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Review by Rider1948 See Profile

  • Location: Arlington, Arlington, VA, USA
  • Cost: $40 per month
stable, delivers advertised speed
discriminatory pricing; some issues with FIOS telephone services
best service I have had
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

I have had FIOS for about a year now (5/2 service). It has been very stable, good connectivity, good speed (routinely tests slightly higher than 5 mb down using CISE site). The installation went smoothly. The presales information doesn't tell you that your telephone service will become dependent on having electrical power, so you will be on battery backup during power outages and that last only 2-4 hours. Also, we lost the ability to have our first phone line roll over to the second when we switched to FIOS. Finally, I object to being charged $40 per month for the same service that new subscribers can get for $35 per month if they sign up for a one year contract. I have no contract, but I have been told that as an existing customer, I can't get the $35 per month rate even if I do sign up. That is a permanent rate, not an introductory offer for a few months. Seems unkind to existing customers. However, since it is still cheaper than cable, my guess is they know I am likely to stay with them anyway. I note that they seem to be doing the same thing to their DSL customers around here. Existing customers are paying $30 per month, but new customers can get the same service for $15 per month. So far, they are refusing to give my neighbor the $15 rate going forward, even though her contract period is over.

member for 21 years, 187 visits, last login: 8.7 years ago
lodged 18 years ago


ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

..

Existing customers paying $30 a month are more than likely getting the 3000kbps service. The $15 a month price is only 768kbps. If she wants to downgrade and pay $15 a month after the contract, I dont think verizon can stop that.

I find it very odd that you lost your rollover feature. You might want to call again. If you have a regular line ( not voicewing ) I dont understand why you cant have it. If they cant put a "hunt sequence" on your line.. have them put " call forwarding busy" on your line to the next number.

Nothing can be done about loss of service due to power outages. Its a different technology and voltage cant be sent along a fiber optic line. The only thing you can do is eventually purchase a battery backup that lasts longer.
Rider1948
Premium Member
join:2003-04-02
Falls Church, VA

Rider1948

Premium Member

Re: ..

Neighbor has 768 service. We are too far from CO to get anything faster. They told her the $15 was for slower service, but I checked and she is provisioned at 768. I don't think DSL can get any slower than that. We'll keep trying. We lost the rollover feature because apparently some switches in the system (not all) can't handle rollover with FIOS. Took them a couple of months to confirm that it is not possible to put hunting on our lines. Call forwarding costs a lot more than hunting did (I think it was the difference between less than a dollar for hunting and more like $6 for call forwarding.) Also, I didn't want calls forwarded if the line didn't answer, only if it was busy. They weren't sure they could give me call forwarding busy only, so I gave up. All kind of minor, but still annoying.

Review by MrBroadband3 See Profile

  • Location: Oyster Bay, Nassau, NY, USA
  • Cost: $40 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
Wonderful Pre-Sales, Wonderful Installers, An Unexpected Suprise
ZERO!
Going from OOL to VZ Fios is the difference between night and day
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
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Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

Our new home has Verizon Fios available. I am so tired of DirecTV (whose CS, once the best in the industry is terrible) and OOL (who never had good customer service). I called to connect phone service and a pleasant woman said she reccomended that I get FIOS. I was suprised it was available and said A-OK! She mentioned that I had an Aerial install and that it could be connnected in as little as 2 days! I booked it 5 days out, to give their computers time to check for possible problems. Got a call the day before from an automated system asking me to make sure I have a computer and am available between 8a-5p. I get to the house at 8:00a with a bag lunch (expecting the usual Optimum promise - including the assumption they wouldnt show showing up at all). To my suprise I was pulling up the drive and they told me they were there since 7:45a! Wow! And this is union! They were incredibly pleasant and answered all of my questions before they started. An error in the VZ computer system caused a mix-up that even though I believed I had a buried install, their computer showed aerial (previous owners buried wire without informing VZ). Therefore they will have to return when the ground defrosts to bury the cable. Unlike OOL however, who drilled a hole in the second floor of my house, strung coax and called it a day (as sloppy of a job as could be) VZ put the cable around the property to make it not visible, and found the conduit where the existing wires are. They said they will use the same conduit to avoid cutting up my lawn also! VZ agreed to install the ONT inside my basement (as that is where the conduit places the current copper) and did a great job with making the install clean and efficient. Furthermore, they connected everything up to my Avaya phone system and made sure it worked. They DID NOT need to do this. It was A HUGE SUPRISE! I was anticipating getting my phone system guy to come over and figure out everything (and spending a few hundred dollard in the process), however VZ was kind enough to do this for me! Thank you! FIOS works beautifully! I am so thrilled to have this technology.

Now, I'm a VZ FIOS CUSTOMER FOR LIFE! Goodbye Optimum the second FIOS TV covers all of LI!

member for 18.1 years, 137 visits, last login: 2.4 years ago
lodged 18 years ago

jaydpiii
join:2004-07-09
Nashua, NH

jaydpiii

Member

True

I received Vz FIOS install, yesterday. Working Great. Loved my DSL, but with working from home, & for $29.99 it is $5 cheaper than my DSL. DSL was giving me 1700 Kbps (1.7 Mbps) because I was at end of line for maximum distance and not getting the full 3 Mbps. Now I am getting the full 5 Mbps.

Review by kevstok See Profile

  • Location: Wylie, Collin, TX, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
Great speed! Especially since I upgraded to XP
Keep getting pushed back on FIOS TV install dates
Overall, great service. Need to improve on promises.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
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(ratings match consensus)

Bought new house that already had Cat5 wiring built in and FIOS was hot to the area so didn't take long to get internet service. However, I keep getting promised about TV service only to have it pushed back each time. I was originally told I could get it back in Dec 05, then Jan 06, then Feb 10. Well, as you can tell, I still don't have it. I think they pushed promotionally faster than they could handle and now can't make the dates promised.

member for 18.2 years, 136 visits, last login: 10.7 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


Review by kevstok See Profile

  • Location: Wylie, Collin, TX, USA
  • Cost: $29 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
Great speed! Especially since I upgraded to XP
Keep getting pushed back on FIOS TV
Overall, great service. Need to improve on promises.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

Bought new house that already had Cat5 wiring built in and FIOS was hot to the area so didn't take long to get internet service. However, I keep getting promised about TV service only to have it pushed back each time. I was originally told I could get it back in Dec 05, then Jan 06, then Feb 10. Well, as you can tell, I still don't have it. I think they pushed promotionally faster than they could handle and now can't make the dates promised.

member for 18.2 years, 136 visits, last login: 10.7 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


Review by joncellini See Profile

  • Location: Beaverton, Washington, OR, USA
  • Cost: $39 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 9 days
Great value for the money, easy order & setup
port 80 is blocked, not customer installable, ONT requires an AC outlet for power
I'm a happy customer! :)
Pre Sales Information:
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Connection reliability:
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Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

I finally took the plunge and ordered FIOS for my home after being a Verizon DSL customer for the last several years. I was offered a deal to get the 15/2 package for essentially the same price I was currently paying for DSL so there was no reason to hold out.

It took 9 days from the date of my order to receive service and the process was smooth throughout (a welcome change from the DSL hassles I had with Verizon). I was contacted twice prior to the install to confirm the date / time. Two techs came out to my house and completed the install in about 2 1/2 hours. Since our home was pre-wired for Ethernet the install was a breeze. The most challenging aspect was finding a free outlet in the garage for the ONT power supply.

There were a few initial moments of confusion activating my service on my Mac; however, I was able to talk them through connecting to the router. I elected to use the Dlink router Verizon includes with the service since it works and fits in my structured wiring box. I am not using its wireless function as I opted to hang my existing access points off the wired ports of it.

They were unable to tell me if my existing DSL account info will "magically" transfer to my new FIOS service or not - I guess I have to wait until my next billing cycle to see if there are any surprises. Since I do not use my verizon.net email addresses I am not really concerned, I just want to avoid any future billing hassles. They were unable to tell me what to do with my old DSL modem, so for the time being I'll stash it along with my useless Telocity modem. Assuming they don't want it back (and won't bill me for not retuning it) I'll dump it at some point.

So far I am quite happy with the service. The speed is great and the line is stable. My only gripe is the rather pointless port-80 block. Since I was an ex-GTE customer this is a new annoyance as my DSL line was unfiltered.

member for 22.9 years, 3397 visits, last login: 11.2 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


Mark R
@sub-70-209-164.myvzw

Mark R

Anon

port 80 blocked

What do you mean port 80 is blocked. You are not able to access the Internet? Or port 80 is blocked from outside into your PC? Please explain. Thank you.
Kindred1369
join:2002-10-30

Kindred1369

Member

Re: port 80 blocked

Port 80 is the standard port for websites, and it can have a lot of different security issues.
These holes can allow an attacker to gain either administrative access to the website,
or even the web server itself

Mark R
@mindspring.com

Mark R

Anon

Re: port 80 blocked

I know what port 80 is used for. Not everyone here is a novus. My question was, "what do you mean port 80 is blocked." The basic process is you type in a URL, the port is opened and a request is made to view the web page. I was just simply trying to understand what the issue was with having port 80 blocked. Having port 80 blocked from outside traffic into your network is a good thing. Is it preventing you from hosting a web server?

spellcheck is fun

Anon

Re: port 80 blocked

novus?!? try novice

anti-mike
@washdc.fios.verizon.

anti-mike to Mark R

Anon

to Mark R
I think Verizon has blocked incoming connections on port 80 to prevent people from hosting websites with it.
ogiller
join:2006-02-28
Titusville, NJ

ogiller

Member

Re: port 80 blocked

By default the D-Link router would block port 80. This is NOT Verizon blocking the port but the default firewall settings. The D-Link router does Network Address Translation (NAT). Due to NAT you would need to setup port forwarding on the router; otherwise, the router would not know which computer to forward port 80 too.

Have you done this step? Is Verizon really blocking port 80?

I just got FIOS yesterday. They did no leave me the router password nor the username and password on my FIOS account. Therefore, I could not setup port forwarding if I wanted to. I will let you know how it goes.

The first thing I wanted to do when I got home was see how the D-Link was setup and tighten up the security settings. Next steps are to follow up with customer support for the login information.
mlohr
join:2001-05-28
Ellicott City, MD
·Verizon FiOS
TP-Link Archer C7
Asus RT-N66
Greenwave FiOS-G1100

mlohr

Member

Re: port 80 blocked

Verizon blocks external port 80 access to prevent web servers on residential DSL. It is only open on the $70/month business service. Suspect the same is true for FIOS to protect the profitable T1 service. BTW how often is the FIOS IP changing. DSL moves alot.
ogiller
join:2006-02-28
Titusville, NJ

ogiller

Member

Re: port 80 blocked

Is there any software available to monitor IP address changes?

With my DSL account and Linksys router I had a Dynamic IP address setup with »www.dyndns.com. With that setup it does not mater if they change your IP address. You can always phone home.

Review by trbofr2 See Profile

  • Location: Ontario, San Bernardino, CA, USA
  • Cost: $44 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 11 days
Speed upstream and down
None so far
get it if you can!
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(ratings match consensus)

I am very happy with the install today. Took about 4 hours, mounted ONT and backup inside the garage instead of outside of house. Tech ran a CAT5e drop for me even though i already had CAT5e, just not where we needed it... from the garage to my home office. Bought the 15/2 package as I can't see spending $179.99 for the 30/5. I am getting 14.8 down, 1.9 up, but am having a hard time finding many sites with fast enough upload speeds. Had to go buy "g" adapters for my two kids systems as they were 802.11b, and would have actually slowed down their Internet connection speed. For some reason, they are only getting about 6-8 MBPS (only), but my desktop with the wired connection screams. Downloaded 121 MB file in less than one minute, Microsoft Vista Beta 2.9 GB file in 1/2 hour. VERY clean install. Had one problem getting my HP 5850 wireless printer to grab an IP address from the D-Link router, so I put it in my wiring closet with a CAT5 patch cable and ran it wired. Still would prefer DHCP over ppOE, but well all have to wait and see it that happens or not. BTW, I have a 10,000RPM WD Raptor HD, and this WILL make a difference with a connection this fast. I strongly recommend the Raptor drives for you power users.

member for 22.7 years, 120 visits, last login: 12.6 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


Review by fjw1 See Profile

  • Location: Thornwood, Westchester, NY, USA
  • Cost: $29 per month
Fast and Cheap
none i can think of
I've been using Verizon for broadband since DSL came out and love it
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It's been a while since I got my fios. I noticed recently they raised my speed and i'm still paying 29.95. My current speed is 10m/2m. I love this service!!!

It's been over a month and so far so good. No outage or slowdowns. My Speed is consistent.

I was getting incessant calls from Verizon FIOS to upgrade to their service I was already a customer using their 3m/768kb DSL for 29.95. I was very satisfied with it however for the same price they offered FIOS 5m and they said FIOS TV will be in my area in a month so I said to myself what the heck. The guy came to install my service at 9:07am and finished by 1:30pm. By far it was one of the best experiences I've had with any type of installation and the dude was very helpful and pleasant. I didn't take the router they offered and decided to use my linksys instead. I have consistent 5m on all my speed tests. I love it.

member for 23.6 years, 132 visits, last login: 16.1 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


peter2006
@nycmny.fios.verizon.

peter2006

Anon

speed tests with fios

what site do you usde for speed tests wih your Fios?

FiosFiend
join:2001-12-06
Flower Mound, TX

FiosFiend

Member

Re: speed tests with fios

Here is a short list of some of the best.

www.testmy.net
»miranda.ctd.anl.gov:7123/
»ciseweb100.cise-nsf.gov:7123/
grays
join:2006-02-14
Rochelle Park, NJ

grays

Member

Re: speed tests with fios

the techs in nj use speakeasy.net

Review by NOCMan See Profile

  • Location: Flower Mound, Denton, TX, USA
  • Cost: $45 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
Fast, Cheaper than Cable oh did I say Fast?
None!
If you want speed, reliability, and bang for you buck look no further.
Pre Sales Information:
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(ratings match consensus)

Verizon Fios is still being deployed in various cities. I live in Flower Mound Texas. They began digging in my area in the beginning of March and I was able to order about 35 days later. The only installation hiccup was that the digger clipped a sprinkler line and head but they fixed that a few days later.

I ordered the 15/2 package and my download speeds always max out when I use websites that can handle the traffic. If you're the type to download large files from fileplanet, linux bittorrents, iTunes/Napster then the 15/2 plan is great. 3mbit DSL you're downloading around 300kbps. 15mbit FIOS you're downloading at 1800+kbps

Compared to DSL/Cable you dont have to deal with issues of signal strength, rain, snow, or other things that make your connection slower. This is fiber optics and unless the line is cut signal problems are non-existant.

FIOS works with PC/MAC/Linux in fact I use all 3 here at the house. It's completely turned my VPN connections to work around from barely usable to as good as the wireless lan at work.

I'll never go back to cable and if I had to move I would be sure to get a place that can get fios when I move in or already installed.

UPDATE: 2-18-2006

I have had the FIOS Tv installed and dropped DirectTv. It's great and worth the extra costs. HD channels cost you nothing. DVR is the same price as a Tivo without having to buy the Tivo first. Although it's not a Tivo I'm optimistic Verizon will work the bugs out of the system shortly.

Only negative on the DVR is 160Gigs is not a lot when it comes to HDTV recordings mixed with SD recordings.


member for 19.5 years, 4284 visits, last login: 7 days ago
updated 18.1 years ago


Review by gb54 See Profile

  • Location: Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery, PA, USA
  • Cost: $34 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 14 days
Free install-router-first month
None yet
Finally- competition for our broadband!
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(ratings match consensus)

I've had Comcast since it was first available in 2001. No DSL here, so cable was the only show in town until FIOS. Connection is PPPoE (5K/2K).

Install went very smoothly except it took several hours. Technician placed fiber box/battery backup inside (basement)- clean installation. He was also able to fish the ethernet to an existing wall outlet on the first floor - very nice and neat!

So the first week- same speed as Comcast only $10 cheaper per month. PLUS Free 802.11g wireless router, and the first month is free. I'll be bumping the speed up to 15K next....

member for 18.1 years, 11 visits, last login: 18 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago


Review by sgasque See Profile

  • Location: Bethesda, Montgomery, MD, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 10 days
Insane speed! Faster than anything outside a corporate environment.
The install people said the d-link router was returnable...it wasn't.
If you just want to BLAZE on the net, do it.
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Everything they say about FiOs is true. Incredible speeds...stable, rock-solid. The install was tough because I have an 80 year old house, but they did a great job. It is SO FAST that I thought..why use wireless? Why be limited? So I hard-wired every machine (4) in the house, and tossed my d-link gear in the drawer. Speaking of d-link...when I got the install I was a little leary of the bottom-of-the-line d-link WAP...which as you might imagine was not at discount prices....besides I thought I needed the MIMO version. But the install guy said np...you can return it. Wrong. The Verizon support and sales center said, hey it's yours now...tough. So that was a waste of money. But even so, the service rocks. My advice? Forget wireless anyway. Don't be limited. Fiber is that fast. I hope you know, though...that when they put in fiber they take out your old phone line. So, you are FOREVER a Verizon customer. No Sprint, no MCI, no nothing...only Verizon for the next million years. Fine with me.

member for 18.1 years, 2 visits, last login: 18.1 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago