My FiOS battery backup just died!

Shark2k

The problem with that theory zip is that it is very easy that the STBs do not rely 100% on the network to display the time. They have a little computer in them so it is very possible for them to keep the time when they are not connected to the network but powered on, just like a computer that is not connected to the internet keeps the time. Being able to communicate with the FiOS network probably just keeps the time accurate (in regards only to the time, not talking about anything else).

Italian, we actually had our BBU go bad and it kept telling the ONT the power was out (power was working fine where the BBU was plugged in and the battery was fine). The tech that came out replaced the BBU and it ended up working again. It sucked but it was a pretty easy fix when the guy figured it out.

-Shark2k

LJWECOC

I experienced the same problem with "battery failure" signal a couple of days ago. I asked the live chat guy what to do. He had me unhook the battery terminals and reconnect them. The problem was instantly solved. I did find a replacement battery on line for $20.00. Just enter the battery model number into the search engine and a bunch of options pop up.

zip2play

Back to my assertion that the back up battery does more than run the phone and at the very least it powers the DVR box.
In the past, unplugging a DVR or any STB immediately cut of all power and the clock LED's instantly went out.

If the power goes off and the LED's stay lit, the power is coming from SOMEWHERE and that somewhere is in all likelihood battery power...or GOD, but since he's imaginery I'll go with the backup battery.


LJWECOC,
How long had you had the battery that failed?

Shark2k

Again the problem with what you are saying is the BBU is only connected to the ONT. The BBU has nothing to do with the rest of the equipment staying on as all that is connected to your electrical box. The ONT is connected to the BBU which is than plugged into the electrical socket.

-Shark2k

ITALIAN926

Im not sure if you are incredibly confused or using terrible wording.

In case youre incredibly confused:
The BBU does not EVER power the STB. POWER comes from the AC outlet which has nothing to do with the BBU

For bad wording :
Zip, as polo already said, the BBU keeps the internet and TV signals going for ONLY about ten minutes. After ten minutes, it will power the phone jacks until the battery is basically dead.

Easy way to prove it. Unplug your BBU simulating a power outage, You will see your TV and Internet service go down after about ten minutes. Ive never actually timed it. Your phone service will stay up and running until the battery is near dead. 6, 8, 10 hours? who knows. Never timed this either, but the age of the battery may determine its life.

.. and i say "near dead" because from what I heard, the battery keeps a little juice after it dies out. The "Battery Emergency Use" button can be pressed to make an outgoing phone call. Never tested this myself.

__________________
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55" LCD Vizio E550VL
42" plasma Panasonic TH-42PX77U
~1500 DVD's , 90 HD-DVD's , yes chose the wrong format , , Toshiba HD DVD Player (HD-A20)
Xbox 360

Former FiOS technician
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zip2play

Yes guys I DO understand.

But know that everything I've posted was based on the premise that I had tripped the breaker controlling ALLl the outlets powering ALL the FIOS functions, the Computer, the router and any lights on that wall.
Thus there was NO AC power for 20 minutes to any parts of the system.

The LED clock on the MD-DVR box remained brightly on. Thus the battery powered the STB, and not only the phone which seemed, incorrectly, to be commonly accepted doctrine.

If I get ambitious, I will cut power again and check if all the ROUTER lights remain battery powered...I suspect they DO.

If you are trying to insult me, perhaps ask WHY?


Are we having a probem with semantics here?

mcmillan124

verizon provides an APC product from the powershield product family as a means to ensure emergency 911 service during a power outage to its fios customers. I think this is a legal requirement of a voip provider, since cablevision started doing this with their voip voice and data routers. New batteries for all the different APC powershield UPS systems that verizon put in place in fios installation can be ordered online from the refurbups web site , just search for 'fios'

ITALIAN926

Cable companies do NOT provide battery back-up for their VoIP services. I believe they sell a battery backup, but its not mandatory.


And a response to Zip 10 months later, (lol) your wording gave the impression that you were saying the BBU powers the STB's. I didnt know how to respond to that . It absolutely does not light up the STB's front display.

__________________
60" plasma- Pioneer PDP-6010FD
55" LCD Vizio E550VL
42" plasma Panasonic TH-42PX77U
~1500 DVD's , 90 HD-DVD's , yes chose the wrong format , , Toshiba HD DVD Player (HD-A20)
Xbox 360

Former FiOS technician
My Family Room Pic #1

My Family Room Pic #2

chrispro

Hey guys, was reading the threads abot BBU. My battery went bad and now I have no internet or video. picked up new battery today and installed it and now all is good. Why is this? Sounds like the sysytem relies on having a good battery in it, if a battery is bad if freaks out the system and it goes out.

ITALIAN926

That doesnt supposed to happen, you can pull the battery, the ONT should be up and running.

__________________
60" plasma- Pioneer PDP-6010FD
55" LCD Vizio E550VL
42" plasma Panasonic TH-42PX77U
~1500 DVD's , 90 HD-DVD's , yes chose the wrong format , , Toshiba HD DVD Player (HD-A20)
Xbox 360

Former FiOS technician
My Family Room Pic #1

My Family Room Pic #2

zip2play

In NYC about 5 days before Sandy hit I called Verizon with the perennial problaem of my internet speed falling to near zero soon after 8 PM. THe auto-report said there was "an outage in my area." When I got to a live tech they checked and said it showed I was running on battery power...I wasn't. I confirmed that by telling them which lights were on and off.

Mid-day next, I got an e-mail and a phone call saying "the outage in your area has been corrected." I called at night again (with intenet speed at .2 Mbps. Again "Your area is having an outage."
Next day: "outage solved"...next night. I want a new routing from the main office (learned this from a tech) and I want to be put on a diferent "shelf" (whatever that means.)

They worked on it for an hour and : "Sorry we cannot apply the fixes until your outage is solved." That's the outage that was "solved" for the third time.
Then a hurricane.
But even in NYC, I lost nothing, not power,not cable not internet and phone out for only a couple hours.
I didn't pester Verizon for the week presuming that they had enough trouble without me.

Now, dare I allow myself to hope.
I have spent 2 days without my Internet crashing during prime time...I was actually able to stream Netflix at night <knocking wood furiously.>


But wasn't it strange that Verizon saw I was operating on battery power for 2 days when I wasn't? And this was LONG before the storm.

tkurkowski

I just saw this old thread because of the recent posts.

Where I live, the public utility (PEPCO) has the worst reliability record of any one serving a metropolitan area, in the entire country. We can lose power simply due to a forecast for bad weather.

So I have all of my electronics (computers and home theater) running on UPSs (Uninterruptible Power Supplies) - six of them altogether. They are all APC (American Power Conversion) units - a reliable brand name. And I have to replace the lead acid batteries in them about every three years.

Very few companies actually manufacture lead acid batteries, and they source them to others who brand them. Verizon certainly does not make them. And replacing the Verizon BBU battery every two years is a little short but not all that far out of what my experience has been.

Ted

PS: If you live in an area that is subject to lightening strikes a UPS is a good way to protect electronics from large power strikes - the battery acts as a large capacitor.

__________________
"Just because you don't understand something, doesn't mean it's wrong." Arthur Pendragon

hoopitup2000

Just moved & returned all equipment today (New house already has Fios). Surprisingly Verizon did not want the battery back-up equipment. They told me to go ahead & toss it. Seems awful wasteful. I'm waiting till the final bill comes, just in case I was given bad info.

Thoughts???

ITALIAN926

Where did you move from Hoop? Did you have a desktop ONT? Because for most FIOS customers, the ONT and BBU units are attached to a wall, and are supposed to be left behind at the house.

__________________
60" plasma- Pioneer PDP-6010FD
55" LCD Vizio E550VL
42" plasma Panasonic TH-42PX77U
~1500 DVD's , 90 HD-DVD's , yes chose the wrong format , , Toshiba HD DVD Player (HD-A20)
Xbox 360

Former FiOS technician
My Family Room Pic #1

My Family Room Pic #2

hoopitup2000

Moved from a single family home & the landlord wanted the BBU removed. What is a desktop ONT?

Thx!!