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Review by cbrain See Profile

  • Location: Silver Spring, Montgomery, MD, USA
  • Cost: $50 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 1 days
Professional install on schedule, stable, low latency, great speed both ways
Verizon bureaucracy, bad phone routing, more concerned with procedure than customer satisfaction.
Flawless connectivity since 03-2005, Verizon does things their own way.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

-------update 12-30-2014-----------

Coming up to 10 years flawless FiOS service. Had my first genuine service issue last spring when I discovered no service Saturday morning. The problem was my ONT. Verizon quickly diagnosed a bad power supply, scheduled a tech and I was back up late Sunday afternoon. I'm very happy with such service!

Some time this spring Verizon added $7/month to my bill. I don't have a Verizon phone, get no paper bill, don't recall any prior notice and couldn't find anything looking back other than the increase. While logged into & reviewing my account I was presented an offer to add FiOS TV for the price I had been paying for internet only plus fees & equipment. ...

-------update 06-15-2012-----------

My FiOS service was flawless all year. I'm now on a month to month basis. I reviewed the past years charges at contract end. Around the second month Verizon billed about $110 extra. I called and was told this was for their router. Verizon agreed this was an error and credited all but the sales tax. It wasn't worth another call. Everything else was as expected.

If Verizon could fix their flawed and aggravating bureaucracy, they would really become a great company I would be happy to buy more services from.

-------update 04-03-2011-----------

Got a gentle nudge back to Verizon when they terminated their wholesale agreement with DSL Extreme. Looking forward to a long, uneventful relationship.

If we can do internet with less drama this time ... I may just need to add Verizon TV service for entertainment.

»Review of DSL EXTREME by cbrain

-------update 03-30-2010-----------

A friend has worked for Verizon over 20 years. For the past two years she's lived in fear of being let go and is sure she won’t make it to pension. She tells me Verizon has warehouses full of FiOS TV equipment they expected would be in customer homes by now. I wanted to get FiOS TV well over 3 years ago. Verizon handled my calls poorly, gave me so much vague and downright wrong information I decided to wait until they were more experienced. I still don’t have their TV, dropped their phone service in December ’08 and now get my FiOS internet through a reseller.

A company that provides such great internet service deserves our attention and consideration. I love my DirecTV with TiVo and the price is right, but, internet is more important to me. I’d rather spend that money with Verizon.

Why does Verizon make it so hard on its customers?

For 3 years I made repeated attempts to convert my account from PPPoE to DHCP. DHCP has been available to my neighborhood for over 3 years. All new FiOS users get DHCP and can’t order PPPoE. Senior Verizon techs confirmed this is technically simple but there is no official procedure to make this change. Twice Verizon accepted my order to make this change, but failed. When I dropped my land line I was down 3 days and the rep promised I would come back online DHCP. NOT! At any point I would have added TV and kept the phone line if Verizon gave me what I wanted and packaged the change to DHCP with a 1 year additional commitment.

When a customer doesn't have a phone line, Verizon requires auto billing to a card. Around 60 days after canceling my land line, my internet died. Turned out they did not have my card on file. The rep turned my service back on without payment when I again gave my number and expiration date. I asked if Verizon would have accepted this service change before getting billing info. The rep said no. I was unable to pay the balance on the website but was told Verizon would catch up on the next billing cycle.

About 4 months later I realized no Verizon payments had billed. I could see my account online but it wouldn't allow me to complete a payment. I tried to make a payment on the Verizon phone payment system. Did you know they add a fee to pay by phone. The phone company charging an extra fee to pay by phone … ironic. Turns out I was not able to pay because I did not have a phone number. They no longer accept payment at a local office. After several hours on the phone over 2 days Verizon was unable to take my payment. I mailed a check. I had now alerted Verizon to the fact I was now about 5 or 6 month overdue and feared they may cut service before my check processed. I made another call late in the afternoon. I called the FiOS toll free number, pressed all the right numbers and eventually reached a very competent rep … in the copper department. She made an extra effort and was able to explain why my payments did not go through. My card number and expiration were on file but no CVV code. Verizon won’t process a payment without one. She was unable to make the correction in the database because only FiOS reps can make changes. She noted my check payment. In all these calls and contacts over the next month, not a single rep made an effort to correctly enter my card information as required by Verizon. Inertia? I made my next payment through my banks electronic payment system. Only took minutes to set up.

Around June 20, I scheduled Verizon to terminate my account on July 31 unless they could switch me to DHCP. I got several calls from retention reps but all were unable to get it done. My online account showed several tickets opened and closed on July 4 but no change. In mid July a rep called me to complete my requested change. She said she would need to cancel my service then open a new account but should be able to do both hopefully within an hour. She completed the disconnect order, gave me a confirmation number then started the new order. She asked me to wait for that order number when my line went dead along with my internet.

Eventually, we discovered Verizon was unable to process the new order because I had a "final bill" that was never paid. I told Verizon this was my only account but they wouldn't accept that. Turns out Verizon established a new account number when I disconnected my land line. There were several transfers between accounts but they still showed a balance due. Verizon never mailed or emailed this bill and this account did not show on the online account page I could access. Because it was over 6 months old they couldn't give details. I offered to put the amount in dispute in escrow with Verizon while we figured all this out. Verizon refused. Lucky thing I didn't have cellular or TV bundled on this account!

I ordered FiOS through a Verizon reseller and service was back up in about a week ... on DHCP ... without an on site visit. My first reaction was to forget Verizon, but, as I cooled off I thought it better to resolve things. I found my bills for the problem period. When everything was finally settled, I got two checks from Verizon. One for each account.

My private label FiOS internet service is still flawless. I'm finally on DHCP and keep the same IP. My trash is filled weekly with multiple copies of colorful FiOS promotional material ... many individually addressed. I can no longer order Verizon TV while I'm with a re-seller, but I'm happy. Is Verizon well served?

»Review of DSL EXTREME by cbrain

»Can't get anyone to take my money!

»Anyone sucessfully switched from PPPoE to DHCP?

»[northeast] PPPoE to DHCP

-------update 06-24-2009-----------

I decided not to settle for what Verizon was willing to allow me and insist on getting what they provide new clients by default. I was unable to get such a concession and scheduled account termination for 7/31/2009.

-------update 06-20-2009-----------

Everyone at Verizon is courteous and completely comfortable not resolving whatever you call about. Even if you are trying to pay your bill when their auto billing isn't, and their website won't. They simply can not complete an electronic payment when the customer doesn't have a phone number even though their policy requires it. Verizon seems to have designed the system to require at least 2 people to complete any task. The problem starts with an IVR system unable to deliver incoming callers to the chosen place. It then appears there is no penalty for any rep not fixing a problem but they can be fired for taking corrective action.without following all the steps. The result being ... I love the service but not the company. I will most likely go back to Comcast for a few months then come back as a new Verizon customer so I get speeds and DHCP they give all new users but wont give a loyal 4+ year customer.

-------update 4-07-2008-----------

Still working. If you never need to speak with Verizon, it is a great service.

-------update 3-14-2007-----------

It just works ... and works well.

Verizon customer service is as bad as their service is good. I can now get FiOS video. I made several calls for information. After getting contradictory, inconsistent and downright incorrect information, I decided to wait until Verizon has more TV experience. The good news is, I have no need to call about my basic service.

----------3-15-05 ------------------------

Verizon FiOS Review - originally submitted 3-15-05 by email but there was not yet an ISP category for fiber.

Original review, 2 month update and real time questions. »FIOS - First 7 days reviewed

My FiOS connection has been flawless since my install 3-08-2005 except for 1 16 hour power outage. Up time, latency, stability and speed all great. BBR monitor shows 100% up time with very stable pings from all 3 monitors. All my logs look good. My IP changes every time I reboot my router but have never lost an IP between changes. When I test or make changes the connection comes right back up but with a new IP from a very large subnet (no setting a range to get access to IP secured servers). Port 80 incoming is blocked (Verizon confirmed) but seems to be the only one. The Verizon supplied D-Link DI-604 works well with both FIOS and Comcast Cable. My router/firewall connected instantly on a test and has been on FIOS since the first night. My Broadband reports monitor shows a steady Verizon ping that looks like a rectangle; about .10 + ms. lower than Comcast from all 3 locations. Comcast graphs looked like a pretty mountain range. The latency is a better plus than the speed in comparing this connection to Comcast.

Verizon DNS works and is fast. Nice to know DNS can be an always on service. I set up 3 email accounts online. Simple procedure, names must be a minimum of 6 characters and the system gives the option for alias. I don't know how this affects your total accounts. The email accounts worked with Outlook and Verizon web mail immediately. I never really started using Verizon email because I have other options and Verizon firewall rules block some incoming mail, including Broadband Reports, without notice. This mail just disappears and Verizon support was unable to unblock my requested domains or IP's. Newsgroups work well, no limits and are fast.

Support: Support is enthusiastic and attentive but disorganized. Verizon provides a special FiOS number but the call routing has failed on all 3 of my attempts, the last in October for a DHCP question. My first call got routed to a rep that could not handle calls from my state. My second call failed the auto routing but I spoke to a friendly rep that didn't have an answer.

This hasn't been an issue because the service works so well I have never needed to make a problem call. Bottom line; what better review could I can give any support program!

Ordering: Seinfield could do a show about my attempts to order FIOS from Verizon humans. After 4 days I gave up and started a web order for an un-needed phone line. I was offered FIOS, chose a number, passed credit and set the install date online. I hadn't had a land line in over 2 years. Verizon policy allows FIOS without phone service but seems unable to deal with such primitive customers.

Installation: Verizon confirmed the install. The week before outside techs ran fiber to the entry point and removed the copper. Two friendly professional techs showed up on time and did a great job. They offered but did not make me use Verizon software. Set up a username & password. They left the software and instruction and would have stayed to help me if necessary.

Router: Works. Easy to set up and change. Has several features including port forwarding, dynamic DNS, filters and firewall. Port forwarding works well. The Verizon D-Link has predefined rules for commonly used ports. You need only enable the port and set the internal IP. The D-Link writes the port forward and a firewall rule. I'll continue to use my own router because of QOS and traffic shaping.

Cost: about $55/month including a limited phone line.

After my install I moved my workstations and server to the Verizon Wan. I then turned off my old routers DHCP, changed the internal IP and added my Comcast connection to this LAN. I could then configure workstations to use either gateway (Verizon or Comcast) or DNS to access the internet. This way I could have workstations on either Comcast or Verizon and route workstations out one connection and back the other. I shifted the connections between routers 2 times. Everything worked well and both routers worked as expected. Both connections were good but I kept Verizon.

FiOS would be the perfect residential service if Verizon offered a static IP. DHCP with a stable IP could be a good alternative. My reason for this is because many networks I access use IP authentication.

member for 23.8 years, 4605 visits, last login: 6.5 years ago
updated 9.2 years ago

Assassinx
join:2007-03-14
Mammoth Lakes, CA

Assassinx

Member

speed check?

what is what is the speed of your connection?
cbrain (banned)
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD

cbrain (banned)

Member

Re: speed check?

I have the 5/2. I consistently get a little over 5Mbps down and between 1.7 & 1.8Mbps up.

ml
@verizon.net

ml

Anon

A potential solution to Verizon's port blocking...

»digg.com/linux_unix/Over ··· Web_Site

Hope this helps folks searching for a solution to Verizon's port blocking.
squirrel21
join:2007-03-12
New Port Richey, FL

squirrel21

Member

Did your friend make it to pension?

Curious, because I hate seeing experienced/knowledgeable people being let go and short-changed only to find that VZ ends up putting the job offshore or onshore via H1B/L1 imports OR turns it into contracting via supply chain system -- I've seen many billing related positions go this route despite the fact that VZ still has billing problems!

The only time I get good support is from seasoned bell-core people! The Customer Service voice response system and inexperience people reading and looping thru checklists is a turn-off!

VZ, stop letting go of your knowledgeable people!

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

tv

The best part about FiOS IS the TV. Try it out. Maybe you can qualify for the free DVR and free standard box.