FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just had FiOS installed earlier today - the ONT was upgraded during the install, as I was upgrading from the 75/75 service previously subscribed to by my ex-roommate, to 100/100 and had to move to a GPON ONT.

Prior to the previous service being disconnected last night, we were receiving 85-90Mbps down and up. Since upgrading, on speed tests I am receiving 8-10Mbps down, 95-120Mbps up. The connection is unusuable - I cannot stream video without constant buffering, pages are loading slowly or just timing out, downloads are taking forever. This is enormously disappointing and inconvenient given that I expected to receive a speed upgrade, and last night on a 75/75 connection everything was absolutely fine.

I have tested the connection via WiFi, wired ethernet on two different PCs, and using the Quantum Gateway as well as my own router (Asus RT-AC87) with the same results. The tech that performed the install said that there was likely an issue in the area, and that I should give it some time and see if it improves, but to this point there has been no change.

I am very unhappy with the service I signed up for at the moment.

Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

Start with a wired test to speedtest.verizon.net

If that doesn't meet your contracted speed, you can use that info to contact support to say your connection to Verizon network isn't working as contracted.

Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

According to support there is a network issue on Verizon's end that is expected to be resolved within the next 24 hours, so hopefully that is the case and my issue will clear up by tomorrow evening. After shutting off wifi on my mobile devices, I can sadly say that for the moment, my Sprint LTE connection is noticeably faster than FiOS.

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Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

My internet was at normal speeds for a few hours this morning, sometime after midnight until around 7-8AM - now it's right back to the laggy, 10Mbps crawl it was at yesterday. I am assuming the fact that I was receiving normal speeds during those hours last night was due to everyone being in bed, and the network being less congested... which doesn't give me a great deal of optimism on this clearing up and operating normally.

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Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I've been getting the runaround from Verizon since the day of my install. The installer told me it should be cleared up by that evening; tech support that evening told me within 24 hours. Tech support 24 hours later told me the following morning, and this morning I was told this afternoon. Speeds have been normalizing each night between 3AM-7AM or so, and then right back down to 10Mbps or less for the remainder of the day. The tech I spoke to the other night tried to get someone in networking to get on the phone with me, but he couldn't even get them on the phone. At this point I feel like the tier 1 support is being fed misinformation and I am being flat out lied to.

Here is a speed test taken 10 minutes ago on my 100/100 connection:

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This is the 4th home I have lived in where I had FiOS service, and I have experienced the slowdowns during evening hours that many others have dealt with, but never anything like this. I may wind up cancelling service before I have even had it a week.

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Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
eljefe2
Master - Level 1

Your speedtest results haven't been approved by a moderator yet so I can't see them, but let me ask....  are you doing those speedtests with a wired connection, rather than WiFi?  And are you testing to the Verizon specific speedtest as CRob suggested earlier?

With erratic speeds it's important to eliminate WiFi interference as the cause, and to pin down whether the problem is happening within or outside of Verizon's own network.

Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yes, the house is fully wired with Cat6 so other than laptop and phones, everything in the house is wired. I've done speed tests over WiFi, as well as wired ethernet, with 2 wireless laptops, 2 different wired desktop PCs, a Vaio laptop connected via ethernet, and even circumventing the home wiring by using a different cable connected directly from the ONT to the router, just to eliminate the possibility that there was any issue with the home wiring. 

I've also tried both the FiOS Quantum Gateway and my own router, an Asus RT-AC87; my speed test results are the same with both wired and wireless, on all devices tested, other than between the hours of 3-7/8AM where I have consistently received my full rated speed. Each time I've run a speedtest I've done so both using the Verizon test, as well as the standard test on Speedtest.net. Generally there are small variations between the two.

The speed test results I posted were 16ms/5.79 down/118.43 up using Verizon's test, and 17ms/7.82 down/18.71 up on Speedtest.net. I just ran another on Verizon's site and the results were 15ms/4.52Mbps down/118.77 up.

My ex-roommate's account was 75/75 on BPON and was working perfectly; as soon as the ONT was swapped out for GPON and activated in my name at 100/100 this issue has been present.

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Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
eljefe2
Master - Level 1

Ok.  It does sound like something weird broken is within Verizon's system.  I wonder if it could be something flakey with your new GPON?

Have you tried to get Verizon to send a tech to your house to witness the problem?  At least since it's happening during the middle of the day you should be able to have a technician see low speeds, and hopefully track down why their happening.

Good luck.  I feel your pain.

Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

The issue was present as soon as the service was activated. Once the install was complete, I went through the activation process and ran a speedtest; the tech was still in his truck at the road, so I went out to bring up the matter with him. He spent some time on the phone with Verizon, and basically told me to call later in the day if it didn't clear up.

So far I haven't been able to get ahold of anyone beyond tier 1 support, who have tried to be helpful but don't really have any ability to get anything done. Hopefully when I call back this afternoon I can get someone to schedule a tech visit, or connect me with someone higher up.

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Re: FiOS new install speed questions about buffering and video streaming
Samphire1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm just following up to say my issue seems to be resolved for the time being. It was an issue on Verizon's end that coincided with the installation of my service. Basic telephone support did their best to help, but seem to have neither the tools nor the information to do so. However the social media team at DSL Reports was very helpful, and I think got the issue taken care of more quickly than it otherwise would have. There is still an issue with a sharp dropoff of speed for a few hours in the evening every night, but that is something that everyone I know in this area with FiOS seems to have.

Overall I felt it was much more difficult than it should have been to get a straight answer on the problem; no official reply on the forums, phone support was unable to provide any answers, and I was forced to pursue alternative means of contact in order to find someone that could give me a realistic idea of what was going on.

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