Gig speeds, not so much

lapper13

2 weeks since install and receiving approximately half the advertised speeds.

These speeds are while plugged directly into the Verizon demarc (ONT RJ45 port).

No router in between the computer and Verizon demarc.

Tried multiple computers and multiple Cat 5E jumpers.

All testing computers meet minimum specs listed on Verizon site.

Here is the most powerful (and brand new) machine I've tested with:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wRpbgL

Here are today's test results:

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/6487249847

The verizon speedtest always fails:

{edited for privacy}

lapper13

Finally found a solution and I'm finally receiving gig speeds.

The brilliant solution?

I have to use the Verizon Fios G1100 router to receive Gig speeds.

I should preface this by confessing my given profession; I'm a network engineer. I say this because I've spent the last decade of my career ensconsed in routing. I know it inside and out and know that routers NEVER make a WAN connection faster; they can only slow down a WAN connection due to processing overhead.

Each packet traversing the router is encapsulated in a layer 3 header that includes destination IP, source IP, as well as things like header checksum and TTL, which need to be read/processed and stripped away to create a Layer 2 frame to be delivered to an end device.

But contrary to everything I know about how networks work, The Verizon Fios router makes the WAN connection 50% faster than when using a non Verizon router or no router at all. This makes no sense to me, but I cannot argue with the results.

When connected directly to the ethernet port on the Verizon ONT, the fastest speeds i could receive were 600Mbps. When connecting my Asus RT-AC87U router the speeds were in the high 500's. After connecting the Verizon Fios G1100 router to the ONT, my speeds immediately jumped to mid 900's upload and download. That's a 50% increase in speed by using Verizon's router.

I have no idea why this is the case and I wish someone at Verizon would have just told me that their router is required to receive gig speeds. I had half a dozen techs dispatched to my house and dozens of calls into their tech support people, but not one of them told me their router is required.

I don't know what black magic their router is up to or why their magical router is the only device that delivers the gig speeds, but that's the result after 6 weeks of troubleshooting.

Verizon wants $10 a month rental for their router, so I bought my own on ebay for $100.

So that's that. Was a tedious and painful process of discovery but my experience shows you cannot receive gig speeds without Verizon's G1100 router.

They also gave me $25 a month off my bill for my troubles (for 12 months), so overall I'm happy with the service now.

Thanks to everyone who reached out here. It's nice to have a community to bounce ideas and experiences off of, especially when dealing with telcos.

Later!