Verizon is putting in Fiber in my neighborhood!

[Luigi239]

Finally, after two long years of looking at FIOS banner adds, Verizon is installing Fiber lines in my area, and my Neighborhood will be the first to get it! I planning on getting their internet package as soon as it becomes available. (The contractor said about 2 months....15mbps is worth the wait) I would also get the TV package, but sadly, it won't work with my TV micro DVR, and I don't feel like buying a new one.

They have completely butchered my lawn in the process, and instead of re-seeding the areas where they ripped up the grass, they just put the old grass into place. Now, I have a giant line of dead grass on my lawn, and it looks horrible.

To all of those who have FIOS, how do you like it? Would you recommend it? To those who can't get it...I feel great sympathy for you. I simply can't wait to leave my joke of an ISP, Comcast. There customer service, shady installers, bad rates, and the fact that I get 5mbps when I pay for 6, is enough to make me switch on day one.

 

[zioxide]

Make them give you a free month for ****ing up your grass.

 

[Luigi239]

Make them give you a free month for ****ing up your grass.

Yeah, thats probably a good idea. They re-seeded everybody else's lawn but now ours...

 

[benlee]

I can tell you this. It is available in my area and I ordered it. I ran into some problems with my internet order and my installation never took place. I wrote a letter to customer service headquarters and I got a phone call a month later by a very very nice woman who seems to be working very hard to resolve the issue. From my experience they screwed up but are working respectably to fix it. I know someone who has it and it is really fast and customer service seems to be great.

However, their provided router isnt that great.

 

[mac-er]

They are also going to cut the copper going to your house if you sign up, thus locking you into Verizon forever.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2007-07-08-verizon_N.htm

 

[Luigi239]

I can tell you this. It is available in my area and I ordered it. I ran into some problems with my internet order and my installation never took place. I wrote a letter to customer service headquarters and I got a phone call a month later by a very very nice woman who seems to be working very hard to resolve the issue. From my experience they screwed up but are working respectably to fix it. I know someone who has it and it is really fast and customer service seems to be great.

However, their provided router isnt that great.

Well, I don't think anything could be worse then Comcast, so I'm not that worried. I also have a netgear router that I like...there is nothing special about the router they give is there?

They are also going to cut the copper going to your house if you sign up, thus locking you into Verizon forever.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2007-07-08-verizon_N.htm

Hmm, I'll make sure I tell them not to cut it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Veritas&Equitas]

Well, I don't think anything could be worse then Comcast

Ain't that the truth. They're a frickin' nightmare; if I had ANY other realistic choice here in MN, I'd switch in a heartbeat.

 

[zioxide]

Well, I don't think anything could be worse then Comcast, so I'm not that worried

You mean concast.

 

[benlee]

Well, I don't think anything could be worse then Comcast, so I'm not that worried. I also have a netgear router that I like...there is nothing special about the router they give is there?

I'm pretty sure for the cable service it is required. However, I dont know specifically you would have to google that for answers.

 

[PupnTaco]

We've had Verizon FiOS TV & internet out here for a year or so, no complaints beyond the crappy Actiontec router they require us to use. It regularly drops its connection and you have to manually some "name" devices in its control panel in order for the router to see them (iPhone, Wii, XBox).

 

[Counterfit]

There's been fiber in my neighborhood ever since Cox put it in, uh, a long time ago. 8 years maybe? Of course, it's only to the pole, but once FiOS came to our area, they matched speeds and prices to it. No lawn digging necessary for 15Mbps.

Oh, and the best part is we don't have to deal with Verizon at all!

 

[Luigi239]

We've had Verizon FiOS TV & internet out here for a year or so, no complaints beyond the crappy Actiontec router they require us to use. It regularly drops its connection and you have to manually some "name" devices in its control panel in order for the router to see them (iPhone, Wii, XBox).

Wait, why do you have to use it? Does it have something that my current one doesn't?

 

[balamw]

I'm pretty sure for the cable service it is required. However, I dont know specifically you would have to google that for answers.

Wait, why do you have to use it? Does it have something that my current one doesn't?

The optical decoder box (ONT - Optical Network Terminal) they install splits off the video/voice and data lines into the usual copper cables (coax, Cat3 and Cat5 cables).

http://www.bricklin.com/fiosinstall.htm

The Actiontec router is not horrible, and the main additional feature it has over standard routers is that the Ethernet can, but doesn't need to be, brought in to the house on the coax cables. I don't use it for wireless though, preferring my AEBS.

B

 

[andiwm2003]

uhm, i had comcast for three years now and it's great. i have FIOS in my street for a year or so but there is no need to sign up because the 6Mb of comcast is easily enough. and it's been very reliable over the years.

 

[MonksMac]

We have had FiOS for about a year now. Even with just 5MB download speed it is very fast. TV service is fairly good as well and much better than Comcast. We also received the Actiontec router as well. It's not the greatest, but it does the job. The FiOS tech told us that we could use our older router but that the provided router would help us if we ever needed to call support adn supposedly also is faster (right...) than other normal (non-Verizon) routers. Good Luck!