Dsl ?

According to the Verizon FiOS Terms of Service (http://netservices.verizon.net/portal/link/main/policies?epi-content=GENERICWIDECONTENT&viewID=content&action=TOS) they reserve the right to block selected ports if they deem it a security threat.

So it sounds like they can do whatever they want - not saying they necessarily are, but they sure leave the option open.

Yeah, most ISPs have those clauses in their TOS. They usually have enough clauses in there that they can pretty much do whatever they want, whenever they want to the line, as well.

That said, there are a few actions that, if taken, would launch a furious attack from their user base and make the news. Blocking all ports would be one of them.

Comcast has this thing called PowerBoost. It gives customers (for the first 25 or so MB of a download burst) a boost of speed around 15-20mbps. It really screws with speed tests. I believe they are implementing upload PowerBoost right now as well. Something like 5-10mbps for the first couple MB up.

DSL is nice, but it's lifespan is coming to an end. There's only so much data you can push over 50 year old copper twisted pair. It's greatest limiting factor is loop length -ie, how far you are from your DSL provider's cabinet (be it CO or RT). Some of the newer DSL technologies can push upwards of 20mbps to the customer, but the distance limitations are ridiculous (5k feet or less, usually).

Well engineered cable deployments (read, DOCSIS 3.0) and fiber is the future.

Yeah, I had heard about Power Boost but the time period in question was 2-3 yrs ago. I don't know if it was implemented back then. The upstream boost would be nice.

I forwarded all ports to a PC and turned off the firewall on the PC first. The port scan should have returned errors from the PC, not to mention I had a webserver running on it which it should have picked up. It turned up nothing. I also tried the specific ports used by the webserver, and, again, nothing under FiOS. Same configuration works fine when I plug it into the cable modem (which is why I have both services for now).

Now, that said, I haven't tested this in quite a while (8-9 months). I'll give it another try to see if something has changed. If not, then I'll take you up on that offer.

How do they do the install on the FiOS? Is the fiber to the curb or all the way inside the house, into a router?

It goes all the way to the house. They install a big honking "Optical Network Terminal", and terminate the fiber there. The ONT has jacks for Ethernet, phone, and cable.

Thanks for all the help.

I dont want to highjack this thread but whenever someone mentions fiber optics and seems to know what they are talking about I ask this question.Is it possible to splice fiber optic wires?I work on a lot of Mercedes and they have fiber optic cables running the cd changer in the trunk.Anyways one day one of the other techs was welding the quarter panel and burned some of the wires and lets just say it wasnt cheap to replace.So I guess I have been wondering ever since then whether or not it is even possible to splice fiber optics.


Anyone else think its funny that the "latest and greatest" technology(im still talking about fiber optics) is really just a simple as the morse code with a flashlight?I mean thats all fiber optics really are, A thin hallow tube with a flashlight at one end.Obviously its a little more complicated than that, but you get the point.

Yes, fiber can be spliced.

Any kind of data transmission is a type of Morse code, in a sense. You can only transmit 1 or 0 whether you are using photons or electrons. Dating back to the 1700s (http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2007/12/email-in-the-18.html), people have used similar techniques for transmitting data. The only thing that has changed is the technology used to transmit the data.

This is incorrect. On residential FIOS, ports 80 and sometimes 25 and/or 135 are blocked (depends on region).

I stand completely corrected. I reran the port scan, and everything except 80 was open. I know that everything was blocked at one point in time, but I have no idea for how long. Obviously it wasn't for long. Thanks for the info - I never would have checked again otherwise.

So, as cpayne5 said - FiOS does not block all ports (in Arlington, for certain).

I stand completely corrected. I reran the port scan, and everything except 80 was open. I know that everything was blocked at one point in time, but I have no idea for how long. Obviously it wasn't for long. Thanks for the info - I never would have checked again otherwise.

So, as cpayne5 said - FiOS does not block all ports (in Arlington, for certain).

Cool, good to hear you got it straightened out. Now it's time to dump that cable!

No joke! Luckily, I've only been paying $20/month for it. My wife is going to be thrilled at all of the equipment and wires I can get rid of!