Disappointed with home fusion

[Roseyroan]

So far I am very disappointed with the HomeFusion service. Within the first two weeks we had reached our data limit even with the computers and other devices being turned off. After calling Verizon we were informed that we had to turn the HomeFusion off when not in use to prevent excess data usage (Something that we weren't originally told). We had been under the impression that this would be like a regular wireless router and could be left on continuously when we signed up for it. Unfortunately this is the only form of "high speed" internet that is available to the area I live in. The HomeFusion has been very UNreliable thus far. We have to shut it off continuously and it randomly stops working while using it. I was hoping this would be an upgrade from the MiFi, but so far I don't see any difference. Considering the amount of money we are required to pay for this service, it should  be a lot more reliable!! We had to increase our data plan and even then we have to keep the HomeFusion off the majority of the time because it seems to suck up so much of the data. It seems we have used twice the amount of data for wireless internet since switching from the MiFi to the HomeFusion.

[gavin1066]

The disconnecting multiple times daily has been reported by many threads on the "Broadband & Netbook Community".

Verizon's customer support seems to be aware of the disconnecting issue, at least at the start of the new year.

They claimed a fix would arrive in a matter of weeks, not days or months. I'm still waiting....

There's absolutely no reason to "turn off" Home Fusion, other than to reboot the bloody thing when it locks up due to its poor firmware. Make sure your WIFI network is secure and using the default WPA2 security, so that your neighbours can't use it!

Check your computers with a virus scanner and monitor the bandwidth/data used on each device.

[louisbry]

After doing all the things you suggested, I compared the monitored data used on each device only to find that verison

charged me twice the data I actually used. 

[jcneal]

I completely agree with everything you're saying. With Home Fusion, our two laptops and one wireless printer are using up data at probably three times the speed of the MiFi device,maybe more. I was simply dumbfounded when I first looked at the data report and saw 5 GB gobbled up in the first 10 hours after installation on Monday Feb. 25. Our online habits have not changed one bit - just email, reading newspapers, browsing webpages and shopping - no gaming, no Netflix, no streaming, no meaty downloads, etc. In just four days I've eaten up nearly 13 GB - how is this possible when we previously used 15-17 in a whole month? I had been led to believe that I could just leave the router on all the time, but then I saw data usages of .89 GB and .63 GB in the wee morning hours of two nights when everyone was asleep! So I've taken to turning it off overnight and when we're not using it, but there still seem to be phantom usages that appear in the report. And the data usage when the router is on is piling up at an alarming and inexplicable rate. We simply can't account for the high data usage based on what we do. On the plus side, Home Fusion has been fast and connections have been reliable, but my hopes that the faster 4G service would lower my usage and save me money have been dashed. And what's really weird is usage appearing in the report when the router is turned off, or when no one's been home! I don't have close neighbors so I don't see how anyone could be stealing my WIFI. I'll be contacting Verizon Customer Service, but unless these high usage issues can be resolved I'll be returning the router within the 14-day period. Looks like I'll be going back to the MiFi.

[bigcreek]

I feel your pain.  We had previously had an Alltel usb modem with unlimited usage.  When they were "retired' we decided to go with the Home Fusion for the same price but with 10 mg limit.  Our average usage with the Alltel over 5 years was 5 mg / month, so we figured the 10 mg would be fine.  Surprise!  We went over the first month, carefully watching our usage, even with powering off our devices when not in use--no streaming, no downloading pics or music.  This month we have used up 1/2 our mg in the first 10 days of the cycle.  Something is wrong with this!

[Anonymous]

When you see unexplained usage, I would make sure that all of your computers are virus free and safely behind a firewall. Distributed denial of service attacks are conducted from bots running on unsuspecting user's computers. Spam relays are also set up this way if proxy servers are left open. You may not be using your bandwidth, but someone else may.

[mymy0513]

When computers are connected to high speed internet, they will automatically update. Plus, printers, ect.......

mymy

[mymy0513]

No you do not have to turn off the Home Fusion Service, If you are consistently being disconnected for the service, there is a problem with the the connection form your cantenna to the tower.

Go to 192.168.1.264 and enter admin and your router password to your router. You can see the signal strength from your cantenna to the tower.

If this is not reachable, or not accessible, there is a problem.

Call Verizon and have the cantenna relocated to a position where it can receive a better signal.

MyMy

[jwest19956]

I am a technician for HF.  Today i encountered a situation that I have seen multiple complaints about.  The c/x states freq. dropped connection.  Investigation showed me that the cantenna was "Green." There were a couple of brief blinks of a red light..  My STT showed a 93% signal at the present location.  I proceeded with another cantenna and did some testing.  The new cantenna with the battery indicated the same problem.  I then tested in multiple locations on the home..No change.  The cx is very upset at this time and I am out of answers..hense my post.  Can I get some additional info so that in the future I may be able to provide a better resolution.

[scott21]

    Nothing you can do HF is a bad product atm.

[Cynfullygood]

If ANYONE is considering home infusion, I highly recommend that you don't.  As soon as my new billing cycle started after having home infusion installed, my data has gone through the roof.

It started on the 3rd day of the new cycle when I got a text saying that I had used 50% of my data for the month - 20 minutes later it was that I used 75% and 20 minutes later it was that I used 90%.  I wasn't even home, nor was anyone else at home using it, because it is just me.  Well, my cats, but really?

Version has insisted that it is my activity on the computer... but I haven't done anything different than I have over the past two years or more.  They then claim it is the difference of the speed and signal of the infusion that accounts for the difference in data usage that I had on my wifi jetpack.  It is everyone or everythings fault except with a problem with the home infusion.

Please explain how I went from an average of 9 gb/month to 25+ gb in 10 days.  Of course, I called 9 days ago to try to get to the bottom of this issue that they claimed they would look into.  I called 3 days later and they still claimed they would look into.  Never a call back and in the meantime my usage just kept escallating, despite the fact that I was curtailing my usage and shutting down religeously.  Called today and all I got was the run around.

Want out...that will be $340 to end the 23 months left on my contract.  Of course at the rate they are hitting me with data usage, that might be the cheaper way to go.  I'm already at $115 that they will demand from me and that is only if I get my plan changed to cover the amount of gb I've already gone over.

Not that it is any more comforting, but seeing that others are having the same issue tells me that I'm not wrong.... there is something majorly wrong with how home infusion's data usage.

I wish there was a solution here, but I'm sure everyone is in the same boat.  Hopefully, if there are enough complaints, Verison will do something before more people get taken.

[MADempsey]

I have had HomeFusion for about 3 months.  I have not seen the sucking data while nothing is running problem at all.  When I am not at home I may go a week with only a few megabytes of data increase. 

I have a few devices that connect to the outside word all of the time.  DirectTv, Western Digital TV Live Hub, my Honeywell Thermostat, etc.  When I am in the Home Office I use about 1GB per day. 

[Sandrella]

We got HomeFusion connected 26 hours ago. I just looked at our data usage and we have already used 1,576 GB our of 10,000!!! NOW I am reading these posts.  We are so disappointed.  The MiFi is so slow and the HomeFusion is so fast, but, obviously we can't keep it if sucks so much data.  We will be carefully eyeing the 14 day return.  We did not turn it off last night and will do so tonight but, still, at that rate we just can't afford this product.

[Anonymous]

Either your computers had a number of software updates to download or you have a virus. I work from home and I am on WebEx doing screen shares with voice for up to 6 hours a day and I do not use that much data in a day. Also note I have a minimum of 7 devices always connected.

[rachelwhohateshomefus]

Home Fusion is TERRIBLE.  The online price is quoted as $60.00 but VZ forced us into a share plan that put the bill at $80.00.  We only have 1 device w/ VZ why in the world do we need a share plan!!!!  Called VZ on it when they first did this and was told there was no other way.  After calling VZ almost every month about issue after issue we finally got a rep that informed us that we DID NOT need to be on a share plan.  Thanks VZ for overcharging us $20.00 for the last 7 months even after it was brought to your attention.  Do you think they offered to reverse the charges that were incorrectly billed.....NO.

If you are thinking about signing up for HOME FUSION - DO NOT DO IT.  Run from it as fast as you can. 

[HorseFlicks]

When we decided to switch to Home Fusion, after 7 years with another wireless broadband provider, the salesperson asked how we would use it.  We told him 99% of the time for e-mail, 1% for web research. NO movies, NO streaming TV shows, NO kid video games. "Well, 10 GB should be plenty for you!"  We burned through 10 GB in 9 days, Verizon's answer to that was to double my rate plan and stick it to me.  Now going through 20 GB in about 18 days so paying ridiculous overcharges.  Gawd forbid what the cost would be if I was watching movies, TV shows and playing games. TOTALLY MISREPRESENTED.  I now have to go into defensive mode, if I leave the computer for 10 minutes I shut their system down, won't leave my computer on overnight, and can't enjoy anything about this. I won't even watch a 90 second news story on video because I figure they will charge me $10 for a 90 second news video.  BUT HERE'S THE REAL KICKER...  Had a 6 week long project 2,000 miles away and took my computer with me.  NOTHING connected to their system, and when I got back there were 186 data session charges during that 6 week absence.  They can't explain it to me.  Our nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away and we are 800 feet off the road so no one knows we are here, even though they try to blame it on someone pirating our service.  So they were going to schedule a service call, after the service was down for a week, and they set it up for our previous residence which was 1200 miles away, after we told them repeatedly to make sure they sent the tech to our new address.  Verizon's support is pathetic, they totally ignore the comments about excessive data usage ON THEIR OWN WEBPAGE, and could not care less about your service being down.  We never went over our data allotment for 7 years with our previous provider, and if you did it was $1 per GB.  When the world is charging $3.50 per gallon for gas, Verizon's gas station is charging $25.00 a gallon.  This is ridiculous.  When there are literally thousands of complaints about excessive data usage and charges, they refuse to acknowledge any of it.  This company does not deserve to be in business.

[Anonymous]

Did you check which devices have connected to your HF router? On the HF router, did you check how much traffic was downloaded vs. uploaded? Did you check the account usage as reported on the Verizon website? I would compare the usage as reported by the router against Verizon's. I personally don't believe in ghost data. If data is being used, it is by a device that you are not aware of (set-top box, gaming console, etc.) or a neighbor's device. Or, you have a virus on one of your devices that making use of the connection. I may not believe in ghost data from the device, but I would not rule out an accounting error on the Verizon side. I am not sure if Verizon is tracking the bytes on their side or HF uploads usage data periodically. Double counting could be an issue. If the Verizon side does the counting, then it is possible that different hardware/software is used in different locations and some of them are buggy.

Lastly, when you turn off your computer, do you see any activity (blinking lights) on the HF router?

[scott21]

(blinking lights) on HF always blinks on or off but i don't have the ghost data.

[BluRock]

I have been reading comments about HF and am currently afraid to try it.  I have been using the Mi-Fi and every since my area has been upgraded to 4G my data usage has increased, no change in actual on-line usage.  Made numerous calls to VZ with no satisfactory results.  One representative actually told me that the data usage I'm seeing at My Verizon is an estimate.  Wow!  If estimating usage, and not actually metering it, I can better understand why data usage increases.  I'll continue to review options for wireless internet.

[maxtosh]

Is there any way to track how much data each device is using? Between my wife and I we are using several devices and to see how it breaks down.

[honestycounts]

I totally agree! We've had the home fusion for a total of 5 months. Besides the data cramming on our account, the service is the worst we have ever had! We have had the satellite tv providers out to our home many times, even trimmed trees just trying to have a good enough signal to be able to use their service. There are so many trees surrounding my house it is virtually impossible to receive a good signal. We do not have a good line of sight. When our home fusion was installed the technician had a hard time keeping the signal up, that was the first sign that this adventure would be a failure. Our internet constantly dropped throughout the day and night, the phone always had an extreme amount of static most of the time, worst phone service we have ever had as well. The "icing on the cake" was when we were unable to receive updates or downloads! When they say 4G lite they mean it, I did the research. It turns out that home fusion is as substandard a service as you can get. They claim to have done testing as to our signal and say everything is fine, we say if everything is so fine why are we unable to receive updates and downloads? We feel as though after all of the data cramming, not having decent phone service and substandard (worse than phone modem like internet service) we were robbed, we want a refund. People should not be treated this way