FAQ

Can I use the Ethernet ports to connect the Extender to the gateway/modem?

Yes.

I have verified that the Ethernet port #1 can be used for backhaul to the gateway router. (forgot to test Ethernet #2)

The confusion probably originates from the badly written Actiontec User Guide for WCB6200Q. While the description section reads:

Dual-port Gigabit Ethernet switch: used for directly connecting the
Extender to the gateway/modem.

The setup section never mentioned how to connect the Extender to a gateway router via Ethernet. It only talked about the coax option. The description above is not entirely accurate, either, because the Ethernet ports can be used to connect client devices. All of this may be obvious to a computer networks expert, it will not be intuitive to an average Fios customer that the Ethernet ports can be used for client devices as well as backhaul without correct labeling and/or better written manuals.

Note that if Ethernet backhaul works for you at all, then you don’t need the Fios Network Extender – because most modern routers support AP mode. As discussed previously, the primary advantage of the FNE are:

1. Can use coax to connect to gateway router for homes not wired with Ethernet.
2. Can automatically copy existing Wi-Fi settings from Fios Quantum Gateway for plug-and-play setup.