FIOS Boston, MA!

[D. Kirkpatrick]

Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.

VOL FIOS salesman.

Said where we are in southwest Boston that FIOS is about 6-12 months
away but they are now canvassing neighborhoods to see what the
interest is, probably to see what they may need to roll out in some
areas.

However he said they would be stringing the lines over existing
telephone poles which I thought odd because most FIOS is being placed
underground.

In my sister in law's neighborhood on southern RI they have started to
dig for it and its all going underground.

Oddly, it actually appears that they are planning on dropping a line
into every home whether it gets hooked up or not. Numerous front
yards have orange piping popping up on front lawns in the installation
area - but in some there are 2 piped suggesting some kind of pass
through?

Anyway, I told the fellow to send more data by mail as I'd have to
have electrical work done at the fuse box to make an outlet available
as well as get wireless cards for all my systems. I'm presently on a
hard-wired net but depending where they stick the box might require me
to get cards.

I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.

I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.

He did say that the price at offer was available for 18 months so I
need to rethink my whole communications needs.

DMK

[Han]

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.
VOL FIOS salesman.
Said where we are in southwest Boston that FIOS is about 6-12 months
away but they are now canvassing neighborhoods to see what the
interest is, probably to see what they may need to roll out in some
areas.
However he said they would be stringing the lines over existing
telephone poles which I thought odd because most FIOS is being placed
underground.

It's pole-strung here in suburban Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. I live on a cul-
de-sac, and the fiber wire had to come from across the the street that
our street is off.

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
In my sister in law's neighborhood on southern RI they have started to
dig for it and its all going underground.
Oddly, it actually appears that they are planning on dropping a line
into every home whether it gets hooked up or not. Numerous front
yards have orange piping popping up on front lawns in the installation
area - but in some there are 2 piped suggesting some kind of pass
through?
Anyway, I told the fellow to send more data by mail as I'd have to
have electrical work done at the fuse box to make an outlet available
as well as get wireless cards for all my systems. I'm presently on a
hard-wired net but depending where they stick the box might require me
to get cards.

They placed the ONT where the old demark was on the side of the house,
then wired into the basement where there was space on the wall for the
battery backup and an outlet to feed it. Then the existing cat5 to my
old router was used, the router replaced, and everything was as of old.
No absolute need to rewire my LAN. Moreover, I am not too fond of the
wireless capabilities of the ActionTec 1424WR that I have and that is not
the currently supplied equipment, I believe.

When I subsequently got FiOS TV, I asked the tech to string me a cat5
wire while he was hooking up the existing coax with the extra coax wire
from the existing Cablevision coax to the router for the data to be
supplied to the STB's. Now that extra cat5 cable feeds the extra old
router behind the couch in the living room so the laptops downstairs can
be wired rather than wireless.

Wireless is very neat since there are no unsightly cables, but cat5 is
faster, more reliable and more secure than wireless.

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.
I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.
He did say that the price at offer was available for 18 months so I
need to rethink my whole communications needs.
DMK

All free advice quranteed or triple your money back <grin>.

[Raoul Watson]

"Han" <***@nospam.not> wrote in message news:***@199.45.49.11...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Han" <***@nospam.not>
Newsgroups: 0.verizon.discussion-general,0.verizon.fios,0.verizon.mac
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 6:54 AM
Subject: Re: FIOS Boston, MA!


..<snip>

Post by Han
Wireless is very neat since there are no unsightly cables, but cat5 is
faster, more reliable and more secure than wireless.

Used to be faster... I am using the Belkin N1 wireless router now and have
consistent 300Mbps (vs 100 direct wired with cat 5)
More secure.. agreed on that..

[John Varela]

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.
VOL FIOS salesman.
Said where we are in southwest Boston that FIOS is about 6-12 months
away but they are now canvassing neighborhoods to see what the
interest is, probably to see what they may need to roll out in some
areas.
However he said they would be stringing the lines over existing
telephone poles which I thought odd because most FIOS is being placed
underground.

Maybe it depends on what's already present in the street. Our FiOS comes
from the pole. Verizon put the cable on the poles, leaving a big roll of
cable and some sort of black box, sitting at the base of the pole at the
corner of our lot for about six months before they made the home
installations and activated the system. Similar rolls of cable with black
boxes were at the bases of poles throughout the neighborhood. I never
understood what that was all about.

Here in Northern Virginia (outside DC) we were among the first, if not the
first, areas to receive FiOS and I was an early adopter. Procedures may have
changed since then.

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.

When FiOS was installed I was running an old PC with OS/2. There were no
wireless cards with OS/2 drivers so I bought an ethernet bridge: it plugged
into the Ethernet port on the PC and the bridge, not the PC, was a member of
the wireless network. The bridge was configured using the browser on the PC.
It worked fine, and would be a way for you to connect your old Mac.

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.

Eh wot? No satellite with FiOS. TV comes over the same fiber as the
Internet and the voice telephone. A modem hangs off of the router and
converts it to analog for distribution within the house, using your existing
coax if it's good enough for the bidirectional link (all mine had to be
upgraded).

Or are you saying that Verizon would provide an interim satellite service? I
don't think I'd bother with an interim system.

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
He did say that the price at offer was available for 18 months so I
need to rethink my whole communications needs.

We've been very happy with FiOS. We have the slowest/cheapest Internet
service and it's plenty fast enough for home use. I dislike the TV menu
system after the recent "improvements", but it works.

There was one incident in which something at the pole went bad (tech said
he'd never seen the like) and we lost all FiOS which meant no TV, no
Internet, and no voice telephone. Since we are in a dead spot for cell
phone, our only means of communication with the outside world was the US
Postal Service. But that's a risk of a bundled service, whether FiOS or from
the cable company.

[JR]

Post by John Varela
Maybe it depends on what's already present in the street. Our FiOS comes
from the pole. Verizon put the cable on the poles, leaving a big roll of
cable and some sort of black box, sitting at the base of the pole at the
corner of our lot for about six months before they made the home
installations and activated the system. Similar rolls of cable with black
boxes were at the bases of poles throughout the neighborhood. I never
understood what that was all about.

It's because they prefer NOT to cut the fiber and splice. So, if the fiber
is too long, they coil it up and leave it there next to the FDT. They do
have the ability to splice, but they will avoid it if they can. This is
what the Verizon tech told me. I have no reason to doubt him.

[Gordon]

Post by John Varela

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.

Eh wot? No satellite with FiOS. TV comes over the same fiber as the
Internet and the voice telephone. A modem hangs off of the router and
converts it to analog for distribution within the house, using your
existing coax if it's good enough for the bidirectional link (all mine
had to be upgraded).
Or are you saying that Verizon would provide an interim satellite
service? I don't think I'd bother with an interim system.

That would be it. In order to provide FIOS TV, Verizon needs
to get a franchise agreement with the local regulators. THis can
take time and there needs to be a large enough customer base
before it will happen. In the mean time they provide you with
a Dish-TV system.

[John Varela]

That would be it. In order to provide FIOS TV, Verizon needs to get a
franchise agreement with the local regulators. THis can take time and there
needs to be a large enough customer base before it will happen. In the mean
time they provide you with a Dish-TV system.

That must have something to do with local law or the local competitive
situation. Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, they got their license and then
offered the TV service. The local cable company is so bad that I, at least,
was eager to switch.

[Gordon]

Post by John Varela

That would be it. In order to provide FIOS TV, Verizon needs to get
a franchise agreement with the local regulators. THis can take time
and there needs to be a large enough customer base before it will
happen. In the mean time they provide you with a Dish-TV system.

That must have something to do with local law or the local competitive
situation. Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, they got their license
and then offered the TV service. The local cable company is so bad
that I, at least, was eager to switch.

Yes. it's a local thing.
Here (in Washingtn County, OR), they were installing fiber
for two years before applying for the franchise. They were
required to have fiber in front of a certian percentage of the
County population. At this point only some of the smaller
outlying communities like Banks don't have service.

[HeadHunter]

What I've seen here in northern Mass, is all the cities and town are making
it political. They want too much from verizon for verizon to make it
available to customers(for example: they want contributions for community TV
and sometimes contributions for the school system...etc..). I've heard that
verizon has decided to take to the state house instead to by-pass the local
govornments. Thank god for that ! Any contributions that Verizon is made to
pay would get tacked on the back end of our bills anyways just the cable
bills and community TV, which is supposed to be supported by the local
govornment and cable company, But anybody with half a brain Knows better

Post by Gordon

Post by John Varela

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.

Eh wot? No satellite with FiOS. TV comes over the same fiber as the
Internet and the voice telephone. A modem hangs off of the router and
converts it to analog for distribution within the house, using your
existing coax if it's good enough for the bidirectional link (all mine
had to be upgraded).
Or are you saying that Verizon would provide an interim satellite
service? I don't think I'd bother with an interim system.

That would be it. In order to provide FIOS TV, Verizon needs
to get a franchise agreement with the local regulators. THis can
take time and there needs to be a large enough customer base
before it will happen. In the mean time they provide you with
a Dish-TV system.

[D. Kirkpatrick]

Post by John Varela
Eh wot? No satellite with FiOS. TV comes over the same fiber as the
Internet and the voice telephone. A modem hangs off of the router and
converts it to analog for distribution within the house, using your existing
coax if it's good enough for the bidirectional link (all mine had to be
upgraded).
Or are you saying that Verizon would provide an interim satellite service? I
don't think I'd bother with an interim system.

In those areas where contracts to host television are still in the
works, they sub satelite TV with an expectation that after they get
the proper Ok to proceed the TV would com eover the FIOS line.

[Bill Sharpe]

Post by D. Kirkpatrick

Post by John Varela
Eh wot? No satellite with FiOS. TV comes over the same fiber as the
Internet and the voice telephone. A modem hangs off of the router and
converts it to analog for distribution within the house, using your existing
coax if it's good enough for the bidirectional link (all mine had to be
upgraded).
Or are you saying that Verizon would provide an interim satellite service? I
don't think I'd bother with an interim system.

In those areas where contracts to host television are still in the
works, they sub satelite TV with an expectation that after they get
the proper Ok to proceed the TV would com eover the FIOS line.

Be careful with the substitution of satellite service on a temporary
basis. You'll have a one or two-year commitment to Dish or DirecTV if
you sign up with them. A year ago the Verizon rep told me that I could
cancel the DirecTv contract without penalty when Fios TV became
available. When the time came to make the switch a few months later
Verizon reneged on the promise, even though my DirecTV billing was being
handled by Verizon. Unfortunately I had nothing in writing to protest
this change.

Bill

[Jim]

Was it really necessary to cross post this to
(0.verizon.discussion-general, 0.verizon.fios and 0.verizon.mac)?

Quite honestly it is very annoying and I believe against the rules (Not
that they are enforced)

Normally I would not complain but I can see this thread 'getting worse'

JiM


For the sake of sanity, I am only posting this to
0.verizon.discussion-general

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.
VOL FIOS salesman.
Said where we are in southwest Boston that FIOS is about 6-12 months
away but they are now canvassing neighborhoods to see what the
interest is, probably to see what they may need to roll out in some
areas.
However he said they would be stringing the lines over existing
telephone poles which I thought odd because most FIOS is being placed
underground.
In my sister in law's neighborhood on southern RI they have started to
dig for it and its all going underground.
Oddly, it actually appears that they are planning on dropping a line
into every home whether it gets hooked up or not. Numerous front
yards have orange piping popping up on front lawns in the installation
area - but in some there are 2 piped suggesting some kind of pass
through?
Anyway, I told the fellow to send more data by mail as I'd have to
have electrical work done at the fuse box to make an outlet available
as well as get wireless cards for all my systems. I'm presently on a
hard-wired net but depending where they stick the box might require me
to get cards.
I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.
I asked a few tech questions that he didn't have available. Pretty
much was limited to quoting a reduction in costs and getting TV -
however TV would be satelite to start meaning a dish on the roof.
He did say that the price at offer was available for 18 months so I
need to rethink my whole communications needs.
DMK

[D. Kirkpatrick]

Post by Jim
Was it really necessary to cross post this to
(0.verizon.discussion-general, 0.verizon.fios and 0.verizon.mac)?
Quite honestly it is very annoying and I believe against the rules (Not
that they are enforced)
Normally I would not complain but I can see this thread 'getting worse'
JiM
For the sake of sanity, I am only posting this to
0.verizon.discussion-general

Sorry about that.

I don't have FIOS yet as do a lot of people so I posted it to
general-discussion.

Since there are people with FIOS that might have contributed I posted
to that.

And I have that old Mac which was spoken about with expectations of a
respopnse from the Mac community.

I guess I could have posted 3 separate copies ot each - which would
have had someone else upset.

Lincoln spoke to the problem.

:-))

DMK

[Beamguy]

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.
I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.

Others have pointed out that a wireless bridge will get your old Mac or anything else
with an ethernet jack on the home network, but you can also use a wireless print server
like the Dlink DPR-1260 to serve as both a wireless bridge and print server. Last weekend
these were selling at best buy for $60.

[Han]

Post by Beamguy

Post by D. Kirkpatrick
Had a visitor ring the doorbell tonight.
I also have a rather old Mac I like ot use and it's working fine on
DSL but I don't know if I can get a wireless card for it and make it
log on to FIOS.

Others have pointed out that a wireless bridge will get your old Mac
or anything else with an ethernet jack on the home network, but you
can also use a wireless print server like the Dlink DPR-1260 to serve
as both a wireless bridge and print server. Last weekend these were
selling at best buy for $60.

As I mentioned, in my case the cat5 that was already in place from the
DSL days was used to connect the FiOS ONT to the new FiOS router. No
need to make up a completely new network. The old one just worked.