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Review by Smiles0 
member for 8.9 years, 309 visits, last login: 2.2 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
 Sudbury,Middlesex,MA
 $39 per month- (12 month contract)
 about 7 days "Snappy" "Battery backup" "Great value, problem-free"
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Previously I had both Comcast and Verizon DSL. My town wasn't even announced for FIOS this year, but they deployed it at the beginning of October. I immediately switched the DSL to FIOS, and after a week of happy FIOS use, terminated Comcast.
I ordered 15M/2M service, and it's been very reliable. The 2Mbps up has typically run between 1.1-1.5Mbps. The 15Mbps down has been consistently 14.5+. It's on PPPoE with a dynamic IP.
When I ordered the service over the phone, I was told it was $39 per month, and because I was a DSL customer I would get an additional $5 off. When my first bill arrived, I saw that it was $49/mo with a $10/mo discount for the contract term (12 months), and no $5 off. I called and they said the rep I ordered with was wrong. I can't say I appreciate being misquoted a price, and the rep that told me the correct price was fairly rude and had a terrible attitude. (Probably the worst Verizon rep I've had ever, but I can't think of any other negative Verizon reps and I've been using Verizon or its predecessors for many years.)
But the service itself has been stellar. I'm concerned about the duration of the battery backup in the unit they installed as I often lose power, but it wouldn't be any better if I was using Comcast for voice and data.
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Review by Jdargan
member for 7.6 years, 0 visits, last login: 7.6 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Manhattan Beach,Los Angeles,CA
- $29 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 9 days
- "Speed, low cost, ease of installation"
- "None so far"
- "Worth getting."
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I ordered the service Oct 19. The tech came on Oct 26 to connect the fibre optic from the curb to the house and install a new box on the outside (I didn't need to be home for this as it's all outside work). That lasted about 90 minutes. The inside installation lasted about 4 hours on Oct 28. Two boxes (included battery back-up which lasts up to 8 hours) were installed in the garage and a CAT-5 line was run along the outside of the house to my home office on the second floor at the back of the house. A quick drill through the wall under the window, a new jack and then the new modem was plugged in. Worked first time.
I bought the 5Mpbs down/2 Mbps up package for $29.99/month for the first year. ( I already had a Verizon DSL line 750kbps/250kbps for abut 6 years with no problems). I'm getting 4-5Mbps consistently down and about 1.8Mbps up.
Things to note: since I live in LA I wanted to be able to use my phone in an emergency (if/when the Big One hits) and didn't want to rely on a battery pack. So I didn't switch my Verizon phone lines to the Fios service. Not a problem other than it makes it harder for Verizon customer service to find my order and you charge it directly to a credit card.
Also you need to call to turn off your DSL account to avoid being double charged.
The tech mentioned that the Fios TV service will probably roll out early in 2006.
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Review by weaver
member for 11.5 years, 4541 visits, last login: a few hours ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Bowie,Prince Georges,MD
- $34 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 14 days
- "Fast and stable; cheap compared to Comcast"
- "Phone switch to fiber was not coordinated smoothly"
- "The internet just plain works right out of the box"
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I was lucky enough to see a message from jackrussel that Bowie, MD was accepting FIOS orders. I hadn't been checking availability regularly. I called up and got an install date about a week later. I had to reschedule due to a pressing project at work; rescheduling was no problem, and I got an appointment for the following week.
I opted for the 5/2 package, and got it for $34.95 a month with the first month free and free installation with a one year committment. They will switch your phone over to fiber by default; they're trying to get rid of the copper, but you could probably ask them to keep the copper for now if you want to.
The install was handled by an experienced guy who knew what he was doing, and a trainee. They installed an Optical Network Terminal (ONT), a control box, and a battery backup for the phone over fiber, ran CAT 5 to the room where my computer is, installed a D-Link Dl-604 router, and configured the computer to use the router. You need a power outlet for the control box and battery backup combination. Installation includes a CD for software to use with the service, which, thankfully, they did not install. They said it was a way to take up ~300 MB of hard drive space.
The installers were professional and fast. They did the above in two hours. The snag came when it was time to test the phone for a dialtone; it didn't have one. The problem turned out to be on the Cental Office end, where my order had been mishandled. They needed to switch me over to the fiber optic side, and that took another two and a half hours. No big deal to me, I don't use the phone that much anyway.
So far, the internet worked right out of the box, and everything has worked fine since the initial install. There have been no slowdowns yet, but that could happen if the increase in users outstrips their expansion of capacity; we'll just wait and see on that.
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Review by litkaj
member for 9.5 years, 95 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Exton,Chester,PA
- $44 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 14 days
- "So fast I almost fell out of my chair on the first speed test."
- "The install took forever and their router must be used for full speed."
- "Great speed at minimal expense"
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Ordered 15/2 residential service @ $44.99 (1-year contract) when I moved to a new apartment instead of moving the Verizon DSL (3.0/768).
The install was scheduled 2 weeks after I called to order so it's a good thing I called 2 weeks before I moved in. It ended up being hooked up the day before I moved in.
First, some bad news. The install took FOREVER. The woman doing my installation took about 5 hours for the external install and then the two of us worked together for the next 90 minutes to route the CAT5 inside to my office. Without my help it would have taken her at least twice as long. Plan on taking at least one day off of work (she told me that she had to go back to her previous day's appt. because it wasn't working when she left the day before).
Next, some good news. Fiber is fast as hell. With the free D-Link DI-604 I can pull 14.7/1.75 out of my rated 15/2 on Speakeasy's Washington D.C. and New York City tests.
On that, more bad news. I have two other routers here: a Linksys BEFSX41 and a WRT54G v2. The WRT54G won't break 8.6/1.2 and the BEFSX41 won't break 10/1.6, despite both having 10/100 WAN ports. It looks like whatever modifications Verizon made to this little D-Link router make all the difference. As such, I no longer have VPN connectivity to my office because the DI-604 doesn't have a built-in end-point. I'd like to get something better (with VPN capabilities) but I'd hate to go out and spend $100-200 and then find out that I can still only move 10-11Mbps through it.
Overall, I'm really pleased with my service. There was one connectivity issue about a week in where my data service was mysteriously turned off on their end but it was back up a day later after I complained to the Fiber Solutions Center (although my Verizon Online account, including my email and newsgroup access, was down for another 4 days, over the holiday weekend). They issued me a credit on my bill for the downtime. The only other thing I'm not real happy about is that the service uses PPPoE. I don't see any reason why they couldn't have gone with something a little more reliable like DHCP.
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Review by icenfire2u
member for 8 years, 310 visits, last login: 2.1 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Lewisville,Denton,TX
- $49 per month
- about 14 days
- "The speed is great; no outages so far"
- "none"
- "worth the money; reliable and consistent speeds"
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Had fios installed on Sept 9th. So far have had no outages as compared to comcast having an outage the very first day I had it installed. The installation went great. It only took about 2 hours. I would recommend this service to anyone who can get it. I am anxiously awaiting the deployment of Fios Tv so I can get rid of comcast totally.
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Review by chrispix
member for 8.8 years, 292 visits, last login: 1.6 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Rowlett,Dallas,TX
- $99 per month
- about 5 days
- "Fast, Stable, Why did they not think of this first. 15/2 service"
- "Data goes out w/ power even though battery backup."
- "What are you waiting for. Switch already!"
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I originally had verizon Fios installed in 2/2005. I choose the 15/2 Residential package. They installed it at my house w/in 5 business days. It was incredible service. The only down side was that they use PPPoE. I also switched my Verizon voice line over to Sunrocket VOIP. When I did this, verizon no longer had a billing # on file, and cut my service off b/c I did not have a backup credit card on file. It seems that this has been resolved since my issue early on.
I decided to swich to their 15/2 business plan w/ 5 static IP's, and no port blocks.
I have not had any issues since, the only problem I have is that the power to the Nic on the ONT gets powered down during a power outage, even though there is a battery backup. This is mainly frustrating to me b/c the backup power does nothing for me since I don't have VZ voice service.
Regardless. Bang for the buck.. Wow. I was paying $120/month for 768/768k on DSL that was hardly as stable as this package of 15/2..
I would give it 10 thumbs up, although I only have 2 thumbs. So... 2 thumbs up!
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Review by xfusi0n
member for 7.7 years, 9 visits, last login: 6.6 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Sterling,Loudoun,VA
- $34 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 14 days
- "Constant speed and always on with no problems"
- "Battery backup to power ONT"
- "Worth It, get it if you can wont be disapointed."
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I live in Sterling, VA right behind the Safeway. I was paying $40 for 500k/60k DSL connection on a good day and the only reason I was getting that was because I had CAT5e from the phone box to my DSL modem which was 5 feet from the Verizon punch down box. I could not get the 1.5mb/3.0mb connection because I was to far from the CO. I called to complain to tell Verizon I was not going to pay for $40 for that speed and they told me that FiOS was available for $34.95 for the 5mb/2mb speed so I was like sign me up.
So a few days later a crew of Verizon diggers were running the fiber to my house from the green fiber switch boxes on the corner of my townhoses. A week later a Verizon technician came out to put in the new ONT box that houses the fiber and the POTS lines and hook up the BBU. It took about 3-4 hours for the install and I already had CAT5e running to my house from the DSL line that I Installed so he used the existing cable. He connected the D-Link DI-604 router and connected to the router and put in my ID an Password for PPPoE configuration.
With the provided router my connection has been up and solid every since, but am building a new Linux firewall and sorts for speed and security. I have no complaints and very, very happy. My connection is 5.12mb/1.85mb constantly.
The battery backup has to be plugged in at all times, to power the unit. Unlike typical POTS lines which dont need separate power. The battery will last supposedly about 3-4 hours in a power outage, but of course hasnt been tested, since I just got this. I was asking the technician about the battery backup and if I can put a bigger battery on that unit and he said that that would be no problem.
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Review by busilinks
member for 7.6 years, 2 visits, last login: 7.6 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Plano,Collin,TX
- $34 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 7 days
- "Much cheaper than cable."
- "Download speeds slower than cable on 5/2 plan."
- "Most bandwidth for the money. Great value."
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Comcast cable Internet was costing me $56 dollars a month, so I was looking to cut my cost. About 10 days ago I visited Verizon's site to see if DSL was available in my area. I was surprised to see that my predominantly blue-collar neighborhood was among the first areas to go live with FIOS. I ordered the 5/2 connection for $34.95 seven days ago over the Internet.
After my initial email confirmation, I did not hear from Verizon again until an automated system confirmed my install date and time on Sunday afternoon, one day before my appointment. (I am glad I was home.) The actual technician called me again about 20 minutes before he showed on Monday. He arrived on the second hour of his four hour appointment window. Overall, I am happy with the installation process, but we did have a few glitches.
First, I did not have an extra power outlet in my garage. The outlet is used for a power backup (UPS) system. I don't have phone service at home, so it seems pointless to me to have any battery backup. My computers will not be on if the power is out! Nevertheless, the technician said the FIOS requires it. We ended up running an extension cord along my garage ceiling. This would not have been bad except for the fact they forgot to bracket the cord in place. Now I have power cord hanging off my ceiling. I could call them to fix it, but this probably means time on hold and waiting out another four hour appointment window. Learn from my mistake. Check your technician’s work.
Another minor issue was that Verizon would not touch my own NetGear wireless router. The technician was done as soon as he installed a DLINK router that he connected to the Internet via his own laptop. I had to complete the installation by reconfiguring my wireless network. This only took five minutes, but someone with less wireless networking experience might have had a problem.
Overall, I happy with my new service, but I have one major complaint. My 5/2 service download speed is no faster than my original Comast cable service. On local test sites I show 4.5 mbps, but on other test sites I consistantly rank slower than my original Comcast cable connection did. I would be disappointed if not for the $22 dollar monthly savings. This leaves me a satisfied, but somewhat disappointed customer.
Here are some additional notes:
1. Verison installs a DLINK router with special firmware for FIOS. That means your router/modem will not work. The DLINK/ Verizon router manages the PPPoE connectivity. My NetGear wireless router sits outside the DHCP range and serves IPs to my wireless clients.
2. Verizon let me choose my own username and password, but FIOS access seems to be controlled by the MAC address on the DLINK. That means you have to go through Verizon if the DLINK dies, much the same way you would if you Comcast cable modem were to die.
3. Looking back, I wish I had signed up for the 15/2 service level to see what top speeds were available. Then I could have downgraded within the first 30 days if the 15/2 service was not substantially above the 5 Mbps.
4. Don't bother with 15/2 if you only have a 10 Mbps wireless network and no plans to upgrade your equipment.
5. My upload speed tops out at 2 Mbps. That alone is worth moving from Comcast.
6. I am surprised that I did not get any promotional mail or door hangers. I only found the service because I was shopping for DSL. Did any of you get any special offers in the mail?
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 Review by Walter White
member for 12.5 years, 4181 visits, last login: 10 days ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Huntington Beach,Orange,CA
- $55 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 7 days
- "Insane speed for the price.Worth for any extreme gamer!"
- "Trying to get a install date for my apartmant was hell"
- "If fios is available,get it NOW!"
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I am the first person in huntington beach,ca to have a apartment installed with FIOS.It took me five calls on the 888 number to get a install date.The 4 other fiber reps told me they don't install at apts or they will get fined since it wasn't authorized yet.Well I tried a few more times and ordered the fios business 15/2 dynamic.GIVE ME A HELL YEAH!
So the install date came.Oct 13,tech arrived at 8:30 am,was done by 10am.Since I was the first.Five suporvisors came out to take pictures with me and the tech,and of the install.Playing Counter-Strike on steam reveals sup 9ms in game action.I am pinging servers as low as 2ms! I can't wait to cancell my roadrunner monday morning and tell them fios owns you.  Here's the thread I started from moving into my apt till the day I got fios.
»First apt wired for fios in HB,lots of pics
8-19-06
Rock solid since 11/13/05,not one single problem. Thank you FIOS!
Now if I could only get Fios tv i'd be set.
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Review by Dosperado
member for 11.4 years, 208 visits, last login: 5.3 years ago
lodged 7.6 years ago
- Southborough,Worcester,MA
- Contract price not specified.
- about 12 days
- "Fastest option, especially up, of any ISP"
- "loss of old fashioned copper means less stable phone service"
- "Should just keep getting better, and is already the best!"
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For high speed and solid pings, FIOS is unchallenged. The speeds are amazing, and virtually limitless looking ahead, we'll see what comes...
I also switched phone service to Verizons own Voicewing, which is half the price of standard phone service, and unfortunately nothing like Verizons $$$ phone service, sharing only the company name apparantly, but I digress!
The web access is more than enough for anything you could think of, and newsgroup access is speedy as well. If you even opt for the slowest 5Mb/2Mb service at $34.95/$39.95 you will be better off than most and not disappointed in the least.
The only downside to fiber is the need for power to the unit, which has a battery backup for up to 8 hours of phone, but shuts down data after 5 minutes. A big UPS for the FIOS box might solve this for those with a pc/router on ups, or laptop. Also VOIP will go down after 5 minutes, so keep it in mind. Cell phones are a nice cure for that one I guess.
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