 ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA | reply to 49528867
Re: VZW Home Phone Connect What really gets me though is that in the past, keeping the phone system operational during times of disaster was mandated. That is to the best of their abilities given damage to infrastructure.
Now days with Verizon and FIOS, they have been released of providing that redundancy for the end user to have phone during a disaster. All the responsibility falls back on the customer to find a way to keep the ONT powered when power is out. In my opinion, we have taken a giant step backwards in the landline industry when FTTH came into play. |
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 49528867Premium
join:2010-04-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL
kudos:3 | said by ropeguru:What really gets me though is that in the past, keeping the phone system operational during times of disaster was mandated. That is to the best of their abilities given damage to infrastructure. Wireless has taken that one.
Now days with Verizon and FIOS, they have been released of providing that redundancy for the end user to have phone during a disaster. All the responsibility falls back on the customer to find a way to keep the ONT powered when power is out. In my opinion, we have taken a giant step backwards in the landline industry when FTTH came into play.
VZ took the later route.
Wayne
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Madness takes its toll, please have exact change ready… |
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 Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | Verizon here does not care about the land line business. They have reduced the work force to almost nothing and is in constant battle with the State Corporation Commission on their poor service. The land line workforce is union (CWA). |
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ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA | reply to 49528867
Problem is, if you look at the agreements, the onus is on the customer for battery purchase and replacement. If the customer wants Verizon to replace it, then it is an additional charge.
So just another way for Verizon to profit and leave the customer out in the cold. |
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nonymousPremium
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ Reviews:
 ·Callcentric
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said by 49528867:said by nunya:In a widespread outage such as severe storms or hurricanes, you might as well forget about it.
You have been out of the loop too long, in urban areas most RT's now have gensets sited and do not require the connection of external generators to remain in service. Wayne In your dream companies' area. Except for maybe some bigger stuff do not think Qwest/Centurylink area does that. |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8
 ·Charter
 ·surpasshosting
·voip.ms
| AT&T doesn't do that around here. That's for sure. I've never seen them institute a standby generator except at C.O.'s, data centers, and cell sites. They did do it for 1 CEV that fed a hospital, because it has a "water issue". There are 3 sump pumps in this 1 CEV. Piss poor location.
Most of the generators at cell sites don't even belong to the carriers, they belong to the tower owner.
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If someone refers to herself / himself as a "guru", they probably aren't. |
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Zach 58Premium
join:2006-11-26
NW Minnesota | reply to Zach 58
Thanks to all who've replied. We ended up going with VZW Home Connect since Verizon's coverage is far better than AT&T's at our house. AT&T works fine outdoors but it's very sketchy indoors; where as VZW's is very strong. I still have my old Alltel service (now ATT, locally) as well as service with VZW in order to cover all of the areas I work.
As for POTS, it was very far from 100% reliable out here. It wasn't unusual for service to be out for days at a time. Ours was a business line so I can only imagine what a residential customer must go through. The only facet of the service that worked each and every time was the on-time arrival of the monthly bill. Many years ago when I lived in town, I don't ever remember POTS being out. Of course, the CO was 1/2 mile away. 
At any rate, Home Connect passes the Wife Test and couldn't be more simple to use. Sweetie Pie is still gloating over the fact SHE plugged it in connected it.  No doubt, she and her sister will test that claim of "Unlimited" service. After being cellular handset only for over five years, it's kind of nice to have our extensions back.
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Zach |
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Reviews:
·ProLog
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·voip.ms
| reply to Zach 58
Anyone have experience with "VZ home connect" and an alarm system dialer? They warn it will not work but is that reality?
POTS is $27.43/month to use for the alarm system monitoring and E911 coverage in my house. Would be nice to save a buck or two if possible.
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The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | VZ Home Connect does not work with fax or with my Directv. That's really the only negatives I have with it. |
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| Thanks, Jack |
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| reply to Zach 58
to the OP. i have had Verizon home connect since March 2012. No problems here. You have to have decent signal for this to work. I have a multi station cordless plugged into the home connect box. Just be aware that the battery backup is only good for 3 hours and thats if you have an old fashioned corded phone. this can be extended with a UPS however the question arises of how long will the cell tower hold out most have 8 hour battery backup unless there is a genny. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | I have it also. Battery life is 43 hours standby and 3 hours talk which works for me during the time at night my generator is off. My signal level is 2 lights out of a possible 3 and I use a mult-station cordless answering machine/telephone combination and one old POT for emergency use only. Here the Verizon wireless is more reliable than their landline based sytem. We've had no issues with it and the savings over the landline cost is substantial. $19.95/mo. My Verizon tower has a "BIG" generator so that's not a consideration. » www.verizonwireless.com/home-pho···ct.shtmlSpecifications Mode: Digital CDMA and PCS; IS95, 1X, CDMA2000 Frequency: CDMA 800/1900MHz; 1xRTT Size: (H) 1.4" x (W) 5.4" x (D) 4.2" Weight: 11.6oz Chipset: Qualcomm QSC6055 Memory : 64MB Flash/16MB RAM SMA Antenna Connectivity: OTADM, A–GPS Connectors: Two RJ–11 Data: USB 2.0 (High–speed ) AC–to–DC Switching Power Supply: Voltage: 90 – 300 VAC Frequency: 50/60 Hz Operating Temperature Range: –10°C to + 50°C Storage Temperature Range: –40°C to +50°C Humidity: 5% to 90% (Non–condensing) Battery: Ni–MH 1500 mAh Battery Life: supports up to 3+ hrs (Talk Time) OR
up to 43+ hrs (Standby Time) |
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 herdfanPremium
join:2003-01-25
Hurricane, WV | reply to Jack_in_VA
said by Jack_in_VA:Verizon tried but the thieves were also there. Result is no land line. Frontier (Verizon successor here) had multiple gens stolen during the recovery from the June Derecho. People wanted them to power their own stuff and they were just sitting there beside the roads. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | said by herdfan:said by Jack_in_VA:Verizon tried but the thieves were also there. Result is no land line. Frontier (Verizon successor here) had multiple gens stolen during the recovery from the June Derecho. People wanted them to power their own stuff and they were just sitting there beside the roads. That's what happened here the 17 days after hurricane Isabel and Irene. Verizon put chains on them but the thieves cut them. |
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| reply to cowboyro
Correct, that was the problem. About 50 feet up the street, we had a tree about 30 inches in diameter across the road/wires. Took about a week to clear that before they even started hanging the wires back on the new poles they needed.
A land line would have been gone once that tree gave up... |
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JTY
join:2004-05-29
Ellensburg, WA | reply to Zach 58
I've got Home Phone Connect, and it doesn't work with my alarm service.
As for phone working during extended power outage, maybe. When I've had CO fed service, it would keep working. But for SLC or RT based lines, sometimes it kept working, sometimes it didn't. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to 49528867
said by 49528867:said by nunya:In a widespread outage such as severe storms or hurricanes, you might as well forget about it.
You have been out of the loop too long, in urban areas most RT's now have gensets sited and do not require the connection of external generators to remain in service. Wayne Unheard of in the northeast. I know some cable systems somewhere in the USA have all their span power supplies having generators in them, someone has to buy these »www.alpha.com/Products/Cable-Bro···erators/ . I think I read in some states PUC/PSCes required cablecos to sign up as ILECs to offer phone service, and the law mandated 24/7 uptime/backup power. Comcast Digital Phone (not Voice) and RCN were/are line powered phone service. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to ropeguru
said by ropeguru:What really gets me though is that in the past, keeping the phone system operational during times of disaster was mandated. That is to the best of their abilities given damage to infrastructure.
Now days with Verizon and FIOS, they have been released of providing that redundancy for the end user to have phone during a disaster. All the responsibility falls back on the customer to find a way to keep the ONT powered when power is out. In my opinion, we have taken a giant step backwards in the landline industry when FTTH came into play.
Atleast with FIOS if you can keep your power on, you will continue to get service. With Uverse/Copper, RT is lucky to get six hours (if the batteries didn't boil out or were stolen for deposit or to use in a car years ago) and its over. |
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Jack_in_VAPremium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
kudos:1 | reply to patcat88
said by patcat88:Unheard of in the northeast. I know some cable systems somewhere in the USA have all their span power supplies having generators in them, someone has to buy these »www.alpha.com/Products/Cable-Bro···erators/ . I think I read in some states PUC/PSCes required cablecos to sign up as ILECs to offer phone service, and the law mandated 24/7 uptime/backup power. Comcast Digital Phone (not Voice) and RCN were/are line powered phone service.
Also unheard of in the more rural areas of the country. Maybe the densely populated areas have this luxury but I'd guess 75 or more percent of the country doesn't have back up power. My Verizon wireless has a big cat gen-set so my cell phones and Vz Home Connect work ok if I can keep my generator on.
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49528867Premium
join:2010-04-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL
kudos:3 | reply to pende_tim
said by pende_tim:Anyone have experience with "VZ home connect" and an alarm system dialer? Most of those type of devices will not work with alarm system dialers.
Wayne
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Madness takes its toll, please have exact change ready… |
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