dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
uniqs
29
DonLibes

join:2003-01-19

DonLibes to Pureblood

to Pureblood

Re: ont back up battery

I got the email and, as a new Verizon customer (recently switched from Comcast), I am astounded.

I have internet-only through FIOS and I'm wondering why they bothered to install a battery backup at my residence if they're telling me now that "... Internet service will not be available until your power is restored." Even if it lasts for 10 minutes (as More Fiber said above), what good is it to give me an 8-hour battery that will only be used for 10 minutes?

Around here, Comcast keeps their internet service running through electrical outages. (They temporarily install and refuel generators at their boxes whereever necessary.)

Raphion
join:2000-10-14
Samsara

Raphion

Member

Supposedly, the backup battery runs longer when powering only the phone. Testing doesn't seem to bear this out though, by hiding the fact that it was on battery from the ONT, I've run it with internet for 7 hours before it began sounding the low battery death wail, so it doesn't actually make much difference.

The easiest way to keep internet/TV during power failure is to buy a UPS and plug the ONT's power supply into that. Yes, that's plugging a UPS into a UPS, but it works fine, and when your first UPS runs out, you'll only lose internet, and the ONTs own UPS will keep the phone up for 8ish hours after that.

Pureblood
'Let's Go Brandon'
Premium Member
join:2000-10-18
PorkRoll NJ
·Optimum Online
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WAX630

1 edit

Pureblood to DonLibes

Premium Member

to DonLibes
said by DonLibes:

I got the email and, as a new Verizon customer (recently switched from Comcast), I am astounded.

I have internet-only through FIOS and I'm wondering why they bothered to install a battery backup at my residence if they're telling me now that "... Internet service will not be available until your power is restored." Even if it lasts for 10 minutes (as More Fiber said above), what good is it to give me an 8-hour battery that will only be used for 10 minutes?

Around here, Comcast keeps their internet service running through electrical outages. (They temporarily install and refuel generators at their boxes whereever necessary.)

the way I understand it as long as you could provide power to your ONT you will have your services, that is as long as VZ could keep the fiber lite. So if the fiber goes dark no phone services period. I have a generator so as long as the pole doesn’t come and my roof don’t blow off I’m good…

Edit: STRIKE and typo

Acc708
join:2008-06-28

Acc708 to DonLibes

Member

to DonLibes
said by DonLibes:

I got the email and, as a new Verizon customer (recently switched from Comcast), I am astounded.

I have internet-only through FIOS and I'm wondering why they bothered to install a battery backup at my residence if they're telling me now that "... Internet service will not be available until your power is restored." Even if it lasts for 10 minutes (as More Fiber said above), what good is it to give me an 8-hour battery that will only be used for 10 minutes?

Around here, Comcast keeps their internet service running through electrical outages. (They temporarily install and refuel generators at their boxes whereever necessary.)

The only problem with your story is the fact that they are powering up their power supplies to power the amps and what not, but the "cable modem" still operates on battery in your home when you lose power, hence the same exact problem for Comcast as Verizon. It's not Verizon losing power, it's your home losing power and the idea is that without power, your computer doesn't work, nor does your t.v. so the idea is to direct as much time to phone as possible. As for installing them with only internet, it still leaves them in place when phone service is ordered later, and the design of the ont requires it.

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr to DonLibes

MVM

to DonLibes
said by DonLibes:

I have internet-only through FIOS and I'm wondering why they bothered to install a battery backup at my residence if they're telling me now that "... Internet service will not be available until your power is restored." Even if it lasts for 10 minutes (as More Fiber said above), what good is it to give me an 8-hour battery that will only be used for 10 minutes?

By design, the ONT shuts down data and TV service after 10 minutes. Current draw of the ONT is reduced about 30% in that mode. I imagine the ONT design made a basic assumption that most VZ customers would have phone service, and that would be the most critical need during an extended outage.

Internet-only is a smaller portion of VZ customer base, and they did not elect to have provisions for those customers.

Someone, can't remember who, dug up some early literature that suggested the ONT could be reconfigured for a different powerdown delay, or even to retain data service without powering that circuit down.

In the early days when FiOS was still being rolled out, techs were very sharp and could work wonders. Early roll-out, VZ had their best people on the technology, and you were likely to reach a highly knowledgeable tech on the first call. As it is today, tech support is tiered because there are so many calls for relatively easy stuff. They filter what makes it through to the higher tiers.

What does this mean? You can call tech support, and ask your question (above) and the odds of receiving a meaningful answer are slim to none. Lower tier tech support has forgotten or never learned what you can do for your specific circumstance. I'll put money on it, you'll get "what you ask for can't be done".

So, what can you do about it? Read this long post.

It is possible to trick the ONT into not seeing a power outage that will shut down some of the internal services. It has some downsides, so choose carefully and act responsibly, i.e., it's not Verizon's fault you have to monkey with your BBU and blow something up by mistake.

Maybe I should make it a FAQ.
Expand your moderator at work

bhan261
join:2001-02-12
New York, NY

bhan261 to DonLibes

Member

to DonLibes

Re: ont back up battery

Really? You must live in a "special" Comcast service area because I have Comcast at a second home where there are repeated power outages and Comcast has NEVER recharged batteries at their remote amplifiers during an outage. When the batteries die, so does Comcast's service.
DonLibes

join:2003-01-19

DonLibes

said by bhan261:

Really? You must live in a "special" Comcast service area because I have Comcast at a second home where there are repeated power outages and Comcast has NEVER recharged batteries at their remote amplifiers during an outage.

Yes, our franchise and local laws have a number of requirements not found elsewhere. Our franchise authority and citizenry can be very aggressive.
billhere
join:2011-10-21
Santa Monica, CA

billhere

Member

That ONT battery is pretty big. I can't believe it won't power a phone for more than eight hours. I get more than eight hours use out of my iPod Touch and that has a very tiny battery.
whsbuss
join:2007-08-10
Norristown, PA

whsbuss

Member

said by billhere:

That ONT battery is pretty big. I can't believe it won't power a phone for more than eight hours. I get more than eight hours use out of my iPod Touch and that has a very tiny battery.

I got 12 hours digital phone service before it sounded the BBU alarm.