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Photos: Verizon FiOS installation step by step

Summary: Verizon fiber-optic network took up a little turf, but the increased broadband speeds were worth it.

Larry Dignan

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Verizon's FiOS Internet and TV service has the potential to be a threat to cable broadband service providers. The main appeal of FiOS is a fiber optic line directly to the home. Mid-tier service produces 15 Mbps download speeds. The rub: Installation for Verizon can be pricey for the telecom giant as contractors have to lay a fiber optic conduit directly to the home. Here's the step-by-step installation for ZDNet's Larry Dignan. More on the FiOS experience can be found on Between the Lines. First step (beyond the initial phone call of course) was to install a conduit for the fiber optic line to the home. In my neighborhood, all power and phone lines are buried so laying the line required some digging.

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Topics: Hardware, Data Management, Mobility, Networking, Outage, Telcos, Verizon

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131 comments
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  • Nice

    Do you mow your own lawn, or have your kids do it?
    Dr_Zinj
    Reply Vote

  • NJ ??

    You mention Comcast...are you located in NJ ?
    Trimbleman@...
    Reply Vote

    • Probably Pennsylvania . <NT>

      <NT>
      The_Nutty_Zealot
      Reply Vote

  • Rough-in Cost?

    "contractors have to lay a fiber optic conduit directly to the home."

    I'm curious as to the cost for running the conduit from the house to the street? Did you get separate bids for that?
    ms2beu@...
    Reply Vote

    • Zero

      Currently you pay a $19.95 one time charge. All installations are free at the moment other than that - obviously unless you live REALLY far from the line.
      wininpitt
      Reply Vote

  • FiOS Installation

    I've had FiOS for about 3 months now and really like it. I was out of town the day they guys came to do the "outside" installation. My neighbor said they were probably at the house for 4-5 hours and did a very clean job, as you reported.

    The next day I was here for the "inside" installation and was very impressed with the installer as well. He was here over 6 hours, worked alone and spent almost 30 minutes working me through the cable tv service as well as the internet connection. It's now almost 10:30am Eastern Time and according to Speednet I am doing 13732 down and 4336 up. However when I am online late at night or early in the morning I can easily get 20000 (or more) down and around 5 up.

    My question...I also purchased a kick ass wireless router months before I connected with FiOS. How do I incorporate it into my internet connection and why would I?

    Thanks,
    Bill
    bsobel@gmail.com
    bill@...
    Reply Vote

    • Kick-Ass Wireless Router

      Bill,
      For most routers, it's fairly easy. Set the KA router to NOT do DHCP (let the FiOS router handle DHCP), give it a hard IP address within the range of the FiOS router's local network (so you can talk to your KA Router for setup purposes), and plug one of its wired ports (NOT the Internet port) into a wired port on the FiOS router. The KA router needs to be set (in some cases) as an "Access Point" or a "Bridge" instead of a router. The internet port on your KA router remains empty.

      Then, you can connect the FiOS wireless SSID or the KA wireless SSID at your discretion. You should set them to select different channel numbers (1-11). Otherwise, they'll interfere with one another.

      To avoid conflicts, give your KA router a different SSID, and of course, lock it down with WPA or WEP security.

      Jim
      Jim from Indy
      Reply Vote

      • WEP is a no-no.

        WPA is the minimum but if your adapter and router supports WPA2, this is the strongest you can get with a very strong (letters+numbers+symbols) password.
        Grayson Peddie
        Reply Vote

      • Different Channels

        Well, they don't need to be on different channels as they are spread
        spectrum.

        There is a minor problem, but it isn't major.

        Also, nn the 2 GHz band, there are really only three (mostly) non
        overlapping channels, 1, 5, and 11 in the US. Some countries have 13
        channels, but there are still only three that don't overlap, but one could
        run four that overlap slightly.

        Oddly, I installed a new WiFi base station right beside an existing one
        set manually to 11. Strange, but the new one picked channel 10. I
        manually set it to 1.

        IF you are going to run two wireless base stations that cover
        completely, consider allowing one to operate at any "speed," and lock
        out (b) devices on the other. Of course, if you have an (n) base station,
        really consider locking out (b) devices.

        I run one for any devices, including (b), one for (g), and (a) (five GHz),
        and one dual band (n) only base station. Blazing performance.

        It makes no difference for the Internet, because the chances are it is 10
        Gb or below, but for backing up or moving files between machines, it
        helps.
        Fetrow
        Reply Vote

  • FiOS vrs Cable

    I get 9+ mbytes down and about 1 mb up with Insight cable. I pay $42 (actually $32 due to $10 credit for having CableTV also) so I'm curious as to cost of this FiOS system? Except for some bandwidth testing sites, I have never found a download server that used 10% of the bandwidth I have, so except for bragging rights with my techie friends, what do you do with 15 mbytes?
    cab@...
    Reply Vote

    • Well,

      For $69 you get 5 down 2 up, plus nationwide free phone service, caller ID, voice mail, call waiting. For $79 you get 15 down 2 up. The extra down speed really isn't that important unless you have multiple users in your home (like many). The 2mb up speed makes a difference. Also, with Comcast I never ever got more than 3mb down, and usually less that 512 up (actually less than 384 up).
      wininpitt
      Reply Vote

      • FiOS & competition

        So I guess it depends on the competition. Insight used to claim 3mb up and 384k down. I was getting less than 2mb up. Recently they made a big splash with 10mb up, 1mb down (and same price.) I often get 9-10 up, almost always get 1mb down. Worst I see is in 5 mb range. Wonder where that battery goes if you don't have a basement?
        cab@...
        Reply Vote

        • I think

          You have your "ups" and "downs" confused. Download speeds are ALWAYS much higher than upload speeds.

          The ONT and other equipment can go in a closet, etc. Lots of places don't have basements.
          wininpitt
          Reply Vote

      • wow that is a lot

        I'm in nothern VA, and only paying $35.99/mo for the same 5/2 deal, have had it for over a year now and paying the same initial promo pricing (part of a bundled FIOS TV/phone/cellular deal)
        ~doolittle~
        Reply Vote

        • You are getting

          Both 5/2 internet plus unlimited telephone, voice mail, caller ID, long distance, call waiting for $35.99? For both? Fios data alone is about $35.
          wininpitt
          Reply Vote

      • I don't see value there

        I live right in a city, though. With Comcast, I get 5 down 2 up anyway, why switch to verizon for no good reason? Doesn't sound like it's a ton faster unless you spend the few extra bucks a month to make it so, so I guess I just don't see the point, other than the cool geeky bragging rights.

        ~A!
        anthony@...
        Reply Vote

        • TV

          I like the bandwidth, but the TV service blows away Comcast. ALL pay channels have an HD version, not just the main products. For instance, I would get all HBO products on Comcast in my area, but only the main HBO channel was in HD. With FIOS, I get all of them in HD, HBO2, Signature, Family...etc, and this is the case with all pay movie channels. The rest of the HD lineup is much more robust than Comcast too, and I seem to be paying a bit less overall.
          djmik
          Reply Vote

    • Correct

      FIOS is theoretically faster but you won't notice it if you already have fast cable.

      Cost: In NY the basic TV, Internet and phone is $95/mo. A whole house DVR is $20/mo and HD is $5 (I think). Then, the whole thing is subject to taxes - which cable doesn't have.
      MTAtech
      Reply Vote

      • You're very very wrong

        Cable is most certainly subject to taxes. And subject to franchise fees as well. I have no idea where you got the impression that cable is not subject to taxes. You need to learn about the telecommunications act of 1996.
        wininpitt
        Reply Vote

        • Yes they are subject to both but,

          They are subject to both taxes and franchise fees, but where I'm at the cable company used to cover the franchise fee as a part of the bill, it was only when the city/county went above 5% that they started to pass on the cost as a separate charge. Not saying that is the case in NY, but it could be.
          kweebia
          Reply Vote
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