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Review by TBC1 See Profile

  • Location: Florence, Boone, KY, USA
  • Cost: $50 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 23 days
  • No Cap
The speed is as advertised
None so far
Well worth it!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

My Other Reviews

·Charter
I just recently had fiber optics installed in my place on June 17th and I must say the internet experience is awesome! The download/upload speeds are as advertised when connected to a an ethernet cable form the wall box. The installation took about an hour as I had the fiber optic line run to behind my TV. My Roku and Xbox are connected to the router with ethernet cable (CAT7). The company name is called Altafiber (the mods here may want to add that company name to the list as it is not Cincinnati Bell any longer) as the once Cincinnati Bell Fioptics and now Allafiber, as officially named for over two years now, had been expanding in my area. But it took years to get into my direct neighborhood (an HOA community).

I got the 1Gbps/500Mbps package where the price is locked in to $50/month for 24 months. The speeds are as advertised (one doesn't get the exact 1Gbps speed, rather up to 970Mbps with a minimum of 800Mbps). My TV which is connected by WiFi, is just about 2ft from my router and it hits the ethernet speed of 970Mbps/550 and I am impressed. I hit that near max speed consistently through ethernet and 800Mbps+ through Wi-Fi even 10ft away from the router. Even at this PC I use here, which is in another room entirely about 18ft through multiple walls to the router, I get average between 620-700Mbps down to 450Mbps up. Altafiber offer 4 tiers from 400Mpbs to 2Gbps.

The current rates range from $40 to $80/month no contracts (prices do seem to change often so my pricing info may change too as I show them as currently offered when I wrote this review). The two lower tiers are locked for 24 months with 400Mbps for $40/month and 600Mbps for $50/month. The two highest tiers are 1Gbps for $60/month and 2Gbps for $80/month both locked in for 36 months. The 2Gbps tier cost the same as my previous Sprectrum monthly cost of $80 for 300Mbps. I do use my own router which saves money.

I would highly recommend Altafiber (again, formerly Cincinnati Bell) for their internet packages, as they are priced to be more than just competitive!

member for 21.8 years, 1314 visits, last login: 187 days ago
updated 262 days ago


Review by sdty65485 See Profile

  • Location: Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH, USA
  • Cost: $141 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
  • No Cap
Reliable connection, net neutrality, no data caps
The only app with live stream functions has very limited supported and channels
Serves it?s purpose very well
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

- Internet connection is reliable.
- However, started from late 2020, download speed from certain CDN seemed to be capped at 4 to 5Mbps. I even tried different DNS settings including DNS over HTTPS from OpenDNS. Still cannot figure out why.
- TV picture quality is marginal. Top boxes only support 1080i output.
- TV app does not work on AppleTV or Google Chrome. Only very limited channel you can stream.


member for 10.3 years, 37 visits, last login: 2.8 years ago
lodged 3.2 years ago


Review by Drizz See Profile

  • Location: Fairfield, Butler, OH, USA
  • Cost Contract price not specified.
  • Install: about 15 days
Fast Fiber Speeds
none
Best Internet in Cincinnati
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I ordered the 750 down 200 up and am very happy with the internet package. Order and install process was a bit lengthy due to me being one of the first customers in my apartment complex and it took them about 2 weeks to finish all the prepwork before the fiber could be brought into my unit. Lines still needed to be buried and counduit had to be run to my unit (they also go ahead and run track fiber to the entrance of other units in the building during this process). Actual install itself was quick and took about 2-3 hours to complete. I'm using my own router since I do not subscribe to their IPTV solution and the only hiccups I've had with the service have been with my personally owned equipment. When first installed the router had a very difficult time getting it to connect to the internet but it did eventually connect. Only Bell equipment I have in my unit is a Nokia (Alcatel) 010 ont.

member for 3.3 years, 128 visits, last login: 1.1 years ago
updated 3.3 years ago


Review by CVGNet See Profile

  • Location: Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH, USA
  • Cost: $67 per month
  • Install: about 1 days
  • No Cap
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
FTTH - True fiber to the home.
$65 / month for 1 Gbps / 250 Mbps FTTH service with the price fixed for 3 years. What's not to love?
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
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Value for money:

The package I ordered was internet only 1 Gbps down / 250 Mbps up true FTTH service. Advertised monthly price is $64.99 with eBill fixed for 3 years - but no contract. The installation was painless. I use my own router so there is no monthly router charge. During the Covid 19 pandemic the household has made heavy use of the service often for 15-16 hours per day. It hasn't blinked once. Once the VPNs connect it is easy to forget that we are not actually in the office!



member for 11.9 years, 3346 visits, last login: 6 days ago
lodged 3.4 years ago


Review by jarred See Profile

  • Location: Amelia, Clermont, OH, USA
  • Cost: $60 per month
  • Install: about 28 days
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
Excellent speeds, easy install
Scheduling for install was not as smooth as it could be due to line burial being required
FTTH is King in Cincinnati!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Fiber was strung down my road mid December, I put the order in 1/1/2018. I was scheduled for 1/16 but it was postponed as line burial had to be done. 1/29 was install day, tech arrived at 8:45AM and was done by 11:30. I selected the 200/75 package because anything over 100Mbps is fast enough for our uses, but I really wanted at least 75Mbps up, this is close to quadruple the upload I had from Spectrum.

While this is the first day of service, everything has been flawless. Switched over to my Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Lite easily, just a power cycle on the router and switching the cable from the Arris modem. Couldn't be happier at this point.

2/9/2018 - CBT dropped their pricing on the 600/150 plan for new customers by $40. It cost $60 per month for me on this plan now. Speed tests using this site have all indicated I am able to obtain this speed. Running a web server with a large test file has resulted in seeing my upload maxed out when friends tested. All in all I am very pleased with this service! I have had no outages since my service was established, it has been rock solid.

3/8/2018 - Still going strong. I've not had a single outage nor a dip in speed.

4/2/2018 - Had the first outage today. I am not sure when it started as we had to take care of some family issues. I noticed it was out at 6:30AM and was back online by 9:30AM.

6/21/2018 - Still going strong! This is BY FAR the best service I have ever had. My downloads peak around 75MB/sec and uploads are great as well. Our power was out for around 24 hours, and while my UPS was still running I still had my connection. I cannot recommend this service enough!

10/15/2018 - Still amazing service. Some blips here and there (having to power cycle the ONT due to port dropping to 100Mbit) but the service is still awesome.

10/26/2018 - Free upgrade to 750/200 from 600/150. Testing shows 830/229. Happy!

3/31/2020 - Coronavirus is here, haven't seen a slow down with more people doing WFH. No outages, speeds consistent via speed test, all is good still.

member for 10 years, 910 visits, last login: 7 days ago
updated 3.9 years ago

tehkwhiz
join:2012-02-28
Columbus, OH
Humax BGW320-500
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway
Ubiquiti U6-Lite

tehkwhiz

Member

ONT

Any chance you could share a photo of your ONT? I'm hoping to get FiOptics this summer when I get an apartment in Covington, although I'm going for the 600/200 service.

I presume there's just an Ethernet run from the ONT right into your EdgeRouter?
jarred
join:2014-02-27
Amelia, OH

3 recommendations

jarred

Member

Re: ONT

Click for full size
Click for full size
said by tehkwhiz:

Any chance you could share a photo of your ONT? I'm hoping to get FiOptics this summer when I get an apartment in Covington, although I'm going for the 600/200 service.

I presume there's just an Ethernet run from the ONT right into your EdgeRouter?

Sure thing! See the attached photos.

From the ONT outside there's ethernet and power run to the room where I have my Edgerouter. Power goes into a UPS and ethernet runs to the edgerouter.
tehkwhiz
join:2012-02-28
Columbus, OH
Humax BGW320-500
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway
Ubiquiti U6-Lite

tehkwhiz

Member

Re: ONT

Thanks! Nice to see them using quality equipment (Alcatel-Lucent). I presume the plug with the yellow warning triangle is the fibre, and the power and "DATA 1" are self-explanatory.

So the tech installed the ONT and then fished Ethernet and power thru the side of your house into the room where your network equipment is, right? Is the power plug for that ONT very bulky?

I'm not using EdgeRouter stuff, rather just the regular Ubiquiti stuff. I'm going to have a USG connected to one of their 8-port PoE switches, with a UAP-AC-LITE attached to that. I think that's more than adequate for just myself and my stuff.
jarred
join:2014-02-27
Amelia, OH

jarred

Member

Re: ONT

said by tehkwhiz:

Thanks! Nice to see them using quality equipment (Alcatel-Lucent). I presume the plug with the yellow warning triangle is the fibre, and the power and "DATA 1" are self-explanatory.

So the tech installed the ONT and then fished Ethernet and power thru the side of your house into the room where your network equipment is, right? Is the power plug for that ONT very bulky?

I'm not using EdgeRouter stuff, rather just the regular Ubiquiti stuff. I'm going to have a USG connected to one of their 8-port PoE switches, with a UAP-AC-LITE attached to that. I think that's more than adequate for just myself and my stuff.

I actually fished the cable for him because I really didn't want him to get muddy going to his next job, but he would have done it if I had not. The transformer for the Actel-Lucent ONT is on the larger side. I'd say its around 4-4.5" long and 2-2.5" wide.

The USG you have is pretty much the same thing as the EdgeRouter Lite so you will be good to go!

Anon85d9b
@hcs.net

Anon85d9b to jarred

Anon

to jarred
That looks like the exact setup (and equipment) that AT&T uses for their FTTH service. Good ole' Alcatel-Lucent ONT.
dunelt_1954
join:2017-10-01
Indianapolis, IN

dunelt_1954 to jarred

Member

to jarred
Thanks for the great pictures, and description of fishing the power and ethernet. Very neat installation.

Anoned42d
@spcsdns.net

Anoned42d

Anon

Cbfioptics

Just wait. You just started with them. I am waiting here for the umpteenth time with no internet AGAIN. 3-5 x a day I reboot my system. I might get as much as 10 mbps if I’m lucky. Well better luck to you, I’m looking for a new internet company. Try to be loyal but with bad set, bad connection and now a bill over $200 a month for basic. It’s time to move on.
jarred
join:2014-02-27
Amelia, OH

jarred

Member

Re: Cbfioptics

said by Anoned42d :

Just wait. You just started with them. I am waiting here for the umpteenth time with no internet AGAIN. 3-5 x a day I reboot my system. I might get as much as 10 mbps if I’m lucky. Well better luck to you, I’m looking for a new internet company. Try to be loyal but with bad set, bad connection and now a bill over $200 a month for basic. It’s time to move on.

Do you have FTTH or FTTN? I've got countless friends/family members with the FTTH service and they never have issues .. the same cannot be said about FTTN and copper last mile.

Review by mudtoe See Profile

  • Location: Cincinnati, Clermont, OH, USA
  • Cost: $120 per month
  • Install: about 120 days
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
Service works really well after it's setup. New DVR seems to work really well.
Have to go to CB store every year to haggle over the price
Both internet and TV service work really well now if you are FTTH.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Fioptics was install in our neighborhood this past winter. I only got the internet service and dropped my landline in favor of VIOP in order to pay the increases cost. When the service works it's great. I'm getting speeds very close to 1gbps download and 250mbps upload, which is what they promised. However, when the service doesn't work, you are screwed. Their tech support, installation, and customer service are all a joke.



On the installation side I bought a static IP address, and that didn't work for days. When they got it working it worked for 12 hours and then the configuration changes they made at their end disappeared 12 hours later during a maintenance window. I was down for 72 hours after that until a tech came out and confirmed what I told him that the problem wasn't on my end, but on Cincinnati Bell's. His only value in coming out was that he had the direct phone number of the people who could fix the configuration.



After that they left the fiber optic cable laying above ground for about 6 weeks until they could bury it. When they finally buried it they cut my driveway sensor line that alerted me to people coming down the driveway (I have a long driveway). That cost me $400 to have fixed.



Now, as I write this they have messed up my static IP address configuration again and it doesn't work. They give the gigabit internet customers a "special" number to call for expedited technical service. Problem is that when you call it all you get is: "All circuits are busy......", no matter when or how often you call, even at midnight. I have to call the call center in the Phillipines, who say they can't help me and that I need to call the gigabit number, and then ask them to route the call back to the gigabit support line here in Cincinnati. That's the only way I can get support. The people I talk to about my issue say they opened a trouble ticket with some other folks and it could be at least two business days before they get back to me. As this happened on Friday, that means Tuesday. All everyone tells me is that they are sorry but there is nothing they can do about it. I think they have that phrase on a flash card (not the kind that goes in cameras, but the old fashioned kind that the teacher would hold up to help you learn your multiplication), and they just repeat it over and over.



I'm an I/T person and fortunately I've been able to resolve some of my own problems. If I didn't know how to reconfigure their equipment on my end and at least get a dynamic IP address my service would be completely down for at least 5 days until they resolved this.



Update 10/23/2019:



Have had almost no problems the last couple of years. The service works without issue. The only hassle is going to the CB store once a year to renew my promo rate. They won't do it via phone or chat so you have to go to the store.



Update 03/17/2020:



Replaced Spectrum with FTTH fioptics at my mother's house. Everything worked really well. I understand that they have new DVRs versus what they had several years ago, and this one works great so far. I also want to give some kudos to the installer as he accomodated my wishes regarding where to place the ONT and the MoCA. He also didn't object when I put a switch between the ONT and the Bell router so that I could insert my own router on the switch as well so that it wasn't double natted. Lastly, after a bit of reading I was able to completely replace the Bell router and route the IPTV stream through my own router, thus saving the router rental fee. I'm upping my ratings as at this point I'm a satisfied customer both at my home and my mother's.

member for 18.4 years, 2164 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 4 years ago

mudtoe
join:2005-10-09
Cincinnati, OH

1 recommendation

mudtoe

Member

Update:

I eventually got in touch with a supervisor name Veronica, out of Austin I think. As many bad things as I had to say about the rest of the tech support people I talked to, I have to say equally good things about her. It took me a while to convince her that I knew what I was talking about and that this really was a routing configuration problem on their end. Once I did that she got in touch with the right people, and set things up so that the Cincinnati Bell routing guru (who only works nights) could talk to me directly at about 1am. In less than 15 minutes of talking to him the problem was resolved. I upped some of the ratings because of her. If you are a gigabit customer and are having issues, save yourself some headaches and just ask for her right out of the chute.
mudtoe

mudtoe

Member

Update 11/24/2015

Since they fixed the routing problem about two months ago everything has worked flawlessly. I did bypass the ZTE and have the ONT connected directly into my router, which seemed to help my speed some (see my tutorial in the forum for how to do this if you have a static IP address). I'm going to up the connection reliability rating a notch as a result.

Review by ninja502 See Profile

  • Location: Dry Ridge, Grant, KY, USA
  • Cost: $50 per month
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
being able to load pages.,emails, or just plain being able to use it
service,speed,reliability,price for service provided
if you have any other option before cincinnati bell use it
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

you are never get the speed promised . i get charged for 5mb but rarely get over 2.8mb

xDSL Port Details Upstream Downstream
Line Rate: 0.672 Mbps 2.848 Mbps

if it rains count it dropping connection until it stops

tech support not worth a lick, always place blame on user or your computer


member for 8.3 years, 245 visits, last login: 119 days ago
updated 4.1 years ago







Review by BritInOH See Profile

  • Location: Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH, USA
  • Cost: $135 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 3 days
  • No Cap
Great technology but you MUST get FTTH
TBD whether the discounts will continue
Waaaaaaaaay better than Spectrum
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

We got fiber years ago when they first rolled it out. Bad experience after 1 year so went back to TWC/Spectrum. Got chatting to a fairly high level employee of CBTS on a plane to UK and he convinced me to give them another go. So very glad I did.

Original install went very well. Tech was great. I have heard that performance can depend on the original install quality so be careful there. Started off with 300 meg package. Solid as a rock - always exceeding speed I was paying for. Got bumped to their 500 level. Absolute nightmare - speeds up and down like a yo-yo (anywhere between 17 and 450!). Apparently it was provisioning issues that have now been addressed. Changed my package to 600 and, again, everything is rock solid with speeds exceeding what they are selling. Build a relationship with their sales people. They will help you out.

Oh yeah, we got TV too - DVR with 3 boxes total. One down from top TV package and additional movies. Currently paying $135/month so very happy with the overall package. If they keep the prices competitive, they have a customer for the long term.

member for 6.6 years, 653 visits, last login: 175 days ago
lodged 5.9 years ago

jarred
join:2014-02-27
Amelia, OH

1 recommendation

jarred

Member

Provisioning issues

It's interesting they were having such issues with provisioning for that tier. I had issues when going from 200/75 to 600/150. The tech thought the ONT was bad and swapped it, went to the fiber cabinet down the road and moved me to my own block/switch/whatever and still didn't fix it. They found the second it bumped from 200/75 the issue showed its head. They sent a ticket to engineering who had it resolved the next day and it has been rock solid since then.

Just interesting that tier seems to have issues, but they worked it out quickly. So happy to have ditched Spectrum as well!

Review by dcurrey See Profile

  • Location: Mason, Warren, OH, USA
  • Cost: $54 per month
  • Install: about 2 days
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
Got FTTH
Minor glitches on TV no bridge mode on modem.
Wait and see how it goes long term
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

2-12-18

Its that dreaded time of year again. Back to the CB store to see how much of a hassle they are going to give me on keeping my internet price down.

Surprisingly they offered to renew my 100/20 plan for $49.99 a month. (No TV) Was paying $44.99. They finally are allowing me to return my modem. This will save me the $7.99 plus some change in sales tax.

Looks like I am good for another year.

Service remains solid.

12-10-15

Got hit with another price increase in November $15 was going to get another one in December not sure how much and in January the forced modem rental is going up another $3. This would put my total bill close to $150 for two TVs (whole house dvr) and 30 megs internet.

Rather than just go in like I have been every few months to get new deal I just went in and canceled all TV services. Its just not worth the hassle.

But for reference TV had shown some improvement less stuttering during recorded shows. The issue of failing to record and auto restart of show just disappeared after a couple more weeks and never returned.

Internet is rock solid now. The 10 minute blackout also stopped happening.

11-28-14

Got a letter from CB informing me my promo is ending and to call to get new promo. What a joke that was person couldn't understand us nor what was going on had no clue about letter think they hung up on us. (CB needs to end outsourced help desk).

Wife stopped in local office said he couldn't do anything for another 4 days and to call him.

Next day voice mail was left from different local rep. Basically same as letter.

Did call the local office dude she talked to and got a decent renewal. Basically same TV but bumped internet to 30megs. Just a slight increase in price. Assuming they don't screw it up.

Have had a few issues with random 10 minute timeouts on internet and TV. Nothing I do on my end fixes it. Comes back up after ten minutes by itself. Problem is bad for few days then gone for a few weeks.

TV still has minor skipping and sometimes shows just don't record. New issue is auto start over of a dvred show. Very annoying.

11-24-13

CinciBell has been running new fioptics lines in my neighborhood since around Labor Day. On the Nov. 19 sales dude shows up at door offers me Fioptics Elite with 20meg internet and whole house dvr (2 tvs) for $97 will this is $30 less than I am paying Time warner. I don't have whole house dvr and only get 15meg internet if I am lucky. So I signed up.

Next day he called and had install set for Nov. 21st.

Guy took 4 hours to do about 1 hours worth of work. Manly he used existing wiring cat5 line and existing cable line to hookup modem. ZTE brand modem. Added a Acatel Lucent ONT in the basement this connects to the fiber line. That in tern hooks up to outside cutoff on side of house. Fiber then lays on ground to it hit pedestal. To be buried shortly.

Install could have been better If I had known in advance that the would cable modem back feeds the coax lines I just would have had the cable modem installed next to lucent device. As it stands now the lines run from one side of house to other then back to home run box then back out across house again. Just should of had a 6 foot coax run and new cat5 line from cable modem to my router.

As far as service goes I actually get close to advertised speeds. Far cry better than TW was giving me. CB refuses to put router in bridge mode this is causing me some minor issues since I am doing double NAT.

Tv picture seems on par with TW. Only two issues was first have an 15 year old CRT type TV that only has one composite video feed. Was already in use by ruko so I had to unhook it. Seems CB doesn't use coax out on the cable boxes. Oh well time to upgrade TV. Second was my main remote didn't support the ZTE cable tv boxes. Had to program each button off new remotes. Neither of these issues was CB fault just annoying for me.

First glitch wan on Nov. 23. Both tvs lost feed back to cable modem after calling tech support (completely useless. BTW) and several reboots later I managed to get the network access back up. (barely) Network light on tv cable box is now orange instead of green and I get a lot of random skipping and pixel blocks in action sequence.

Later that day then sent a tech out but don't think he did anything other than swap a couple cables out. Picture does seem to have returned to normal that night. Light is still orange but they say that indicates its linked for update.

Canceled my TW service on Sunday morning but thats another story.

Update as needed.


member for 19.7 years, 8768 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 6.1 years ago


Review by splicertruck See Profile

  • Location: Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH, USA
  • Cost: $130 per month
  • Install: about 15 days
  • Telco party Cincinnati Bell
FTTH has been very reliable.
Definitely worth a try if you can get a real fiber connection
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

FTTH is great and has been very reliable. I use my own router with straight internet service - no "modem" fee. The fast upload makes my work VPN run fast - great for working at home.



member for 8.7 years, 44 visits, last login: 4.7 years ago
updated 6.1 years ago


jduffy
Premium Member
join:2006-08-20
Cincinnati, OH

jduffy

Premium Member

No FTTH here

That's our issue. No fiber is our Pierce Township subdivision. But folks out in the sticks have it. Go figure.