Resource Systems

02/06/2025

Frontier Fiber – My Experiences - Updated.

The original post was published on Jan. 17, 2024. After a year, I am re-posting it with my updated experiences.

Original Post -
As was mentioned by many others on Nextdoor, my monthly costs for Optmum/Altice was getting out of hand. I had the triple play – internet at 200 mbps (megabits per second), TV and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone. This had risen to $220 per month. I wanted to reduce the monthly cost, cut the costly TV cord, and possibly eliminate the VOIP phone which served as our home phone.

Negotiating with the Optimum Retention department for a lower cost wasn’t very attractive; particularly, when I would have to repeat the same exercise in one year. So, after considering the options, I decided to look into Frontier Fiber Optic. This is NOT the same as their prior offering of DSL. In fact, comparing DSL to Fiber for Internet access is akin to comparing a Model T to a Ferrari.

Frontier’s slowest speed on fiber is 500 mbps. For TV, Frontier does not have TV cable box, similar to Optimum. Rather, they offer a discounted subscription to YouTube TV for $50+ per month. I have 2 TCL Roku TVs. These are smart TVs with a built-in Roku interface. Roku has consistently been judged as having the best and easiest to use user interface.

So, I called Frontier (877-362-2988
) and ordered the fiber installation to my home. The installation date was set for Dec. 15th. The first Frontier crew showed up on the 15th and ran the Fiber line from the pole to my home. Later, that same day, the installer came and installed the fiber line inside my home. The next day, that same installer came back and installed the VOIP phone. This was a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) landline that Frontier ported the number and converted over to a VOIP phone. The installer also handed me an Eero Pro 6E mesh network device. Via my Eero app on my phone, I was able to switch my existing Eero 6+ gateway for the newer and more powerful Eero Pro 6E gateway in approximately 10 minutes.

What was the cost for all this work and equipment?
Installation - Free of Charge
Frontier Modem & Router – Free of Charge. This is actually called an ONT (Optical Network Terminal). It converts the fiber light signals into electronic signals that a router can understand.
Eero Pro 6E – Free of Charge
Monthly Cost – approximately $41 for 500mbps.
The converted phone number to VOIP is free of charge when bundled with an Internet account.

Options – You can rent Eero extenders to extend the mesh network around your house for $10/month. I did not do that because I had previously installed an Eero 6+ network. You can purchase faster speeds of 1 and 2 gig for an additional monthly cost. As previously mentioned, you can purchase a discounted subscription plan for YouTube TV ($10 off the regular price for a year).

Wait, not quite done yet. I had to cancel my Optimum subscription. This involved caling Optimum customer service and repeating myself numerous times, “I want to cancel my subscription” to several Optimum customer service representatives.

The last step was returning the Optimum TV cable boxes to the Optimum store on High Ridge Rd. Stamford and getting a return receipt. Please note that Optimum cancels your account on the last day of your current billing period, not on the day that you call for cancellation. My billing period ended on Dec. 31st so it worked out for me. You should plan accordingly.

It has now been a month with no interruptions for the internet or phone. The Roku TVs with few exceptions receive all the TV shows, news, weather, etc. that we want. On my newest desktop computer, (Windows 11 with 32gb of ram, Intel i7 cpu), with a wired ethernet connection speedtest.net has consistently measured my internet speed as being synchronous – 516 mbps download and 514 upload.

On my Samsung S21 Galaxy phone dependent on what part of the house that I am in and whether I am connected to the Eero Pro 6E gateway or one of the Eero 6+ devices , the WiFi speed ranges from similar to the wired speed to no slower than 250 mbps.

One small snag. When I received my first bill. The $10 discount promised for autopay wasn't present. So, I called Frontier and spoke to one of their Customer Service reps. The rep applied a credit to my bill for the prior partial month and the next full month. The entire phone call took about 10 minutes and was resolved to my satisfaction.

Full Disclosure – I do not work for Frontier or Optimum. Nor do I have any relationship with either company other than a current or former customer relationship. I work as an independent computer consultant.

** Update **

After 1 year the internet connection has been flawless, with no interruption in the speed. It has been a constant 500 mbps upload and download. We decided to share a YouTube TV subscription with our family in separate households. YouTube TV allows you to share your subscription with up to 6 households total. So, the cost is significantly lowered with the sharing option.

The cost, unfortunately, went up, after a year. The Internet connection cost increased $10 and the phone increased $5. So, the total monthly fee is approximately $55 plus a few dollars for various fees. I called Frontier customer service and they confirmed that this was the best price available. It's far better than the prior Optimum monthly fee.

Ed Kivell Resource Systems
www.resourcewiz.com [email protected]
203-570-2921
(cell)
203-329-3660
(office

Resource Systems Computer Consultants Stamford, CT IT computer consultants, Network Administration, Network Administration, WiFi, Malware and Virus Removal

10/15/2024

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2490051/a-new-super-realistic-ai-scam-could-get-your-gmail-account-hacked.html

A new ‘super-realistic’ AI scam could get your Gmail account hacked reported by PC World Oct. 15, 2024
“The advent of generative AI has opened up all kinds of opportunities, but it has also ramped up various risks and dangers.
We’ve previously seen hackers who can use AI-generated codes, phishing emails, or even deepfakes to make even more realistic fraud attempts — ones that even security experts can easily fall for.

In a recent Forbes report, Sam Mitrovic — a security consultant for Microsoft — talks about his experience with a new “super-realistic AI scam call” and warns that all Gmail account users could be targeted. “

“… This particular AI scam is mainly targeting Gmail users, which amounts to around 2.5 billion users worldwide. If you use Gmail at all, you should be careful and only respond to the usual notifications about suspicious account activity, which Google doesn’t send by phone but via automated emails. You can also check your Gmail account’s security settings at any time to see whether everything is OK with your account.”

Be very aware of unsolicited phone calls that supposedly have your best interests in mind.

Resource Systems, www.resourcewiz.com, is a Windows and Mac computer consulting firm that concentrates in the following areas -
• Computer System evaluation, setup and maintenance
• Network design and solutions
• Data backup
• Internet access
• Wireless connections

We are available to discuss any of your computer issues or needs - computer upgrades, spotty WiFi connections, remote access, etc. Please contact us on any electronic issues that you may have.

Regards –
Ed Kivell
Resource Systems 203-329-3660 (office) 203-570-2921 (cell)
Email: [email protected] Web: www.resourcewiz.com

Resource Systems Computer Consultants Stamford, CT IT computer consultants, Network Administration, Network Administration, WiFi, Malware and Virus Removal

09/04/2024

My identity is on the Dark Web! What do I do?

First off – What is the Dark Web?
The Dark Web is a relatively small part of the internet That allows you to hide your identity and location from anyone else, including law enforcement. Thus, the Dark Web can be used as a marketplace to sell stolen information. Software to secretly access computers, ransomware programs, etc.
OK. How do I learn if my personal information is on the Dark Web?
Google offers a free Dark Web scanning service, if you have a Gmail account. Here is the link to sign up - https://myactivity.google.com/dark-web-report?utm_campaign=dwr_helpcenter

Data breaches, scams and cyber-attacks (email phishing, social engineering, malware attacks, identity theft are some of the sources for the information.
Google can monitor
• Your name
• Address
• Phone number
• Email
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Username
• Password
How can I monitor if I am on the Dark Web without signing up with Google or a similar service. You can go to the web site – Have I Been Pwned? - https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Just input your email in the prompt and the site will return a report of all the data breaches which include your email address.

OK. I am on the Dark Web? What do I do? Look at this online article from Experian - https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-to-do-if-information-is-found-on-dark-web/

Some of the protection methods include -
1. Change Your Passwords
One of the first things you can do is make sure someone can't use your stolen login information to access your accounts. A simple way to do this is to change any passwords associated with accounts that are reportedly on the dark web.

2. Add Multifactor Authentication to Your Accounts
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is when an account requires you to verify your identity using two or more authentication methods. For example, you might have to enter a code sent to your phone when you try to log in to your bank account. By confirming the code, you're verifying that you know the username and password and have control of the phone associated with the account.

3. Freeze Your Credit
Freezing your credit reports with all three major credit bureaus―Experian, TransUnion and Equifax―can help keep someone else from opening an account in your name. Once your reports are frozen, creditors can't access your credit report to make new lending decisions. However, your report can still be accessed for other reasons, such as if your current creditor wants to review your report or if you want to check your credit. If you want to make a large purchase such as a car or house, then you will have to log into each of the three credit bureaus and temporarily unfreeze your credit.

Who am !? I am a computer consultant located in North Stamford. I have been dealing with PCs, Macs, Printers, WiFi problems and Networks for the past 30 years. My web site is www.resourcewiz.com. My customer reviews are found at http://bit.ly/2D1HRdD and my Nextdoor reviews are found at https://nextdoor.com/pages/resource-systems-stamford-ct/ .

Ed Kivell
Resource Systems www.resourcewiz.com [email protected]
203-329-3660 (office)
Have a good and Identity safe day.

08/14/2024

Larry Tesler, an icon of early computing, has died at the age of 74.

Xerox, where Mr Tesler spent part of his career, paid tribute to him.

"The inventor of cut/copy & paste, find & replace, and more, was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler," the company tweeted. "Your workday is easier thanks to his revolutionary ideas."

With the advent of the cut, copy and paste commands and improved interface commands the modern day computer interface evolved.

Larry Tesler was responsible for many of the innovations that made personal computing accessible.

07/20/2023

Thank you to our neighbors! We are honored to be voted a 2023 Neighborhood Fave.
This award means so much for our business and helps us continue to grow in our community!
Be sure to visit us on and leave a recommendation:
- https://nextdoor.com/pages/resource-systems-stamford-ct/recommend

08/09/2022

A client wrote - Jane Newman North Stamford
I would recommend Ed and Resource Systems without reservation. I went from an old, funky laptop to a brand new system in 3 days. He was responsive, professional and patient with a not very tech-savy household. Very happy.
July 15th

08/06/2021

I have a client who had a unique Optimum email problem. He is in the process of looking for a new job and responds on various job search sites to listed positions. For reasons unknown, all emails from Indeed.com were being sent to Spam. Further, his emails from his wife (who also has an Optonline.net email address) were automatically router to his spam on his Optimum webmail account.
After not being able to find the email spam controls online, I called tech support. The Optimum tech support confirmed that Optimum automates its spam rules and the user nor tech support can adjust which email addresses are sent to spam.

So, after some more research, I concluded that the Optimum email filter rules can re-router the problem email domains and addresses from Spam to Inbox. Here is how you create a filter rule -
Optimum Email Filter Rules

1. Log into Optimum webmail with your account and password. Please remember do not use the domain name when logging in. I.E, ex. [email protected] equals johndoe as Optimum ID
2. Click on open Email box
3. Click on Settings. Upper right of screen, three horizontal lines
4. Click on Settings on drop-down menu.
5. Click on Mail (left column)
6. Click on Filter Rules
7. Click on Add New Rule
8. Name the New Rule
9. Then click on Add Condition
Ex. – If you want mail from Whoknows.com previously marked as spam, then select “From” on the drop-down list as the condition.
10. Next in the Contains prompt input whoknows.com
11. Next click on Add Action
12. Click on “File Into” from the drop-down list
13. Click on “Select Folder” and make sure that “Inbox” is selected. It typically selects Inbox as the default destination.

This will route all email from the Doe.com domain into your Indox, thereby preventing the previous action of marking it as Spam and stopping Optimum from sending those emails to the Spam or Junk folder.
The poor spam controls or lack thereof is another of the many reasons that should send a prudent email user to another email host, such as Gmail.

Ed Kivell
Resource Systems
www.resourcewiz.com

Resource Systems Computer Consultants Stamford, CT IT computer consultants, Network Administration, Network Administration, WiFi, Malware and Virus Removal

02/18/2021

Here is a Cnet article on Starlink and what is it - https://www.cnet.com/how-to/starlink-explained-what-to-know-about-elon-musk-satellite-internet-venture/?ftag=CAD6b2b181&bhid=19019881353255453450055383341424&mid=13271556&cid=534634551

Starlink is a SpaceX division which is designed to provide Internet access via satellites. There is a $499 startup cost with a $99 monthly fee. The expected speeds are 50 to 150 megabits per second with a latency rate to 20 to 40 milliseconds.

The billionaire entrepreneur is launching satellites into space, and promising to deliver high-speed broadband internet to as many users as possible.

02/01/2021

Stay in the know with Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub.

04/02/2020

Splashtop - Low-cost, Efficient Remote Access

Everyone is trying to figure out how to remain safe at home while still getting work done at the office.How many times have you tried to work at home only to discover that you are missing a vital document or piece of information.Well, remote access into your work computer completely changes the dynamic towards your favor. One product to consider is Splashtop.

Everyone is trying to figure out how to remain safe at home while still getting work done at the office.How many times have you tried to work at home only to discover that you are missing a vital document or piece of information.Well, remote access into your work computer completely changes the dyna...

12/09/2019

You configured your computer with a solid state drive and a second sata drive. Then you changed the Windows temp (TMP) folder to the 2nd Drive (D:) to save read-writes and space on your just-installed solid state drive. Then you installed the driver for your new fast, high-resolution HP Printer. Everything is ready to go - Computer works perfectly, boots up quickly, printer driver is successfully installed and you submit your name to the Computer "Hall of Fame". But when you send a print job to the printer, printer is silent and the print job is removed from the queue after a second or two. Plus, you may get the error message "Access is Denied" or "Parameter is Incorrect". Here's the problem and the resolution - When you changed the TMP variable from Drive C to Drive D; the proper permissions must be set for the newly created TMP folder on Drive D, otherwise the printer won't won't have proper permissions to process the print job.

So, browse to that new TMP folder via Windows Explorer or File Explorer. Right-click on the folder. Left-click on the properties command. Left-Click on the Security tab. Change Permissions - click Edit. Add Everyone as a user. Allow Full Control. Now, the printer should work.