Comcast or FIOS?

[fjennell]

I have comcast, hate them but love their service. Know some people that went to fios and like comcast better...Don't know what to do - does anyone have advice that has had both comcast and FIOS? Thanks.

[Toxick]

Originally Posted by fjennell

I have comcast, hate them but love their service. Know some people that went to fios and like comcast better...Don't know what to do - does anyone have advice that has had both comcast and FIOS? Thanks.

Comcast > FIOS.


I was completely unimpressed by FIOS.

[bcp (Premo)]

comcast was always going down when I had it. every time it rained or the wind blew, not cable.
I switched to FIOS 3 or 4 years ago and have not lost connection one time since.

comcast sucks.

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

Originally Posted by fjennell

I have comcast, hate them but love their service. Know some people that went to fios and like comcast better...Don't know what to do - does anyone have advice that has had both comcast and FIOS? Thanks.

Do a search on this site, because there are many pros and con for each. Speed wise, you won't notice much difference because both mediums are very fast. FIOS is decidedly faster but your computer can't tell.
FIOS has a larger bandwidth which means more information handling ability, but just how much does one need?
It all comes down to dependability and cost. Cable is affected by software and environmental factors while FIOS is only affected by software problems. And some of this depends on where you live.
Ask them both if they have 30-90 day trial periods. I wouldn't sign up for too much too soon. Both mediums can be very tempting when the salesperson offers low costs...

[SoMdDude]

I had comcast for years (about 15) both here in Waldorf ,and over in northern va when I lived there..been in chuck county for 5 years now...almost a year now since I got FIOS.


FIOS hands down!!! Wont go into detail because people will try and nit pick what I say..so in short just trust me on this man!

[Baz]

Outside of the DVR menu system (my opinion), FiOS blows Comcast away. Much faster internet options, more channels, better picture, and cheaper.

(And I was completely satisfied with Comcast.)

[Toxick]

I actually had to call Verizon and ask them if I got The Internet with my Internet Service. After weeks of my connection crapping out every 15 minutes, they got that mostly straightened out.

After that it was still noticably slower than cable.




Maybe it's just that Verizon didn't like me, personally, for some reason. Whatever it is, I said 'good riddance' when I switched back to cable.

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Toxick

I actually had to call Verizon and ask them if I got The Internet with my Internet Service. After weeks of my connection crapping out every 15 minutes, they got that mostly straightened out.
After that it was still noticably slower than cable.
Maybe it's just that Verizon didn't like me, personally, for some reason. Whatever it is, I said 'good riddance' when I switched back to cable.

Did you have FIOS from Verizon? That sounds very peculiar for fiber optics.
I know someone who has that same problem but they have DSL on copper wire. Their problem is that they are actually too far from the "hub". Verizon is offering DSL in places that are at the outer limits of it's capability.

[Mongo53]

My parents have Verizon DSL in Pennsylvania. Its horrible, like stated above in the post we suspect is about DSL.

I keep telling my parents to get their own DSL modem and use, instead of the Verizon model. My mom went through heck to get Verizon to replace the one they had, and the new Verizon modem is working better but still far from satisfactory.

Heard horror stories about people that choose to rent cable modems from COMCAST instead of buying their own and using it. How they don't work, the techs come out and blame everything else but the modem, after the 3rd or 4th visit, the techs finally agree it must be the modem, replace it and suddenly everything works. Just get your own modem, don't rely on the used/refurbished crap the provider will give you, besides it usually pays for itself in a year in saved rental fees.

How does FIOS work? From what little I read, I guess the service box on the side of the house a multi-transceiver that connects directly to the fiber and converts it too 3 connections, COAX for TV, Ethernet for Internet and Copper Wire for phone service? You power the transceiver in the service box with home electric power?

Verizon provides a funky wireless router that has mutliple connections options, but the best thing is to forgoe the Verizon router and just connect your own via ethernet to the transceiver in the service box on the side of the house?

[Mongo53]

Originally Posted by MarylandMark

Fiber to your house, then the box has 4 dial tone jacks, a computer cable jack and a coax jack.

In most cases all 3 signals ('net, TV & dial tone) all go over coax in to your house and then break down at the modem/router, set top boxes and to the main phone jack feed.

It is powered by your home electric along with a backup battery pack.

Edit: I think FIOS is a better product but I'm a little biased but it all comes down to price. Go with the best deal, most of the world wouldn't be able to tell the difference in speed, tv resolution, clarity, etc.

A little confused, in all cases the Fiber goes up to your house with the box that has phone/computer/COAX jacks. Then in most cases they carry the service through the home with a COAX cable to a Verizon Modem that splits it up?

Or do they run COAX from a switch to your home?

I have all the interconnects for the phone/COAX TV/ router and switch in the garage right where all the utilities services come into the home. I could just connect them directly to the box with a few feet of cable of the right type for each service and forgoe the Verizon Modem altogether, couldn't I?

AFA, it all comes down to price, yes, BUT, in some areas the companies have problems with the infastructure or the office servicing it. I'd talk with the Neighbors and find out their experience with each, in some cases you may find one service is signicantly more reliable or serviced better than the other.

Verizon FIOS, "looks like" it has much higher upload speed than COMCAST cable modem. (I have COMCAST, I do NOT know this for a fact, so confirm it). If you host your own webpage out of your home, do a lot of uploads, etc this can be a real advantage, for most people it is NOT. If you use VOIP, the higher upload speed would be an advantage also. Playing video games on XBOX over the internet, that upload speed is an advantage.

All things being equal, if you can use the higher upload speed, it might be the tie breaker.