiberfaq.com/admin/attachments/actiontec_mi424wr_manual.pdf
which is the router given to me.