US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon Fiber Optics > [northeast] Verizon FIOS status in Philadelphia (19118)

reply to philly

Re: [northeast] Verizon FIOS status in Philadelphia (19118)

No I haven't looked into routers in quite sometime. I got an Apple airport extreme a while back from a friend and have been pretty happy then again that's comparing it to the POS Verizon gave me... a Westell something.

I'll have to look for Shutupndigs post about the DSL interruptions. I've always assumed that it was Verizon just trying to annoy me on big file transfers between work/clients and home movies from family. Guess I was wrong. I'm not sure if it's related to FIOS since I've had my issues more or less from the getgo and as you know.. No Fios nearby .

BTW about the advertising. I know they think it's smart business but I disagree with that reasoning. All they do is annoy people who would like to update. Also it seems like wasted money to advertise a product clients will only be able to get in a couple of years. How about Apple advertising their next iphone/ipod/iwhatever two years in advance?

I'll look at your link Alan and if I see it somewhere will send you a PM and post it here

reply to philly
I think my Linksys RVS4000 may be starting to go, we've had it since 2006/7. It's one of the Cisco Small Business Routers, and I love it for Gigabit ethernet, and L2 switching, they just released a HW v2 model, but I like the Actiontec one I posted it allows for the best of all worlds, and it just received a prestigious 2010 award for best router. Doesn't appear to have all the L2 switching abilities of RVS4000, but worth getting.

Verizon doesn't bother you about huge file transfers and movies, etc. that's Comcast, and all the cable providers come to think of it.

I still agree with you too, completely, I was just providing my take on it from VZ's corporate position from research over the past 6 years. More of an FYI.

Thanks, hope you find something.
Alan.

reply to ARKx

About the DSL disconnects are more in the early afternoon - early evening but I usually use the net less after 6PM and then again after 10...

About the phase list... It probably doesn't make a big difference since you can tell that they are working in your area and even though they are in mine (not my street). I do know for certain that CH was the very first neighborhood they officially started. The reason I'm sure... I stumbled by their press conference

Used to live in Germantown (Maplewood Ave.) I'll have to revisit the map. I couldn't tell much (page 57?)...

The modem looks good. I find it very strange that the online stores don't carry it. They carry everything else under the sun.

reply to philly
shutupndig, I know, but the fact that you are also experiencing the same problem during the same scope of mine is enough. It doesn't matter when during the day or weekend or weekday, each CO's work being done is different. I've encountered it longer than you, so I should be getting it before you do. Our street has been on the list earlier than you too as you said. Anytime between March and now, and the other factors I've observed in our area, and gathered from techs, and converting to ADSL2+, qualifying for the 4-7Mbps tier, etc. is all enough to prove that we're in the process of getting FiOS wired down towards my block. I wouldn't be surprised if we can order it between 9/23 and 12/30/10 at this rate. All this "trouble" we're having with the modems NOT syncing, reliably and consistently, is FiOS activity as far as I'm concerned, either in CO or in plant. At this point I'm waiting for the time we call and the tech saying oh you don't qualify for DSL, you have fiber on your line. While still now qualifying for FiOS yet though online or on the phone.

I agree about the phase list...It really doesn't matter I don't think the order matters, but who knows maybe it does. I also agree and hate the map, since it is not nearly as detailed as we would all like it to be.

Yeah, I find it strange too no one seems to have it yet, it is still listed as new, so maybe that's a factor. Watch it show up online when we can order or already have FiOS when it doesn't matter as much.

-Alan

ARKx,

So I gather your thinking is that the slowdowns and disconnects are due to the FIOS build-out interrupting DSL service. I had wondered about that and, related to that, wondered if some of the resources that had been dedicated to keeping the DSL system running up to snuff have been switched over to FIOS.

If that's the case, it might help if Verizon would just come out and say so. It might ease the baffled aggravation of some users on the Verizon DSL and maybe save poor Jude on Verizon Direct from having people like me pi$$ing in his ear several times a week.

It would be interesting, if one had the time, to look at all the reports of this kind of trouble that have been showing up on the DSL forum and see if they coincide with times and places where FIOS is going in.

reply to philly
Shutupndig, yes you are correct in your take on my perception of what I believe is happening. I agree it would be great if they could come out and just say it too. However, they can never do that since, they are 2 completely different groups as far as VZ is concerned Cu and fiber-optics don't mix, when in reality they do all the time, but not according to VZ. Plus, neither side is aware usually, of what the other is doing, so how could the DSL and FiOS people ever conceive of what they're doing affecting service to the other side. Although here's another possibility; perhaps a lot of the equipment used on our lines for voice and DSL, is not 100% compatible with ADSL2+ and that's causing drops in connection. You may not be on ADSL2+, but they may also be trying to upgrade your line, and VZ may not be thinking about checking other hardware that say marries the DSL w./ POTS over the wiring and line and sends it out to us, or anything else in the chain. I don't know just speculating here. It's all too plausible for me with the Tier 3 tech support rep in Canada we dealt with in resolving our cancelled service/speed upgrade back in 2004.

Here's another weird thing; yesterday and today around 1:00AM to 2:00AM my router loss connectivity to the internet, but the modem never lost sync. At least not that I could see. Yesterday I first noticed it, and reconnected directly to the modem to investigate further; no indication why I should have lost connectivity to internet, synced at 5.888Mbps/863Kbps. It was just in the off hours not daytime/evening hours.

Think I have some good reading here,
-Alan.

Ack, ARKx! Makes me wonder if things are really any better on the fiber side, which is where I think I'd like to be. But the grass is always greener, and all that.

If the FIOS build is causing these problems, then we might be stuck with them for a looong time. Or maybe it's time for "Hello, Comcast?"

reply to philly
It's never time for Comcast. FiOS will be better there are only 3-4 problems to be concerned with on FiOS. 1) Power loss in home, doesn't happen often enough for us in Philly to be concerned with that. Last time was around 2000 with transformer blowing during heat wave, we're good for another 50-100 years. 2) Voice quality on FiOS Digital Voice, NOT as likely w./ POTS. 3) Regular random drops in speed which occur every month or quarter down to like 2-5Mbps for a number of days then back to normal. Everyone experiences them now on DSL anyway, usually 50Kbps to 1.5Mbps depending on provisioned speed. Instead may experience what we're experiencing w./ sync issues. FiOS is best for Residential services because they are the only provider of FTTH widely available in the country, and most experience with fiber-optics as seen on business side. Compared to all other ISPs in the country FiOS is most reliable for speed, uptime, upgradability, futureproofing, and quality. Depending on how you look at it, and what level of service you experience throughout VZ's FiOS footprint that's either a good thing or a bad thing. All problems encountered on FiOS are not a problem with "Verizon" as much as they are a problem with techs, CO people and their lack of understanding of how to best maintain and administer their products and services to subscribers without adversely impacting them. Like say doing the work between 1AM and 7AM instead of 5P to 11PM. OR all users in a given block coming online at the same time using up the bandwidth; FiOS it's 32 or 64. The short answer is there are just too many people on these services as compared to 2000-2004. This is also evident with reports of running out of IPv4 addresses next year I think it was; hence the push for mass rollout of IPv6. Another help would be pushing as many as possible(~2million should do it, "sure as long as it's not me.") back to 56K dial-up speeds, but no one wants that. 4) Faulty ONT, unfortuanately you'd be lucky if it will last 5-8yrs. When in reality they should last 10-20, but 's just "too expensive" to manufacturer them to that level of quality. It also doesn't pay because a lot of idiots don't keep the service for longer than 2-5 years anyway for whatever reason. We've had our same DSL phone number for over 60 years hence a lot of our line quality problems

Comcast has its own problems, but fortunately VZ doesn't have a few of the same problems Comcast has; capping, bandwidth monitoring, and powerboost.

None of these are reasons to leave VZ, FiOS is the best residential service now. If want the same quality of service available & uptime in early 2000, or better now, then it's time to get an OC connection/SONET, etc. of your desire/need; »www.verizonbusiness.com/products···overview those are way better than Comcast, Covad, Time Warner, Speakeasy, FiOS, etc. Why, the reliability of the connection, uptime, etc. is ~99.99% should be the standard. Short of those types of connections nowadays, unfortunately, they're the best you can get. All Residential services aren't as reliable as they should be for always getting the speeds you're paying for, uptime, etc.

Sorry for the narrative, but I wanted to try and provide as much info/evidence as possible that there's escaping some kind of QoS problem, connectivity problem, etc. especially on residential services, matter who your ISP is.

-Alan.

I agree with Alan. I hear a million more complaints about Comcast then I do Verizon. Then again I've never been a comcast customer. In general I've been pretty happy with Verizon's service. Sadly compared with the internet service colleagues of mine have in Europe and Asia... Well, let's just not get into it

Capping and bandwidth monitoring are larger issues for me and I've usually been getting the "best efforts" speeds that I pay for, so again am pretty happy with Verizon. If they would fix the dropping of connection issues, their marketing and a faster rollout of FIOS I would be very happy BUT then again what could I complain about then? The Eagles are only worth commiserating about for one day

Thanks for the insight Alan,

Philly

When it comes to Verizon vs Comcast, you can find plenty of people in the "hate 'em" camps for both.

I have had both for a long time -- Verizon at home and Comcast at the office. Years ago, they were both on and off. Over the last few years, both have been very stable. Only recently has Verizon DSL been problematic. I feel like I'm back in 2001.

And the problem with Fios, for me at least, is that it is really nothing more than billboards and tv commercials. It may become a reality next week or next month or next year. Or 2012 or 2013. That is the best Verizon can say.

I'm sure I could sign up with Comcast now and get better download speeds, even on a bad day, than the dial-up like speed I'm getting from Verizon most evenings now. And when Verizon gets around to lighting up my block with FIOS, I'm sure they will sell it to me whether I am a current customer or not. Fact is, "new" customers seems to get better deals than existing customers from both companies, anyway.

I'll stick with Verizon for now, but if I can't get a FIOS install date or a DSL fix soon, I'll probably jump ship.

reply to philly

reply to philly
Phillysim, thanks for the pic I've never seen that device before out here on the forums. I hope someone else in the FiOS field knows exactly what it is. I assume it's just another smaller form of a distribution hub or OLT. It appears to be able to handle up to 8 connections/locations. I recognize the outdoor rated fiber-optic cable coming in from the bottom that's about it. More info on it would be great.

Thanks again Phillysim,
Alan.

That is a FDT. There is a picture of an aerial style in that FAQ.

BTW, OLTs are installed in the CO, not in the field.
--
There are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary and those who don't.

reply to philly
Cool, thanks MoreFiber. The type pictured in your FDT link is the type I'm used to seeing, not the odd one Phillysim posted above. Interesting, I bet they're more feasible to use in more densely populated areas like actual cities, where people get wired in the back alley, like we are so I guess we may see the same ones here.

Thanks again,
-Alan.

Thanks for the photo and links to others. With those visuals in mind, a quick walking tour of the neighborhood reveals all kinds of FIOS build activity. In fact, I am surrounded by it, just not on my block yet. But I see it coming from within a block or two from both the east and west.

I feel like Promontory Summit, Utah, in about 1869. Just waiting for that Golden Spike now.

reply to ARKx
Hi ARKx. The device is made by Corning and labelled Optistream Multiport. It actually as 12 ports (3 per row). There is another one of these at the other end of the alley about 75 feet away. Enough ports for 3 fiber cables per house!

reply to philly
It's Saturday so it's time for our regualr weekend sync drops. We just lost sync again ~5:27 to 5:35PM.

Thanks for the extra info Phillysim. That angle wasn't good enough to see that thanks for clarifying.

I know how you feel, Shutupndig, I feel the same way with our CO. I haven't done a walkthrough in a while, I think I just might head out and do so. Thanks for the motivation, the hard part is searching the alleys without looking like a prowler or burgler. Since, that's where our lines emerge from underground. It's also the 18th of the month so if new FIOS expansion is coming to us we'll be able to order it between the 20th and 24th. That's just the way our billing cycles are, don't ask why, I don't know.

Alan.