[nycbug-talk] Verizon Woes got you down?

[Charles Sprickman]

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005, Isaac Levy wrote:

> Hi Jon,
>
> On Dec 20, 2005, at 12:28 PM, Jonathan Vanasco wrote:
>
>> 
>> On Dec 20, 2005, at 10:57 AM, Isaac Levy wrote:
>>> 
>>> Sounds OK for my current application, a hard-use office LAN, (and Verizon 
>>> was popping out for 12-48 hrs at a time), so we figured it can't be any 
>>> worse than that :)
>> 
>> Am I correct in guessing that this Is this the T1 nightmare you
>> inherited from me?
>
> Ayup- indeed it is.  Wish you were here to see the it up man :)

And Bway had the luck of being the last T1 provider (via Covad) to give it 
a shot.  I heard the short version of the install trauma via my coworker. 
I don't think there's a problem in relaying this since we all know that no 
matter what you do, if you run lines to a smallish building, there are no 
last mile alternatives.  If you're in a high-rise, then you have a few 
excellent things going for you:

-metro ethernet (which we are pushing hard anywhere that has the service)
-T1/T3 lines via a CLEC that has fiber in the building

In both cases you can be completely verizon free without worrying about 
the crowded NYC airwaves.  It's truly a shame that NYC has such an 
excellent density to sell wireless into, but it also has so much RF 
pollution that it's hit or miss.

Anyhow from what I gather, this last T1 install involved Verizon not only 
botching the T1 install for this office, but knocking out multiple T1s 
that belong to a very important client in the building, and then walking 
out without fixing it for quite some time.  Not a good way to make 
friends...

Right now we're starting to work with a salesman turned telco agent for 
direct VZ T1s.  Back when I worked with him at inch.com, he worked 
wonders with his secret VZ rolodex.  A botched job could be turned around 
the same day if you knew the digits to dial to get the right guy on the 
job.  I'm hoping he still has the magic touch.

In the past, I've seen problems like the one in Ike's customer's building 
solved by leaning on Verizon hard enough to get fiber and a mux installed 
in the building.  That usually brings you up to 5 9's reliability.  VZ is 
reluctant to do this in older/smaller buildings, but I've seen it happen 
if the building management allows this (no charge for the fiber + mux, but 
some buildings just don't want to give up a few square feet in the 
basement).  Usually when you see a "T1 from hell" it's copper from the CO 
to premise, and given the condition of VZ's copper plant in Manhattan, 
you're lucky if it works.

Charles

>> Cos yeah, that Verizon trunk was a (*#&$(*&% nightmare, and only reliable 
>> in the sense that you could count on it it constantly going down.  I 
>> remember even switching between 3 different providers that assured me that 
>> they would somehow route it through a different service - and then find out 
>> it was still the same verizon line.  The only difference in service I ever 
>> got were providers being more 'on the ball' about telling me that the 
>> verizon part of the line was having issues.
>> 
>> needless to say, it was definately worth paying the extra $100 a month from 
>> one provider to have them call me and say "we're sorry, but there's an 
>> issue on the verizon trunk" before I had to call them and say "look into 
>> this please"
>
> 3 cheers for State-controlled monopolies!  Hip Hip Horay!
>
> Rocket-
> .ike
>
>
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