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-   -   Verizon FiOS in older home - thoughts? (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=769644)

wakerider42 01-19-2010 7:20 AM

Oh lords of Wakeworld, your help is needed! <BR> <BR>Finally joining the HD revolution. Replaced my master bedroom TV with an HD Samsung, going to be replacing the living room TV soon. <BR> <BR>Currently have Dish Network for TV and Time Warner Cable for internet. I'm happy with both, but looking to upgrade to HD (obviously), add a couple channels (Speed, Versus), and minimize cost. Here is what I've found for things that match my needs (i.e. HD programming, 2 HD receivers, DVR on both receivers, local channels, etc.): <BR> <BR>1) Stick with Dish Network for TV ($80/mo) + TWC for internet ($47/mo) = $127/mo. <BR> <BR>2) Switch to TWC for TV + Internet = $115/mo. <BR> <BR>3) FiOS – not sure about <BR> <BR>Right now, I’m leaning towards the TWC package because it is cheaper, I would just have 1 bill, and it also comes with free Showtime and The Movie Channel for 2 years. <BR> <BR>I also want to consider Verizon FiOS, but I just don't quite understand what would be needed to bring it to my house (built in late 70’s). I know we've got the FiOS feed to the street level because they just did that. However, how the heck do they get it up the hill, through a block wall, across a concrete walkway, and then up the house wall, I presume to the attic? I really don’t trust a “free install” to include doing a good job of all that (“free” tends to = “CRAP”). <BR> <BR>Also, would I need to make hardware or wiring changes in the house? Both TVs are fed coax down from the attic. On the living room TV, getting a different type of cable down to it isn’t really an option because I would have to tear into the walls to get it there (windows, fireblock, etc. in the way). I have CAT5e to one TV location, but that’s for my living room computer. Would the internet feed be able to go in the same place that the current coax drops in from the attic to the central router, and use the existing hardwire CAT5e from there? <BR> <BR>The attic is pretty accessible, but this all just sounds like a lot of work when I could have TWC come out and basically flip a switch and call it done. <BR> <BR>I’ve read the FiOS online FAQ but am not satisfied yet enough to make the jump. <BR> <BR>Thanks for your help! <BR> <BR>Danny

zo1 01-19-2010 7:37 AM

I have heard amazing things about FIOS and UVERSE but have no real experience with them. <BR> <BR>if time warner by you is anything like time warner around here stay far far away for the tv side of things. Their HD quality is comparable to my DirecTV's regular channels, it is that bad. <BR> <BR>I have DTV for TV and TWC for net and phone. <BR> <BR>I would not imagine that you would need any in <BR>house wiring changes except maybe moving your coax to RG6 if it is currently RG49. <BR> <BR>I would not worry to much about the run from the street to your home. that will prob be done by a qualified tech. the worry becomes the run up he house. that would likely be done by someone else and that is where you tend to find the lackeys since anyone with an IQ of 4 can run wire up a house (the just cannot figure out how to do it right...)

wakerider42 01-19-2010 9:06 AM

Hmmm, that definitely turns me off about the quality of picture for Time Warner. My dad has Time Warner and I haven't "noticed" but probably just because I haven't really compared it to "good" HD. It looked a helluva lot better than what I have, but then again that is SD through a cabinet-size big screen TV from 1992...haha. <BR> <BR>Our house is on a cinderblock walls, so I don't understand how they can get a wire into the side of the house...I guess there is one place where they can go up a post and then punch in through the eves where my coax is currently run, I would just need to pull off my little sheet metal cover and run it that way (which isn't ideal, but I guess not that big of a problem).

zo1 01-19-2010 10:01 AM

Is that all that your foundation is, just block? If so that is easy, they can drill a hole right through. I just installed a gas fireplace myself and to keep it neat had to run the gas line through the ceiling of one room. Our foundation is block with real brick (not veneer) and i drilled a 1" hole through two walls without issue. Block is super easy to drill.

elc 01-19-2010 10:07 AM

My parents live in Murrieta in a home that was built in the early 80's. They switched from TWC (crap) to Verizon FIOS. Verizon ran the fiber optic lines from the street into my parents pad (no charge). There is no comparison between TWC and FIOS. The internet is faster, the service is better, the HD pic is great and the up-time is much more consistent. <BR>My brother and Sister also switched to Verizon once they realized what garbage TWC was. <BR> <BR>I have UVERSE (I also had TWC) and did not have the option to run complete fiber optic into my house. So they ran fiber optic up to a certain point then coax to the rest. It is still a much better service then TWC.

wakerider42 01-19-2010 10:09 AM

Our house is on the side of a hill, so they dug back into the hill a bit and that is lined with cinderblocks, then the wood-framed house walls sit on top of the cinderblocks. <BR> <BR>The cinderblock/stucco meets concrete most of the way around the house, so unless the wire is above ground, how would they run it nicely into said block wall or the wood-framed house wall that sits on the block? <BR> <BR>Where there is no concrete, a driveway separates the street feed of FiOS, so I don't think they can get over there without going under the driveway. So I think the only option would be where the block/stucco meets concrete. <BR> <BR>Maybe I'm just being retarded here. Kinda wish I could just get a tech out there to explain exactly how it would have to work for my house in particular. Maybe I can do that before I actually order and before I actually cancel my Dish Network.

wakerider42 01-19-2010 10:13 AM

Ed, <BR> <BR>Thanks. I hadn't considered uVerse yet. Sounds like although not quite as good as FiOS, it is still a much better option than TWC in the event that FiOS could not run fiber all the way into the house. And it would be simple since they could just tie into my existing coax at street level and the existing coax already feeds the entire house perfectly.

elc 01-19-2010 10:45 AM

I am pretty sure Verizon has the option of not running fiber all the way through the house. In fact, I am pretty sure my brothers pad does not have it run throughout his house... His picture quatlity is still very good and he doesn't have an elaborate LCD. <BR> <BR>I am sure ATT would also run fiber through a house if it was applicable. Unfortunately it just wasn't an option in the area I live in.

zo1 01-19-2010 10:54 AM

Whatever you do get away from TWC. Here is how bad I hate them. I own a crapload of TWC stock and the ONLY reason that I even have them for phone &amp; net is my only other option is ATT DSL. While the DSL was more reliable in terms of uptime, the speed was lame compared to TWC net. <BR> <BR>Oh and you would want them to run the wire into the house above ground IMO. Personally the only things that I will allow into my house below ground level is water in and sewage out. Maybe I am jaded there since I recently found that the silicone failed and we are leaking in our lake house at the well line coming into the house. less holes under ground = less chance for issue.

wakerider42 01-19-2010 10:56 AM

Thanks guys. It sounds pretty universal that TWC sucks. I will check into my uVerse and FiOS options. <BR> <BR>Danny

01-19-2010 11:02 AM

I have FIOS. They run a flat fiber cable underground (just a few inches) to a box on the outside of the house. It needs a power source nearby as it needs power and has a UPS that uses a standard 110 plug. The box outside ties into the standard coax that you already have in your house - so no need to do any re-wiring internally. <BR> <BR>I've got both TV and internet and both are fantastic. The internet is lightning fast and I've never had an outage on either TV or internet in over a year that I've had it. Picture and sound are great. Only negative I have is the DVR capacity is pretty small - maybe 20 - 30 hours total of HD - which sounds like a lot but isn't considering if you want to record 2 NFL games it will chew up around 7 hours right there. <BR> <BR>Overall I give it two thumbs up.

wakerider42 01-19-2010 3:04 PM

uVerse was not available for me (no AT&amp;T fiber in the street). <BR> <BR>Just got off the phone with FiOS and I'm gonna go for it. And it turns out, they will do whatever they need to do to get from the street to your house, including concrete cutting and patching. I'm definitely skeptical, but my concrete isn't great anyway, so I'm not too concerned if it just ends up not being quite up to par aesthetically. I will be pissed though if they actually screw something up. <BR> <BR>Once the fiber is to the house, they tie into your existing coax, so that alleviates my concerns about having to make changes in the house. The router can go where my existing router stuff is so my network shelf in the office closet won't have to change and the router will continue to feed everything as is. <BR> <BR>I scheduled the appointment for a Saturday so I can be around to supervise (again, don't trust anybody!!) The crew comes out a couple days before that to do any trenching, etc. and they are *supposed* to call me day-of so I can maybe come home, and for sure have my boat and stuff out of the way. <BR> <BR>We'll see how it goes! <BR> <BR>Danny

wakerider42 01-30-2010 2:09 PM

Got FiOS done today. It's freakin' awesome! They were able to get the fiber to my house without having to do any trenching or concrete cutting. They just pulled the original copper phone line out of the existing conduit and then ran the fiber to the original phone box that's in the side of my house. The tech (who was a really nice guy) installed the ONT (box thingy and power supply) inside the garage. Then we were able to pop under my crawl space, go up inside a wall (I fished the coax ahead of time) and hook into the existing coax. <BR> <BR>Overall, very painless. Thanks for giving me the push, guys! I have my DVR set to record San Francisco supercross on SPEED!!!!

helinut 02-01-2010 4:38 PM

I hate you guys that have FIOS available. I run a fiber optic network and can't get it to my house! Only thing that helps me sleep at night is that you're going through Verizon. That company has issues to the nth degree. They just sold their market around here which was a blessing for us. If they had brought FIOS to this area we would be toast.


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