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Review by BLinc 
UPDATED: 28 days ago
member for 79 days, 12 visits, last login: 18 days ago
 Hixson,Hamilton,TN
 $185 per month
 about 5 days
 "Speed is as advertised."
 "None"
 "Great service great price."
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I ordered the 20Mbps connection from EPB as well as basic home phone and the top tv package with HBO, Encore, and Showtime ( the quad dvr and 3 additional STB's )all for 185$ a month.
The fiber optics IPTV signal is amazing you even notice a difference on my 420p televisions it's much crisper and the signal doesn't have moments where you get that "digital noise"
From my home to the epb server i am getting the advertised 20 up 20 down. It is actually higher than that at different servers across the US and other countries.
The order process was simple fast and easy and so was the install. The technicians were very polite and answered all the questions i had. They ran the cat5 cables where i wanted/needed them with no hassle or complaint they cleaned up before leaving and left everything the way it was before they arrived they even left me a 100ft cable for later use free of charge.
The modem as well as all the receivers are energy star efficient which will be saving me money in the long run.
I play a lot of games on the PC and have noticed a significant difference in my ping all across the board since switching from comcast.
In the future i will definitely be upgrading to the 50Mbps connection
here is my Trace Route to www.yahoo.com
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 5 ms 3 ms 3 ms 12.91.215.185
6 32 ms 31 ms 31 ms cr82.atnga.ip.att.net [12.122.148.22]
7 33 ms 31 ms 32 ms cr1.nsvtn.ip.att.net [12.122.1.225]
8 31 ms 31 ms 31 ms cr2.nsvtn.ip.att.net [12.122.28.70]
9 33 ms 31 ms 31 ms cr1.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.122.1.241]
10 30 ms 31 ms 31 ms cr83.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.123.18.109]
11 31 ms 31 ms 31 ms gar8.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.122.139.9]
12 30 ms 31 ms 31 ms 12.86.20.18
13 37 ms 32 ms 31 ms ae2-p110.msr2.mud.yahoo.com [216.115.104.109]
14 30 ms 31 ms 31 ms te-9-1.fab2-a-gdc.mud.yahoo.com [209.191.78.143]
15 31 ms 31 ms 31 ms te-9-2.bas-c2.mud.yahoo.com [209.191.78.171]
16 32 ms 31 ms 31 ms ir1.fp.vip.mud.yahoo.com [209.191.122.70]
Trace complete.
Pinging any-fp.wa1.b.yahoo.com [209.191.122.70] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 209.191.122.70: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=49
Reply from 209.191.122.70: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=49
Reply from 209.191.122.70: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=49
Reply from 209.191.122.70: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=49
Ping statistics for 209.191.122.70:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 34ms, Maximum = 36ms, Average = 35ms
This is with the 20down 20up plan
Connected to server 4.71.251.149.
Estimating capacity:
Upstream: 52531 Kbps.
Downstream: 49388 Kbps.
The measurement will last for about 2.5 minutes. Please wait.
Checking for traffic shapers:
Upstream: No shaper detected.
Median received rate: 51557 Kbps.
Here is a wide server spectrum test
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 Review by Duchess44
UPDATED: 28 days ago
member for 8.8 years, 2825 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Lupton City,Hamilton,TN
$121 per month
about 3 days
"Fast and reliable"
"Billing department"
"Service is great but watch your bill"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I have had EPB fiber for about 7 months. The speed is good and tech support is great and easy to get hold of. However, if you ever have a question about your bill, or you notice an error, be prepared for a months long journey into idiocy. I was being charged for service when I didn't even have it for 3 months. It took another 3 months to get it straightened out, and every bill since then has been a fiasco and my blood pressure rises every time I call billing because I know it will be crazy.
After all of that my service suddenly gets cut off at midnight one night...including phone. So I use my son's cell and call and find out THEY don't even know why. They said something about an order to disconnect??? Holy cow. I guess when you call to cancel internet they cut the whole thing off? So then they had to "rebuild" my account. How long I ask them. 2 days??!! They have to send it to the main office for some reason and I have to wait that long with no phone, tv, or internet.
Finally I went to a supervisor who said she would call me back when she got it straightened out. So I wait three days and call back. I have to leave a message. She never calls back. I called 4 times over two weeks and she NEVER returned my calls. Why do they tell you they will call back if they DON'T?
When it was time to get internet turned back on I call. I am told a supervisor has to call and schedule. Which btw I never understood from the beginning. Why do they have to call you back to schedule install? So I wait. No call. Big surprise. I call back and they tell me my internet has been on since I called. That all they had to do was flip a switch or something. What?? Wow...
It has taken that long for the "credit" for those months to show on my bill. Every time I call them they put me on hold forever, then come back and tell me they can't see where any of this shows up on the call records. I understand it is a "new" service and they have to get the kinks worked out. But why do they have to work them all out on MY account?
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 Review by rob_in_chatt
UPDATED: 29 days ago
member for 5.9 years, 1766 visits, last login: 3 days ago
Chattanooga,Hamilton,TN
$57 per month
"amazing speed. incredible. wow."
"none found yet."
"if you live somewhere and you can get Fiber internet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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great speed. if anyone has the ability to get fiber but just doesnt want to switch, what are you waiting for? this stuff is amazing.
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Review by rob_in_chatt
Posted: 34 days ago
member for 5.9 years, 1766 visits, last login: 3 days ago
Chattanooga,Hamilton,TN
$57 per month
"fast. fast. fast."
"none discovered yet."
"speed is amazing. blows DSL and cable away by a mile."
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
if you can get fiber in your area, do it. it is well worth the tremendous speed gain.
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Review by MonkeyLick78
UPDATED: 36 days ago
member for 8.6 years, 388 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Hixson,Hamilton,TN
Contract price not specified.
"Fast, reliable connection."
"Nothing so far."
"Great service that delivers speeds faster than I'm paying for."
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I've had the service for about a week and I'm very impressed so far. I ordered their 15/15 service with FiPhone basic for $68.83 a month. That price includes a free install and doesn't require a contract. They did say that if I cancel before 1 year I would have to pay $75.00 for the install fee. When I called to order it took literally about 5 minutes and that includes having my existing phone number transferred to my EPB account. I had to wait a week for the final step of the install (actually installing it inside your home) but I was fine with that since it was free.
The day after I ordered they ran the fiber from the pole and attached it to my house. About 2 days later, they came and installed the ONT and backup battery beside the power meter on my house. It was a nice and clean install with everything level and all wires neatly tucked away.
I was given an appointment between 8-9 AM on a Friday for the final step of the install. It was about 8:45 when he arrived, so they were right on the mark and respectful of others people's time. The installer was nice and answered every question I had for him. I'm a tech head and was glad he was willing and able to talk about the technology and products in such an informal way. I asked about replacing the backup battery if it were to go dead, and he told me that it has a sensor on it that alerts them in the event of a failure. They will come out to your house and replace it for free. I told him how I wanted my CAT5 cable ran to my router and he was happy to do it just how I wanted. As we were talking while he installed, he told me that EPB was the first company he had worked for that actually had briefings when he was hired detailing the level of workmanship they expect out of their installers. He said they're very strict and I would get a visit by an EPB representative in the coming days checking out the install and asking question about how satisfied I was and how courteous he was.
We did a speed test and got about 19.5 down and 14.5 up. That's pretty good for a 15/15 connection. 
He cleaned up his mess and had me sign off on the job.
*EDIT* I just wanted to add that even though it's called FiPhone Basic, it's not basic phone service at all. It has Call Waiting, Caller ID, Call Waiting Caller ID, 3-Way Calling, Call Blocking, Voice Mail....a lot more than you would expect for only $10.84 more a month bundled with internet access. I get more features with this phone service than I did paying almost $40.00 a month to AT&T.
*EDIT* (7-30-10) EPB just doubled my speed from 15/15 to 30/30 at no additional cost. EPB impresses me more and more as time goes by.
»www.speedtest.net/result/899700947.png
Followup comments:  
FTTC
join:2008-10-01
Mount Rainier, MD | hmm hows the latencey? | |
| | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN | Re: hmm About 24ms to Yahoo.com. | |
| | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Re: hmm Traceroute? | |
| | | | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN
 ·EPB Fiber Optics
| Re: hmm
Tracing route to any-fp.wa1.b.yahoo.com [67.195.160.76]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 5 ms 7 ms 3 ms 12.91.215.185
6 26 ms 27 ms 27 ms cr81.atnga.ip.att.net [12.122.117.86]
7 26 ms 27 ms 27 ms cr2.attga.ip.att.net [12.122.1.221]
8 26 ms 27 ms 27 ms cr1.attga.ip.att.net [12.122.2.133]
9 25 ms 27 ms 27 ms cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.122.1.174]
10 28 ms 27 ms 27 ms cr84.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.123.10.250]
11 24 ms 27 ms 27 ms 12.122.134.41
12 26 ms 27 ms 28 ms 12.86.111.22
13 25 ms 27 ms 28 ms xe-4-0-0.msr1.ac2.yahoo.com [216.115.108.139]
14 28 ms 27 ms 27 ms UNKNOWN-72-30-96-15.yahoo.com [72.30.96.15]
15 29 ms 27 ms 28 ms te-9-1.bas-a1.ac4.yahoo.com [76.13.0.177]
16 26 ms 28 ms 28 ms ir1.fp.vip.ac4.yahoo.com [67.195.160.76]
Trace complete. | |
| | | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Re: hmm Impressive. Thx  | |
| | | | | | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN | Re: hmm You're very welcome. | |
|
FTTC
join:2008-10-01
Mount Rainier, MD
·Verizon FiOS
1 edit | hmmm im getting there pretty fast!  i was wondering how good the overall latency was. i swear mines terrible. | |
| | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN
·EPB Fiber Optics
2 edits | Re: hmmm It's not physically possible to get from Maryland to California (yahoo.com) and back in just 5ms. Your router must be giving inaccurate results. Do a trace route if you're having lag problems and see if any routers along the way are slowing you down. | |
| | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | ry a traceroute...Yahoo has servers in Atlanta but that's still a crazy low ping. | |
| | | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN
·EPB Fiber Optics
| Re: hmmm I guess I was wrong. I did a tracert to Google in California and got this..
Target Name: www.google.com
IP: 74.125.65.99
Date/Time: 8/3/2010 12:00:10 PM
1 0 ms [192.168.1.1]
2 * [-]
3 * [-]
4 5 ms sl-gw27-atl-1-0-1.sprintlink.net [144.223.46.121]
5 6 ms sl-crs1-atl-0-4-0-2.sprintlink.net [144.232.12.117]
6 6 ms sl-st20-atl-1-0-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.18.133]
7 6 ms [74.125.49.222]
8 5 ms [72.14.233.56]
9 6 ms [209.85.254.247]
10 7 ms [209.85.253.214]
11 5 ms gx-in-f99.1e100.net [74.125.65.99]
Ping statistics for www.google.com
Packets: Sent = 1, Received = 1, Lost = 0 (0.0%)
Round Trip Times: Minimum = 5ms, Maximum = 5ms, Average = 5ms
I guess his results are accurate. I stand corrected.
I did notice something odd. If I ping www.yahoo.com, I get about 24ms average but if I ping just yahoo.com (without the www) I get 87ms average. Is it normal for them to direct you to a completely different server if you leave off the www.? I know it's probably a dumb question but I've always found it odd. | |
| | | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | Re: hmmm In some cases www and non-www will go to a totally different server.
In your case, you're going to Google in Atlanta, not Google in California. Not even light can make it all the way across the US in five milliseconds. | |
| | | | | |
hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH | No contract? There is a contract; it is implied with the $75 ETF fee. | |
| | MonkeyLick78
join:2002-01-27
Hixson, TN
·EPB Fiber Optics
| Re: No contract? It's $75.00 for the first year with no fee or renewal necessary after that. It's such a small amount it's not even worth mentioning.
»EPB
We're still waiting for Comcast to "flip switches and push keys" and run EPB into the ground. They just increased the 15/15 folks to 30/30 and the 20/20 folks to 50/50 at no extra cost.
The 50/50 package with EPB is $69.99. Comcast charges $99.95 for 50/10. For $168.00 you can get 100/100 and FiPhone basic. That kinda makes Comcasts 105/10 for $199.95 seem overpriced and slow. | |
| | | hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH
 ·Time Warner Cable
·buckeye cable
| Re: No contract? No, it is worth mentioning. Otherwise you're claiming something that is not true. They hold a 1 year contract or you pay $75 for the install. That is a contract due to they get $$$ if you break service.
And to claim $75 is a small amount. Hardly. $75 is $75.
And Comcast will flip that switch and run EPB in the ground. They must not see many people switching due to people don't switch due to speed and price. they switch due to service quality, but MOST people don't even bother due to they don't like change and would rather keep the company they've dealt with for years regardless.
--
www.twopugsbrand.com Kosher, Vegan, and Organic Certified Dog and Cat treats/foods and other products! www.etsy.com/shop/snakx4u/ Organic, Kosher, Gluten Free, Vegan Human Baked Goods | |
| | | | |
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Review by jarrodholder
UPDATED: 69 days ago
member for 8.1 years, 789 visits, last login: 2 days ago
Rossville,Walker,GA
$132 per month
about 13 days
"Great speed and connection realibility"
"TV service needs work"
"Finally, an ISP with great upstream speeds!"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
This is a review of EPB Chattanooga's Fiber Optic Internet and TV service. Internet comparison is with AT&T while TV comparison is with DirecTV. Fi Phone will not be reviewed as I did not purchase this option.
The review will be separated into 4 parts: Order/Pre-Install process, Internet service (Fi-Speed Internet), TV service (Fi TV), and conclusion.
Order/Pre-install Process
The order for service was placed online at their website epbfi.com. Package chosen was Fi-Speed 20 + Fi TV Essential with HD. A DVR and 1 set top box was requested. A CSR (customer service representative) called within a couple of hours to confirm the order and options. Install date was set for 2 weeks later.
Installer arrived within time window and completed work within allotted time. Work was very neat and clean. Installer noted that HD service was not yet active and said that sometimes it can take awhile to become active. After several hours, I contacted EPB to inquire about HD service only to be told that the HD package was not shown on my account. CSR corrected this and I had HD service in roughly 2 hours. This, at least to me, is an exceptionally long time to add a service.
Fi-Speed Internet
Fi-Speed Internet has several different tiers to choose from. I chose the 20Mb (Megabits) plan which offers 20Mb down and 20Mb up. This is a major speed upgrade over AT&T's 3Mb plan which was the fastest tier available at my home. Speed tests have shown speeds at my location to be well within range (and sometimes above) the plan speeds I am paying for. Download speeds tend to be higher (25-40Mb) than those being paid for while upload speeds tend to be slightly less (16-18Mb). Currently, the only con to the Fi-Speed Internet service is the lack of a Static IP option. The current DHCP lease is said to be 24 hours which is pretty good. As long as your device renews within that time frame, you should keep the IP assigned to you. However, the option for a Static IP should definitely be available.
Fi TV Service
The Fi TV service is EPB's weak spot. There is much room for improvement with this service.
Their are several packages and add-ons to choose from. I chose the Fi TV Essential package with HD and DVR service. While HD is included, their HD lineup lacks some very popular HD channels such as Comedy Central HD and and Nick HD. SD channels also need some work. When comparing to DirecTV, SD channels appear very pixelated on the Fi TV service. Images are very blocky and only get worse as more movement is introduced. Channel lineup can be confusing to some. While channels are arranged based on their package (Basic, Expanded, Essential, etc). Some channels are often split from their counterparts. An example is the popular channel Nickelodeon. The main Nick channel is currently located at 59 while Nick two (often called Nick West) is located at 127. Most users would find it more helpful if these channels were closer together.
The included Scientific Atlanta (now Cisco) DVR only includes a 160GB hard drive. This is half of size that is included in an older DirecTV HR20-100 DVR (300-320G) from DirecTV. The Cisco DVR also does not allow for expanded storage via an eSATA (or other) port. USB ports are included, but documentation make no mention of using these ports for storage expansion. Recording options are also less granular. While DirecTV allows you to adjust the start and end times, the Cisco DVR only allows for end time adjustment (possible that this could be fixed via firmware update). Only one DVR is allowed per account. The DVR contains 4 tuners (two standard, two HD). Since the DVR can be accessed from other rooms, most people will be fine with this. However, multiple DVRs have their advantages. Multiple DVRs allow for extra recording storage and often allow for more than 2 HD tuners (often 2 per device). If users are willing to pay for multiple DVRs, then the provider should consider making them available. At the very least, provide a DVR with more than 2 HD tuners.
The program guide can be slow to load at times and contains less than 2 weeks of data. Programing is currently only offered in a max resolution of 1080i. While most programing from DirecTV is also 1080i, there are some shows (mainly PPV movies) that are being offered in full 1080p.
Video On Demand (VoD) options are very comparable to that of DirecTV. One major advantage that Fi TV has over DirecTV is that their VoD feature is truly "on demand". With DirecTV, VoD titles are downloaded via your Internet connection. If your connection is very slow (like 3Mb) it can take several minutes before your title is ready to watch. Also, if your Internet connection is being used by other resources (such as web browsing) your VoD title can be interrupted during viewing.
The 'record' feature should be looked at as well. When watching a show, if you press record, the recording begins at that moment and doesn't end till you hit stop (going across programs). If the DVR has data for the program prior to you hitting record (if you've been watching the program from the start) then that data should be included in the recording. (This would be similar to DirecTV in that it adds the previous data and also ends at the scheduled end time of the program.)
Conclusion
EPB Fiber Optics has the potential of becoming this country's leading carrier in terms of speed and options. Since EPB is government owned (City of Chattanooga) there are no investors or money hungry CEOs to please. As such, EPB is more free to innovate without having to worry too much about short-term ROI (Return on Investment). EPB offers some of the fastest speeds in the nation with their 100Mb plan and soon will offer the fastest with their 150Mb plan. Most of these higher tier plans are used by businesses or computer enthusiasts. With the lack of options such as static IPs, it could be hard, though doubtful, to attract these users. The lure of fiber speeds alone should be enough to hook these users.
FiTV needs a lot of work. While the product is main stream, I consider it 'Beta' at best. The service is still relatively new and, at least I hope, will continue to evolve. I would highly recommend that EPB look at options offered by DirecTV (and dare I say even Comcast) when considering additions/changes to this service.
Update: After posting the review, EPB posted on their Twitter (@epb_chattanooga) that Comedy Central HD is coming soon.
Followup comments: 
ILpt4U
Premium
join:2006-11-12
Lisle, IL | Cisco DVR Is the DVR the Cisco 430MC? IPTV DVR? | |
| | jarrodholder
Premium
join:2002-07-22
Rossville, GA
clubs: | Re: Cisco DVR CIS430 | |
| | |
ILpt4U
Premium
join:2006-11-12
Lisle, IL | Re: Cisco DVR There is a 320 GB model out there -- not sure if your provider uses it, but the Cisco 4320 is essentially the same DVR, but with a 320 GB HDD | |
| | | | jarrodholder
Premium
join:2002-07-22
Rossville, GA
clubs: | Re: Cisco DVR To my knowledge, this is the only one offered. But, they check their Twitter often and have already responded to several inquiries I've posted there. I posted a link to my review there, so perhaps they will read and respond here. | |
|
jarrodholder
Premium
join:2002-07-22
Rossville, GA
clubs: | Portion left out, added I realized I left out a paragraph on recording live TV. I've added it to the end of the Fi TV section. | |
| 
Cubsfan03
@epb.net
 from:
jarrodholder
| Customize channel lineup You may customize your channel lineup through the settings section on your menu. In your case, you can move Nick 2 right under Nick. Just FYI. | |
| | jarrodholder
Premium
join:2002-07-22
Rossville, GA
clubs: | Re: Customize channel lineup Good idea. Thanks. | |
|
| | |
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Review by Bigun
UPDATED: 146 days ago
member for 146 days, 0 visits, last login: 146 days ago
Hixson,Hamilton,TN
$69 per month
about 10 days
"Extremely Fast - Fairly Priced"
"Blocks Port 25"
"Will not sacrifice freedom for speed"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Was extremely satisfied with the service until I had to send an e-mail to my own server that I co-locate.
Called tech support to get this resolved. I basically got sent an e-mail stating that Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Charter all do it, and so do they. Unless my memory is failing me, I remember sending e-mail using Comcast's service for the last year and a half.... not to mention using Verizon's aircard to send mail and a near daily basis. Blocking incoming port 25 makes perfect sense.... blocking outgoing port 25 is almost like blocking outgoing port 80, it just blocks a service. And I do not want to use their SMTP server. If anyone has gotten this resolved, please give me a name and a number to call to get this resolved.
If this is not resolved, I will be going back to Comcast in a couple of weeks.
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Review by fargazer
UPDATED: 176 days ago
member for 5.6 years, 35 visits, last login: 43 days ago
Chattanooga,Hamilton,TN
$250 per month
about 4 days
"Excellent quality of work and service. Excellent performance"
"None to speak of so far"
"Must buy if you are in the market for ISP, phone, or television service"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I am currently a Comcast Business customer, with 22/5 internet speed, two phone lines, and basic television (channels 2 - 13) for roughly $160 / month. Electric Power Board of Chattanooga (EPB) has just started offering service in my region, so I signed up for 50/50 internet speed, one phone line, all television channels outside of premium (HBO, Showtime, and so on), and HD capability with a DVR for roughly $250 / month. They offer 100/100 speed also, but this would have been about $150 extra - I can't justify this yet.
There is no contract for x number of months, and no promotional pricing - what you see is what you get. There is no installation fee, though there is a charge for extra jacks.
For at least a couple of months or more, I will use both services; my PFsense firewall can direct any internal machine to use either ISP simply by adding the IP address to an alias list on the firewall. Comcast does offer static IPs to its business customers, so I may never totally remove that service - at least as long as I can afford it.
I signed up on a Monday around 10:00. I asked the initial operator some questions they did not know, and each time they asked my permission to put me on hold to find out. Each time, they came back with a correct (or at least meaningful) answer. I did say I did not mind if they transferred me to the second level of support to ask directly, and they obliged pleasantly and without any sort of protest. The second level support answered all my questions, and was very helpful. They transferred me back to the initial level to complete the order; it was a different person, but they were able to pick up where the first one left off without any annoying repitition of information I had already submitted. Very pleasant staff, and high quality service.
By 14:00 that same day, the fiber was run from the pole to my house. By 16:00 that day the exterior technician called as promised, arrived, and installed the exterior house box and backup battery next to the power meter. All wiring was precisely cut, well tied down, and spliced well - this is the kind of quality I wanted when I was Manager of Information Systems at a small hospital.
Thursday morning the internal installation team called as promised and showed up. The installation took 6 hours; a good couple hours were spent in discussions to what would be the best way to wire the house (I have a complex setup, and wanted all new wiring). They installed the internet connection in my server room. Two television connections were run - one to the existing television, one to where a second TV would eventually go. For an extra charge of $30 / jack, they put in three new phone jacks - rec room, office, and near the alarm system. The fees were clear in all materials I had read before signing up for the service, and the tech team made sure I was aware of the expense - no surprises at all.
Once installed, the team demonstrated the television service (Scientific Atlanta 430 with 160GB hard drive), tested the internet service (we used a laptop to test the connection, and I configured PFsense after they left), tested the alarm with me, and made sure 911 had the proper changes. They ran the internet wiring through the garage to avoid some exterior fluorescent lighting, but not the phone wiring; they said there would be no interference with phone service, and so far they were correct. They did state if there were problems, that EPB would be happy to stop back out and require the run, using shielded cable if necessary. Everything, like the external wiring, was done precisely and neatly. They left me both component and HDMI cables for the television box.
Typically ping times are at least 20ms faster to major sites like yahoo. My IPsec VPN connections to a friend in Wisconsin have improved from 80ms under Comcast to 40ms under fiber, and are noticably smoother in operation (no lag when playing LAN games or sharing a Virtual Machine on a local server). Connections to EPB have as yet never been interrupted (I've gotten an occasional interruption or desynch with Comcast, perhaps once every week or so), though keep in mind it's been less than a week. Voice quality has been outstanding; no problems with crackle or other line noise. My television is older, with only limited HD capability; I'll be replacing it in the next couple weeks, but for now all I can say is that television video quality is very good.
I did have an issue logging into their web site; one call to their support line (00:30 at night) resolved that. There are currently three different portals: one for voice, one for internet mail, and one for managing the billing to both power and fiber service; they are working on consolidating them further. The phone support person resolved my confusion quickly, pleasantly, and accurately.
Over the next few months I will continue to compare Comcast with EPB; I've had no major complaints with Comcast, but so far, I'd have to say EPB has made a point of going the extra mile on service. I would highly recommend them.
Followup comments: diragono
join:2005-07-21
Decatur, TN | Wondering... I know this is an odd question. But, seeing as your from near the Chattanooga area, the small hospital you were the IS manager of wasn't Rhea Medical Center was it?
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Finally free from hughesnet! Verizon EVDO/Pantech UM150 | |
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Review by weorthe
UPDATED: 305 days ago
member for 7.2 years, 1063 visits, last login: 9 days ago
Chattanooga,Hamilton,TN
$207 per month
about 10 days
"Super fast, no traffic shaping or download limits"
"Service is new - time will tell how well it stands up as new customers join"
"Faster, Better! Great service so far!"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Epb is the electic power provider in Chattanooga, TN. They recently started offering Cable TV, phone, and high speed internet through the fiber network they are building. I switched from AT&T DSL. The fastest speed AT&T would offer me is 3 Mbps hypothetical downstream (which was usually closer to 2 Mbps) and 384 Kbps upstream. I did not want to switch to Comcast because of their traffic shaping. I also wanted to dump Comcast for cable TV service.
I ordered the 50 Mbps speed and digital HD cable TV, for $207. (They have slower speeds for less money.) I didn't get the phone option. The bundled service prices are hugely discounted.
The salesperson on the phone was clear and efficient and didn't pressure me to buy more than I wanted.
The installation took 3 trips from epb - one to run fiber from the pole to my house (I have buried lines), one to stick a box on the outside of the house, and a final one to hook everything up. I only had to be home for the third trip. In my case they didn't have to run any new inside wiring. Installation was free.
According to the epb website speed test my downstream speed was 94127 Kbps and upstream was 49057 Kbps. Outside the epb network, speeds have ranged from 7041 Kbps to 10513 Kbps downstream. Ping times to google.com are around 26 ms.
The Acceptable Use Policy prohibits spam. It doesn't mention servers.
The mail offering is a web mail website. They block port 25. I was able to call and get settings to allow regular email to work with the third party I use. They didn't flinch when I told them I was using Linux. I was on hold for less than a minute.
I'm blown away by the speed - it's like moving from dial-up to broadband all over again. I'm also greatly impressed by the service so far!
Followup comments: huefkcvhjwf
join:2009-12-01
| I would write a separate review but it seems to make more sense to just give a patch on yours. I have also just moved from AT&T DSL, and got the 15 mbps/15 mbps fiber. To clarify, port 25 is only blocked outbound, and that isn't a big deal since residential IPs are generally RBL'd anyway. smtp.epbfi.com:465 relays mail with non- X@epbfi.com source addresses (as expected), so although I haven't moved my personal email server here as of yet, nothing appears to technically preventing it.
EPB doesn't appear to be doing anything nefarious with non-existent DNS domains:
Host wavaseialfjfd.com not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)
Various online speed tests give about 17.5 mbps down and around 8 mbps up. However, I was able to saturate the uplink to 15.4 x 10^6 bps average over 60 seconds using several remote links. I also did a simultaneous down/up test with 3 of my remote servers downloading from me and 4 linux mirrors uploading to me. That gave me 18.07 x 10^6 bps down, and 7.47 x 10^6 bps up. This was all going through a cheap router which may have been the limiting factor. So, the service does appear to be really symmetric.
I am currently unsure how to test this better, but I appear to have gotten the same public IP through several rounds of DHCP assignments (router resets). We'll see how long it lasts.
I don't have a single complaint! | |
| | torgojones
join:2009-03-15
Ringgold, GA | Re: I would write a separate review The DHCP lease will last 24 hrs so as long as you are using the same MAC you'll most likely get the same IP address if you were to power cycle your equipment for any reason. Glad to hear good things about the service! | |
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CupofDice
join:2009-12-08
| Just ordered I just ordered the 15Mbps. The online email support was helpful and fast, and he didn't flinch when I mentioned Linux either. Just plug and play. "Yes sir! However, Linux is not officially supported, but it will work fine when set to DHCP. We offer pure Ethernet to you, so any operating system that has a (working) network card should work." I think it's because this is EPB, which I would guess hires people with a great deal more knowledge. Also no contract, and no installation fee. They are coming next tuesday. Can't wait! Will report back in then. | |
| | rick888
join:2010-02-02
Chattanooga, TN | Re: Just ordered I'm wondering if anybody here has EPB Chattanooga, internet? How is the service, speed, etc. I can't seem to find a review. I just ordered their service and would love to know what others are experiencing with the new service. | |
| | | CupofDice
join:2009-12-08 | Re: Just ordered It's amazing. Never slow or down, and truly symmetrical. I was thinking about upgrading to the 20Mbps package, but Why??? Everyone else's upload speeds are too slow as it is. lol. | |
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Duchess44
Premium
join:2001-10-24
Lupton City, TN
·EPB Fiber Optics
| EPB Fiber Optics is so far so good I also just ordered from Comcast to EPB. The salesperson I spoke to was also very nice and easy to understand and didn't pressure me for anything I didn't want to get. No cost for the install. We are moving to our new home on Saturday and I will repost a review when the install is complete and when the service is up and running. But I just wanted to state that I agree that the salespeople are very good. | |
| | rick888
join:2010-02-02
Chattanooga, TN | Re: EPB Fiber Optics is so far so good I will let people know after getting the EBP internet. I hope others will report the success. Comcast has been a nightmare for years. Up one day and down the next. | |
| | | rick888
join:2010-02-02
Chattanooga, TN
| Re: EPB Fiber Optics is so far so good Just got EPB Fiber. The download speed using speakeasy speed test is 19725 kbps and the upload is 14724 kbps. The installation was quick and they actually give you a time (between 8 and 9 AM, etc.) unlike the others that make you wait all day. So far, so good ... I also got the telephone for an additional 10 dollars per month. I was having lots of trouble with comcast high speed internet and the Comcast telephone was almost unusable. I am well pleased and the cost is a little less than comcast, in that I didn't get the television package. I think its $68.00 per month plus tax for both. My phone bill with AT&T a year or so ago was over $40.00 per month, so that makes for a good savings. | |
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