Verizon FiOS (FTTP) and Mac OS X (#4)

Despite prior statements from Verizon's customer service department, the company's fiber optic broadband service is, indeed, fully Mac OS X compatible.

MacFixIt reader John Wolf, who has been a FiOS customer since September, 10 2004, reports:

"Verizon supports Macs on FIOS just fine. When I signed up last year, they didn't support Macs, but the installer let me use his laptop to complete the signup process. It could have been done from the Mac, but he was unfamiliar with Macs, and it just seemed easier that way.

"Verizon offers the D-Link DI-624 Wireless G router as a $70 option. This router works fine with Apple B and G airport cards. However, I would still recommend using the free D-Link wired router that Verizon supplies, and then plugging in an Airport Extreme or some other wireless bridge.

"I say this because the Verizon firmware in the DI-624 has the nasty habit of crashing a lot under load. The most recent D-Link firmware can be loaded on to the Verizon branded router, but that will disable the remote diagnostic capability that Verizon added. From what I have heard, it does fix the crashing issue though."

Meanwhile, David Davidson, who works for the Verizon FiOS team and can add a little more info.

"Verizon is supplying and supporting D-Link DI-620 wired, DI-624 wireless Routers and DWL-G120 USB wireless cards.

"Also, the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) is technically not a modem (and certainly NOT cable) since the light signal coming down the fiber is already digital. The ONT converts the digital light signal into a digital electrical signal for Ethernet, an analog video signal and four analog telephone signals.

"The core of the fiber (the part that actually carries the signal) is 8-10 microns in diameter. This is covered by the cladding which has a diameter of 125 microns. The cladding is protected by a coating that makes the outside diameter of the fiber 250 microns."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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