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Thread: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

  1. #1
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Cincinnati Bell Fioptics was just put in here in my neighborhood.

    For about the last 2-3 months I've been having issues with TWC. It will just go to almost a complete dead stop, for an hour at a time.
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    I can't get anything done like that. It's a relatively new thing, just over the last 2-3 months, but it's happening a few times a week. When everything is working properly, I'm around 35/down 6/up.

    Right now I'm bundling Cable/Internet for $130 a month, and that's while providing my own modem, which would cost me another $10 a month. And my cable is the "standard" package, which is just coaxial into the tv's. No digital, no HD (other than local channels - NBC/CBS/FOX/ABC/PBS/64). So, my cable sucks - but it does come with the TWC app, which does give me most of the channels in HD (no FSO, no ESPN/ESPN2, no TBS - but those are the only ones that aren't on the app) and even offers me a few channels that I don't actually get (FS1, SEC Network).

    Realistically though, between my roommate and I, we need about 10 of the channels we have with this package and I figure they are on just about every available cable/satellite package we could get (heck, I think Sling TV has them all but one). I'm really tired of my internet not working for an hour or two at a time, and Cincinnati Bell is offering some pretty sweet introductory deals right now. For the same price I'm paying TWC for internet and crappy cable, I can get Gigabit internet and 2 HD boxes with a much larger selection of channels from Cincinnati Bell. I could save money by simply going with a lesser version of their internet service (right now I'm on the TWC for 50/5 - which CB also offers for significantly less).

    So, I'm reaching out to you guys. Does anyone have Cincinnati Bell Fioptics? I'm far more concerned with how the internet works than the channel selection or anything like that. I'm also more interested if you've got something like the 100Mbps or even Gigabit option instead of the lower tiered ones. How are your speeds? Had any problems? Issues? Anything you can offer would be great. I'm going to try and talk to some neighbors who recently got it installed, but I don't live around the most technically savvy group of people either, so I'm not sure how much information that will give me.


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  3. #2
    Member Sea Ray's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by dougdirt View Post
    Cincinnati Bell Fioptics was just put in here in my neighborhood.

    For about the last 2-3 months I've been having issues with TWC. It will just go to almost a complete dead stop, for an hour at a time.
    Name:  internetz.jpg
Views: 1570
Size:  35.5 KB

    I can't get anything done like that. It's a relatively new thing, just over the last 2-3 months, but it's happening a few times a week. When everything is working properly, I'm around 35/down 6/up.

    Right now I'm bundling Cable/Internet for $130 a month, and that's while providing my own modem, which would cost me another $10 a month. And my cable is the "standard" package, which is just coaxial into the tv's. No digital, no HD (other than local channels - NBC/CBS/FOX/ABC/PBS/64). So, my cable sucks - but it does come with the TWC app, which does give me most of the channels in HD (no FSO, no ESPN/ESPN2, no TBS - but those are the only ones that aren't on the app) and even offers me a few channels that I don't actually get (FS1, SEC Network).

    Realistically though, between my roommate and I, we need about 10 of the channels we have with this package and I figure they are on just about every available cable/satellite package we could get (heck, I think Sling TV has them all but one). I'm really tired of my internet not working for an hour or two at a time, and Cincinnati Bell is offering some pretty sweet introductory deals right now. For the same price I'm paying TWC for internet and crappy cable, I can get Gigabit internet and 2 HD boxes with a much larger selection of channels from Cincinnati Bell. I could save money by simply going with a lesser version of their internet service (right now I'm on the TWC for 50/5 - which CB also offers for significantly less).

    So, I'm reaching out to you guys. Does anyone have Cincinnati Bell Fioptics? I'm far more concerned with how the internet works than the channel selection or anything like that. I'm also more interested if you've got something like the 100Mbps or even Gigabit option instead of the lower tiered ones. How are your speeds? Had any problems? Issues? Anything you can offer would be great. I'm going to try and talk to some neighbors who recently got it installed, but I don't live around the most technically savvy group of people either, so I'm not sure how much information that will give me.
    I have not heard good reports from people using Fioptics from Cin Bell. People have optimistic expectations and then are disappointed. My next door neighbor is one of those. My parents are another. I too would like a decent competitor for TWC but I would not touch Fioptics knowing what I know

  4. #3
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    I can't really add to this, but I have made the move to get off cable, at least initially. I'm bundled cable/internet, and my internet is pretty fast. however, I have a data cap of 350GB per month. And while my DVR is Tivo with two Tivo Mini's and has Netflix built in, they don't mention that Netflix usage costs against your cap.

    So basically, When you look into this, check to see if you have a data cap and how your viewing habits might affect it. I'm thinking of getting Sling, I just got a Roku 3 and might get the service. But I need to see a few months of data tracking to see how my usage of it would affect my data usage per month.
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  5. #4
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by Sea Ray View Post
    I have not heard good reports from people using Fioptics from Cin Bell. People have optimistic expectations and then are disappointed. My next door neighbor is one of those. My parents are another. I too would like a decent competitor for TWC but I would not touch Fioptics knowing what I know
    I've heard similar things from a few people. At the same time, I've heard from a few people that love it compared to TWC (and a few of these people are truly tech nerds who know what to expect and know what they are getting). I really think it may depend on where you're located at. Which kind of sucks. Hopefully one of my neighbors has it and can help out with how things work in my neighborhood.

  6. #5
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    I can't really add to this, but I have made the move to get off cable, at least initially. I'm bundled cable/internet, and my internet is pretty fast. however, I have a data cap of 350GB per month. And while my DVR is Tivo with two Tivo Mini's and has Netflix built in, they don't mention that Netflix usage costs against your cap.

    So basically, When you look into this, check to see if you have a data cap and how your viewing habits might affect it. I'm thinking of getting Sling, I just got a Roku 3 and might get the service. But I need to see a few months of data tracking to see how my usage of it would affect my data usage per month.
    I've got a Roku in three rooms, though it really only gets used in two of them - with Hulu/AmazonPrime/Netflix being the main culprits. My TV in my bedroom is 4K, so I will watch some Netflix and Amazon Prime (and very limited Youtube stuff) in 4K, which I'm sure eats up the bandwidth. So far in January I've used 37GB of data. Not sure I've watched anything in 4K this month though. So I'm guessing that a cap could be an issue, but I think I could get by with 300GB a month, too. But, I'm glad you brought it up. I don't recall hearing of any caps in this area, but it's something I will look into as I'm sure that I use a little more than most people (working from home - tend to watch internet related videos most of the day - videocasts, youtube as background listening while working).

  7. #6
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    I have one Roku, and three Tivo's all with Netflix, plus normal internet usage.

    I have YET to be under my 350GB cap.

    sigh.
    Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.

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    RedlegJake (01-25-2016)

  9. #7
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    I have one Roku, and three Tivo's all with Netflix, plus normal internet usage.

    I have YET to be under my 350GB cap.

    sigh.
    Hmmm, how many people are in your home? It's just two here. I use a ton of internet between actual computer usage and various things on my Roku/Smart TV apps. My roommate doesn't do much on the computer, just basic internet browsing/facebook, but does use apps on the Roku for about an hour a day. I don't do any gaming these days either.

    update
    So I just double checked each month going back to September on my data usage (that's as far back as they let you go) and I've been at 245, 373, 297 and 270. So maybe I've just been light this month so far. Apparently on October 6th I used 26GB.... must have been a busy day.
    Last edited by dougdirt; 01-07-2016 at 02:47 PM. Reason: added info

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    Member Redsfaithful's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    I've never met anyone who loved Time Warner. I've always done whatever I could not to go through them, where ever I have lived. Shoddy company.
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  11. #9
    Mailing it in Cyclone792's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by dougdirt View Post
    Right now I'm bundling Cable/Internet for $130 a month, and that's while providing my own modem, which would cost me another $10 a month. And my cable is the "standard" package, which is just coaxial into the tv's. No digital, no HD (other than local channels - NBC/CBS/FOX/ABC/PBS/64). So, my cable sucks - but it does come with the TWC app, which does give me most of the channels in HD (no FSO, no ESPN/ESPN2, no TBS - but those are the only ones that aren't on the app) and even offers me a few channels that I don't actually get (FS1, SEC Network).
    You're paying too much unless you're paying for juiced internet speed (that you're obviously not getting).

    We have TWC variety pass TV package bundled with standard internet. No premium stations, but we do have an HD DVR. I also have my own modem. Anyway, we're paying $93 after taxes/fees each month.

    There's a trick to this: call up TWC and immediately ask to speak to someone in the retention department (i.e. cancellation department). Once you reach someone in that department, politely tell them that your bill is too high and that you simply want to lower your bill. They are the one department within TWC that has the power to give you the best possible price available. Regular CSR reps do not have that power.

    Anyway, the retention department should be able to knock quite a bit of money off the bill because they'll switch you over to the promo pricing. They might try to trick you by reducing service, but if so just politely be direct and tell them you want the exact same services ... just cheaper than what you're paying. I used to be pay in the neighborhood of $110-125 per month for the exact same package, but I've been paying $90-95 the last few years with that trick. The catch is you have to call back every 6-12 months, depending on how long the price is good for. I write down on the statement what month I need to call back in the future to keep the promo pricing.

    FYI, if you do switch to Cincinnati Bell you'll still want to use that same trick. There is no reason whatsoever to ever pay a dime more than the promo price for any cable/internet package, no matter who your provider is and no matter how long you've been a customer.

    EDIT: I would also recommend checking out the current TWC promo page and finding a bundle that you like. Then when you call the retention department, tell them you want that bundle at the advertised promo price. Chances are you'll get better/equal services for a cheaper price than you're currently paying. If you switch to Cincinnati Bell, use that same trick once their initial promo expires.
    Last edited by Cyclone792; 01-07-2016 at 04:56 PM.
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  12. #10
    Titanic Struggles Caveat Emperor's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by Redsfaithful View Post
    I've never met anyone who loved Time Warner. I've always done whatever I could not to go through them, where ever I have lived. Shoddy company.
    Time Warner annoys me greatly as a corporate entity that I occasionally have dealings with, but I have nothing but great things to say about their internet service. I'm on whatever their middle tier package is, and the speeds are consistently outstanding.
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  14. #11
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by dougdirt View Post
    Hmmm, how many people are in your home? It's just two here. I use a ton of internet between actual computer usage and various things on my Roku/Smart TV apps. My roommate doesn't do much on the computer, just basic internet browsing/facebook, but does use apps on the Roku for about an hour a day. I don't do any gaming these days either.

    update
    So I just double checked each month going back to September on my data usage (that's as far back as they let you go) and I've been at 245, 373, 297 and 270. So maybe I've just been light this month so far. Apparently on October 6th I used 26GB.... must have been a busy day.
    Well it was 5, now down to three. So that might help, but it was pretty high before my oldest daughter and daughter-in-law moved in so I don't expect a drastic drop. I'm paying for 50MB download speed and pretty sure I am getting it. I never have any buffering, so long as i don't go for the really hi-res settings. I'm mostly fine with 720p on most shows/movies.

    I'm messing with the settings of Roku and the apps to make sure i don't hit my cap.
    Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.

  15. #12
    Member Redsfaithful's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor View Post
    Time Warner annoys me greatly as a corporate entity that I occasionally have dealings with, but I have nothing but great things to say about their internet service. I'm on whatever their middle tier package is, and the speeds are consistently outstanding.
    I'll be honest, I haven't had it since 2010 - same thing happened to me that is happening to Doug, speeds would drop through the floor, techs would come look at it, nothing ever was fixed. When I bought my house I went with wow internet and it's been fine for 5 years. So it's an old opinion, might be unfair.

    I leased an office here in Bexley last year though and needed business internet and TWC business prices are just stupid. wow was like half the price and 3x the speed.
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  16. #13
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    the internet is usually good, but the digital tv that they offered a while back was pretty bad so we got rid of it after about a month or 2.
    We only have 20mpbs right now, but we bumped it up to 50mbps when we had the digital tv and it was still slow and always freezing.

  17. #14
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    doug are you using micro sd cards in your roku's?
    Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.

  18. #15
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Re: Cincinnati Bell Fioptics

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    doug are you using micro sd cards in your roku's?
    No. Two Roku sticks and an older Roku XD, which has no card slot. I am running Plex as a media streamer from an old laptop for all of my content (mostly old DVD's, a few shows I've bought digital downloads of and I use that PC as a DVR for a few shows).


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