TDS Fiber Internet Installation Experience (Residential)
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- TDS Residential Fiber Installation Experience 2020.
Please excuse my sniffles. It was cold when I was outside during the first part of the video 🥶 #fiberinternet #homenetwork #tds
We recently had TDS hook our home up to their new local fiber optic internet service.
I will show you where they laid the fiber in my yard and where and how it was finally installed in my home.
I benchmarked the connection (we have the 600/400 service) and show how I have it connected to the goCoax MOCA coaxial LAN in my home.
Here is a link to my goCoax MOCA devices and installation video:
• MoCA 2.5 adapter setup...
If anyone is interested in setting up a home LAN but cannot or do not want to run ethernet cables throughout their house, here is a link to the MOCA devices I use for my home LAN:
www.gocoax.com/
For the benchmarking, I used www.speedtest.net/
Chapters:
0:00 Outside line trenching
1:22 Installation on the outside of the house
3:07 Installation of drop box inside the home office
5:29 Fiber modem and router/switch/MoCA device
7:52 Benchmarking the 600/400 connection! 
Наука
How would you go about digging up a fiber line? Have a pool construction project and fiber line needs to be rerouted and hung on the fence line so that contractors can dig trenches for drainage/electrical on the same side as the fiber line. I can see my fiber line sticking out of the ground right next to my flowerbed (like 3" below surface level) where the fiber line runs into the green electrical box in the back corner of my lot. It's a straight shot from the electrical box to where it enters my home about 92 feet.
pal, you are asking the wrong guy here. Hopefully someone sees your question!
Destroy it. Do the pool. Get it replaced before backfill. That line isn't going to move very much as it is.
my god, the time wasted trying to decide how to run your fiber optic. I was in such a hurry for fiber that I put my chair and computer outside by the curb and hooked into it there... works so much better. I use an umbrella during inclement weather. im happy. all I could get before was frontier dsl at 12 mbs. at 140.00 bucks a month.. im at the end of the line about 2500 feet from the next customer. thank you infrastructure bill 2021... finally the government actually helping out. now finally hopefully I can get something other than fake news.
Ha! Well, having a split level with a completely finished lower changes the calculus. I couldn't have anything really but how we did it. The installer was very nice.
*God
This was a great video thank you something exactly what I was looking for!
🥰 Thanks for the feedback. Love your Fortnite stream vids.
This has been immensely helpful
Get out! Glad you stopped by, pal!
At&t a great company 👍🏿 love the installation of our fiber the layout the speed !!! of their service the bill not bad the technician totally professional very knowledgeable everything's wonderful haven't had one complaint in all the years that we've been with AT&t
I hear you. My brother has the AT&T fiber and they did do a great job.
I just had my ATT fiber installed, the installations overall takes about 4hrs and the result is very good
I think most of the installation guys and gals do well. I hope your service is good and stays that way!
I’ve got AT&T Fiber as well, I’m in love to say the least! The 0ms latency is so beautiful!
Cool, nice to see another RUclipsr from Wisconsin, and one that apparently plays older games as well! Thanks for the video, TDS is coming to our area in about a year and we were looking at getting fiber installed at our place too, so this was a great way to get some information on the install process!
Hey pal! Glad to meet you. Thanks for the sub (back to you), and I sincerely hope you get the good stuff like I did over here in Central WI.
I like the looks of your channel too and you are playing some of the classic games I wanted to get to eventually.
Maybe a collaboration sometime 😎
Oh, and the RUclips uploads are sooooo fast for me now!!!!!!
@@UncleMikeRetro They're pretty decent with the 100Mb/s we have in NE WI, but I'm definitely looking forward to having some fiber!
@@Splinter00S 100 mbs upload right now is not all that bad. Through which ISP?
@@UncleMikeRetro Spectrum, although I share that with the three other members of my family right now. When I lived in the outskirts of Milwaukee they were offering 200Mb/s as their base package.
@@Splinter00S Oh, sure, I had that too. I suspect you still have crap uploads though.
If you live stream any gaming, see if you like to invite ol' Uncle Mike to the session. Might generate some likes as I die all the time.
Just had my fiber cable installed. They are coming Tuesday to put in the router in at 8 am :) so excited
You should be! What speeds did you sign up for?
1000mbps. All I had access to before was Hughes net and that’s no good.
@@crackerjack2303 no good is an understatement!
I work for a major phone company 23 yrs now. I would’ve ran that fiber behind the siding. It’s real easy.
Well, they were contractors. Maybe not 100% experienced installers? Or under directions to do the quickest job? Ah, it's all good on my end. The actual product works well!
@@UncleMikeRetro I know but in my opinion its not really professionally done. I have installed a nest door bell, where I took off tge vinyl sidings just to run a wire for electrical. But am also someone who tries to run a fireproof wire inside the wall instead of it being visible. Its really all about clean installation but I guess if you are happy then that is ok. I know I would not be happy if the installer ran it outside of the siding.
@@samjam6989 Maybe I was in a good mood that day? Or really happy to be off Spectrum?
New update on the billing! On the phone this morning 12/18 for 1 hour 5 minutes to get to an account specialist. She agreed the internet technician fee would be waived but I have to pay this month in full and would get a reimbursement off next month's bill to make up for that. I can't argue, so paying the bill in full ($138.47 with the $49.95 fee) and we'll see about next month.
As a side note, not ONCE has my internet gone out or have I had to rest the box unlike Spectrum where I had to reboot the modem about once every 2 days or so. I'll keep you all updated.
Thank you for the video. I have been working with a company for a month now, that does the land owner/easement/right of entry/ site survey phase of the installation for TDS. This video was very helpful in terms of seeing what TDS actually does during the installation. Often when I reach out to a potential customer, the thought of TDS digging and destroying the landscaping inevitably come up, even though they will repair any damage to no cost of the customer. Point is, this was a great video for me too see. Makes me feel more honest when speaking to the customer about the installation phase and the solid work TDS does. Great video my friend.
Glad you found it of use, pal! You know, I did it partly due to the great job they did with the installation as much as my follow up videos on the speed, etc.
Thanks for the nice comment and stopping by.
I could care less if they dig at our house. Still have dsl here
@@Virt7_ Dos that mean you don't care if they dig, and it is a poor job, or you are just happy with DSL? I am leaning toward the former.
@@UncleMikeRetro dsl sucks.
@@Virt7_ Phew! I worried there for a second! You, pal, make good sense!
If anyone is interested, I will soon put up a "simple MoCA install for average people". The MoCA network in my home has been a blessing as I can have the full 600/400 speeds wherever I have a coaxial/cable outlet.
Damn you have a lot of negative people commenting here. Hats off to you for killing it with kindness.
Thanks, friend! Yeah, don't feed the trolls, right?
That and while this is my most popular video, the main meat is my retro computer stuff.
Life is too short by a mile 😎
Update this morning 12/7/2020. Got off the phone with two different TDS reps. Hour 41 minutes total 😒 They admitted I have my own wireless router (they called it a wireless modem in their rate sheet) and removed the $9.00 charge. They said that the tech fee of $49.95 should not even show up in the actual bill. I will let you all know about that when I get the payable billing in a week or two. THANKS FOR WATCHING!
Hey Uncle Mike how much was the total cost of having the fiber expanded to your house including labor for the trenches that were dug
@@BigSmokeDidThat Hello Joe! So, in my area TDS was brought in by the local municipality and through their agreement, the costs to me as a resident were $0.00
I paid a $25.00 deposit and that was refunded on my first billing.
The way TDS is expanding in certain areas is via this means, but lets say that I did not sign up for the "rollout" to get the free dig and install, I am not sure where the costs would have gone from there. I remember asking one of the techs and as they are contract workers and not really billing experts, his best guess was several hundred if it was after the fact. I hope that helps.
If TDS is already in your area, the only real way to get a quote would be to call them (and after holding for 40 minutes) they should be able to help better.
@@UncleMikeRetro Ok thanks sir thats amazing to have it available to you because I live in a rural Mississippi area and there are fiber optic cables LITERALLY within 0.1 miles from my house like you can literally see the fiber optic cables on the telephone poles from my house but none of the ISPs will expand the fiber to my house or even give me a price estimate for me to pay for it smh
@@BigSmokeDidThat Damn shame, Joe. You have my sympathy pal. These ISPs play dirty pool with most of us.
Nice job. I managed to catch the guys that were doing the direct burial of the fiber line and they left me an extra 100 feet then terminated the end that plugs into the ONT. I have my ONT in my network rack and I had my ISP activate the Ethernet port, from there I have a 3 foot run of CAT 7 going directly to my own router.
No MoCa or coax was used. I have fiber going all the way from the street node to my network rack then it's Ethernet throughout my house.
Nicely done! I wish that I had your all home Ethernet option. Not going to cut drywall or run it exposed though. Not with MY wife 😎
@@UncleMikeRetro if I happen to live a lot closer to you, maybe we could rub elbows and slowly work on your wife and change her mind! She would thank you later. 👍
@@TheRealJLucas Ha! Who knows? Maybe you do. That would be a hoot 🤣
MOCA is incredibly helpful for homes that were never run with Ethernet. It helped me connect an Apple TV on the other side of my house, I just bought a pair of DirecTV MOCA converters, for some reason they are much cheaper than others, I payed $25 for 2 converters which brought 10/100 to the Apple TV. I have Gigabit Fiber and the rest of the house has CAT 5e, so the 10/100 can be fully utilized just by the Apple TV so it isn’t really a limitation…
Good for you having great fiber connection like myself. My latency could be better, but I am a patient guy.
I agree the MoCA devices I use in my home have made all the difference. If my home had been wired with ethernet when it was built, I am sure it would have been 10/100 capable and that would have been a waste of my fiber speeds.
I wonder how many folks get fiber, all the speeds in the world, and are restricted by old ethernet or Wi-Fi to speeds much less than they pay for?
Just thinking out loud...
@@UncleMikeRetro I think wifi6 does help now. Its a lot faster than wifi5 and its a more solid connection with lower latency. Also some devices only connect through wifi like smartphones, tablets, most laptops etc. Only things that could be hardwired to internet are smart TV, desktop computers and game consoles.
@@samjam6989 Well, we do have the laptops on a USB3 ethernet dongle where possible, and it is full speed. The wifi is just such a PITA at most times.
Clean install
Spotless!
Update on my account and billing. Just received another (TDS sure likes to send mail) notification on my account today 12/24 showing a credit of $49.95 and the only thing on my account that should be billed: the Fiber Extreme 600M for $50.00 We'll see how next month's bill shakes out! Stay tuned friends 😊
Hopefully the final billing comment my friends! TDS credited the late fee for not paying the previous $0.05 balance as I was told not to do. This month's internet bill was a flat $50 less the $10.30 credit. All good in the world 😎
So, I just got the first mailing from TDS on the new installation. It lists the services and there is a $9.00 charge for a wireless modem. I have my own and did not get one from TDS. Maybe this is the teeny tiny converter 6:18 I show in the video. Also, there is an internet technician fee for $49.95 and if this is the installation fee, I believe I was told this would be waived as a new customer in a new install area. I will call billing on Monday and let you all know!
Nice video. I hope you were able to get your billing situation figured out with tds, I work for them in a different area and that small black box that the fiber plugs into has no charges associated with it since it is necessary for all fiber installs. Hope that helps.
@@MrCrispyNuggitz I hoped not. You TDS folk have been nothing but super to me and the service is slick as all hell. I am happy to be an advocate for you all and yes, the billing looks all resolved. Long wait times on hold though but what the heck... still the best game around so far.
as a tech myself, IT NEVER HURTS TO CALL HIS BOSS AND MAKE YOUR COMENTS KNOWN. the only time a tech gets KODO'S is when customers call the Boss
That, sir is an excellent comment. I expected a "how did we do" survey after my install and... nothing ever arrived. I wish I had done that like you said. We gotta talk out loud when others do right by us 😎
Here in Toronto this is now the norm for both telephone and tv. in the case of tv the "Cable box" is now the size of a large cigarette pack and connects wirelessly using Wi-Fi 6 to the home hub. and all my computers can connect to the hub wirelessly with 50 Mb/s speed for internet. So, no more ethernet cables or switches are required. I keep my primary computer hard-wired to a switch as well as a couple of strange NAS units.
Interesting! I am not a fan of whole home Wi-Fi myself. I need the speed 😎
@@UncleMikeRetro Well I have one laptop directly wired to the home hub in my office. But the cable tv which is 4K is reliable and I am using only a 50Mb/s connection. I suspect the TV is on its own separate VPN with a dedicated bandwidth so it's not stealing my internet bandwidth. I have rarely found it to be slow and the speed tests usually return numbers well above my 50Mn/s limit usually in the 60 to 70 range with a 10 Mb/s upload. I can stream 4K RUclips with no skips or buffering and run an additional 1080 videos without issue simultaneously. So, in general, it works well. The 6E protocol is much better than older wi-fi versions and much more efficient as well.
Hi Mike, I really appreciate the video! ..was curious if TDS Fiber tech mentioned if they would ever run ethernet right out of the exterior optical terminal box or not (some companies do). Also, they offer a TV service that I may take them up on when they build out in my neighborhood...Have you or your neighbors tried it?? ..curious how that is working out as it is using some fairly new tech.
Hello Gabe! So, the box they installed is the unpowered type, it just holds the loop of fiber line which is then routed into my house. I have seen the ones where the whole works including the status lights and ethernet cable is contained in the box and then the ethernet line is run into the home. They did not give me any options. It appears (at least in Central WI) that this is the norm for TDS. Maybe one of their techs who might stumble across this thread might have a better answer?
The only things we optioned for the install was where it would enter the home (just the fiber line) and where the modem would go. Had they run the line into my lower level, then their preference would have been to run it into the utility room but as I have finished ceilings, not drop or bare joists, that was not do-able.
Thanks for the kind words about the video and I hope my reply helps. At least if the service goes out or gets fussy I can just look over my shoulder to the lights instead of having to go outside.
Thanks for the 411
Sir, you sound like Tom Hanks. Same voice. Ever been told that? Thanks for the video!
I wish! And you made my Friday evening, my new friend. I only hear my whiny droning voice 😎
Did you use your owned equipment such as the modem and wireless router?
They provided the modem for free. I used my own router. I'd have had to rent that.
Fascinating how they do it elsewhere.. The trench work..never gonna happen here.. if it is an standard pre 2020 house..it will be aerial ..if it is a house recently built, it will have to go to the block´s conduit underground room, if it is an apartment most have phone/cable conduit.. buildings that pre-date cable tv or massive phone service are really messy with ad-hoc cabling everywhere.
you know, my whole neighborhood is all homes built w/in 5 years of each other. how it gets in otherwise is not clear, BUT I have seen them tie it into the coaxial going into the home, so you still get fiber TO the home and coaxial the last 5 feet or so. speeds would still be the same as they offer up front.
Are those posts a normal thing for all fiber connections?
If you mean the PVC pipe into the ground a foot or so and the "box" they attached to my home, yes, these are all normal and required in one way or another.
Good info and who cares what it looks like, I'm nervous a chair smashes the wall jack though.
I haven't had that happen yet, but the cables are pretty cheap if it were to.
Signed up for TDS last spring but am estimated to get this fall. Long wait! Glad to know that I dont need to use their router and they provide the ONT. I currently have a TDS landline and told them I wanted to convert over that into my new package. Any idea how my phone system will be jacked into the new system?
I see the phone jack on the ONT. That is good news..
Yeah, I just looked too. I haven't had anything but a cell phone for such a long time I never care.
Too bad for the wait, but it is a nice thing to have. And a good selling point down the road if you list the house.
Uncle Mike I’m in the process of switching from Spectrum to ATT Fiber also. One of my concerns was the placement of my equipment. My home office on the second level. Looking at your setup reaffirm to me what I can potentially do. I may think of an alternate location just in case. I will use pass through mode because I have a orbi mesh network.
I heartily agree! When the techs arrive, don't just let them "do their thing" have a conversation and remember how I got mine run up an exterior wall. Their usual mantra is to run it into a utility room, BUT in the scheme of things, is that the most convenient for your home WIFI or other equipment? Maybe not.
Or I got lucky, but these guys are human beings too. Just have a conversation.
Also, thanks for stopping by!
Derrick, any luck with your install ? I am in the exact same situation as you(2nd floor, switching from spectrum to att fiber, orbi network). how was your install and was it different than above? also what is your bridge mode + orbi mesh experience? Any help appreciated since our situations are so similar. Thanks!
How hard was it to get to use your own router? I have a Nighthawk Mesh system and I'm not changing it.
no brainer. no different than using yours with whatever service you have. The WAN port cares not.
Does the optical cable on the exterior of the home need to be in any sort of conduit? The house I moved into has the fiber just running along the ground on the outer wall of my home :p I'm thinking of redoing it.
from what I see and several years later, no. it isn't degrading nor is it "electrical" or anything like that
What is the think black cable you are using from the demarc to the inside of the house ?
It looks thicker than it is. That is the optical line into the house upstairs.
@@UncleMikeRetro Do you have a link to where I can purchase this type of cable? I work for a small Fiber Optic ISP. Thanks!
@@williamheckman4597 I do not, I am sorry to say. The installers were kind enough to leave me with a 25-foot length still in the package. I did not really examine or keep the wrapping. Sorry pal.
Hey all! If anyone has any specific questions about the install or performance of the TDS fiber over here, just shout it out. No question is too small 😋
How is the ping so high?
@@WiseFinn You know, Dean had the same question a month or so ago, and the plain answer is that while it is NOT great, it is in line with "real good" as far as latencies go. Also, any speed tests I do are at least 100 miles away, and when you do the math... it can't get as low as 2ms that far away. Not really.
I am not here to defend my latency, just have to live with it. Again, the bandwidth is my bonus for the fiber in my mind. It only took less than 1 minute to upload a gig RUclips video yesterday.
@@UncleMikeRetro Thanks for replying! Your geological location definitely affects the ping. If the bandwidth is the key component for you, good for you.
@@WiseFinn THANK YOU! Someone finally understands.
I am, unfortunately, constrained by the speed of light in Wisconsin 😋
What is the name of the manufacturer of your fiber modem(the black one)??
Thanks in advance!!
You mentioned an aerial at 3:20. What's the best way to get TV and what options are available? I'm new to America and am trying to understand.
OK, glad to elaborate. I have what is commonly called an "aerial" or "flat HD TV Antenna" tacked up on one of my inside walls. it then connects to the coaxial on my TV for local FREE on the air local channels.
Here it is on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Antenna-Digital-Indoor-Reversible-11264/dp/B00TU7RJCQ/ref=asc_df_B00TU7RJCQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194024095585&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15849915077173767593&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019180&hvtargid=pla-311062696730&th=1
With it, you can get as few as 20 stations (in my remote area) or as many as hundreds in metro areas like NY or LA. I use it to get the local sports and news as I do not subscribe to all the sports channels on my provider. If that helps, I am glad!
Ok, so this is separate from cable and satellite, what are the benefits of getting those? Since they are paid do they have better quality and channels?
The antenna is completely separate. The advantage of cable or satellite (or the Fiber TV that providers like TDS offer) is lots of channels and streaming on devices like a Roku or their own boxes. Without them, you'll never see more than the FREE crap we have over here. I stream with RUclips TV to my Roku sticks on all of my TVs and have the TDS Fiber as my internet provider only.
Is the quality better as well? With RUclips Tv I mean
A good installer in respect to aesthetics on a persons home would have penetrated behind the vinyl siding corner piece and run behind it, then under the panel lip to the NID/Fiber Demarc. Just saying....
i was lucky to get what I got. imagine he loosened more siding and broke it? sigh, try to match that crap 😒
Did you ever fix your ping connection? I have the same problem I had spectrum with 10 upload getting 9-12 ping then switching over to frontier fiber I’m now getting 23-30 ping with 100 upload.
I am around 5 ms at this time. it seems to have resolved itself.
@@UncleMikeRetro do you think using a MoCa adapter is causing these high pings or am I good? I’m using a MoCa adapter that the techs installed to my router.
@@heyso2230 Honestly, I have not seen anything online that states the MoCA devices add any appreciable ping/lag to a network. They only route the signal over coax, and don't really DO anything to the signal as far as processing.
Nextweek Installer to come over set me up with internet , I know they have underground so looks like same will happen here ( straight run from parkway. To house , my thing is theres No wires in house , so im tryn to fig out what to do before they get here ( like move stuff away were jack goes in wall , no lid on basement so cable can run down there to head north up thru plate , , looks like installer did all the work , incl cutn hole in drywall for jack ? Good Video Thx. 🤠
thanks!
So... the installer and I did scratch our heads when it became apparent that my basement (bilevel so only a 5-foot basement actually) was not going to be good for a cable run due to being completely finished. He did cut the drywall where we agreed the drop made sense, had the drop box and trim, and left me with a 25' fiber optic patch cable for the modem. Yours sounds like it will be a lot easier. If I had been able to, I would have had the modem in the space above my laundry room drop ceiling and tied the MoCA network into the cable spaghetti right there.
One thing to consider, is that if you are getting the Gig fiber, and plan to use Wi-Fi exclusively, you will never get all that speed. That is why I ran the MoCA network.
Nice video like
Thank you! Cheers!
My TDS is being connected any day now and i plan on buying a new router rather than rent. Is there a specific brand or type or router? You say they provide the modem for free?
I got my modem free of charge. Not sure if they still do that. I personally now have an Asus router. RT-AX58U . Love it
They're going to be putting TDS Fiber in my neighborhood this fall. I'm going to register early. Currently have a spectrum modem and Nest Mesh system. Any recommendations on modems? I'd rather buy one than pay to rent one. Thanks for the useful video!
Also wondering if they have a datacap?
Hey pal! So, I think it all depends on whether or not your local TDS is giving you a modem like I got (see in my video the fiber link box next to my MoCA adapter). If not, there are several for sale that TDS says are compatible on their website. I do not have a recommendation for that part.
Feel free to let me know what TDS tells you and we can all spitball what might be best for your situation going forward.
Many thanks for the kind words on my video. I do not RUclips for a living, but merely a hobby. My weekend goal is to get as many subs as like to join in on the fun and discussions and keep growing together 😁
LOVE to hear how fast your internal speed is with the Nest Mesh and the fiber connection. What speeds are you going to sign up for?
Where I am in Central WI, no caps and no slow-downs. So far. You know how the industry is, but I feel good so far.
@@UncleMikeRetro whoa! Central WI...me too TDS fiber here too 🧐..small world
@@sonycrack1 Bam! Glad to meet you! I hope yours is working out well too.
9:11 what is mocca network sir?is that such as network monitoring system'?
The MoCA network is a way to use the existing coaxial lines in my home as ethernet lines instead of running all new lines inside the walls or along the floors.
See this video for an explanation if you like: ruclips.net/video/_Gfjnspfd94/видео.html
I have ADSL 7 Mbps down 1 Mbps up.
What does 25 Mbps down provide? Is it fber to the neighborhood and from there, it is a coax cable that reaches the house?
In this case, I am talking about Bell Canada.
not 100% sure how they do things in Canada, but you guys are pretty modern. I'd say fiber to the neighborhood and coax to the home. That is the vast majority nowadays. As to what 25 MBPS gives you, not a heck of a lot, really. I'd saturate that all day just living.
@@UncleMikeRetro Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, these various telcos don't give much technical info on their website.
Their sales team don't even know how it works.
What do you do with your internet?
For me, I do gaming with other people, which doesn't require much download speed.
It is very rare that I download a movie nowadays.
On occasion, I download some Linux ISO.
I watch some 500 x 360p shows.
Having more upload speed would be nice. 1 Mbps is like having 88 KBps.
just uploading a 10-minute YT video is almost a gigabyte of data. I can do that in 20 seconds? plus, I can literally stream on every device in HD and download a few ISO files simultaneously and not be wanting for bandwidth. and I am only 600/400. others have more than I do but remember most Wi-Fi home speeds are a LOT less than 1 GIG at best, way less. So, a lot of folk pay for bandwidth they cannot even ever use 😁
I realize this is an old video. What type of MOCA device do you have? Make and model. I just had gigabyte fiber installed and need to set my system up…I opted out of the providers Ethernet Gateway modem/router combo box since they gave me the choice to purchase my own equipment…never mind, found your video not what I’m looking for. Need a box that demodulates the signal from the ONT box.
All good pal! Yeah, this stuff just moves the signal (already decoded) through your home coaxial lines in place of running Ethernet all over the place. It still might fit the bill, though, if you prefer to have hardwired connections in some rooms as opposed to pure WIFI that might get spotty or not give you your full GIG bandwidth.
Is a modem required for TDS fiber, or just a router?
TDS provided me with their Calix fiber to ethernet box (just a tiny little thing!) as part of the package, no additional fees. THEN you need your own router!
When talking to an outside network such as the internet you need a modem. It talks to your ISP's network and their DNS server's to find the websites that you visit. The little box he's plugging in is called a ONT or Optical Network Terminal. It is a fiber modem. Basically it turns the light pulses into an electrical signal the router/computer's can understand and turns the signal back into light pulses for the ISP's network to understand. A good chunk of residential fiber installs are half duplex fiber. One small line. A full duplex is two small lines connected to one port. All that means is that with half duplex the modem will transmit a signal then wait for another to come back; with the full; both transmit and receive happen at the same time.
FYI. There had earlier been some conversation around the ping (or lag if you will) and jitter (or variability in the ping over test time) for my TDS Fiber connection.
The final answer is 13 ms ping and 1 ms jitter. Both about as good as you will realistically get considering the speed of light constraint, we all share 😎
Just keeping it real for all of you out there. Stay well my friends! 😋
@2wheelphoto Nice! I hope it comes to your doorstep 😁 Let us know!
Thanks for the kind comment pal.
Ping is bad
Even @13ms for fiber
@@robertmonahan5168 No offense, but what does anyone who is not a professional Twitch player need less than 13 ms ping for anyway? I get it can be faster, but it's not like the average brain notices the difference of 13/1000 of a second lag.
@@UncleMikeRetro it matters because its what you pay for. If you don't hold these companies accountable for the services they provide, even if its quote "brain doesnt notice" the services they provide will degrade and you'll end up with the horrible cable internet providers we've been dealing with for the past 20 years up to this point. Also, just to point out, the trench work from the box to your house is fine and the NID on the outside of the house is fine, where my issue comes in is that absolutely abhorrent box to drop. ALL fiber should be in half inch conduit on a single run residential, especially from the box to the inside. This is a lazy install job. They didn't want to go into the attic so they went straight through, left a half inch hole and siliconed it. This is a hack job that would get you fired at any reputable company. Have them come out and redo this drop. Like I said, hold these companies to the standards they sell and when they do stuff like this. Hold them accountable. Depending how far you are from the sub station, which id assume shouldnt be far at all, theres no reason for this high of ping. and you should be getting 900+/900+ on your up and down. 22ms at 637 up and 431 down is a fail in my book. Get them to get their act together. This is an embarrassment to fiber techs out there lol
Ahh good ol Gpon
yup, TDS is Gpon alright! never got into that deep stuff here
I think I'll be trying their fiber soon. I had their dial up and DSL back in the day, and, back then, their service was awesome. Anybody know if they still include a free email address and web site space with a standard account? Or is that a relic of the past?
They do provide an email address (at least one as I have one that I don't use) and no online storage (would not want that with them anyway). Service is good but I am not sure how good as the service is always "just working" unless there is a posted outage. Some d*ckhead dug up a fiber line around here last year, shut things down for half a day.
@@UncleMikeRetro Thanks for letting me know. Even back in the day it was hardly "storage", only 6 Mb, but I did store custom emoticons in a folder because I could hot link them on BBS threads back in the day, lol. I just liked having my own little web side that only I looked at. ;)
It must be fate. At my old place the neighbor wanted a bollard in the alley to protect his house and he dug up the telecom line (an it was a BIG line, they were splicing for a day).
It gets better because most of line was overhead, except underground past 2 houses, and his was one of them.
ha! It's always "that guy". Independent operator and all 🤣
Well met, sir!
So because you own your wireless router they didn't charge you for the GPON optical to Ethernet adapter?
I believe the GPON modem was included in the internet pricing for the new installations in my residential area. They included a calix gigapoint 803g with install and also tried to bill me for a router which I made a clear point of already owning and refused them to install their own. So short answer is I am NOT paying for a modem, which I believe cost anywhere from $20-$50 new.
@@UncleMikeRetro Excellent, good news to hear. With Comcast introducing their ridiculous 1.2TB data cap our family will more than likely be switching to TDS in the near future.
My online TDS account still clearly states: No data cap on your account. I used about a terabyte last month so not too hard on the old data so far.
0:31 in my country fiber cable not underground but oversky. That bad sight.
I can see that might look bad with all the wires in the air. Is it better than NOT having the fiber?
That cable on the out side should have been ran under the Vinyl siding from the box straight up would have been easy with a glo rod and siding tool. Punch in behind the box, glo rod under the siding, pull cable, and punch through from interior. But everything else was mint.
It's not the worst but had I known better it may have been cleaner
@@UncleMikeRetro its actually a great install. If you wanted something fished like what he's talking about, that's something you do yourself. If I was asked to do that, I'd of told the customer to kick rocks.
@@TheMakaveli1999 Ha! Kick rocks! Yeah, I thought it was fine. But sometimes I don't want to seem like a know-it-all, you know!
@@TheMakaveli1999 but being a professional, its best to listen to what your customer says. I mean being just lazy and stapling wires on the vinyl siding, even my mom can do that lol
@@samjam6989 It is not lazy. It's just policy. I've never ran across a technician in my 10 years who pulled off the vinyl siding to run the wire and then reattach it. My efficiency would be low. And some customers would file for damage claims without a doubt. I no longer fish carpet for that reason. If he wanted it done any better. He should of had it prepped.
What is all this? I just ordered tds, willing to buy a modem/router combo, just need to know which one. Xfinity has one box, does all things, real simple.
fear not, friend! i did make this video years ago already. Not sure WGAT TDS offers now, but REALLY, the modem they provide and a really GOOD router of your own is in my opinion better than a router/modem of theirs as my current router is very advanced. Nothing like the mid ones you might get from them (plus you can do all you want with your own router).
1:42 which one the box for fiber optic? There were three box
The box on the left is the fiber, bit it is not a "live box" the fiber comes into my home (see where it runs up the wall) and there is my modem.
Is it better for a ps5 for gaming and doing live streaming?
Here is my thought on that. For the live streaming, the upload bandwidth that I have, 400 MBS is definitely a huge plus. Most cable or DSL connections might restrict that at 10-20 at most. So you can send all you want upstream at the same time as others in the home watching streaming services or using other computers.
The lag is very good (I have seen better, but you know that if you live stream that it is server-dependent as well anyway) and I have not had a single instance of down time yet.
And, man, sending a 1-2 gigabyte RUclips video up for posting takes like just 2-3 minutes, maybe 4 at most. soooo fast!
Alright thank you so much for the information and your video! Keep on posting my friend once again thank you
You can stream with 200, but without a lot of devices congesting the internet. with 600 you do not even need to worry unless you have more than 20 devices on.
@@roblo6387 Amen!
Can you just connect that box to a router on the inside and run your tv and computer via wifi with no cables?
Oh, sure! I just like having a "hard line" of 1GB to my lower-level office/studio. I could have cut all that out and had the small box feed right to the router and called it all good.
@@UncleMikeRetro for the hard line, you can run MoCA, or run it directly from router and some new ways is through mesh network but you connect the computer directly into the mesh pod that seamlessly connects to router.
@@samjam6989 Actively using MoCA right now. I have additional videos on that experience!
I guess these guys are plumbing in fiber in the next town over and will eventually expand to me I hope... cant wait to get away from the current cable/vdsl providers...
I hope they do too. I'll tell you, I didn't HATE Spectrum actually. It was just the incremental rate increases over time that caught up to me. Suddenly I was paying about $150 for 200/10 service and TV. Now I have 600/400, no resets (yet) of my fiber modem and RUclips TV all for about $120 but I can take the TV anywhere I go unlike the Spectrum TV app and hopefully sit back and relax for awhile. The 400 upload speeds are nicer than I anticipated. You try uploading a 3 GB video file and see how long that takes at 10 MB.
Let us know when you get "plumbed" in!
I’m building a new house and want to add fiber optics what kind of cable do I need from inside of my house to outside ?
Good morning!
So, from what I have read and know, it isn't possible to know EXACTLY what type of cable your installers will use, and the hot lines or tech support personnel may not know either. If you plan to have the ONT drop at a specific location in your new home, you could just have a conduit installed to allow outside access to the inside location for the wire to be run and leave it at that. Any cable you "bury" in your home might wind up not being the right one.
After that, the rest should be at least 2.5 GB compatible ethernet cables in all the rooms, or if you are installing coaxial lines in all rooms, you could use a MoCA network instead.
Or Wi-Fi if you are OK with not having all your bandwidth.
I would imagine single mode fiber IW, the tech/techs should be able to place the tips on the line.
@@doc7000 I would imagine too. However, I guess wrong and someone likes my thought and BAM I feel guilty because someone made the call and put in the wrong cable/line.
I'm also building a new home and would like to know. But when I got fiber installed in my current house, the tech told me that a fiber can't be bent too much. Given this constraint, can it be run internally in a house at all? Coz I imagine there'll be loads of bends and curves internally.
@@rahmatsingh1 Well, everything I read is that it can CURVE and bend, just that sometimes folk tend to KINK it. You know?
Mine runs in the wall, around 2 corners in a curve and up the bookcase and then across to the modem. It is surprisingly flexible, just take proper caution. If it were magically too awful sensitive, the fiber companies would not use it, right?
I'm not running fiber around my house. It already has two sets of cable.
I get that. It can usually just be dropped where it enters. The speed and cost though? Hard to beat.
What's a Moca network?
It stands for Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance but in a nutshell, it is how one can use coaxial lines inside a building in place of ethernet for networking.
How can I set it up? Do i need some special infrastructure?
You need two MoCA devices, one at each end of the line you want to send the LAN signal through. I have a few videos posted about these devices and how to connect them along with some other ones on RUclips in general. Pretty simple things, really.
@Uncle Mike's Retro & Gaming Im In Milwaukee Wisconsin And I Wanna Purchase 1000mbps/1gbps Internet... But My Only Concern Is The Price. What ISP Do U Think Will Have The Cheapest Price For That Package ? Can I Even Get Fiber Internet In My Area ?
Hello! So, I have a bro in the Brown Deer area currently on AT&T fiber 300 meg unlimited data for $55/month. That is fiber. He could get 600 meg for $75ish. Whether or not gig is avail is unknown to me. Also unk the upload speeds. No TDS in your area.
I hope that helps pal. 😁
@@UncleMikeRetro Thank You Soo Much For The Info! Greatly Appreciated
@@EveryPosition My pleasure, pal!
is there ANYONE here with comporium fiber? and do you have issues with it if so. In my area, there are terrible reviews for it, but not from peoplw who have fiber. ITs the only company thatll provide fiber in my area, so Im going to shoot my shot, but im a little afraid tbh bc ive never heard of the company.
Looking at the online reviews and the coverage area, if I lived over there in SC, I would try to stick with cable if it were an option.
From what I can see, TDS and Comporium don't overlap in any states, so you probably won't get anyone on this chat to comment on it for you.
However, those online reviews are super bad! Lots of ones, and in my customer service experience, all those cannot be just a few annoyed persons.
I saw literally no good reviews. Not a one?
@@UncleMikeRetro exactly! i think im going to shoot my shot and try out the quality bc ive been trying to get fiber for years. If it isnt good, im just going to switch back to spectrum
I have Comporium Fiber and it's GREAT. I went from AT&T 12/1 DSL(Only Option) to 400/400 Fiber. Haven't had any problems out of Comporium. Fiber is leaps and bounds above all other types of service. Highly recommend.
Ugly install inside and out. Ya it works but how hard is it to take an extra few minutes to make it look good too?
you know, your opinion is the majority! yeah, I took it and said thanks 😒
I would have had them run the cable along the siding to the corner of the house and then up.
We considered all the options, but ultimately, when we ran it as-is, it was the shortest run, less damage to the siding, and it came out right next to the power drop on that well, so it LOOKED right if you know what I mean.
I suppose there were other options!
Good Afternoon! Just got my Jan-Feb TDS bill. So... after all the calls and over billings and promises, it comes down to this.
My balance due is... $0.05
Yup 5 cents. A nickel.
Sharing for all. I am very happy but will share next month's bill to make sure we are still on track. 🙄
So they say they are waiving this month's late fees and adding the $0.05 to next month's bill.
Pause at 2:56 it looks like he used a Trojan condom to seal it off.
Get out! Hopefully not a used condom 🤨 Seriously, though, it was a plastic sleeve and clear caulk.
@@UncleMikeRetro Heh.... he said "caulk" in reply to a condom joke. Love it.
@@stephensalex Ha! I amuse myself sometimes too 😆
sometimes...
@@UncleMikeRetro Good video either way. Have an awesome day!
@@stephensalex Hey thanks! It was literally the first on my channel back in 2020. You take care too, pal!
How much was the installation?
Good morning! So, in my area TDS was brought in by the local municipality and through their agreement, the costs to me as a resident were $0.00
I paid a $25.00 deposit and that was refunded on my first billing.
The way TDS is expanding in certain areas is via this means, but lets say that I did not sign up for the "rollout" to get the free dig and install, I am not sure where the costs would have gone from there. I remember asking one of the techs and as they are contract workers and not really billing experts, his best guess was several hundred if it was after the fact. I hope that helps.
If TDS is already in your area, the only real way to get a quote would be to call them (and after holding for 40 minutes) they should be able to help better.
Just wondering if your latency ever improved? Your ping is horrible! You should be 2ms or less. You'll find that makes more difference than faster downloads.
You know, it has been like this... always. Even with Spectrum and then TDS. It isn't the MoCA connection as I am tied right into the router off the fiber modem with an ethernet cable. Spectrum was 8-11 ms and TDS fiber is now 19-22 ms. I am not a twitch type gamer so I never really noted the increase in latency with TDS.
However, 20 ms is considered very good by standards, just not EXCELLENT. Any thoughts about improvement? I think I am stuck where I am.
The main thing here for me is the upstream speeds. Consider that if it now takes me 3.5 minutes to upload a 6.5 GB video to RUclips at 400 mbps it used to take me 80 minutes at 12 mbps. That is my happy place.
@@UncleMikeRetro If you had 2 ms ping you will find a web page will snap in almost as though it was loading before you clicked on it. I have seen near zero ms ping. But if your main use is file transfer of large files then you really won't notice latency. It's surprising the equipment they gave you is so slow. I think I would start questioning your provider to see if some software somewhere is bottle necking your internet connection. Best of luck.
@@bushyfly2 Thanks for the advice. pal I'll hit up their tech support and ask. Can't hurt! I'll let everyone know what they tell me.
No, i think if the Latency to the First Hop of the ISP is under 5ms its normal. I have 2.5ms to the first Datacenter of the ISP, and 4-6ms to the Datacenter in the next big City.
@Rxyzr - Launchpad Covers So where does that put you overall for ping times? Just curious pal.
What is happening right now
Kinda nothing? No news is good news. Bills are still $50.00 USD per month. Service has never gone out and the speed is consistent.
Nice, right?
2:49 sir, what if someone cut off your fiber cable
In this area, we all get along well. If someone cut the cable, I'd be screwed so to speak! What if they cut my gas line? even worse :)
I think it's unusual how you pronounce "Ethernet". I worked with the guys at PARC where ethernet was invented. FYI it's pronounced with a long 'E' sound like in 'eat'. 😁
Well, I have been accused of worse 😋
This for leslie county
You in Kentucky? 😃
6:35 the chipmunk voice made me almost spit out my water lol
I forgot I did that! HA, I smiled just now too! I was so young in 2020 🤣
IF MY CPU IN MY OUTSIDE BOX BLINKING IS THAT GOOD THING OR BAD THING
My "box" is a dumb box and all the lights are in the yard pedestal, covered up in my case. However, this Reddit thread www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/cbogh5/711ge_ont_calix_what_do_the_status_lights_mean_on/ posts a video that shows an outside Calix box with blinking lights. the CPU light should blink to show it is operational from what I can see. This one was also VERY helpful if you can set aside the music in the background. The CPU light is addressed and should always be blinking! ruclips.net/video/AyRDtk2uLm0/видео.html
I hope that helps pal!
Wish I had fiber
It will come my friend. Hang in there!
@@UncleMikeRetro I live in Minnesota and idk what cities here are serving fiber internet
You know, that is part of the problem all over the place. Some carriers offer fiber some don't and when you try to Google it, it is a mish-mash on the map. I wish I knew more about you all over there. Maybe someone else has an idea of MN fiber? Bueller?
Actually kinda high ping for fiber.
it has improved greatly lately. currently at 23 and remember, it IS related to server distance. that speed of light thing is a thing. if the ping server is close, you'll get 10-15, from where I am to a place like New York (CS2 server I like) it is more like 30
You sound like albert einstein when he speak in english
That is two part: I HATE my own voice so I try to speak in a measured way, and I did live in Germany for 7 years when I was younger. Maybe some of my Deutsch remains? 😉
Yeah a company called IGL telecommunications tried to convince me to switch to their shit network!
It is line of sight Wi-Fi service in limited areas. I could see if someone had no other choice? But 6 down 1 up is really slow!
Spectrum has fiber.... Now.
They had to roll it out due to the competition in several markets. Same as upping basic speeds in areas saturated with competing fiber too. Competition is a glorious thing. Mostly!
WHERE PLS TELL MEEEEE
@@UncleMikeRetro Except that spectrum sucks especially lately
@@thomaslindell5448 They are also (according to some channels I have seen) been almost threatening people to try to make them come back?
Not at the price i just got SYM 1GB fiber for in my area
What is that download and upload speed OMG , in Turkey with an average budget, download speed 24, upload 6 xD
I hate to hear that! I do not want anyone to think this video is bragging about my current speeds, of course, but just how the installation and service went. But you do have my sympathy. I know I am lucky. And this is only the middle tier. I could have gotten 1000/600 or faster had I thought I needed it.
lanet olsun
Ping is not that great. Usually it’s around 3ms on fiber
Maybe not in Central Wisconsin? It DOES depend on the processing and back-end overhead of my connection, TDS fiber's system, and the server that gets pinged. Around here maybe we are more in the sticks?
I do know that the closest ping-able server shows a 240-mile round trip, not "up the block" as if in a more urban environment where my ping probably gets sent 3 blocks away.
Not being "that guy" but trying to be realistic too.
@@therealwwefan2316 Of course that is super! We just don't ever see 3ms around here!
Ping isn't a standard number Justin. It depends on the server distance...ya know ..like a ping back and forth...
😂😂😂😂😂 wow. Complaining about a 3ms ping are we? Unless you live in the data center of the server you are pinging 3ms is fast as you could expect to get lol
I'd do anything to get that 3ms lol. I'm over here with 50-60ms and I don't even have pure fiber optic cable.
i do not know what the hell these people had fiber install went thought same hole outside as all the other wired in basement went thought wall where it was from basement replace modem and box outside and that it 3 hour
you had an apparently BAD experience? trying to make sure where we're going
Where is the protected insulation for the cable? poor installation
Yeah, I have gotten that too. I guess I have to hope the cable doesn't deteriorate?
@@UncleMikeRetro I install fiber for Metronet here in Iowa. That cable coming out of the outside box up into your off is sheathed in a sheath rated for outdoor use. The casing should not crack or deteriorate. Inside that is Kevlar wrap around a hair sized fiber made of glass that is also in a plastic sheath.
Inside, that stretch that the tech left you, do not at any point bend at a 90 degree or sharp at all as that WILL break the glass fiber
@@doncollins7743 Thanks and nice to know. I realize some of the comments alluded to the cable being exposed. I had no issue with it (I am an easy guy to get along with) but knowing it is A-OK is nice! Also, Right! no sharp bends or broken glass 😒
@@UncleMikeRetro I dunno anything about fiber, but I know some high pressure(and probably all pressure, lol) hydraulic hoses have a minimum radius bend you can do. There has to be a specification somewhere for that cable, but I have no idea where you would find it.
I think for some electrical cables they will express the minimum radius in relation to the diameter of the cable.
What a mess of cables
It's not all that bad. Well, I can live with it for 600/400 service 🤔🤔
@@UncleMikeRetro you could’ve tucked all that extra into the wall and made it look way nicer
@@tommyhoffman99 You mean instead of stringing the fiber around the room?
Maybe, but that was the way we had it setup. The tucking into the wall can/will happen sometime when we rearrange things!
@@tommyhoffman99 definitely it does look messy. Kind of looks like a telecommunication room 😅 But yeah, I wpuld tuck those cables inside a wall and instead of running wires all over got a wifi6 mesh network to connect everything to internet.
Couldn't agree more. Sorry, but all that spaghetti really spoils the look. But, everyone to their own.
bing is high for fiber
Just retested it. 15ms ping and 0 jitter. My MoCA devices may be adding in a little lag, but overall, more than usable for a Counter-strike 2 game with my lacking skills 🤣
need to be 0-5 on ms ping for fiber alwyas solid connection wish it means when you have this ty have a great day
0 ping is literally impossible as the receiving server would have had to have your request before you even sent it. That would break the laws of physics. Any interaction causes ping, as does the physical distance between you and the server and back again. Ping is considered "great" if below 20ms and lower the better, obviously. This search for the holy grail of impossible 0 ping does rear its head a lot!
Hello sir Ji can you please help me
Sure if I can. What's the question?
@@UncleMikeRetro send mail id
You don’t gotta pay for that little TDS box right?
Nope. Flat $50 per month. No fees or rentals. Now that might vary by location?
@@UncleMikeRetro thanks. I am in Wausau so I expect similar stuff to you.
@@stormchasingirl1133 Should be exactly the same😎
@eggmanwi LOL for sure. All you need is them to drop a fiber optic line and get lost 😁
@@UncleMikeRetro Can i get them to do just that or do they need to come inside my home. All i really need them to do is mount the box. I can run the cable inside my home and install their ONT I really don't want there tech to come inside my home
How much was it
Hello! My installation was free as a new signup bonus in my area. They usually charge about $50 for this service I was told. My 600/400 internet (I only have the internet as who the heck doesn't stream TV and have their own cell phone anyway?) is $50/month flat.
60 - 70 dollars for gigabit.
On centurylink, att, and verizon they have good prices
@@roblo6387 I agree, but any idea if they charge to bring it to your home from the street?
Work for an ISP in Norway. We charge between $587 and $1760 for installation.
Including all taxes. (Installation per addess costs normally $3000 - $4000
A gigabit access costs $152/month. (Not including TV)
Remember though that things are fairly expensive here, but its well worth it.
Unrelated, you kinda sound like Nicholas Cage.
Definitely not his stunt double, though! Thanks for the smile!
कोनसा प्लान है । कितने मुद्रा के।
मुझे यकीन नहीं है कि मैं इस सवाल को समझता हूं
@@UncleMikeRetro Which plan you used !
I have the 600/400 plan. Very good speeds and it does not vary at all.
The cable is exposed to the weather elements, it should be covered
ahhh it's just fine 🤨
Its made to withstand the elements
It's fiber (aka glass), covered with rubber. It will not have a problem unless you cut it.
This is a mess for me, I’ll stick to cable, I don’t like anyone digging my property up
We all pick our own poison 👍
digging your property up.... worried about all the bodies you buried??
@@reapsgrimley Gentlemen! 😎
😂😂😂😂 a small portion of grass that will reattach????
@@--RSL-- Right? I mean, come on! Anyway, have you seen MY lawn? 🤣
Ugly on install both inside and outside the house. I would never accept the installation.
ooff Ugly! Well, I have gotten that feedback. Yeah, good thing to say, because it can matter to some!
it was all good until the installation guy got lazy and didnt want to remove the vinyl to run the wire underneath so its not visible from the outside. Taking out the vinyl is not a hard job to do, just remove the nails and take it off.
I wonder if these guys are "able or allowed" to remove and replace vinyl siding. There is some liability there if not done correctly.
@@UncleMikeRetro I guess thats true still would look better underbeath. You can just spray paint it same color as the siding if you can match the color in order to camouflage it.
@@samjam6989 I work for windstream we usually don’t do it just for liability issues and we also don’t go into attics that are not floored and lit for the same reason
We’re definitely not allowed to do that
Not allowed. If the customer request it, still not allowed. Siding is an integral part of the home and if the owner wants it under they have to hire , or do it themselves, a person that doies siding and that person will replace when done.
Screwing up the siding is not only something that may look bad and lower home value but can cause damage to structure if not done correctly.
Lazy? really?
Climb utility poles in negative degree weather to hang a 1000 foot drop like I have done this year and come call me lazy
That is a horrible job
What would you have done differently on it? We're open to all suggestions!
@@UncleMikeRetro I'm not bill, but in my opinion the conduit doesn't look very solid to the ground or house from what I can tell and the routing from the box outside to the hole inside I probably would've went with some sort of conduit once again.
@@TheComoletti I wasn't given a lot of choice from the box to the hole entering my home. I sort of assumed it would be fine with the optical line up about 6 feet. You think I might encounter issues w/o some sort of conduit?
Holy cow, that has to be the worst looking network setup I have ever seen.
awww! Home setup FTW!