Currently have Spectrum (cable) Internet with home phone over Spectrum VoIP.

Spectrum supplies a free modem and rather than rent a router, I bought a TP-Link AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Router.

I'm considering switching to C-Spire Fiber Optic but have no idea what that might entail.

My questions are ...
- Will my Tp-Link AX3000 Router work with C-Spire Fiber ?
- Does Fiber require a modem?
- Currently my home phone VoIP connects directly to the Spectrum modem. My TP-Link Router does not have a VoIP port. How does home phone service connect to Fiber hardware?

All I know about Fiber is that a shoe box size device (NID?) will be attached to the side of the house.

I'm sure there are perhaps other issues I haven't even thought about. Thoughts ?? Thanks !!!

Fiber internet will require a modem-like device called an Optical Network Terminal. This in turn will connect to your Wifi router, just like your current cable modem.

Your current AX3000 wifi router will work with the new fiber setup. It needs an internet connection in, but doesn't care if it's from cable or fiber.

As to how your Spectrum VoIP phone will interface with your fiber internet, it very likely won't. It sounds like that's tied to your cable internet service via Spectrum. But there may be a way to continue it alone. (Though you're likely currently getting a price break by bundling phone and internet from Spectrum, so that may not make financial sense.)

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
Currently have Spectrum (cable) Internet with home phone over Spectrum VoIP.

Spectrum supplies a free modem and rather than rent a router, I bought a TP-Link AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Router.

I'm considering switching to C-Spire Fiber Optic but have no idea what that might entail.

My questions are ...
- Will my Tp-Link AX3000 Router work with C-Spire Fiber ?

Assuming that C-Spire will provide an ethernet drop from their ONT (Optical Network Terminator), yes. It might require some reconfiguration, but your WiFi and LAN should stay the same. You would plug the cable from the ONT into the blue WAN port on your router.

quote:

- Does Fiber require a modem?

It's called an ONT, but it serves the same purpose as a modem does on a Co-Ax or twisted pair WAN.

quote:

- Currently my home phone VoIP connects directly to the Spectrum modem. My TP-Link Router does not have a VoIP port. How does home phone service connect to Fiber hardware?

VoIP is media-independent. The phone part doesn't care whether it is carried by wire, fiber, radio (e.g. WiFi), or jungle drums. Typically, you would purchase an ATA (Analog Terminal Adapter), a device that turns a VoIP network connection (e.g. Ethernet or WiFi provided by your router) into a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) port. You then plug your oldstyle phones or phone switch into the port on the ATA just like you used to do to the RJ-11 wall socket. Some ATAs will provide service to multiple drops in a home wired for Bell System style phones. The Spectrum modem you speak of obviously has an ATA built into it.

Alternatively, you can procure one or more SIP phones. The connect directly to your LAN. These will generally provide better call quality than ATAs. E-mail me if you want specific recommendations for products and providers.

quote:

All I know about Fiber is that a shoe box size device (NID?) will be attached to the side of the house.

This is the ONT, the "network" (WAN) side is fiber, the LAN side would usually be 100baseT or GigE Ethernet. The LAN side plugs into your AX3000. Most ONT's I've seen have both Ethernet and Co-Ax ports for the LAN side, and can be configured to use either (but not both simultaneously). It is barely possible that the LAN side might be Co-Ax only, in which case you'd need a MOCA adapter to convert the Co-Ax to Ethernet.

quote:

I'm sure there are perhaps other issues I haven't even thought about. Thoughts ?? Thanks !!!

For the VoIP devices in your home to work, you will have to open an account with a SIP provider. This is an entity that connects your VoIP devices with the global telephone network. If you want to keep your existing phone number, it can be "ported" to the SIP provider of your choice (Google will reveal thousands of these "phone companies"). VoIP does not work quite the same way as POTS from a user's and administrator's perspective, so be prepared for a learning curve.

Also, you may have to reconfigure your AX3000 to what C-Spire provisions (change IP addresses and options, etc.) Make sure you have administrator access to your AX3000 before the C-Spire install. Usually this can be plug'n'play, but Spectrum might have done something unusual.

I would also suggest that you take some time to examine and understand the wiring in your home. At the very least this may influence where to tell C-Spire to locate their drop, and where you will want to locate your equipment to minimize any new cabling requirement.