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Battery backup unit

I learn something new every day about Verizon that makes me think I should look for something else. I have been on the FIOS internet for about two years now and just discovered that the battery back up unit has gone bad. I submitted a ticket for repair but got told the battery is MY probem. They could not even tell me what the manufacturer is or the specs on the battery other than 12 volt. So I guess that I will have to tear the thing apart to see what it is and then see if I can find an new one somewhere.

Has anyone done this ? do you know what the spec is on the battery?

CKM

Comments

Techman28

to my knowledge the warranty on the battery is unlimited as it rarely fails I doubt its the battery that is the problem. I've had Fios going on now 3 years and have never replaced the battery for any reason. I'll get you taken care asap. I'll PM you with more info

merkelck

The tech who responded to my email, told me the warranty was only one year. He couldn't supply me with any details as to the battery spec. So I decided that if I was going to buy a new battery that I was going to know the reason. I opened the box and put a meter on it and found that it was reading about 13.5 volts with the ac power connected. I then pulled the plug and set a timer to see how long it would last. In the past, it has exceeded 25 minutes before I just plugged it back in. However, this time it quit at 5 minutes. The meter was reading 12.6 volts. I found this a little strange so I plugged the ac power back in and waited until the system came back up. After a couple of minutes the battery was again reading 13.5 volts. I then pulled the ac power again and restarted the timer. To my surprise, it quit at exactly the same time and voltage reading. I repeated this cycle several more times, all with the same results. I then did what I consider the worst form of self punishment in the world. I called tech support on the phone. After the usual excrutiating process of talking to the stupid machine, I finally managed to get a real person. The outcome of that call is that a tech is coming to the house tomorrow morning. I just don't think the battery is the problem and I am glad that I didn't run right out and buy one.

I would agree that the battery should last a long time. This unit was installed about two years ago with just the internet. About three months ago, I had the tv added to the system. I asked the installer of the tv if it would be prudent to install a new battery and he replied that they just seem to last a long time and it should not be required. Over the past two years, I have tested the battery backup every couple of months just to make sure it will work.

merkelck

This just gets funnier and funnier. The tech arrived at 1200 for the 0900 appointment. I explained the issue and he replied to the effect, "We don't have any new batteries and we don't even install this old type of equipment anymore. He said the battery should back up the system for 8-10 hours." But then he surprised me completely by saying that the only thing it backs up is the telephone part of the system, which I do not have. It is not supposed to back up the internet or the tv. He had no explanation as to why the system will run the internet and the tv for exactly five minutes and then shut off. I have no way of knowing whether or not the phone part stays on longer. I really need the internet to stay on because I use a voip phone system. All I know is that it used to stay up for a minimum of twenty minutes and perhaps longer but I never left the power off longer than that to see what it would do. He said I was just lucky if the tv and internet stay on for the five minutes. In my mind, there is something in that system turning off the backup at exactly five minutes, but he could not explain that either. Some kind of internal timer is turning off the battery power to the internet and tv part of the interface unit. He said if I really need the internet to stay up longer that I should purchase my own UPS and plug the system into that. He then went to his truck and through a divine miracle, produced a new battery which he installed. It still shut off after five minutes. There was nothing wrong with the original battery. He said that was all he could do. If it did not work after that, they would have to install the whole new system. He buttoned it back up was ready to leave when I noticed that the "SYSTEM" light was off. It would flash on green for a couple seconds every minute. He came back in and looked at that and then went to the ONT. I was not able to see what he did but he came back and said "that unit was just like a computer motherboard. Sometimes it had to be restarted" At any rate, the SYSTEM light is now on steady.
So after an email support ticket and three phone calls to Verizon support ( a terrible ordeal of it's own) I am right back where I was. I guess if I want to have to have some reliability with this thing, I will have to go buy another UPS and hook it to the system.
"What a way to run an airline" And just remember, I am actual paying good money for this. I wonder why I never get the support surveys....

Justin46

What you are seeing is exactly how the system is designed to work.

I have had FiOS for well over three years now, and I knew from the very beginning that the phone was the only part of the system that stayed alive after a few minutes. It was in just about every document and piece of paper that I was given. Did you not receive any informational material? It is very clearly stated that the internet and TV are not powered after an electrical failure. And the documents also pretty clearly say that the battery will only power the phone for up to 8 hours or so, and the battery is your responsibility.

The tech's advice to get a UPS to power the BBU/ONT is very good advice. With a UPS, when power fails, the BBU will not know that the failure has occurred, and for however long the UPS is able to power the BBU/ONT, you will have internet and TV service.

This topic has been discussed ad nausem on many forums, if you don't have the documentation in house you can find info about the BBU on Verizon's websites, and you can go to other forums like dslreports.com. Here is just one example from a Verizon website:

https://www22.verizon.com/foryourhome/fttprepair/nr/common/SupportDetails.aspx?case=c29583

From the link: "Note: The BBU provides power to let you make and receive phone calls during a power outage. It does not provide power to operate your Internet service or router."

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX 76248

merkelck

I probably have that information right here in the house. But since I do not use the phone, it was never discussed. I guess that you are saying that the five minute backup of the internet and tv is a working function of the unit. It seems even stranger that the tech did not know about that and niether did anyone from the support staff tell me about it. Oh well, I guess I expect too much. I will just add another UPS to the house to run that unit.

Thanks for the input.

Techman28

ok I read your post and your Ticket and I have come to the conclusion that the ONT needed to be rebooted...When you were unplugging and replugging it would open up the whole so to speak to let internet traffic through. When the FT rebooted the ONT your services came back up please let us know if this happens again and if it does then the ONT itself may need to be replaced the A/C power is what powers the ONT for Video and Internet and Voice. The Battery is to back up the phone only.

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