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bjrrtx
join:2009-08-19
Dallas, TX

bjrrtx

Member

placed my order, have install questions

1. My install is scheduled for next week- when will they bury the fiber and will they notify me of it in advance?

2. My computers all connect through wifi- is connecting to the Verizon router similar to connecting to any other wifi with a password? I'm wondering how much to ask the install technician to do.

More Fiber
MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

1) Usually the day before. Don't generally notify. This assumes your current phone service is underground.

2) Same as connecting to any other wireless router. Tech will ensure one computer is working.
bjrrtx
join:2009-08-19
Dallas, TX

bjrrtx

Member

I currently have cable, and it seems that installing FIOS typically cuts the cable meaning I would be without TV and internet for a couple of days before FIOS is installed and activated. If I was there watching then I could caution them about the cable and/or maybe determine when it was cut so I could patch it temporarily.

Another install question I just came up with...

3. I have re-wired my house with new coax in preparation for the install, to get rid of my mixture of old coax and jumble of splitters. I now have 5 drops coming into my garage from throughout the house from potential TV locations, and 1 drop that leads to my current cable modem/router. Will the installer have an appropriate splitter to deal with this layout?
UnnDunn
Premium Member
join:2005-12-21
Brooklyn, NY

UnnDunn to bjrrtx

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2. By default, the router will be set up to use a five-character Network Name and a WEP key. Both of these are printed on a label on the underside of the ActionTec router.

This arrangement is perfectly serviceable, but generally it's a good idea to assign your own network name and use WPA2 security instead of WEP. The install technician will not do this for you (well, maybe if you ask and he's feeling nice.)

If you've ever manually configured a router before, this should be a piece of cake. If you haven't, the easiest way to get this done is to use Verizon's In Home Agent tool on your PC. Your installer will probably install this on one PC unless you specifically ask for it not to be installed--it comes up as part of the account setup process for first-time Verizon Internet users.)

bohratom
My Jersey Giants finally winning again..
join:2011-07-07
Red Bank NJ

bohratom to bjrrtx

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to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

3. Will the installer have an appropriate splitter to deal with this layout?

Yes the techs will provide the splitters for free. Keep in mind 3 tvs are free for the tech to connect the equipment to (as you have already run the cable) and Im not sure if they will charge for connecting more then that as my install was only 3 tvs.

More Fiber
MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber to bjrrtx

MVM

to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

and it seems that installing FIOS typically cuts the cable meaning I would be without TV and internet for a couple of days before FIOS is installed

Huh? What FIOS will do is remove the cable company feed to your main splitter and connect the feed from the ONT to your main splitter instead. This will be done the day of the install. You will have no more than a few minutes of down time.
said by bjrrtx:

Will the installer have an appropriate splitter to deal with this layout?

Yes.
UnnDunn
Premium Member
join:2005-12-21
Brooklyn, NY

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to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

I currently have cable, and it seems that installing FIOS typically cuts the cable meaning I would be without TV and internet for a couple of days before FIOS is installed and activated. If I was there watching then I could caution them about the cable and/or maybe determine when it was cut so I could patch it temporarily.

Your FiOS service will be fully working when the installer leaves your premises. They won't cut the cable when burying the fiber; they'll only disconnect it if and when you tell them to. If you tell them to leave the existing cable alone, they will do so.
bjrrtx
join:2009-08-19
Dallas, TX

bjrrtx to More Fiber

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Huh? What FIOS will do is remove the cable company feed to your main splitter and connect the feed from the ONT to your main splitter instead. This will be done the day of the install. You will have no more than a few minutes of down time.

I was just guessing here- when my neighbor got his FIOS installed and they buried his fiber, they cut my coax cable. It took me a couple of days to get my cable company out to fix the break. I've been told that they do this all the time and the companies charge each other back and forth for fixing each others' cuts. Maybe I'll get lucky and it won't be cut this time.
crgauth
join:2004-05-18
Glen Burnie, MD

crgauth

Member

If they cut the cable, was probably an accident (or not).
But it probably isn't company policy to do it...

Thinkdiff
MVM,
join:2001-08-07
Bronx, NY

Thinkdiff

MVM,

Might not be company policy (in fact, techs on this board have stated they are not supposed to do anything other than disconnect the existing service), but my installer also wanted to cut my cable line. I had to tell him specifically not to cut it (or disconnect it, as I still had cable service at the time).

The guys running the fiber shouldn't touch a thing though. Just make sure you tell your actual in-home installer not to physically cut the cable line.

More Fiber
MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber to bjrrtx

MVM

to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

when my neighbor got his FIOS installed and they buried his fiber, they cut my coax cable.

Accidents happen. Both coax and fiber are only buried a few inches deep, so they are both susceptible to cuts by trenching tools if their paths cross and are not marked. Certainly not intentional, nor condoned by either VZ or any cable company.

PoloDude
Premium Member
join:2006-03-29
Aiken, SC

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If you want to have your cable AND FiOS service at the same time. The installer will have to run all new duplicate cables. You will be charged for those runs.
JPL
Premium Member
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA

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said by More Fiber:

said by bjrrtx:

when my neighbor got his FIOS installed and they buried his fiber, they cut my coax cable.

Accidents happen. Both coax and fiber are only buried a few inches deep, so they are both susceptible to cuts by trenching tools if their paths cross and are not marked. Certainly not intentional, nor condoned by either VZ or any cable company.

Definitely sounds like an accident to me. To the OP, there's no reason for Verizon to intentionally disconnect your cable prior to the day of the actual install. When they run the fiber, that's all they do... run the fiber. I don't believe they install the ONT until the day of the actual install. And even if they did, all you would have at that point is fiber to ONT, and that's it. On the day of the install, the put in the ONT, connect the fiber, and then connect your copper (phone/coax) to the ONT, and install all the hardware within the house, including the router and TV set top boxes. It's why their installs can take several hours.
bjrrtx
join:2009-08-19
Dallas, TX

bjrrtx

Member

here is an update...
my install is scheduled for tomorrow, I took it literally when I read that the fiber would be installed the day before so this morning I was going to mark my sprinkler heads. As I was sticking flags in the ground there were one or two spots where I thought I saw faint signs of a line in the dirt and sure enough there was a roll of new black wire stuck on the side of my house! I don't know when they were here and no disruption to our existing cable service and no signs of damage to the sprinklers.

I'm so excited. We have lived with slow internet and frequent outages for years and I finally got up the nerve to switch. It wasn't easy and my wife is still mad at me because she will have to change her email on all of her online memberships and accounts and such. I'm not looking forward to that either but I can do all of mine in a couple of hours.

PoloDude
Premium Member
join:2006-03-29
Aiken, SC

PoloDude

Premium Member

Re email. Thats why you dont rely on your isp for your primary email.
PJL
join:2008-07-24
Long Beach, CA

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Member

to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

...
It wasn't easy and my wife is still mad at me because she will have to change her email on all of her online memberships and accounts and such. I'm not looking forward to that either but I can do all of mine in a couple of hours.

Many ISPs do not automatically close you email accounts. I am still using my old ISP accounts after getting FiOS almost five years ago.

bohratom
My Jersey Giants finally winning again..
join:2011-07-07
Red Bank NJ

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Member

to bjrrtx
said by bjrrtx:

It wasn't easy and my wife is still mad at me because she will have to change her email on all of her online memberships and accounts and such. I'm not looking forward to that either but I can do all of mine in a couple of hours.

Word of advice, use a gmail account or some other free third party email as your main contact for your friends. Then u can just forward your email from your new fios accounts to it. I've been doing this for years and makes it alot easier to switch back and forth between different access providers.

Good luck with the service...
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05 to PoloDude

Member

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said by PoloDude:

Re email. Thats why you dont rely on your isp for your primary email.

Bingo. I bought our last name as a domain and we use that for e-mail. Costs us about $100/year and we get a web site, unlimited e-mail (IMAP) and it works well. Been through 3 ISPs since I did that and have had 0 issues and 0 email changes!

I'm thinking of going e-mail only this year and saving even more $$. Or bringing it in home.