(no subject)

[geekchick]

Apparently, according to the Cox tech who came out yesterday, the reason our net connection wasn't working more than intermittently for the last week or so was because we were using 10.x.x.x addresses internally rather than 192.168.x.x and their side of things is only set up to recognize 192.168.x.x. o_O (For those who aren't also going "o_O" to that explanation: "Er, no. That's really not the problem." )

So.

Any of you fine folks out there have Verizon FiOS and opinions you'd like to share about your experience with it, particularly with tech support?

Comments

[broken-gizmo.livejournal.com]

Solar flares! Solar flares!

Vger has Verizon FIOS and is thrilled with it. I don't think he can actually speak to their tech support, though, since he's never actually had to use the tech support.

No it is sun spots!

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

There is hole in the sun's corona that is send strong solar winds towards Earth at the moment. In fact you can listen to them here. That is why the internet isn't working! Okay maybe not, but it is kind of cool to listen to the sun.

Re: No it is sun spots!

[geekchick]

That is pretty cool, although I wish I had headphones in the office.

Re: No it is sun spots!

[chadu.livejournal.com]

I can hear the sun!

Cu

[geekchick]

Solar flares! Solar flares!

We did eventually move on to "we don't have your new MAC address", although they certainly *did*, seeing as how the connection worked for several hours after the cable modem was replaced. Solar flares seems as likely an explanation as anything they've given us so far. ;)

I don't think he can actually speak to their tech support, though, since he's never actually had to use the tech support.

Well, that's promising. =)

Right now Verizon sort of claims we can get FiOS when I check for DSL availability, but then when I try to get specifics it says they're having system problems and can't look up availability. So, um, if you can't check availability, how can you give me the "I know you're looking for DSL, but you might like to know that we can offer you FiOS instead at that number" page? ;-P

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Clearly you're just supposed to wait until they start carpet-bombing your home with multiple advertisements every week, including door-hangers and hand-delivered oversized express-mail envelopes. Then, when they've softened you up with a few months of this ad saturation, you'll be ready for the door-to-door chap to ring on your doorbell and drive your dogs into a frenzy, dragging you out of your hard-won achey, feverish, flu-riddled slumber at an ungodly early hour so he can sing the praises of Verizon FiOS to your now thoroughly-receptive ear!

...not that I'm still BITTER or anything, no.

(I'm quite happy with Speakeasy. Reliable service, clueful tech support, no piles of snail-mail-spam to ditch in the recycling bin every damn week...and really, the only time their marketroids did anything *remotely* annoying, they GROVELLED when I kvetched about it. Works for me, that does.)

[geekchick]

We had Speakeasy at our last place and liked it. What we could get (IDSL) wasn't particularly fast, but it was pretty reliable. At the time we moved into our current place, DSL wasn't available and so we went the cable modem route. Verizon's been out putting in fiber in our neighborhood in the last few months though, so maybe we do have another option or two now. As much as I hate the idea of giving Verizon any more money, I'm not sure whether they or Cox are the lesser of many evils at this point.

[marnanel.livejournal.com]

Eh. Wibble.

[geekchick]

Is that a wibble for FiOS?

[marnanel.livejournal.com]

No, for your RFC1918 weirdness.

[geekchick]

They moved on from "you're using the wrong non-routable IP addresses that have worked just fine for more than a year" to "we don't have the MAC address that you gave us at least twice for the new cable modem that worked for several hours after we collectively got it set up on Friday morning". I'm going with Meri's suggestion of solar flares, since it seems as likely as anything else at this point. =)

[crouchback.livejournal.com]

In the same situaton, I would have dropped my service with them and switched to someone else, and made it plain that the incompetence of their staff was the reason for my switch.

[nminusone.livejournal.com]

It's the whole issue of "someone else" that's the problem. When we moved in a couple years ago DSL was not available, we're too far from the CO. Since Verizon has been rolling out new fiber in the interim, the hope is we have some other option now.

Cox provides exactly the kind of service I expect from a monopoly. I'm not pleased, but I'm not surprised either.

[geekchick]

Aye, thus the questions about quality of Verizon service. ;)

[wolfy.livejournal.com]

Don't have the fios (had verizon DSL for years, got it when they were still Bellatlantic)

My cousin just got the fios so I'll keep you posted, sort of want to know about it myself.

Wait actually there is something I remember the day after he got it he called me asking how he gets his systems on line. He had no connection...(and he has some tech back round). Need to call him and find out what was up.

[nminusone.livejournal.com]

I could go into more stupid tech tricks from that service call, but it'd just make my blood boil. A few people correctly pointed out that all the problems weren't the tech's fault, and they're right. He earned my disgust on his own merits, in record time.

rdhdsnippet and scherzoid have FIOS... rdhdsnippet doesn't dirty her hands with anything below a DS-3, but maybe scherzoid will have some input. ;)

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

thirdbase just posted about her displeasure with Verizon FIOS:

http://thirdbase.livejournal.com/226075.html

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Any of you fine folks out there have Verizon FiOS and opinions you'd like to share about your experience with it, particularly with tech support?

Don't forget, for a few months last year I worked for a subcontractor that did technical support for their DSL. Run. Run very far, very fast. :-)

I tried my damnedest to provide the best service I could within my abilities. In so many ways, their policies were stonewalling, roadblocking, put-the-support-tech-in-a-bad-position procedures. Worst 5-1/2 months of my life, especially if you include the draconian policies of the subcontractor on top of the rest.

[jadine.livejournal.com]

I've had Verizon DSL twice, and their tech support sucked, but I don't think it was really worse than anyone else's. FWIW.

[raininva.livejournal.com]

Okay, obviously the tech you talked to didn't really know what they were talking about. I work for cox... in the high speed internet department. Like any place, unfortunetely, it depends on who you get. I work in hampton roads so not sure if I can access it to fix it for you but if want me to try just call - 757-224-4663 and ask for Rain :)