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Devils advocate

(not for AT&T routers, which are crap, but for this conversion)

wouldn't this provide some benefit w/r/t electrical isolation of surges, etc. between the two networks?

In this case for AT&T FTTH there are two seperate devices a ONT and AT&T's router. The ONT is a media converter that converts the GPON (fiber) to Ethernet. AT&T's router is superfluous in the scenario where the customer wants to user their own router. The only reason AT&T's router is necessary is to perform the 802.1x authentication.

Living in Central Florida, the lightning capital of the United States, I take electrical isolation very seriously. This is what is so great about fiber. Instead of having a another separate conductor running into your house (twisted pair or coax) there is just a glass insulator (fiber). So no extra isolation needed.

ah yes! fiber! thanks good point.

Ethernet is electrical isolation, at both ends, supposedly good up to 1500V.

Ethernet would be really good at causing fires if this wasn't the case. Floating neutrals are no joke!

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