Review by dave 
UPDATED: 65 days ago
member for 9.5 years, 5042 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Littleton,Middlesex,MA
 $130 per month (12 month contract)
 "It's fast and it's here"
 "Complicated billing system"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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No real review yet. I've been using Verizon DSL since it was Bell Atlantic DSL in 2000; I started at 640/90 kbps and ended with 1500/384 kbps. I've been awaiting FiOS since it was announced, but although it was in my town, it took 5 years to reach my neighborhood (underground utilities!).
But today my FiOS installation was completed. I've subscribed to the so-called Triple Play package (phone/TV/network), which seems like it'll work out a little cheaper than my previous complicated household communication arrangements(Verizon local service on 2 lines, AT+T long distance + international, Comcast for TV, Verizon DSL).
But of course billing is so complicated that I can't be too sure until I actually get billed.
My particular moan is that I have the 'Extreme HD plus premium channels' package (the 'best' triple play) but getting a statement of what those premium channels are is kind of difficult. It doesn't map exactly to any category you can find on the online channel listing. It's not HBO for sure. It includes Showtime but not Encore. What's the logic here? At least structure the channel listing so I can see it!
But this is a network forum. Nominal speed is 25M/15M. Initial tests show around 20/10.
Ordering and installation couldn't have been smoother. The tech was knowledgable and efficient, and quite happy to pitch the conversation at the right level (me = network competent but FiOS ignorant). He was in and out in rather less than the projected time.
Switching the internal house network from DSL to FiOS was no problem at all. For half a day I was running the two in parallel (two phone lines, remember) and then simply moved the internal LAN from one to the other without problem.
One minor glitch: once I was happy that FiOS was working, I called to have my DSL service discontinued. "I'm using the same mailboxes through FiOS so please make sure they're not disabled". "No problem". 5 minutes later, guess what? No mailboxes. I called tech support and they said it'd take 'em 24 hours to fix; I insisted that since it only took 5 mins to screw me over, unscrewing me shouldn't take much longer. I got an expedited request and was back emailing within an hour.
But apart from that one problem, it's been painless.
Followup comments:  JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA | DSL to FIOS
You're not supposed to disconnect or discontinue your DSL. It's all just migrated to your FIOS account. One would have thought you would have gotten some guidance in the FIOS forums, prior to needlessly complicating your service continuity. Enjoy | |
|  | dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: DSL to FIOS I had two phone lines. I intentionally wanted a brief period with DSL on line 1 and FiOS on line 2, since I could not tolerate any loss of access (such as I could imagine happening if some glitch showed up during FiOS installation). In particular, I was using the net over my DSL link while the Verizon tech was installing FiOS.
Engineering caution: always have a backup plan.
Note only that, but I definitely wanted to be paying for only one phone number after the dust had settled, and I definitely wanted that phone number to be "line 2", not "line 1". Too many people know my number is line-2 for me to want to change.
Once I was happy with FiOS, I ordered line 1 service to be discontinued entirely. That's what took out the mailboxes.
I most assuredly did have to explicitly disconnect that phone service, otherwise I'd be paying ~$50/mo for a phone number I no longer wanted.
I understand that the S.O.P. would work well if I replaced DSL on one phone with FiOS on the same number, but that's not what I wanted. And naturally I checked with tech support that this could be done. | |
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