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

reply to ARKx

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

Great job More Fiber! You hit everything right on.

redalert73, now VZ by default runs Coax to make you use their MoCA connection on their router, unless you already have CAT5e/6 run already to where the ONT and router will go, and tell them you need the ethernet port enabled. Otherwise, they'll just enable the Coax port, which can be a pain to get them to switch later depending on who you get at the FSC, assuming at somepoint you'll want to use your own router as the primary not the VZ Actiontec. However, you'll still need it for the MoCA capabilities for your STBs; procedures on converting to this method are available in the FiOS FAQ section here at BBR.

CAT5e/6 should always be used for Data and coax for video. CAT5e/6 is more futureproof than coax, it can handle 1Gbps or more on CAT6a, Coax is increasing incrementally currently MoCA only handles 270Mbps. Also, if the ONT will go outside at some point, make sure the cable you get is rated for outdoor usage, NOT all of them are. To make sure you can run the cable anywhere in the house usually a 50 foot cable is sufficient. If you have a bigger house try for 75 feet. Also, there are different ONTs for indoor and outdoor install ask you tech on the install date to see your options and ask about pros and cons.

Regarding power, you should at least get your own Mobile Belkin, APC or Monster Power surge protector for the FiOS outlet. Actually, a Monster Power AV dual outlet protector is enough for $20-40. You should never plug electronics into an outlet without external surge protection, especially something as important as you ONT/PSU/BBU. Without which you'll have no voic/data/TV, if any of these get fried from a surge.

Again, now is the time to learn about the FiOS install process, NOT the day of the install. That's exactly when people complain of how bad it went, because they didn't do their homework and learn about all the ins and outs, and in-turn were caught off-guard about a specific aspect of the process and stuck fixing it after the fact. This is usually where VZ is notorius for resolving complex problems in a timely manner, Customer Service. A lot of us know from experience, I'm one of them.

Sorry for rambling but there is a lot to cover,
Alan.

reply to philly

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

reply to philly
so i live in an town house, in a complex and last week i saw danella const digging a hole from the telephone phone to the utility manhole that is set back on the apartment complex's property line. i was reading the time line that alan set out with the running of the cable and testing but this is all off a telephone line. my thought process is that they ran the cable off of the telephone pole into the utility manhole but would they actually put the hubs under the ground like that? has anybody lived in an complex that had fios installed?
The only reason im asking is because im trying to figure out when fios may be available to me, i'm getting really excited since comcast is being such a pain to me.

Thanks in advance for all of your help you guys!

reply to philly
Anyone seeing any new cables being laid in the North East Philly area hoping that they reach the 19115 Zip Code soon?

Hi redalert73,
The first chance you get replace the outlet with a grounded one preferably a "surge protected" receptacle, NOT a GFCI. Surge protected outlets are just another level of protection for computer electronics worth having, if they fail, or are compromised they trip and cut off power to anything plugged into them. There's no such thing as too much protection when it comes electronics, especially your ONT & accompanying equipment. The surge protected ones are starting to pop up at Home Depots and have been at Lowes for a while, just take a look around. Also, the outlet you intend to use make sure there's a copper ground wire of equal gauge as the other 2 hot & neutral conductors. If not run new wiring to the outlet, preferably aluminum or steel armoured cable 14 gauge is sufficient. If you don't properly ground the outlet you won't have proper protection for UPS and Power supply.

Sorry for detail but there is a lot to cover,
Alan.

reply to philly
Some progress since I last posted here. Much new cable has been strung in my neighborhood (19119), including a line going to the pole in my back yard. Have seen Verizon work truck in the neighborhood on my way out to work many mornings in the past few weeks.

Still no actual Fios for me, BUT when I arrived home last night there was a piece of mail from Verizon alerting me to Fios coming soon. Followed the url on the mailer to check availability and got the the same-ol' same-ol' "not yet" page. Still, my hopes for an imminent connection are lifted.

Thanks for the update Shutupndig. Are you having a LAN party when you are finally connected to fios?

At the rate it is going, my funeral will come first.

Just wanted to let everyone know what's going on for me. Since about 9/7/11 we started qualifying for the 7.1 to 15Mbps DSL tier, so FiOS should be available between Sept 23 and Nov. 23. The 23 is the first day of our new billing cycle when new services become fully available and the DB is updated usually. If FiOS were not coming we would not be able to get the 7.1 to 15Mbps tier, our line can't even handle the 5Mbps we kept getting provisioned at. Also, on Friday (9/16/11), I logged into our Verizon TelCo My Account, and all the FiOS TV options appeared as though we have it already, I could even change settings for each sub-account. This further confirms it's coming really soon.

Menwhile, on the DSL we've been stuck on 1.5/384 for about 2 months or so now, when they screwed up again this time in provisioning/retention. I think this is one last attempt at fate to help me appreciate just having an internet connection, and really appreciate FiOS when we get it. Going from 1.5Mbps to 25Mbps is more impressive and noticable don't you think.

Hope to reply soon with word we're getting FiOS with an install date.
Alan.

Good luck, Alan. I hope Verizon does better at providing FiOS service than they have been doing with DSL. My DSL went down in one of the recent storms and it took the better part of two weeks to get it back up and running. I found customer service and tech support much slower to respond this time around compared to past problems.

Meanwhile, the FiOS cable still hangs from the pole in my back yard. Note that it has now been more than two months since I first posted about the appearance of line on the pole. I called to ask when (again) and was told (again) "soon." Actually, this time she added a "very" to the "soon," but I was not encouraged. Verizon's "My Account" page still wants to sell me Direct TV; no FiOS.

I'm beginning to think the competition's "Slowsky" characterization of Verizon is spot on.

The construction has probably slipped due to the strike, Irene and Lee. There was a press release the other day saying the repair backlog would take 90 days or so to work through. It's likely that some of the repair work is delaying new builds, too.

reply to philly
I have been waiting for fios for a long time. My area(19128) seems to be one of the few area in Philadelphia that has 0 coverage. I wonder how long do I have to wait.

I too am also waiting. My area (19126) also has 0 coverage. I've seen the trucks in the area. When my hubby inquired, they said about a year. We'll see. I really want to get rid of comcast.

reply to zengshengliu
19128:


I dont see any for 19126.

"Disclaimer: FiOS availablity map is approximate only. Actual services may vary based on actual home or business address. Please use Check Availability to see actual services available."