Any Chattanooga EPB Fiber Customers?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Does anyone have first-hand experience with the quality/reliability of EPB fiberoptic internet service?

Bellsouth/ATT is having yet another multi-day intermittent outage here, and I don't like Comcast enough to give them money for ISP service. Just wonder whether switching over to EPB fiber would be jumping from the frying pan to the fire?

Thanks!

[jgrauman]

I have it and love it. You'll get the speeds you pay for in network and out of network you usually get faster download speeds, slower uploads, typical. I run wireless on both my comps and get 12 down and 8 up. Comcast I never got over 4 and 1. We have the expanded service 72 channels don't need ANY boxes and there's about 9 sports channels! I love it, you also don't need a modem to always reset. We pay $98 after tax for the two services. When my promos expired at comcast my bill jumped to $120+tax. Ill never go back

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I have it and love it. You'll get the speeds you pay for in network and out of network you usually get faster download speeds, slower uploads, typical. I run wireless on both my comps and get 12 down and 8 up. Comcast I never got over 4 and 1. We have the expanded service 72 channels don't need ANY boxes and there's about 9 sports channels! I love it, you also don't need a modem to always reset. We pay $98 after tax for the two services. When my promos expired at comcast my bill jumped to $120+tax. Ill never go back

Thanks for the encouraging news!

I asked the EPB lady a little about it a month ago, and she said the install would include an outside interface box and running all-new phone, cable, and ethernet everywhere it is required. That sounds like I'd at least have to tidy up the basement, so the installer feller didn't fall down and get hurt in all the junk <g>.

Did the install seem pretty elaborate for you?

[jgrauman]

Not true about all new everything. They will replace anything they need to replace for free. You get one internet line for free. If you want more networking done its 30 a line and you will need a router (not provided). If your existing phone lines are good they will hook them up, if not, you get one free. If you want any new outlets run its 30 a line. I had all new lines already so they hooked up pretty quick, about an hour. My neighbors took about 3. They said to have 4 hours set aside.

[Cherokee Slim]

i've noticed a good number of the EPB signs in yards lately. Looks like quite a number of people are moving to it.

Cherokee Slim

[Guest 308Phantom]

Depending on why att is having intermittent issues it may not make a difference, at some point I would suspect everyones internet hits some carrier owned by att along with many others

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Not true about all new everything. They will replace anything they need to replace for free. You get one internet line for free. If you want more networking done its 30 a line and you will need a router (not provided). If your existing phone lines are good they will hook them up, if not, you get one free. If you want any new outlets run its 30 a line. I had all new lines already so they hooked up pretty quick, about an hour. My neighbors took about 3. They said to have 4 hours set aside.

Thanks jgrauman.

Maybe it would be quicker if I just give the installer dude 3 cables outside the house and let him attach to his interface box.

On the other hand, if the installer dude can run new wire thru the entire house in less than 4 hours, he's faster than I am fer sure. But I'm slow on everything. My cable TV internal wiring probably is old enough to deserve pulling new runs, but the telephone and ethernet ought to be in pretty good shape.

Do you recall what format comes into your house for TV, phone, internet? Is it just coax, standard residential phone cable, and ethernet? Or something more specialized?

Just getting fiber wouldn't make it easier for EPB to later install smart grid on the house, would it? Apologies if that sounds paranoid, but EPB claimed they needed to run the fiber anyway for grid control, and I'd hate to risk having the AC cycled off in the dog days of August <g>.

Depending on why att is having intermittent issues it may not make a difference, at some point I would suspect everyones internet hits some carrier owned by att along with many others

Hi 308Phantom

Yes an ATT trunk outage could slow things down regardless. But theoretically the internet is 'self healing' and packets would find some roundabout path to the destination, even if slow.

I've had ATT/Bellsouth ADSL a long time. Don't have any major beefs with the price or reliability, though speed is kinda slow by modern standards. Reliability seems trending slightly lower since ATT took over from Bellsouth. I program from home and routinely upload pretty big files and have daily internet conferences.

Extra speed would be great for upload. Even though the outages only happen about every 3 to 6 months, man after over 10 years of outages every 3 to 6 months, it eventually works on yer last nerve. The tech support folk try to be as nice as possible, but they have to follow this long script that makes me want to tear my hair out. I never call until I know fer sure the problem is on their end. Would about rather have a root canal than call tech support and explain for the nth time that no my computer software or wiring is not screwed up. <g> If there were no outages, I'd never have to call, regardless of how nice they try to be.

[jgrauman]

As far as the lines, coax (RG6 quad) for tv service, cat5e for phone and internet. smart grid will actually run through the meter base. doesn't matter if you have their service or not only if you have their power. it's all wireless and piggy backs off of those that do have the service. it's pretty awesome technology. it's pretty scary technology.... as far as the controlling of AC and other appliances, controls would have to be installed in your home ie; wireless smart thermostat, smart water heater... the idea is to have controlled "brown outs" at times when people don't even notice the power is off. of course this will lead to "demand" pricing like cellphone providers used to charge (or still do??); peak and off peak. could be a good thing, could be a bad thing, definitely takes away choice.

to the ATT outages, they are bringing in "Uverse" which is their fiber to the home. they are upgrading and repairing all over the city. it's not going to be as far reaching as EPB due to the age and breadth of their current network, but it will offer competition in some areas. EPB's "ring" around their service area has many redundancies to prevent outages. of course the internet is an interconnected network of servers so speeds and dependency is up to the load on the individual server you are attempting to access. i can do a speedtest on EPB's network and simultaneously ping a speakeasy server in atlanta and get 4 completely different speeds. my speeds within EPBs network have been rock solid, out of network it depends on user load/time of day. that's what's great about fiber to the home, the bandwidth is all mine, i'm not sharing it with my neighbor when they get home from work.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

As far as the lines, coax (RG6 quad) for tv service, cat5e for phone and internet. smart grid will actually run through the meter base. doesn't matter if you have their service or not only if you have their power. it's all wireless and piggy backs off of those that do have the service. it's pretty awesome technology. it's pretty scary technology.... as far as the controlling of AC and other appliances, controls would have to be installed in your home ie; wireless smart thermostat, smart water heater... the idea is to have controlled "brown outs" at times when people don't even notice the power is off. of course this will lead to "demand" pricing like cellphone providers used to charge (or still do??); peak and off peak. could be a good thing, could be a bad thing, definitely takes away choice.

to the ATT outages, they are bringing in "Uverse" which is their fiber to the home. they are upgrading and repairing all over the city. it's not going to be as far reaching as EPB due to the age and breadth of their current network, but it will offer competition in some areas. EPB's "ring" around their service area has many redundancies to prevent outages. of course the internet is an interconnected network of servers so speeds and dependency is up to the load on the individual server you are attempting to access. i can do a speedtest on EPB's network and simultaneously ping a speakeasy server in atlanta and get 4 completely different speeds. my speeds within EPBs network have been rock solid, out of network it depends on user load/time of day. that's what's great about fiber to the home, the bandwidth is all mine, i'm not sharing it with my neighbor when they get home from work.

Thanks for the great info, jgrauman!