Verizon FiOS
From Payne.org Wiki
Contents |
I use Verizon's FiOS [1] for broadband Internet access, and I highly recommend it if it is available in your area.
I have the business version for $99/month. The residential version is $45/month. I previously had Comcast broadband (now "Xfinity"). Verizon's current FiOS offerings:
| Internet + TV | ~$70/month, no contract |
| Internet + TV + Phone ("Triple Play") | ~$85/month, no contract |
What I like:
- Speed. On well-connected servers, we see the full rate (20bits down and 5mbits up) and faster versions are available for more money. We're short hops and low-latency to core nodes. (The original offering was 15/2, and Verizon upgraded to the current speed in Feb, 2007 for no extra charge).
- Reliability. It's been rock solid for almost a year. The fiber is passive; it runs to the central office with no active elements, so if we have power and the CO has power, we're on-line. (In contrast, Comcast went down when power went down in parts of town).
- Static IPs (5), no blocked ports. (with the business version) Extra static IPs available for a fee.
- No forced cutover of analog lines. With the residential version, Verizon really wants to cut over any analog lines. The FiOS battery backup is only good for ~4 hours of talk, and I want more standby time for my alarm system.
- No BS about being a business. When I tried to order business service from Comcast, they made noises about availability and business zoning. Verizon didn't care, though I did sign up with my LLC.
- Reverse lookups (PTR records) for the static IPs. Some services (like email delivery) want to see valid reverse DNS lookups for your IP addresses. It wasn't easy, but I did get Verizon to add my PTR records (see below).
- No traffic shaping.
What I don't like:
- Lack of cable TV for business. In 2007, you could not provision FiOS TV on a business FiOS setup with static IPs. Apparently, the provisioning for cable TV depends on a DHCP-issued address. (As of 2008, some reports suggest this is no longer a restriction).
Technical Stuff
Replacing the FiOS Backup Battery (in the BBU)
A standard Verizon FiOS installation includes a backup battery that will power the voice services for "approximately 4 hours". I confirmed this with a Verizon installer -- he reported seeing a 5 hour actual run time in his FiOS training class.
Verizon documentation reports that the data services are NOT powered when on battery power. In my installation, that does not appear to be true -- when I unplug the BBU (simulating a power failure), I still have data connectivity. Some have reported that the network drops after about 5 minutes leaving POTS only on backup. For more info, see [2].
The FiOS backup battery is a 12V, 7.5amp-hour sealed lead acid battery. The form factor (size, shape) is a very popular one, widely used for equipment backup (e.g. security systems, UPS), manufactured by a number of vendors. Verizon reports the average battery life is 1-4 years.
If your BBU is beeping, you need to replace your battery. Look for battery part numbers UB1280, PX12072 or PX12072-HG. Here are some links:
| Part Number | Seller | Price |
| UB1280 | Amazon | $25 (w/ free shipping for Amazon Prime) |
| Portalac PX12072 | Amazon (Third Party) | ~$15 + $8 shipping |
| PX12072 | Apex Battery | $19 (watch out for shipping) |
Verizon won't replace the battery (unless it's been within a year); it's the customer's responsibility to replace it.
One version of this battery is made by GS Battery USA, a subsidiary of GS Yuasa Corporation in Japan. Their GS Portalac PX12072-HG version (with the '-HG' suffix) is supposed to offer a longer life. See their site for more information.
The BBU is made by APC (model number CPL28U12), as part of their PowerShield line of products. For more information, see:
How to Stop the FiOS BBU from Beeping
If your BBU is beeping, you need a new backup battery (see above).
In the meantime, you can stop the beeping by holding down the alarm silence button, which should silence it for a few days.
FiOS - Linksys WRT54G Performance Issue
I had a performance issue with FiOS and the Linksys WRT54G router. I couldn't fully debug it, but switching to a D-Link router (model DI-604) fixed the problem.
I use a router to aggregate and firewall all of my home desktop systems behind one of my static IPs. With the WRT54G, I noticed occasional long delays (5-10sec) in Web surfing and page loading. I looked around with Ethereal and it seemed like some inbound packets were getting lost or delayed.
I suspected an MTU problem, and fiddled with MTU settings (Verizon recommends 1492) on my desktop systems and the WRT54G. Nothing seemed to help including upgrading to the latest WRT54G firmware (some have reported this works; try this first).
Switching to the D-Link router made the problem completely go away.
I suspect that the root problem is some bad interaction between packet fragmentation on the FiOS link, and handling of those fragmented packets on the WRT54G. I ran out of time to fully debug it.
My WRT54G is now serving as a wireless access point.
Getting Reverse DNS Lookups for Your Verizon Static IPs
December-2009 Update: The new number is 800-475-7840 opt 2. However, no phone call is needed unless you want to follow-up on your request. An email is always required. Send email request to business-support@verizonbusiness.com include the following information:
Subject: rDNS Request
Business Name: (or name on account):
Account number: or DSL number:
STATIC IP address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Host that you want your IP to point to(example = mail.yourdomain.com):
Typical response time is 24 business hours. When you send an email to business-support@verizonbusiness.com you will receive an auto response back with a ticket number, which you will need if you decide to call in to follow-up. However, you can follow-up by responding to the auto response email, keeping the ticket number in your response.
- This email address is only for Verizon DNS related issues. They do NOT support FIOS.
- DNS changes are pushed out MON - FRI at 2am and 10am
- TTL for the reverse zones is 24hrs
- You can have multiple PTR records for a single IP address, but this could cause you problems, so make sure you know what you are doing.
OLD INFORMATION: It seems a little easier to get reverse records into the system. Call Verizon Enhanced Product Support (800-483-5325), Option 3 then 3. If the number doesn't work anymore, try calling FiOS tech support and asking for "Enhanced Product Support".
You Don't Have To Use Verizon's Router
For business customers, Verizon wants you to use their router. Furthermore, they want you to purchase it for several hundred dollars. When I ordered my installation, I said that I had my own router. They said OK, but emphasized that this configuration was not supported by Verizon.
I have my business FiOS connection coming into an Ethernet switch. I have a number of devices plugged into that switch/LAN segment, each configured with one of my Verizon allocated static IPs. There's no DHCP service available (it's all static, after all!), so you need to configure everything explicitly.
This configuration has worked flawlessly for me since installation (>6 months ago). I read reports of some having problem with this configuration with early FiOS deployments, but that it was addressed with newer network terminals and/or firmware.
My advice: try this configuration first, then fall back to Verizon's router if you can't make it work.
Auxiliary Power
My FiOS installation includes an "aux power" jack on the battery backup unit, indicating 12-20V input. I'm assuming that you can provide external power here to augment/extend the backup time.
APC sells an external battery pack that can plug into this jack. I've not tried one yet, but for more information, see the external pack user manual.
(Thanks to Nelson Robin for info from APC on the BBU!)