Review by cbrain 
UPDATED: 68 days ago
member for 8.3 years, 3302 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Silver Spring,Montgomery,MD
 $53 per month (month by month)
 about 19 days
 "Professional install on schedule, stable, low latency, great speed both ways"
 "PPPOE, port blocking, order process not together 3-05, support phone routing problems"
 "FiOS just works. Flawless connectivity since 03-2005"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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-------update 4-07-2008-----------
Still working. If you never need to speak with Verizon, it is a great service.
-------update 3-14-2007-----------
It just works ... and works well.
Their telephone customer service is as bad as the service is good. I can now get FiOS video. I made several calls for information. After getting contradictory, inconsistent and incorrect information I decided to wait until Verizon has more experience. The good news is I have no need to call about my basic service.
----------3-15-05 ------------------------
Verizon FiOS Review - originally submitted 3-15-05 by email but there was not yet an ISP category for fiber.
Original review, 2 month update and real time questions. »FIOS - First 7 days reviewed
My FiOS connection has been flawless since my install 3-08-2005 except for 1 16 hour power outage. Up time, latency, stability and speed all great. BBR monitor shows 100% up time with very stable pings from all 3 monitors. All my logs look good. My IP changes every time I reboot my router but have never lost an IP between changes. When I test or make changes the connection comes right back up but with a new IP from a very large subnet (no setting a range to get access to IP secured servers). Port 80 incoming is blocked (Verizon confirmed) but seems to be the only one. The Verizon supplied D-Link DI-604 works well with both FIOS and Comcast Cable. My router/firewall connected instantly on a test and has been on FIOS since the first night. My Broadband reports monitor shows a steady Verizon ping that looks like a rectangle; about .10 + ms. lower than Comcast from all 3 locations. Comcast graphs looked like a pretty mountain range. The latency is a better plus than the speed in comparing this connection to Comcast.
Verizon DNS works and is fast. Nice to know DNS can be an always on service. I set up 3 email accounts online. Simple procedure, names must be a minimum of 6 characters and the system gives the option for alias. I don’t know how this affects your total accounts. The email accounts worked with Outlook and Verizon web mail immediately. I never really started using Verizon email because I have other options and Verizon firewall rules block some incoming mail, including Broadband Reports, without notice. This mail just disappears and Verizon support was unable to unblock my requested domains or IP’s. Newsgroups work well, no limits and are fast.
Support: Support is enthusiastic and attentive but disorganized. Verizon provides a special FiOS number but the call routing has failed on all 3 of my attempts, the last in October for a DHCP question. My first call got routed to a rep that could not handle calls from my state. My second call failed the auto routing but I spoke to a friendly rep that didn’t have an answer.
This hasn’t been an issue because the service works so well I have never needed to make a problem call. Bottom line; what better review could I can give any support program!
Ordering: Seinfield could do a show about my attempts to order FIOS from Verizon humans. After 4 days I gave up and started a web order for an un-needed phone line. I was offered FIOS, chose a number, passed credit and set the install date online. I hadn’t had a land line in over 2 years. Verizon policy allows FIOS without phone service but seems unable to deal with such primitive customers.
Installation: Verizon confirmed the install. The week before outside techs ran fiber to the entry point and removed the copper. Two friendly professional techs showed up on time and did a great job. They offered but did not make me use Verizon software. Set up a username & password. They left the software and instruction and would have stayed to help me if necessary.
Router: Works. Easy to set up and change. Has several features including port forwarding, dynamic DNS, filters and firewall. Port forwarding works well. The Verizon D-Link has predefined rules for commonly used ports. You need only enable the port and set the internal IP. The D-Link writes the port forward and a firewall rule. I’ll continue to use my own router because of QOS and traffic shaping.
Cost: about $55/month including a limited phone line.
After my install I moved my workstations and server to the Verizon Wan. I then turned off my old routers DHCP, changed the internal IP and added my Comcast connection to this LAN. I could then configure workstations to use either gateway (Verizon or Comcast) or DNS to access the internet. This way I could have workstations on either Comcast or Verizon and route workstations out one connection and back the other. I shifted the connections between routers 2 times. Everything worked well and both routers worked as expected. Both connections were good but I kept Verizon.
FiOS would be the perfect residential service if Verizon offered a static IP. DHCP with a stable IP could be a good alternative. My reason for this is because many networks I access use IP authentication, not to run a server.
Followup comments:  Assassinx
join:2007-03-14
Bishop, CA | speed check? what is what is the speed of your connection? | |
|  | cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD | Re: speed check? I have the 5/2. I consistently get a little over 5Mbps down and between 1.7 & 1.8Mbps up. | |
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