1.) Verizon install tech used used the existing CAT5E RJ45 cable that was set and already configured for phone use in the wall which I planned to use as a home office (no phone was connected to it at the time, but I planned on using it for phone) to connect ONT to the Verizon router in the basement living room? Is this normal in this day and age? I expected CAT6 minimum going from ONT to router since I know that's rated 10Gbps and is more future proof, unlike CAT5E which is only officially rated for 1Gbps. How does he know that I won't upgrade to 2Gbps service, or whatever else Fios could come out with in the next few years in the future. I expected the tech to create a new outlet similar to what was done at my cousin's house 3 houses away in the same community. Their own tech installed a new CAT6 cable and created a new outlet, did not convert or touch their existing RJ45 phone line. This is a new construction, we have the same exact house configuration in the same exact community.
2.) What is this huge big gray abomination box thing that he installed in my network panel? A Google search of that image shows that this is a "Corning Fiber Optics Splice Slack Storage Housing". The Fios install at my mom's house does not have such a thing, and neither does my cousin's house 3 houses away. All I see are the 2 black ONT boxes from both installations in their network panel.
This thing is very big and in the way and taking up unnecessary room in my network panel because I plan to install CCTV equipment, external cameras around the house, servers, and Ubiquity network equipment stuff, Synology NAS, backup battery power, and all that eventually in the next few months later this year. I'm thinking that either this box should be really outside, or is not needed if the fiber optics cable were measured and cut to the appropriate length. This gray box is my biggest annoyance right now. The black boxes that he mounted vertically (which also takes a lot of space), I can easily turn that around and mount them horizontally on my own because I see that he used a ziptie to mount them in the holes(which is okay IMO) and rather than drilling additional holes in my network panel to mount with screws. How do I get a Verizon tech to come back out and fix this messy installation and get this annoying gray box out of the way or cut the fiber wires to the appropriate length to reduce slack so that this storage housing is not needed or relocate it outside the house if it is? Bonus points if the tech changes the CAT5E cable that he used to connect the ONT to the Verizon router to CAT6.
3.) All in all, the tech only took about 45 minutes to install and then he hightailed it out of here. This was a completely new install, no prior FiOS installation. I ordered 1GB Fios service which was supposed to come with 1 whole home Wifi extender. He seemed very annoyed that I asked for a product(whole home WiFi extender) that I am entitled to receive with my service. Even though I plan to use my own MoCA adapters (home is wired for Coax, not Ethernet) connected to Mesh routers via wired backhaul, I still plan on having all Verizon equipment(router and extender) on hand to demonstrate that everything is working fine first and also having as a backup because I'm well aware during normal troubleshooting steps one of the questions they will always ask and find out is if you're using official Verizon equipment(router and extender) and if you are not then they automatically blame your equipment first. One of the survey questions that I received via text asked "Did your tech demonstrate your services were working prior to leaving?" He did not demonstrate anything. He just said your WiFi information is on the router and asked me 5 minutes later "were you able to connect to it", which I answered "yes" then he gave me the whole home WiFi extender(still in the original box) ran out of here. I basically had to set that up all by myself. He did not even do a speed test to ensure things were working fine at the rated speeds or anything. This is a completely different experience from my Xfinity installation a year ago…And in a very negative way! If I did not have better than average networking knowledge, I would have cancelled my service the same day based on this experience alone.
