dslreports logo
 story category
A Saturday Night With Verizon Techs
David Isenberg blogs his FiOS and DSL adventure

Former AT&T Labs technician and networking expert David Isenberg (who?) has been blogging his experience with Verizon FiOS, and comments on his recent Verizon DSL installation:

"I spent over two and a half hours of my Saturday night with the nice Verizon people. Party animals, not. Educational experience, not. Redeeming social value, unfortunately, severely limited. I did learn that Verizon trouble tickets could be closed without the problem being fixed, and conversely, tickets could remain open even when the problem was resolved."
He also offers up an interesting read on PON (Passive Optical Network) technology, and opines on why incumbents prefer PON to Point-to-Point (aka Direct Fiber).

view:
topics flat nest 
Cyber2lz
join:2001-11-15
Odessa, FL

Cyber2lz

Member

My experience

was very different from David's. The local techs knew what they were doing but trying to get the puzzle palace, aka Verizon Central, to understand what was going on was a nightmare. At one time, I had three trucks and a supervisor in my driveway at 7:00 p on Friday evening. He was none to pleased with the way things were/weren't progressing. Once they id'd the right version ONT things lit right up!

Somebody got their knickers knotted latter that evening!

NyQuil Kid
8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ

NyQuil Kid

Member

Interesting, but...

It should be noted that the "Party Animals" reference appears to be referring to his experience with _DSL Tech Support_, not FiOS. From my experience with both FiOS and DSL, it _appears_ that Verizon is putting a greater effort on QA with respect to FiOS.

[8F] The NyQuil Kid

klamer
join:2000-06-09
Fort Worth, TX

klamer

Member

...

Hooray for the "not" jokes Borat.

Maxo
Your tax dollars at work.
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL

Maxo

Premium Member

Re: ...

said by klamer:

Hooray for the "not" jokes Borat.
That was the first thing I thought of. Haha!
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

sucks that 20mbit = 14mbit

I suspect the caps may be around 15/5 and not 20/5 (their new upgrade speed which they've taken to 90% of their network).
The upstream speed seems about right, 5megabits upload gets you around 3.9-4.5megabits, nowhere near or over 5.0 megabits (4.6-5.25 megabits would be better). My upload stays around 3.8 megabits to just under 4.6 megabits (around the high limit on a GOOD day). Anywho, thankfully for Verizon, I'm not an avid uploader
nozzer
join:2004-06-25
Winchester, MA

1 edit

nozzer

Member

Re: sucks that 20mbit = 14mbit

I get 20/5 (ish)

Are you trying to test over wireless, or using another router in the chain?
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: sucks that 20mbit = 14mbit

I get around that speed too (20.x/4.4), I was referring to the poster.
On wireless I can get nearly my full wired speed with an external wireless-g usb adapter. Internal gets a few megabits less.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH to nozzer

Premium Member

to nozzer
said by nozzer:

I get 20/5 (ish)

Are you trying to test over wireless, or using another router in the chain?
Did I mention I hate you?

No, I REALLY HATE YOU.

Damn speedy internet connection..
mindadapanda
join:2006-08-03
Arcadia, CA

mindadapanda to nozzer

Member

to nozzer
i think hate is too strong of a word let us say #@(#)% You and you're area. if verizon came here i would seriously consider calling that day national FIOS day.

4mbps upload is something to drool about

mmmmmmmmmmmmm
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

Really ?

This happens at every company ! Trouble tickets accidentally closed and some accidentally left open.

CrzyCrakr
Premium Member
join:2005-06-24
Edgewater, MD

CrzyCrakr

Premium Member

There is always one bad seed...

And it takes 20 "that a boys" to erase one "bad boy". Which is a shame. I have nothing but glowing things to say about Verizon Techs. They were great at work when they installed the DSL and they were great at my home installing the FIOS. What is funny to me is how Verizon Techs that I have met seem to know what they are talking about...The Comcast Techs that I have met don't seem to have a clue. Leaving me to have to take matters into my own hands to get it fixed. I don't mean to sound like I am hating on Comcast cuz I am not. I just have had to take more of a..."supervisory role" with Comcast to get things done properly. I don't think they are the devil. I just think I need to keep any eye on them is all.

That is my $.50 worth and now you may flame away. lol

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

1 recommendation

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: There is always one bad seed...

That was my experience as well. The Verizon tech that installed my DSL seemed like he knew his stuff, was professional, and had a "service" attitude.

The Comcast guy that installed my buddy's cable, internet, and phone was a bit, um... shady....

Of course everyone's mileage will vary. I'm sure Verizon has shitty techs out there, and Comcast has stellar performers.

I think your flavor of tech with Verizon varies with who your legacy Baby Bell provider was. I rarely hear people in the old "Bell Atlantic" territory bitching, but it seems like folks in the old "Nynex" areas have a lot to bitch about.

Or, maybe I'm just full of shit on all fronts, who knows....

CrzyCrakr
Premium Member
join:2005-06-24
Edgewater, MD

1 recommendation

CrzyCrakr

Premium Member

Re: There is always one bad seed...

Nah I don't think you are full of crap. I think you really hit the nail on the head.
Expand your moderator at work

elvey
Spamassassin
join:2001-02-17
San Francisco, CA

elvey to CrzyCrakr

Member

to CrzyCrakr
They do have a BBR Gold award.

BTW, how come you haven't reviewed 'em?

CrzyCrakr
Premium Member
join:2005-06-24
Edgewater, MD

1 edit

CrzyCrakr

Premium Member

Re: There is always one bad seed...

said by elvey:

They do have a BBR Gold award.

BTW, how come you haven't reviewed 'em?
Which are we talking about here? FIOS I am assuming. To be honest I just haven't gotten around to it. Though I would only repeat what most people say. They are great and I love it. Though it doesn't take much to please me. (shrug)

notacontractor
@charter.com

notacontractor to CrzyCrakr

Anon

to CrzyCrakr
That's cuz Comcast techs are usually contracted and poorly trained, not their fault. The phone company techs have a structured training program and other techs usually follow up and straighten out any 'slack asses' that don't do the job properly. You'd be surprised just how much pride most of us take in our work, then again we are paid a union wage that makes us feel more obligated to earn that decent living. In most areas the cable techs are way overworked and way under paid, I wish they would get in the union and get treated with a little more respect and they could lose the untrained contractors.

Hpower
join:2000-06-08
Canyon Country, CA

Hpower

Member

haha

I just tried calling Verizon FIOS order phone #. Busy for over 20 minutes. Funny, they really must be getting lotta calls.
Expand your moderator at work
ShadezeRO
join:2006-04-24
Fort Lauderdale, FL

ShadezeRO to Hpower

Member

to Hpower

Re: haha

Hell yea, if FiOS is available why not?

gwion
wild colonial boy

join:2000-12-28
Pittsburgh, PA

gwion

My experience:

Tech showed up precisely on time. Ran the fiber and had me up and running in less than two hours. Excellent workmanship. I set up the computer and router while he activated me. I was online and running, and I have been since June, last year... zero downtime, no trouble tickets, no problems whatsoever.

It's not a problem I've faced, so I can't really comment. The install I had was flawless, and the service, so far, from the Pioneer AV CO, has been equally flawless.

That's just my own experience...
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

My install

My primary install went great--for the most part, since we wired the Ethernet cables ourselves (an extra one for redundancy), everything took slightly more than 2 hours They were working in tandem with someone @ the central office AND the node to 'get it right' but had some minor difficulty (lit the wrong fiber)although everything worked out. Let's not forget this was late 2004ish.. when they were first learning to DO installs right. Of course it was 15/2 back when some of the bellsouth, sbc, att people were getting sub 1 megabit cablemodem/dsl still... I bet that makes you madder! The guy that came to install the TV later on was a prick.. sorry to say. In EVERY company there are people who are just lazy, or will do the ABSOLUTE minimum to get things working and leave. Since 2004, each of the phone, internet AND tv have crapped out once or twice in a blue moon.. but I don't really hold that against them.
:->

My downstream is great.. the only real complaint is that I would like my upstream more rock solid and closer to or dare I say a few kilobits over 5 megabit please.. now it goes from 3.9-4.6 depending on NODE traffic, and the wider Verizon ISP backbone (90%)& related internet congestion (10%). I guess this will be fixed somewhat when they get around to doing GPON upgrades.

nekote
join:2000-12-16
Hopkinton, MA

nekote

Member

Techs great; call center person occaisionally lost

My install, now a year old, was text book good stuff.

"Guys" were happy to show a geek a "good time", so to speak.
Patiently answering my peppering of questions.
Providing a bit of "show and tell" explanations / background.
I loved it.

They, and I, encounter most of the trouble at the other end of the phone line, when needing support - sometimes a newbie / first tier person just isn't in the game.

OTOH, I usually get OK support, and now and again just outstanding support. On those outstanding occasions, I try to send a "kudo" email to their boss, hoping it might help for a (better) raise or promotion. Well, at least an "atta' boy" pat on the back.