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Cable vs. Satellite vs. FiOS

Discussion in 'Broadlands Community Issues' started by Lee, Dec 21, 2007.

  1. Lee

    Lee Permanent Vacation

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  2. greggbroadlands

    greggbroadlands New Member

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    Does anyone have information on when FIOS might finally be available? I think they ran the intital lines months back (in northern Broadlands).
     
  3. Imaginary Friend

    Imaginary Friend New Member

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    I think they may be starting to run the fiber through the conduit. I was home two Monday's ago and there were work crews pulling something along Vestals Gap near Claiborne all day.

    Vestals and Clairborne to Broadlands Blvd has been marked with utility flags for a few weeks now.

    Not sure how long it will be still, but at least things seem to be moving forward.
     
  4. javathehut

    javathehut New Member

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    Looks like they're marking the streets/yards with flags/paint for what I think are FIOS cable on Glebe View Drive starting from Truro Parish down to Vestals Gap.
     
  5. jmbranch

    jmbranch New Member

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    Anyone have recent experience with DIRECTTV , signup for specials ? Any problems or issues I should be aware of before signing up?
     
  6. Genco

    Genco Active Member

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    jmbranch,

    we have had Directv for several years and have had no problem with them. The only thing that may take a little while is the install since we just upgraded our service a couple of months ago and had to reschedule due to weather but that was it. I can't remember exactly but if you enter into a new programming commitment you are in for two years and if you decide to cancel (go with FIOS) you need to pay the remaining months. So if you switch after one year you still owe them one year and I think the cost is roughly $20/month so that would be $240.
     
  7. quailpond06

    quailpond06 New Member

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    I just signed up for FIOS broadband! Getting it installed in two weeks :)
     
  8. pbkahn

    pbkahn New Member

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    quailpond06,
    What part of Broadlands do you live in?
    thanks
    Peter
     
  9. mamatothree

    mamatothree New Member

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    Quail Pond neighbors Broadlands...FIOS is not yet available in Broadlands
     
  10. quailpond06

    quailpond06 New Member

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    Quail Pond is a development of 50 houses tucked behind the new development in Broadlands off of the Claiborne Parkway.

    FYI--We were never notified that FIOS was available (other than seeing them dig up our yard)--I just happened to be logged into my Verizon account yesterday checking out my bill when I clicked on the FIOS "Tell Me More" link. It let me sign up for the FIOS Broadband and gave me Sunday the 20th as my installation date--I was totally expecting the typical "I'm sorry, FIOS is not available in your area" message that I always get. We even received a confirmation e-mail that it'll be installed.
     
  11. Lee

    Lee Permanent Vacation

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    They are going to begin to install the cables for Fios on my street in the next few days, or so they say. ;)

    How do people that switched from comcast to FIOS like it?
    And what are the pros and cons between the two?
     
  12. Grahamiam

    Grahamiam New Member

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    FIOS is better in every way, but the average user won't take advantage of it. I'd go with whatever is cheaper if you don't have someone in your household demanding FIOS already.
     
  13. Lee

    Lee Permanent Vacation

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    Hey Grahamiam you now have me very curious what are those advantages that the average user would not use?????
    Thanks Lee
     
  14. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Speed

    Everyone equates FIOS to the speed advantage it offers over most cable modem packages. Specifically the biggest advantage is the upload speed difference.

    The video offerings are pretty similar to most cable providers - difference is in pricing and reliability.
     
  15. Grahamiam

    Grahamiam New Member

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    Speed - see caveats below. Reliability - cable is typically shared between the other cable users near you, FIOS I believe is a dedicated service. Also cable is typically on older equipment and thus more likely to have downtime (I can remember having downtime several times while on cable, but only once while on FIOS), and Verizon is less harsh on high bandwidth users than Comcast is (if you use BitTorrents at all you're going to want to go with FIOS). However, hardly anyone uses more bandwidth than cable provides unless you're using bit torrents / newsgroups to download a ton of content. For example, going from Cable to FIOS won't give you faster movies on Youtube typically because the speed is not bottlenecked on your end. If you had 3 users on your home's network all trying to use Youtube like content or downloading MP3's at the same time then you'd notice a difference, but really anything less than that (that's legal) and more than likely you won't.

    I'm sure you'll find people who will tell you otherwise, this is just my experience :)
     
  16. Lee

    Lee Permanent Vacation

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    Thanks guys :) Ok this is the situation in our home. I have have two college kids living at home playing on line video games and downloading God knows what;););) hopefully all legal;);) Of course you all know what I do and I am heavy on the graphics and my wife is in real estate and is a heavy user of I guess graphics and is sending and receiving all kinds of graphics and who knows what else. :)

    Since I work at home I usually have the tv on in the background as well as my boys when they are home.

    I am planning to put up my own professional web site and so is my wife and I have no clue if that does anything to the load on our network.

    That is pretty much it.

    I have noticed major slowdowns on our network at times where I have had to reset the modem as many as ten times a day when everything just times out. But when I do that it is fine for awhile. It has gotten especially bad lately.

    Will Fios hep in our case over comcast or is there something else wrong??????? Of course could be Linux messing with our system to keep me slowed down from posting here :devil2::devil2::devil2::devil2: Just teasing Linux you know I love you just like T8 and Cliff:devil2::devil2:

    Seriously should I bring in a tech too look at our network or is it just comcast and could Fios help in our case. When the network is working properly like after reseting the modem it does work very fast. This resetting problem has not always been but lately it seems like everyday or other day.

    Thanks Lee

    Let me add I have two incoming lines coming from the street box one for the internet and one for tv, that is what the installers said we needed but only charge us for one bundled system we also don't use the comcast phones we got rid of the land lines long ago and just use cell phones.
     
  17. Grahamiam

    Grahamiam New Member

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    If you have 4 users and a website you are beyond the "typical use" and I would definitely suggest FIOS regardless.

    That said, your issues sound like your kids are downloading stuff in the background constantly, or you have spyware on a computer, which is why resetting the router helps some (resets the connections). It could also be a crappy router or modem, or it could be Comcast itself.

    But yeah, in your situation I'd say the 15 bucks or whatever more a month would definitely be worth it. As Steve mentioned, the upload on FIOS is significantly better, and if you're hosting a website then upload is very important.

    And lastly, if you are not computer savvy, you might want someone to walk you through how to set up QOS on your router to give preference to whatever machine is hosting the website on the upload, as I doubt you want the site slowing down every time your kids are downloading something.
     
  18. Lee

    Lee Permanent Vacation

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    Grahamiam thanks for the info and what you say sounds exactly what is happening the downloads from the kids and etc. When I get Fios I will have an expert come in and set up the whole network correctly.

    Thanks Grahamiam
     
  19. dkm619

    dkm619 New Member

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    Just my 2 cents.....We moved to Broadlands last year and had FIOS in our previous house (South Riding).

    I must say that our internet service through Open Bands seems much better than through FOIS. Sometimes I think our HD picture is not as good but can't really tell for sure. The phone service seems equal.

    All in all, I don't miss FOIS as much as I though I would.
     

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