# Migrating from Altice Optimum to Verizon FIOS



## pbug56 (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi,

I'm finally giving up on Cablevision / Optimum / Altice. Back when CV had Wilt Hindenbrand running interference for his customers / fans, I could always get problems fixed, usually very quickly. We miss Wilt, of course along with that help. Now with Altice in charge, it's gotten so bad I can't deal with it any more. While I'm seeking help in another thread to keep my TIVO's viable for now, in a few weeks I'm switching to FIOS.

So - what do I need to know to prepare for and then handle switching to FIOS from Altice One? 
1. I'll be using their router, so I'll need to be sure that whatever my SSID(s) is / are, that the one TIVO on wireless, the Bolt, gets reconnected to my wifi unter FIOS.
2. I get that I'll have to go into setup and find FIOS. I'm on Long Island, currently using the Cablevision Woodbury system. Is FIOS setup the same way in there to show me multiple FIOS choices in my zip code area or will there just be one correct one?
3. Assuming I do this part correctly, I would think that once TIVO does a new data downline, my guide data will be repopulated with the new lineup and channel info. 
4. I'm guessing that some preset recordings will resume just fine, others will need me to go in and make sure they point to a viable channel number to avoid missing recordings.

What else do I need to know? Do I need to do anything ahead of time to prepare?

Thanks!


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## iramark2 (Aug 29, 2010)

Use guided set up. Much easier. I had no issue. Try each of the FIOS services. It will eventually match up. 

No issues on my end. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pbug56 (Jan 27, 2008)

That's good news. I adjust the wifi info on the one (other is on cat6 so no issue). By that time the old cablecard will have been removed. Run Guided setup and try to figure out the right FIOS choice.. And when that's good put in the new cablecard. IOTW, by the book.

Thanks for the confirmation!


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## wolverines (Jul 15, 2005)

Pbug56, how did the switch go? I am looking at making the same switch but the Fios chat bot said that I will not be able to get most of the HD channels with the cable card. That doesn’t seem right but I haven’t confirmed it yet.


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## pbug56 (Jan 27, 2008)

There were minor problems with the switch that got taken care of a few days later. 1. I was told I had DVR. I wasn't told that it was only on 'server' STB's. A server is a STB that feeds up to 4 other STB's. I needed one for a bedroom that didn't have live COAX. That got taken care of on a 2nd visit. 2. One of the TIVO's was missing HBO, Cinemax, FX, Fox, Nat Geo. That got taken care of also some sort of mispairing problem that a tech fixed in 5 minutes. 3. The installer put back into service some phone wiring that hadn't been used in many years, and it has a bit of AC hum and crosstalk. I'm taking care of that myself. 4. A 25 foot Cat 5e ethernet run loses about 65mbps - I'll also take care of that, already have the cable. 5. A very small old TV that only has composite video or COAX - I used a converter between the HDMI on the STB and the TV, but it wouldn't work with Fios One STB. Replaced with a monitor with HDMI.

As to the cable cards, the ONLY thing I know of that they can't do is anything interactive, like videos on demand. That's true with Altice, FIOS, any cable provider, since Cable Card 2 never did come out. As far as I can tell, I get every single channel that the STB's get other than VOD. And if you have a 4k TV, there are 2 UHD sports channels, though they are seldom live. And to get other programming in 4k, it would be by streaming apps that your TV or TIVO have. 

You may also see a big improvement in picture quality versus, say Altice. I do.

Do be sure that you do have viable COAX in whatever room will have a SERVER STB, assuming you have STB's. Obviously your TIVO's will get cable either directly by coax or wifi, or via MOCA.

My house got a G3100 FIOS router, which I find far better behaved than an Altice one main box, and since it's downstairs in one end of the house, a G3200 extender near the other end. I previously had 1 midhouse extender that didn't work very well, and one inside the front door to service a doorbell camera. No longer. The 3200 is designed to go with the 3100 and so far has greatly improved wifi strength and bandwidth. The combo also provide Wifi-6 - which the newer phones in the house use. I've not found any dead spots yet.


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## old_dood (Apr 1, 2016)

wolverines said:


> Pbug56, how did the switch go? I am looking at making the same switch but the Fios chat bot said that I will not be able to get most of the HD channels with the cable card. That doesn't seem right but I haven't confirmed it yet.


I made the switch a few days after Pbug56. I have a much smaller set up than his, one Bolt Vox and 2 minis. I had similar cablecard problems that were corrected over the phone after the installing tech left and all HD channels come in fine. The first Verizon order taker I spoke to didn't even know that cablecards were available or that they were an FCC requirement.

I've read that the absolute best way to get your cablecard working is to do it yourself online. This requires an "activation code" which you only get if you order the card yourself and it's shipped to you. The tech who came to my house with a cablecard that didn't have the code and I suspect that was the reason for the initial problem.

Ever since I've had Tivo (2015) I had very fast horizontal lines flash across my picture from time to time. It happened so quickly and never affected the stream in any other way so I just lived with it. Since the switch that issue is totally gone and, of course, none or the other problem everyone is experiencing.


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## pbug56 (Jan 27, 2008)

old_dood said:


> I made the switch a few days after Pbug56. I have a much smaller set up than his, one Bolt Vox and 2 minis. I had similar cablecard problems that were corrected over the phone after the installing tech left and all HD channels come in fine. The first Verizon order taker I spoke to didn't even know that cablecards were available or that they were an FCC requirement.
> 
> I've read that the absolute best way to get your cablecard working is to do it yourself online. This requires an "activation code" which you only get if you order the card yourself and it's shipped to you. The tech who came to my house with a cablecard that didn't have the code and I suspect that was the reason for the initial problem.
> 
> Ever since I've had Tivo (2015) I had very fast horizontal lines flash across my picture from time to time. It happened so quickly and never affected the stream in any other way so I just lived with it. Since the switch that issue is totally gone and, of course, none or the other problem everyone is experiencing.


I'm guessing that most cable companies don't bother to train staff in TIVO's. But Verizon does have some who know how, some not so much. But now that it's working, picture is very good.


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## wolverines (Jul 15, 2005)

Thank you both. That's good to hear! Another Fios chat person confirmed that HD will work over the CableCARD so that eliminates that issue. Optimum butchered my upgrade to 1GB service. They took forever to get the modem in bridge mode (I have my own router), then dropped my home phone service and tried to tell me it would take 30 days to have a tech come out to install (when it was in their software and the tech had to do it remotely), overcharged me grossly, and are still charging me more than they should because the salesperson that upgraded me simply lied about what the incremental cost would be. Lesson learned to not switch until I see it in writing, and since they don't care about long-time customers (20yrs), it's time to go. 

And now that I have downgraded internet speed with Optimum to bring the bill back down, I can look into switching to Fios and real 1GB internet. I just need to figure out the TV side of things - either the right package with Fios or via a streaming package. We watch maybe 15-20 channels but of course, the combo of entertainment and sports is only on the bigger packages.


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