I am switching my internet connection from the landline, copper connection to the Fibre which I am told is a lot safer and quicker and unlimited. I will let you know how I get on with that. It does mean I lose my landline so now have for the first time a mobile telephone or cell phone for our USA peeps. I am learning how to use that as it is so strange.
So peeps if you have any experience with fibre connection, please can you share them so I and others can see what to look out for etc. Thanks in advance
It was a few years back when Verizon (my local phone co.) switched me from copper (DSL) to Fios (their name for fiber optics). Actually, the only thing I remember is the faster speed and that now it cost more. Maybe it was more b/c I got the package deal of cable+phone+internet.
I too loss my traditional line line (the copper pair), but still have a landline thru fiber. The only change for the phone was now when the power goes out, the phone goes out too. Before the fiber connection, the phone was always available.
Thanks Howard,
We got two mobile(cell)phones in the package we got to avoid not having any problems with power outages, not that we get many here. The cost of the landline is really swallowed for us in the extra, so while we are paying a bit more that is only because of the mobiles which we didn’t have before.
Dandy, we are served by Comcast (it’s a near monopoly). They provide digital cable television, broadband internet service, home security service, and VOIP telephone service all through one cable. Like most jacks-of-all-trades, they perform each one adequately. My point is that a savvy vendor should provide all that the fiber optic can carry unless there are telephone vendors who gum up the works. Best of luck.
Personally, I couldn’t believe how far behind Europe the USA is. I worked on construction hire equipment in the 1990’s. By 1998 every major city in Britain was connected by fibre optic ‘cables’ I realise USA is much bigger but it’s also much ‘richer’ and heavily populated. If Bush hadn’t seen third world countries with much better HD TV US woul;d still ber on 425 lines (probably?) Here we are in (almost) 2020 and the nearest fiber to me is still over a mile away, The copper wire connection has been faulty since 2004 hurricanes but cable company hasn’t done a whole hell of a lot to fix it. By the time they send someone out to check, whatever has caused problem goes away. Personally I’m pretty convinced its a bad splice somewhere close as it happens about 40 minutes after a rainstorm. Since ‘death’ of open internet it’s a bit academic though as connection is about as slow as dial up modem during the day (down to 17Kbs at times)
Our copper internet isn’t that bad to be honest, but I thought about fibre to future proof as we are both getting on a bit I thought it might last us out and to get it now while the offers are on to do so. I don’t know much about UKland as not living there as we live on Ellan Vannin the home of the world famous TT which as a biker you’ll know about - Oh and thanks for a trip down memory lane with the 425 lines TV used to sell them back in the day
I love the US and all the comforts that we have. Most Americans would say we are the best, esp those that have not travel. I believe that Europe and the UK are ahead of the US in car safety, grocery stores, roads, quality and freshness of there foods, quality of construction, respect for others, and recycling. When traveling to the UK and Europe, I miss screens in windows and A/C (yes, I know summer are shorter there), how to start the washer, and esp in the UK as to how to collect and / or turn on the heat.
After living in USA for 20 yrs I can see the changes and ‘upgrades’ maybe better than someone who hasn’t traveled. When I was teaching at trade school, I had a guy from back in the boonies(I forget if Ky or Va?) bring his family to see me as they had never met a ‘foreigner’ and being Welsh rather than English something special? ? ? Visiting ‘home’ I find it kinda weird as I missed so many changes (and 30~40,000 layoffs when various factories closed)
It is not allowed here to not have health insurance (and car insurance, as well, btw). Everyone has to have health insurance because this is one of the most basic things a so-called 1st world society ought to offer.
It is truly crazy how so many people in America get sick, then to get well they ruin their lives and end up on the street or maybe at their relatives’ homes, because they lost everything they had. Something like that never happens to anyone in here, because of hospital costs. You always get the treatment you need. Exceptions are when you are wanting to receive treatment by medication or medical practices that are scientifically wonky or not proven at all to work positively enough. That is the only case you would need to pay.
Even further off topic, the USA prides itself in medical innovation BUT, cheap alternatives are frowned upon by drug companies and FDA. Classic case is the 12 + yr delay in treatment discovered in Australia for stomach ulcers costing around $30~$50.00 leading to a cure compared to taking pills long term at similar cost monthly. Last year a drug company that had developed a cure for something bit obscure almost went bust as stock price dropped so much (I forget the details but investors and drug companies don’t turn profits unless you keep people sick but alive) In Britain, depending where you live, the NHS can be good or mediocre.Some area’s are known to be ‘dodgy’ including the area I’m originally from in South Wales where long term care seems to mean ‘kill them off before they cost too much’ (there is little or no hope of recovery). As lawyers in Britain are not allowed to advertise and doctors get investigated by other local doctors, proving anything is next to impossible. Even when a surgeon is known to be inept it’s pretty much covered up. Sorry for the terrible lack of punctuation
Okay peeps getting back on topic. We are getting it done tomorrow 8 October, been given a very ugly modem, but can piggy back with my lovely Fritzbox 7590 so just will hide the other one - will let you know how I get and if it is any faster than the 35 mbps I am getting now.
Okay so it took some hassle to get things sorted, but my wife’s lap top can now get 104mbps and mine is averaging about 40mbps, but I have some tweaking to do one mine and her’s is newer than mine. I think I might re-install and see what happens when I do that - more out of interest than anything else.
