dslreports logo

Review by waveoff See Profile

  • Location: Crescent, Allegheny, PA, USA
  • Cost: $40 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 21 days
Extremely fast, 15/2 service cheaper than cable, knowledgeable people.
Wasn't available sooner to ditch Comcast!
Cheaper and faster than cable??? It's a no brainer!
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

I'm not a networking expert so I can't offer all of the technical speak that other reviews offer. However, I can say that FiOS is the real deal.

I impatiently waited for FiOS ever since I saw them laying the fiber optic cable in my neighborhood last year. I was elated when a young man from Verizon showed up at my door one day last month selling FiOS door-to-door. All I said was, "Where do I sign!" At the time, they were offering 5mb down/2mb up for $34.95 or 15mb down/2mb up for $39.95. Each price was available with a 1 year contract. In addition to the special pricing for one year, I was able to get a free wireless router and free installation of the FiOS service on one computer. The free installation consisted of all outside wiring, a new network interface box outside and the running of wiring inside to one computer. Yes, it's setup for DHCP.

I had a bit of a scheduling SNAFU due to my work schedule but it all worked out. I had to change the date of my install one time and Verizon gave me an install date of 6/23 sometime between 8 AM and 5 PM. They ended up calling the day before and giving me a firm time on when the technician would show up. The tech called me on the morning of 6/23 and showed up on time. He had everything installed and running, by himself, in about 3 hours.

I used a variety of speed tests and they all show anything between 8000-15100 kbps down and 800-1400 kbps up...depending on how far away the server is. I then went and downloaded Nero 7 Ultra Edition at Download.com and the averaged download speed was 1.2 MB/sec

That's basically all I can think of right now. Overall, I'm glad that I don't have to deal with Comcast anymore.

member for 17.7 years, 10 visits, last login: 14.2 years ago
lodged 17.7 years ago


Review by jazmach See Profile

  • Location: Oakland Gardens, Queens, NY, USA
  • Cost: $34 per month (month by month)
  • Install: about 7 days
GREAT SPEED/ REASONABLE COST
NONE THAT I CAN SEE
GREAT SPEED 10000+/1900+ ON SPEAKEASY + BBR
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)

Finally FIOS came to my area and I jumped on it. Had Earthlink cable thru TimeWarner. It was Ok but sometimes I thought I was on dial up.

Call Verizon last week for some info and I signed on at that point. They asked when DO I WANT them to come and install - I said next week (6/22/06).

During that week they came to the house and did all the outside wiring to the building - I didn't know this till they came.

The tech arrived right on time, took about 3 hours to install and set up my computer, including getting my laptop to accept signal from new D-LINK modem router.

Everything works great, all sites come up fast and crisp, and downloads are a snap.

If FIOS cames to your area - DO NOT HESITATE!!!

member for 22.1 years, 311 visits, last login: 14.1 years ago
lodged 17.7 years ago


Review by escsco See Profile

  • Location: Chino, San Bernardino, CA, USA
  • Cost: $45 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 10 days
Fast connection, easy install
Battery Back up
15M/2M for $45 a month
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

Just moved into a brand new neighborhood with fiber optics built in. Days from order to success would have been shorter by five days except I was on vacation the day they originally scheduled me.

Two guys came in to do the install and they were relatively fast due to the fact the house came pre-wired with everything except the drop from the street to the d-marc (which all they had to do was run the fiber through the conduit underground).

My entire order was done online so that part was relatively simple. The only problem during the install was when they were finishing up the registration process because the install program kept crashing at 39% complete. But it didn't matter since that stuff was 3rd party software I didn't want anyways.

I can't comment on their tech support since I've never used them.

I've had DSL, then Cable, and now FIOS. My speeds now have maxed out at a little over 15M down and 1.8M up.

I don't really like the D-Link router that came with the service, but I needed it to replace my old router which couldn't handle speeds past 10M on the wan port.

My only bad point is the battery back up being installed at the house location for my telephone services. I'm in charge of buying another if it dies (and it it will in about 3 years).

Now all I'm waiting for is FIOS TV.

member for 23.3 years, 505 visits, last login: 16 years ago
lodged 17.7 years ago


Review by tlcbob See Profile

  • Location: Harrisburg, Dauphin, PA, USA
  • Cost: $42 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 7 days
Great data rates - rock solid
Look out cable!
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)

I have the 15/2 package installed. I get a rock solid 15.3 mbps down and 1.88 mbps up. I am able to use DHCP instead of PPPOE. No problems at all. We had underground installation and everything went smoothly. Can't wait for FIOS TV! Bring it on!

New Update: Still Rock solid. They kept charge at $39.95 without me asking!

member for 22.7 years, 1100 visits, last login: 272 days ago
lodged 17.7 years ago

chasthrpr
join:2003-08-02
Hershey, PA

chasthrpr

Member

I am Jealous

Hope that Verizon will share the love across 17112.






Review by jchin See Profile

  • Location: Staten Island, Richmond, NY, USA
  • Cost: $60 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 5 days
30Mbps down and 5Mbps up! Cannot beat that!
PPPoE forces IP changes even on very active line
Faster than cable but not as reliable.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

Verizon FiOS is great! Speed is great! Better than my RoadRunner. Too bad my dyanmic IP address keeps changing on me (at least once a week, sometimes several times a day), even during a file transfer or online gaming. Unlike RoadRunner which keeps my dynamic IP the same for months.

July 2006 update: it appears that Verizon is no longer forcing my IP to change each week, I've had the same IP for about 3 weeks now, which is good.

member for 18.4 years, 62 visits, last login: 15.6 years ago
lodged 17.7 years ago


Review by mrvolvo740 See Profile

  • Location: Massapequa, Nassau, NY, USA
  • Cost: $39 per month (12 month contract)
Very fast speed; downloaded a 500MB file in 20 minutes!
Lost two days due to a contractor cutting the fiber line by accident
Best value for Hi speed! Internet bill went down by $60 after switching to Verizon
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

I ordered Verizon Fios after viewing a demonstration in the Massapequa
Park cafe where Verizon was hosting a seminar on the product. It took me
approximately 10 days from order to implementation, which gave me time
to plan out where I want ed the equipment installed. The installation was
at my home in Massapequa, NY which was one of the first homes to get the
service.

The Verizon Technician was very knowledgable and answered my
questions concerning the fiber cable. I was pleasently pleased with the
installation that they did. They left a lot of room for expansion if I
wanted to add additional lines to the D-Link router.

I used to use an IDSL line from another vendor which was the only DSL
line available back in 2001, which I was paying $99 a month. I never had
Cablevision, and never wanted their service after hearing horror stories
from friends who had Optimum online and Optimum voice.

I had the service for nearly one year and this service is the best!!
One of my friends asked me when it is coming to Freeport, as he was sick of
Cablevision's triple play (TV, Internet and voice) causing problems, and the
unprofessional attitude of their customer service department.
When I mention to people I have Fios, I get the question, "How do I sign
up?". I explain you have to check with Verizon as they are starting to
build out. My understanding is Verizon is replacing copper in many of
the communities near where I live with fiber line.

I did have an outage where I was without phone and internet service for
two days. The cause was the fiber line was cut by a contractor performing
road surfacing for the Town of Oyster Bay. Verizon responded promptly and
interfaced with the contractor performing the road work to ensure this
incident does not occur again. The contractor apologized to us for the
mishap. Other than that, I am more than pleased with the service.

I pay $39/month but get a small discount since my telephone service is
with Verizon. I would never go back to dial-up or the other ISP which I was
paying $99/month plus taxes and FCC charges. Download speeds range from
4.2Mbps to 5.1Mbps. Uploads speeds range from 768k to 1Mbps, depending
on the load and time of day.

member for 13 years, 27 visits, last login: 202 days ago
lodged 17.8 years ago


Review by maddisai See Profile

  • Location: Aldie, Loudoun, VA, USA
  • Cost: $34 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 7 days
Cheaper than the cable service in my area
Unreliable speed
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

When I move to my new house, I was happy that Verizon Fios is available in my area and the price is less compared to the cable company that is in my area. But I am afraid that that happiness is not staying longer. After two months of good speeds of Verizon Fios now I am seeing low speeds like 2000/900 kbps for 5/2 mbps. Spoke to the customer service representative after long hold, but they don't know what is going on and are trying to convince me that the speed depends on the website that I browse. Which I don't agree. I have to talk to another customer service representative tonight and see if they can able to help. If not, then probably I will disconnect the service with them.

member for 18.6 years, 45 visits, last login: 16.9 years ago
lodged 17.8 years ago

JohnA4
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

JohnA4

Premium Member

Not how to ask for help.


I'd suggest going over to the Verizon Fiber forum, explain your setup, where you're testing, what problem you're seeing, and see if someone there can help diagnose what is causing your issue. What site you browse has nothing to do with your speed, but what site you test it on can affect the results.

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

Re: Not how to ask for help.

Try going to speakeasy.net/speedtest and run a test on a server close to you. While the test is running, watch the download "speed needle". Does the needle increase to the final speed slowly and stay there or does it "surge" up and down by 25%- 50% while the test is running.
If it Surges, you have the same symptom a lot of us DSL users have. It was rumored that it affected FIOS customers also.
See the long thread on the Verizon DSL forum »[speed/latency] Speed Issues for more details. Apparently Verizon has no solution yet as some have been plagued for 5-6 months.

elbm
join:2000-08-03
Reisterstown, MD

elbm

Member

Re: Not how to ask for help.

I have recently have had "issues" with my dsl on Speakeasy's test server-- but is not my dsl. It is something speakeasy has done/changed. I don't think it is a Verizon problem. I get 370 KBPS (2.96 mbps) on almost all my downloads which is the true measure of bandwidth. So it is really irrelevant what a test server tells me.

I would bet the op is getting his full 5 megs and that his issue is with the test server or in his equipment/wiring.

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

Re: Not how to ask for help.

What are the nature of the "issues" you are having with Speakeasy? My tests to all the speakeasy servers look the same as they did a year ago.

Jodokast96
Stupid people piss me off.
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
NJ

1 edit

Jodokast96 to elbm

Premium Member

to elbm
said by elbm:

I have recently have had "issues" with my dsl on Speakeasy's test server-- but is not my dsl. It is something speakeasy has done/changed. I don't think it is a Verizon problem. I get 370 KBPS (2.96 mbps) on almost all my downloads which is the true measure of bandwidth. So it is really irrelevant what a test server tells me.

I would bet the op is getting his full 5 megs and that his issue is with the test server or in his equipment/wiring.
It can be relevant. What those of us in that link that Tim gave you are seeing is very latency/RWIN dependant. If you are tweaked normally, you will see very low speeds whether it is a download or a test server, if the latency is low. So it is possible that if a test server speed (since we normally choose close ones, they tend to have lower latency) is low, your downloads can still be fine if they happen to come from higher latency sites. When I refer to low latency, it's pretty much anything under 40-45ms or so. A "high" latency in this case is only 75ms or so.
The Gizmo
join:2002-03-12
Pearland, TX

The Gizmo to JohnA4

Member

to JohnA4
One reliable way of testing if you're at your maximum bandwidth, is to download a huge file (or multiple huge files) and do a ping to a reliable server. If your ping is way above the norm, you're at your peak bandwidth, if it's completely stable as if you're not downloading anything at all then obviously you're not. If it spikes randomly you're just about there.

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

..

Close your file sharing programs

LOL

WileEC
mindtaker, macky cat, etc.
join:2002-02-07
Yonkers, NY

WileEC

Member

This guy does not know WTF he's talking about

I seriously doubt the legitimacy of this review. Either this guy has a system which is infected, or it's seriously misconfigured or he is full of sh*t. And yes, unless he is referring to reliable speed test results gathered from more than one test site which he's tested with in the past, the speed of any download is determined by the slowest link in the network between you and the originating site or a limitation of the originating site itself. The fact is that this "review" is so far away from the norm for FiOS, the review is not even worth considering. And yes, after having this most excellent FiOS for over a year now, I damn well am a fanboy.
maddisai
join:2005-08-15
Fredericksburg, VA

maddisai

Member

Re: This guy does not know WTF he's talking about

Hi WileEC, I just read your review and felt bad that how lousy you are. I wrote my review based on my experience with FIOS. I don't have anything with FIOS nor with any other company. If you don't know how to help others, please s**t your month and don't comment on others.

To other folks who commented out for my review, The figures that I mentioned 2xxx/9xx kbps are from speakeasy speed test itself. As one of the reviewer mentioned above, I downloaded a large file today and it worked fine for me. I will do another test on Week day and see how it works. Thank you all for your comments and/or suggestions.

WileEC
mindtaker, macky cat, etc.
join:2002-02-07
Yonkers, NY

2 edits

WileEC

Member

Re: This guy does not know WTF he's talking about

That's too bad that you don't like what I wrote. The fact is that what I wrote was accurate, unlike the content of your review, which [I believe] is rubbish. There is a Verizon FiOS forum on BBR and maybe someone can help you with your perceived speed issue.

2kmaro
Think

join:2000-07-11
Oklahoma City, OK

2kmaro to WileEC

to WileEC
Folks, please remember - you're certainly welcome to express disbelief in someone's review. However, do so with caution - especially when someone is relating their experience.

Their experience may not be your experience. That's why we have reviews, so people can get a total picture of potential experience in specific areas. For example, here we have a person in VA not being very pleased with the service, while one in NY is happy with theirs, apparently.

Obviously the only thing in common between the two is the name of the company providing the service.

It's long been known here at BBR that there can be a complete world of difference in quality of service from a given provider based very much in location. It's like real estate, of all things that are important, the big one is Location, Location, Location.
maddisai
join:2005-08-15
Fredericksburg, VA

maddisai

Member

Re: This guy does not know WTF he's talking about

Thanks 2Kmaro.
gensai
join:2006-04-15
Seattle, WA

gensai

Member

testing

I would try multiple speed tests from multiple sites. I've helped cust where testmy.net showed 17Kbps and Speakeasy showed over 200Kbps. Try different ones. According to what your put up, you only tried speakeasy.

KThompson88
join:2005-07-20
Hampton, VA

KThompson88

Member

Re: testing

I love how when someone says anything negative about Fios that they are quickly attacked by Hardcore Fios fans.....Makes for great entertainment
gensai
join:2006-04-15
Seattle, WA

gensai

Member

Re: testing

I'm a VOIP rep and know that fios is stable at the bandwidth paid for. And I've run into different sites giving different numbers. I'm just trying to be helpful. When I relied on 1 source for testing it messed everything up with the customer. Poor guy didn't get fixed for 2 weeks. So I say try different bw tests.

Princeg
@verizon.net

Princeg

Anon

If you live in Aldie

Then you can't have Fios, it isnt live there yet.
So perhaps you live somewhere else?

Review by voteccow4 See Profile

  • Location: Denville, Morris, NJ, USA
  • Cost: $40 per month (month by month)
  • Install: about 3 days
Getting the Speeds Promised, Fast, Reliable A+++
Took a little longer than I wanted to get the Upgrade from 15/2 to 20/5
If it's avalible, jump on it, it's the fastest, most reliable connection you can get!
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)

8/21/05 - I originally had verizon dsl for about 3 years and had loved the reliability and the fact that it didn't have any caps like optimum online did. Their tech support was great and I had heard about their Fiber Optic service and was readily looking forward to it being available. I kept checking for weeks once I saw the spools of fiber and all the verizon trucks in the morris county area and finally I called on 8/21/05 and low and behold it was available! I was scheduled for an appointment to have it installed 3 days later and I was the first install being done in Denville on that node, so I was very excited. The sales people were very helpful and knowledgeable.

8/22/05 - They dropped the fiber from the telephone pole down to the side of the house.

8/24/05 - The installer was scheduled to show up at around 11:30am, but showed up at 10:00am sharp which impressed me. The installer was very friendly and let me take pictures of everything before, during, and after the install. I had installed a wallboard inside the house for the battery backup which made his job a heck of a lot easier. He was extremely careful and meticulous in the way he installed everything, it took him about 3-4 hours to complete the install. He then came inside and ran the cable to where I wanted it. He let me use my own router and I configured everything, he left the FIOS Information packet and free d-link wired router with me and didn't make me install the msn/yahoo software. He waited to make sure I was getting the speeds promised and I gave him a couple links to good speed sites so that he could help other people test their connections. He stayed for a couple more hours and we had a pleasant conversation. My experience overall was absolutely great and I'm readily waiting for FIOS TV to be available in my area.

5/25/06 - I read here on the Verizon FIOS forums about the upgrade from 15/2 to 20/5 for the NJ FIOS customers and called in to get the free upgrade. The upgrade took about 3-4 days to kick in, but everything worked great and the speeds were awesome!

member for 21.2 years, 133 visits, last login: 13.1 years ago
lodged 17.8 years ago


Review by nekote See Profile

  • Location: Hopkinton, Middlesex, MA, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month
Alternative to Comcast; Faster uploads for digital pics
Dependent on residential electric power
Hoping for better bang for the buck
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)

Update: FiOS has been remarkably stable & 100% uptime, AFAIK.

Billing Dept. screwed up my FiOS only credit card billing (no phone, no TV, yet).
Rep. kindly gave me some special / marketing promo of a $30/month rate for 12 months, in addition to squaring away the over charges, as a kiss and make up bonus.

Still awaiting cable TV.
Some local communities (eg: Wakefield) in Massachusetts have finally just completed their franchising agreement. My town is supposed to be have the same attorney and contract template as Wakefield, so the talk is toward the end of the summer. We'll see.

Also, DHCP (vs. current PPPoE) is supposedly near.
(It was supposedly near *last* August! )

Several neighbors have also switched from Comcast to Verizon's FiOS.
Others are awaiting the cable TV, especially for the triple play bundle pricing.

Initial review: Install and experience top notch - essentially perfect, so far.

Uploads of digital pictures noticeably faster.
Couldn't tell much difference between 5M and 15M download, though.

Awaiting TV.
Hoping competition makes the rates go down.
Fearing some perverse effect where having 2 potential TV providers compete for the right to transport TV channels to me will bid *up* the price they pay - thus the price you and I pay.

ONT / PSU / BBU (Optical Network Terminal / Power Supply Unit / Battery Back Up) depend on available electric power. The backup provided (BBU) limited to 4 (to 8?) hours of service, primarily for telephone function (aka 911). Easiest way to increase outage capacity is to plug PSU into separate UPS of what ever size desired - PSU / BBU never know local power has failed until that extra unit fails.

member for 23.2 years, 1870 visits, last login: 10.5 years ago
updated 17.8 years ago

attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay

Member

speed???

5/2?
Insder
There never was a second I in my name
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Salem, MA

Insder

Premium Member

Re: speed???

DHCP is available in MA with a FW upgrade.

DEdP
@meditech.com

DEdP

Anon

Re: speed???

I'm also in Hopkinton, MA (starting line of the Boston Marathon and home of EMC). I didn't know that it's now possible to not use PPPoE. I'll have to look into that. I agree that FiOS is essentially bullet-proof, although I've been caught a few times by 5-minute updates that started exactly at minute.

After a 5-minute outage when outgoing mail didn't work, it always froze for a few moments after opening to the SMTP server. POP3 remains unaffected. The quirk lasted for maybe a month, then after another 5 minutes of SMTP downtime at midnight it was fixed. There was another brief outage I happened to hit, again right at midnight, when there was no Net service whatsoever.

These minor annoyances must be contrasted with Comcast, which was vastly less reliable by comparison. It's true that many servers and/or their pipes to the Net aren't fast enough to fully display the 15 Mbps speed of FiOS. But when more of them pick up speed FiOS will be ready.

Review by rwmiller See Profile

  • Location: Odenton, Anne Arundel, MD, USA
  • Cost: $44 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 13 days
15 Mbps for $45; Ability to get FiOS TV
Tears up the lawn for new cables
No Brainer if you have it available
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)

I just had FiOS installed at my home in Odenton 6/2 and wanted to provide a quick report as I did not see any FiOS reviews for our area. I live in the Peachtree community by the MARC station.

Although I had provided my email previously to be notified when FiOS was available, I found out by checking my phone number on the FiOS web page. Ordered the 15/2 configuration on 5/20 via the online order form - 12 month commitment, $44.95/month, no install charges, $99 cancellation fee. As an Encore customer they gave me the option of no commitment for the same charge but there was a $69 install charge so I went with the first option. I was given an install date of 6/2 from 8am to 5 pm.

That Monday 5/22, Verizon came out and marked the route for the fiber to my home as well as where the splice access boxes would go. They also hung a door hanger on my home and the neighbors. Later that week all the utilities were marked in preparation for digging.

On Tuesday 5/29, I had a team of about 8 people out front digging trenches from the nearest installed junction box across the yard to the new splice box they were putting in and then to the area of my utility access. I really don't understand why they don't use a trencing tool but instead they dig trenches about 10 feet apart and run the cable underground between these trenches. They left about 20 feet of cable rolled up next to my house. It took about 5 hours for the installation.

On my scheduled date of 6/2, the installer called at 11:30 am and said he would be there in 1/2 hour and he was. He installed the OTB and battery backup in a few hours and, with help from another installer, ran Cat 5 cable up the outside of the house to enter my study where the primary computer is. A new wall jack was installed in the room and the outside work was done very neatly. My phone lines were switched over to the FiOS connection with no problem and he had me up and running on the internet within 30 minutes of starting that part of the job. The total time was about 4 hours. He set me up with PPPoE but, when asked, said that the system would start using DHCP as of 6/3. After he left I upgraded the DLink DI 624 router firmware and switched to DHCP.

I am getting a good 15 Mbps download / 1.87 Mpbs upload using various test locations (primarily Speakeasy) and am fully satisfied with the service. The only bummer is when I VPN to work, that computer is much much slower due to the torturous path the data must take.

I previously had 3M/7K bps DSL and look forward to the big speed increase. The cost is only $15 more per month for a 5x increase.



member for 24.1 years, 98 visits, last login: 13.6 years ago
lodged 17.8 years ago