Wow! Wicked fast internet

[oldguyinTX]

I just dumped AT&T "Fiber" for Google Fiber. I cant believe the difference. AT&T "Fiber" in my neighborhood is fiber optic to a node that is a block away, then copper wire the rest of the way. It was just "OK" as long as there were not too many devices on my wireless network at the same time, we weren't trying to stream anything between 7pm & about midnight, and my wife (who works remotely) didn't mind getting kicked off the network once or twice a day (which she did).

Google Fiber, on the other hand, is fiber optic all the way into my house to the gateway, which is a whole different animal.

For Example:

AT&T: The highest download speed I ever got on my on my (new) desktop computer was 27 Mbps, on my smartphone, around 16 Mbps.
Google Fiber: Twenty minutes ago, the download speed was 285 Mbps, upload 220 on the desktop & 425/350 on my phone. That is blazingly fast! The wife & daughter get similar results. I might buy a mesh extender (they're not that expensive) for our home office (the daughter got the one that came with GF) just to see if it bumps up any higher.

I guess the moral of this story is "Don't settle for less when you can have more"!

 

[Bangorbob]

Wow. When you say fiber to the gateway am I to assume that means the modem/router?

 

[Gwolf]

I am still on an extended and boosted DSL line from the phone company. Our electric power cooperative, owned by the members, is putting in Fiber Optic on the power poles.
It has already been run to my power pole, but the drop line is tied off to the pole and not yet run to the house. Phone company is soon to lose a lot of rural customers. They been promising to upgrade the service for about 20 or 30 years now. Finally got DSL couple years after 2000. That is as far as the promises got.

The Electric Coop is non-profit. They use any excess income to upgrade the system and make improvements. About every other year, they send out a nice refund check for the retired equity. The electric coop is working on it, which is more than I can say for the phone company. Maybe someday somebody will fix it so that cell phones will work out here in the sticks.

 

[oldguyinTX]

Wow. When you say fiber to the gateway am I to assume that means the modem/router?

The gateway is a Google device that connects to the optical cable brought into the house, which is considered to be the gateway. It is then connected to the WiFi router that broadcasts the Wifi signal throughout the house

 

[Bangorbob]

Got it. We have been promised basically the same where it live. Someone here told me fiber to the desktop. I said "sure, you bethca". Fiber to the house and copper the rest of the way.

 

[Hypurone]

OP, something isn't right!! I am on Coax still with Xfinity and running at 1.5Gbps... Fiber should be a MINIMUM of 5-10GB IF it is truly fiber optic to the house with optical equipment....

 

[oldguyinTX]

OP, something isn't right!! I am on Coax still with Xfinity and running at 1.5Gbps... Fiber should be a MINIMUM of 5-10GB IF it is truly fiber optic to the house with optical equipment....

Yes, it would be much higher, up to 1Gbps with the plan that I have if my computer were hardwired, but since we us WiFi for all our devices, except the TV, the speed is significantly slower. Still, it is way faster than Spectrum, which we originally had, and AT&T Fiber, which is what I just dumped. In any case, I am happy with what I have now. And, I'm happy for you that you are getting such speed with coax.

 

[rjinaz86323]

We have Sparklight here in rural AZ. All connections are via WIFI. I have a Netgear modem/router Orbi20 with 2 satellites, so I have coverage in the house/garage/shop. Not near as fast a fiber, but doubt they will ever get to fiber in our small community.