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Review by MagScribe See Profile

  • Location: West Chester, Chester, PA, USA
  • Cost: $330 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 5 days
Speedy Internet, awesome HD picture
Horrific customer support, pricey, bad, untrained installers
When it's good, it's great, when it's bad, you'll actually miss cable.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)

Been with FIOS Tv since Feb., 2007.

Switched from Comcast Internet and DirectTV.

The first couple years were generally good — good TV service, great Internet. Until they upgraded our ONT. Since then, it's been a nightmare of splitter failures, signal loss and botched service. I've personally had to replace multiple splitters, as at best TV signal is barely above threshhold for picture. When the splitter suffers a slight attenuation, boom, channels go away. We get burps and stalls on Net' and VOD, too , too.

Internal wiring doesn't appear to be the issue, as signal/channel failure is equal among four boxes. After a half dozen service visits, Verizon has been unable to solve the issue, claiming their ONT is just fine and dandy (It's not).

Customer service has lied -- claimed that an "escalation" service would contact us.

Unless you're very patient and rich, Verizon FIOS might not be worth your time or effort.

member for 22.6 years, 6099 visits, last login: 2 years ago
lodged 12.6 years ago


ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

1 edit

ITALIAN926

Member

Umm

How many TV's do you have? You changing splitters will likely do NOTHING to remedy your problem. Next technician that comes, demand that he use his signal meter. Ask to see the passing results. They should also check the router video signal to insure theres no major issues with wiring/ splitter. Poor connection for the router could explain your on-demand issues.

Also check the light signal coming into the ONT. If you have access to the ONT, check for a red FAIL video signal. If you see that alarm light, thats your issue.

This should NOT be a mystery.

... and P.S. if you have low grade coax within your house, or 30 year old rg58, you will have too much signal loss. Its not only how many times your lines split. You would have terrible service under those conditions regardless what service provider you have.

If Verizon has been there so many times, ask to speak to a supervisor, and for them to send someone that actually knows what theyre doing. Sorry to say, just as any workplace, there are different quality workers. Unfortunately, you mightve just had a couple lemons come by.

FooL
@verizon.net

FooL

Anon

Heat?

I had issues with stalling, stuttering and losing picture, but I also noticed the DVR was getting extremely hot. After I moved the DVR to a more open position, all of those issues stopped.

Maybe your issues are due to heat?

MagScribe
join:2001-08-20
West Chester, PA

MagScribe

Member

Re: Heat?

Cabling is fairly new, high-grade stuff installed as part of a custom network I used for video gear testing when I was an editor at Home Theater magazine, among other places. Cabling tests out fine -- troubles only started with the new ONT.

As for heat -- signal issues are constant across DVR/HD boxes, and all are in cool, well ventilated places.