Verizon Fios CR1000A & G3100 Bridge Mode & ONT Guide
If you have Verizon Fios Internet-only service, you do not need to put the CR1000A or G3100 into Bridge Mode at all—simply unplug the Ethernet cable from the white Verizon router's WAN port and plug it directly from the black Verizon Fiber ONT into your own router's WAN port. Unlike AT&T, Verizon Fios uses standard DHCP over Ethernet on the ONT with zero 802.1X router lock-in.
- Internet-only Fios secret: Disconnect the Verizon CR1000A, CR1000B, or G3100 completely and connect the black Nokia/Alcatel ONT's Ethernet cable straight into your personal router's WAN port.
- No DHCP lease wait required: Since 2020, Verizon Fios OLTs immediately grant a new public IPv4 DHCP lease when a new router MAC address connects to the ONT.
- Fios TV VMS / IPC coax requirement: If you have Fios TV DVR set-top boxes, they require a MoCA 2.5 LAN connection back to your router for Caller ID, On-Demand, and guide updates.
- Disable SON and IPv6 checksum bugs: If keeping the CR1000A as a secondary MoCA bridge at
https://192.168.1.1, disable its DHCP server and WiFi radios underAdvanced → Network Settings.
1. Method A (Internet-Only): Plugging Directly into the Verizon Fiber ONT
Every Verizon Fios installation consists of two separate pieces of equipment: the black Optical Network Terminal (ONT) (such as the Nokia G-2110C-A, I-211M-L, or 2 Gbps NGPON2 ONT) mounted in your basement, garage, or media panel, and the white cylindrical/rectangular Verizon router (CR1000A, CR1000B, or G3100). The ONT performs the optical-to-Ethernet conversion, while the CR1000A/G3100 is just a standard consumer router.
If you subscribe to Fios Internet only (or use YouTube TV, Apple TV, or Fios TV+ streaming boxes without legacy coax DVRs), remove the Verizon router entirely:
- Trace the Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet cable coming from the black Verizon ONT into the red or white WAN port on the back of the CR1000A or G3100.
- Unplug that WAN Ethernet cable from the Verizon router and plug it directly into the WAN (Internet) port on your own router (UniFi, ASUS, eero, TP-Link, or Netgear).
- Power on your router and set its WAN connection type to Automatic IP (DHCP). Within 15 seconds, your router will receive a public Verizon IPv4 address and a
/56IPv6 prefix.
2. Method B (With Fios TV Coax Boxes): Replacing CR1000A with a MoCA 2.5 Adapter
If you have Verizon Fios TV Service with a VMS1100 / VMS4100 Video Media Server and IPC1100 / IPC4100 Mini client boxes, those set-top boxes receive live QAM video channels directly from the ONT's coax port, but they require an active MoCA (Multimedia over Coax) LAN connection to your router for the interactive program guide, DVR scheduling, and VOD activation.
The cleanest architecture when using your own router with Fios TV is to box up the CR1000A/G3100 and install a compact $55 MoCA 2.5 Adapter (such as a goCoax MA2500D or Actiontec/ScreenBeam ECB6250):
- Connect the ONT Ethernet cable directly to your third-party router's WAN port.
- Screw the coaxial cable (that used to attach to the Verizon router's coax port) onto the
MoCA / Coax Inport of the MoCA 2.5 adapter. - Connect a short Ethernet patch cable from the MoCA adapter's RJ45 port to any LAN port on your third-party router. Your Fios TV boxes will pull private
192.168.x.xIPs from your router and work seamlessly.
3. Method C: Putting the CR1000A or G3100 into Bridge / LAN MoCA Mode
If you prefer not to buy a standalone MoCA adapter and want to use your existing CR1000A or G3100 strictly as a free coax MoCA bridge behind your new router (or as a dumb WAN bridge), log into https://192.168.1.1 using the admin password printed on the rear label behind the QR code:
- Step 1 (Disable WiFi): Go to Wi-Fi → Primary Network and toggle 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz radios to
Off. Do the same under Guest/IoT Network. - Step 2 (Reassign LAN IP & Disable DHCP): Navigate to Advanced → Network Settings → IPv4 Address Distribution, set the DHCP Server to
Disabled, and click Apply. Then go to Advanced → Network Settings → Network Connections → Network (Home/Office) → Settings and change the CR1000A's IPv4 address to192.168.1.2(assuming your main router is192.168.1.1). - Step 3 (Wire LAN-to-LAN): Plug the ONT Ethernet into your primary router's WAN port. Run an Ethernet cable from a LAN port on your primary router to a LAN port on the CR1000A, and leave the coax cable attached to the CR1000A.
4. Fixing Verizon Fios Intel NIC / ONT IPv6 TCP Checksum Slowdowns
When connecting a custom router or PC with an Intel Ethernet controller (such as Intel I225-V, I226-V, or X550/X710) or certain Broadcom switches directly to a Nokia/Alcatel Fios ONT with IPv6 enabled, you may notice download speeds stay at 940 Mbps while IPv6 upload speeds collapse to under 0.5 Mbps. This is a documented hardware interaction where the Nokia ONT drops outbound IPv6 frames that rely on NIC hardware TCP/UDP checksum offloading.
To resolve Fios IPv6 upload stalling:
- On Linux / OPNsense / pfSense routers: Disable hardware checksum offloading on the WAN interface (in OPNsense:
Interfaces → Settings → Disable hardware checksum offload; in Linux:ethtool -K eth0 tx-checksumming off). - On Windows 11 PCs: Open Device Manager → Network adapters → Properties → Advanced and set both
TCP Checksum Offload (IPv6)andUDP Checksum Offload (IPv6)to Disabled.
Verizon Fios Router Replacement & Topology Options
| Subscriber Setup | Recommended Topology | CR1000A / G3100 Needed? | Fios TV Guide / VOD Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fios Internet Only (300M / 500M / 1G / 2G) | ONT Ethernet -> Third-Party Router WAN | No (Unplug & store CR1000A) | N/A (Streaming apps work natively) |
| Fios Internet + Fios TV (VMS1100/4100 Coax) | ONT Eth -> Router WAN; Router LAN -> MoCA 2.5 Adapter -> Coax | No (Replaced by $55 MoCA adapter) | Full Guide, DVR, Caller ID & On-Demand |
| Fios TV using CR1000A as Free MoCA Bridge | ONT Eth -> Router WAN; Router LAN -> CR1000A LAN + Coax | Yes (DHCP & WiFi disabled on CR1000A) | Full Guide & DVR (Remote DVR app limited) |
| Third-Party Mesh (eero/Deco) in AP Mode | ONT Eth -> CR1000A WAN; CR1000A LAN -> Mesh AP Mode | Yes (CR1000A stays primary router) | 100% Native Verizon TV & App Support |
| Legacy Coax-Only WAN (<=100 Mbps) | Call Verizon or run Cat6 from ONT to switch ONT to Ethernet WAN | No once ONT is provisioned for Ethernet | Requires Ethernet WAN provisioning for >100M |
Verizon Fios Third-Party Router Migration Checklist
- Verified that the black Verizon Fiber ONT is provisioned on its RJ45 Ethernet port (required for all 300M/500M/1G/2G plans).
- For Internet-only setups: plugged ONT Ethernet cable directly into the new router's WAN port and unplugged the CR1000A/G3100.
- For Fios TV coax setups: connected a MoCA 2.5 adapter (or LAN-bridged CR1000A) between a router LAN port and the coax splitter.
- Confirmed new router WAN receives a public IPv4 address via DHCP and DHCPv6 /56 Prefix Delegation.
- Disabled TCP/UDP IPv6 Checksum Offloading on Intel NICs or OPNsense/pfSense WAN if IPv6 upload speeds test below 5 Mbps.
- Rebooted Fios VMS4100 set-top boxes (if applicable) so they pull fresh DHCP leases from the new router.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Verizon charge me or block support if I unplug the CR1000A and use my own router?
No. Verizon explicitly permits customer-owned routers connected directly to the ONT Ethernet port. If the CR1000A or G3100 is included at $0/month in your current Fios Mix & Match plan, simply keep it stored in a closet so you can return it if you ever cancel service or plug it back in if Verizon tech support asks to run remote diagnostics.
Why does my ONT have a coax cable attached if my internet runs over Ethernet?
Even when your internet service runs over the ONT's RJ45 Ethernet port, the ONT still outputs RF QAM television signals over its coaxial port if you subscribe to linear Fios TV. Never disconnect the coax cable from the ONT if you have Fios TV set-top boxes.
How do I put the CR1000A into true WAN-to-LAN Bridge Mode at 192.168.1.1?
Inside https://192.168.1.1 under Advanced > Network Settings > Network Connections > Network (Home/Office) > Settings, you can bridge the Broadband Connection into the local network and disable DHCP. However, plugging your own router directly into the ONT Ethernet port is vastly simpler and avoids the CR1000A becoming a single point of failure.
Does the Verizon CR1000A support 2.5 Gbps or 10 Gbps Ethernet ports?
Yes, the white rectangular Verizon CR1000A and CR1000B feature one 10GbE WAN port, one 10GbE LAN port, and two 2.5GbE LAN ports. If you upgrade to 2 Gig Fios and replace the CR1000A with your own router, ensure your router has at least a 2.5GBASE-T or 10GBASE-T WAN port.