But anyway, I'm used to living on the edge.
After 37 years of managing research and business large systems tech services at a very large pharma, I stepped far back from the edge onto the couch
FIOS is coming to rural Atlantic County
- Thread starter Boyd
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After 37 years of managing research and business large systems tech services at a very large pharma, I stepped far back from the edge onto the couch
FWIW, the nice lady I spoke with today explained a bit more about their confusing pricing. They are migrating my whole town to FIOS meaning that eventually they will no longer support copper. In areas like this, they offer promotional pricing to existing customers with the "double play" plan for voice and 150/150 data for $75. She looked to see if it was possible to delete the phone from my plan (which evidently wasn't easy because she took awhile typing and mumbling). She was finally able to do it, but that made the price rise to $79 which was only good for one year as opposed to two years.
If you just go to their website and order FIOS (like I initially tried), it does not offer the "migration" pricing. The plan was still $75 but you had to either rent the router for $10 or purchase it for $150.
She also mentioned that for some difficult installs they will do a "temporary drop" which is (evidently) a shallow burial of the cable, with the idea to return later for the full burial.
If you just go to their website and order FIOS (like I initially tried), it does not offer the "migration" pricing. The plan was still $75 but you had to either rent the router for $10 or purchase it for $150.
She also mentioned that for some difficult installs they will do a "temporary drop" which is (evidently) a shallow burial of the cable, with the idea to return later for the full burial.
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Doing away with copper lines is crazy.Copper line phones are really almost bomb proof.............Just my 2cents
FIOS also requires a battery backup, so when electricity goes down, so does Verizon FIOS phone service. But I guess with cell phones that is no big deal. I also have to replace the FIOS Box battery every couple of years, but it is easy to buy online and swap out.
I really don't see the battery backup as an issue. I already have a generator and multiple UPS'es, my network is protected, so I will just add the FIOS router to that. I used to be concerned about relying on a cell phone, but I got over that and have not used my hard phone line in 7 or 8 years.
Sandy was not a problem for me, lost power for 5 days during the "derecho" though. My 4000 watt Troy-Bilt generator got me through that. DSL was only down about two days. Cell has not gone down for any significant period since I started relying on it instead of a landline, around 2001 maybe. I got a Generac RS7000e two years ago, just turned over 20 hours on it, half of that is the monthly 30 minute test they recommend.
Not complaining though.
Not complaining though.
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After Sandy I bought a HF 7000W Predator and had a manual Xfer switch installed for only the stuff we would need, just need to fill the car gas tanks if something is forecast since with Sandy most gas stations could not pump with the electric out; those that could were packed . They were all supposed to put in generators for their pumps, I wonder if they did.
Somewhat off subject ... I apparently am towards the end of the line with my Comcast service so the signal strength has it's issues. I have really long cable lines run to my kids room .... and with 4 TV's in the house I have multiple splitters. They were having issues so I purchased the Channel Master 2 port amplifier and put it on today and it seems to have solved the problem. I was surprised.
Have you had Comcast check your signal coming into the house? If the cable from the junction to the house is old it may need replacement. We had that problem and that's what they did. In the house is on your nickel.
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16085
I do everything I can to not call them. I hate calling them because they always think the problem is on my end when for the most part it is always on their end. And it has always been is on their end when there is a connection problem. So I have learned if I don't want to get into serious arguments on the phone it is best for me to do everything I can here to get things to work.
My 1st install had the battery box, years later 2nd time around it was an option (I did without)
Dead right there. When Comcast works it works well, but any problem you have, technical, billing, etc. is very difficult for them to resolve. I actually dread having to call them because I know it will take multiple calls to get fixed. I just placed 5 calls to them to fix their own billing mistake and I'm still not convinced they got it right. They don't hold last place in customer support without good reason!
I don't call them, I use either their online 'chat' thing or go to the local storefront. In either case I have a record of the problem. The people at the storefront's, at least the one I go to, know their stuff and speak English.
Well the verizon tech has been and gone, and still no FIOS. But I learned a lot, and it looks promising to have it around the end of the month.
If there are existing poles, Verizon uses them. Since I have none, they will bury it. First, a markout crew comes to mark the cable route and any existing utilities. Then a few days later the contractor comes and buries the conduit. They will run it along my driveway, within my 20 foot easement. Although it is a long way, he said it would be very straightforward and only take a few hours. After the conduit is buried, the Verizon tech comes and pulls the fiber through it.
In a case where the contractor isn't available to do the burial, they literally lay the fiber optic cable on the ground for a temporary hookup. There is nothing to protect it, although it has a kevlar outer jacket and is very tough - this is the same cable they're stringing on the poles here, looks like about 1/2" diameter. The Verizon guy was told they were burying my conduit yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen
There's a problem with doing a temporary install here because it would have to cross my neighbor's driveway. That's just a wire laying on the ground, and although it's tough, not a very good idea. He said they would do it if the neighbor gave permission, but he wasn't home. Anyway, it sounded like a bad idea and makes a lot more work for them, so I said to just come back after the conduit is in the ground.
The contractor is now scheduled to do the burial on June 28. We shall see. And speaking of the "bleeding edge", he said that I'm the second person to have a connection to their main box.
If it comes to that, just lay a 2x6 on either side of the cable across his driveway. Verizon should do that.
Well I've had 11 years of slow internet service here, another week won't matter. I'd rather wait until they can do it the right way and be done.
Went out on some errands yesterday and when I returned the driveway was spray painted with red marks and flags. Then I was out this morning for a couple hours and came home to find the contractor (J Fletcher Creamer and Son) with an almost-completed cable trench, which is cool but I thought they were coming tomorrow.
It seems that after your initial installation appointment, it's just up to the guys in the field to schedule whatever needs to be done. I have had no further updates from Verizon regarding install schedule. Not a problem for me, but it could be an issue for someone with a busy schedule.
To install the conduit, they first walked down the driveway with a machine that cuts a narrow trench. It just chops up the soil while leaving it in place. When that is finished, one guy walks along with another machine that pulls the conduit while the other guy feeds it into the trench from where it attaches to the house. It's a 1" inner diameter bright orange tube called "Dura-line Smoothwall" that is pre-lubed with silicone for the cable.
They are just finishing up now, so I guess it will be about a three hour project. My estimate of 800 feet was right on the money. They're also installing 300 feet at my neighbors as part of the same job, since we both are connected to the same pole. One nice thing is that they marked out the path of my electric service down the driveway to the street. Had no idea where those wires ran before.
The contractor said burying FIOS cable for Verizon is all they do, and they are "ridiculously busy", they are installing 1000 to 2000 feet per day and working six days a week.
But it looks like I'll have FIOS tomorrow (or whenever the Verizon guy feels like coming, since it isn't officially scheduled).