Centric Fiber

[ltcdfancher]

Greetings,

As I understand, new homes down in the Well Point area come pre-wired with Centric Fiber. Does anyone have experience with this company? Uptime? Value-for-money? Customer service?

Also, I’d appreciate any insight into owner-installed routers and wireless access points behind the Centric demarcation line.

My wife and I will move in towards the later half of March and the equipment in our current home is a few years old and I’m considering upgrades.

Thank you!

[jimhoward]

I have Centric fiber in my new Shady Brook house and have found them to be great. Yes, the new houses in the south come pre-wired. The gateway is already in your garage. In fact the internet is already on, you just need the network password which they give you instantly when you sign up. So you are up and running 5 minutes after you walk into your new house.

They claim 1 GPS speed and I have measured 650 MPS download and 450 MPS upload speed. Those speeds are likely limited by my devices. So it is quite good.

The cost is $65/month which I consider to be a raging bargain. It is much less than what I have paid for similar service in other houses in the north. Further if you want still fast but not the fastest service you can get it even cheaper.

[ResQme]

Greetings,

As I understand, new homes down in the Well Point area come pre-wired with Centric Fiber. Does anyone have experience with this company? Uptime? Value-for-money? Customer service?

Also, I’d appreciate any insight into owner-installed routers and wireless access points behind the Centric demarcation line.

My wife and I will move in towards the later half of March and the equipment in our current home is a few years old and I’m considering upgrades.

Thank you!

Centric Fiber 1GB/s internet is $65; 100MB/s is $40. I wish they had another option in between - like 500MB/s. From asking neighbors (I haven't moved in yet,) everyone seems to be satisfied with the reliability. The Centric pricing, compared to Xfinity and Spectrum, is a bit lower, too, but goes up when you add their optional Set-top boxes and remotes (I would need 4 sets.) I might try YouTube TV first since they have a free trial.

[CarlR33]

I have not heard anything bad about them looking at past posts here and on FB. With internet providers, try it and see if you like it and if not get someone else. I was with Spectrum up north, became pricy and unreliable then come down here and end up getting them due to low cost, etc.

[ltcdfancher]

:coolsmiley:
Great news. Thank you. To be sure that I understand, Centric service is active on the closing date. There is an operational fiber modem in the low-voltage panel with a single(?) Ethernet port into which I can connect any wireless access points, etc. Or do I interface with Centric at the over-kitchen cabinet data point?
(It doesn’t matter where really; I’m just trying to manage my own expectations.)

[ResQme]

:coolsmiley:
Great news. Thank you. To be sure that I understand, Centric service is active on the closing date. There is an operational fiber modem in the low-voltage panel with a single(?) Ethernet port into which I can connect any wireless access points, etc. Or do I interface with Centric at the over-kitchen cabinet data point?
(It doesn’t matter where really; I’m just trying to manage my own expectations.)
I don't know about your home build, but I think the norm is a LVP panel in the garage. Centric will provide a "free" router. They sell an overpriced switch (I bought my own.) I'm also planning on using my own router since I have specialized security needs. So you will need to supply a network switch (unless you are not planning on using any hard-wire.) You need to contact Centric to open an account and start your service on your closing date (centricfiber.com)

[MorTech]

So, is this right? Centric provides a fiber to ethernet gateway and ethernet multi-port switch in the low voltage box in the garage that provides DHCP...There are cat8 ethernet drops from the garage box to the house room outlets so that you can connect a wifi access point somewhere in the house?

[ColtsFan]

Welcome to The Villages. You will love it here. Always something to do and a lot of people to meet. Get ready for having a lot of fun.

[ToddS]

So, is this right? Centric provides a fiber to ethernet gateway and ethernet multi-port switch in the low voltage box in the garage that provides DHCP...There are cat8 ethernet drops from the garage box to the house room outlets so that you can connect a wifi access point somewhere in the house?
Centric brings fiber into a casset in the white panel in garage and then from there the modem/router above the fridge cabinet. There is no switch for the cat6 Ethernet lines unless you had a pool built with home. In that case T&D Pools would install one for their equipment needs.

[ltcdfancher]

This is my understanding also; Centric provides a single Ethernet port only. Other downstream devices provided by others.

[rsmurano]

Always get a fibre network if available. Centric or any other internet provider will not build your internal network, that would be your doing. The cat 5 cables in your house will not be terminated in the interior rooms nor in the network panel in the garage. A friend of mine just moved in the area and this is how his house was wired with centric. I told him he would need to terminate all the cat 5/6 cables and buy a 8 port switch. He hired centric to perform this work.
If possible, use a wired connection if possible over wifi. I use 4 mesh network routers in my house to get coverage in every room and area in the house.
The poster above mentioned getting 600Mb speeds, this could be bad or good. To test the internet speed, you need to hook up a newer pc/Mac to the router and run a speed test. If you do this and get 600Mb, that is very low and you need to call them. The minimum wired speeds should be in the 900+Mb speed. If you got 600Mb using WiFi, that’s not to bad. If you build a better internal wifi network, you can get up to 800Mb

[BoneLakeBennie]

We're in Newell and have been running with Centric for almost 2 years now. There have been very few internet service interruptions. I only recall one time. I recall people reporting issues with the television service, but we use YouTube TV, so I have no experience with the TV side of Centric.
As others have mentioned, there is a modem and wireless router located above the fridge. I wanted wired access for the computer so installed a 8 port switch in the LVP in the garage. Since it's a standard Leviton panel, accessories, such shelves, are available.
There is a single ethernet cable poking through the junction box above the fridge. I added a jack to it and a short patch cord cable to connect to the Centric provided router. I then added jack connectors to all the cables in the LVP and connected them to the 8 port switch. You could pay Galaxy (contractor that wires the homes when built) or Centric to do the same.
From my computer, I'm seeing almost 900Mbps upload/download speeds.
Wifi signals throughout the house are decent. If needed, you could ask Centric to increase the wifi signal strength. By default, they turn it down since the houses here are so close together. They have a local office off of 466a and have been very responsive when I've stopped by their office or emailed them.
Regarding the

[GinaTalk]

I find Centric to be fast and reliable. The equipment is hidden away above the kitchen cabinet over the fridge. If a reset is needed, it is done by flipping the breaker in the garage, but I have not had to do that. It's very convenient that the account is all set when you get here and all I did was change the WiFi name from the street address and reset password. At $65, the service is actually $25 more than what I was paying Comcast for 500mbps, which was more than sufficient for my needs. I continue to look around for deals, but it was nice to have one thing taken off my to-do list by having this all set when I arrived.

[bshuler]

You should get contacted by Centric by phone before you move in. But it will be hooked up when you move in. Your address will be used for network name and password (revealed in your refrigerator).
Choose the 100mb, $45 plan (I had to ask for it). I have never wished I had more speed. I stream everything - no buffering/lag. Ever.

On my new 3 bedroom in Shady Brook there are 3 developer installed internet LAN outlets: in the Master bedroom, TV wall, and Lanai.
Most people don’t bother with the LAN wall connectors and you probably don’t need them. For this reason TV doesn’t spend the $20 to build it out. You can have a nerd come to your house from Centric for $150 to do the job.

[Bridget Staunton]

Can you tell me what modem is compatible with Quantum, we need to purchase one or if you could, let me know how to contact you. Thanks a million. We tried to have someone come to house they said didn’t know anything about fiber

[McClendons]

As one poster stated, there is one complete ethernet cable run to top of cabinets above frig. That is plugged into a wireless router with an said of you street number/name (can be changed of course). The ethernet cables in the garage box are not terminated! Mine were connected at the wall coxes though

I hired centric to install the switch, and thet also terminate the cables. The price. I think was 200 ish, but was well worth it to me because original cable installer had left the ethernet return cable too short. They had to run a new cable, whi h goes through same channel of fiber....so risk of breaking fiber (my fiber modem is above fridge). Terminating ethernet is tedious anyway.

The wireless router they supply is OK, but i replaced mine with an eero mesh. Better coverage on larger houses, and rates better.

[biker1]

Typically, QuantumFiber is providing all equipment. However, if you want to use your own then you will actually need a router. Typically, QuantumFiber will deliver a dynamic IP address to an RJ-45 jack somewhere in your house. You can plug essentially any contemporary router (or computer or VoIP phone) into the jack. Pretty much any Wi-Fi 6 router will be a good choice. I would suggest one of the mesh routers for a larger home or one where the router isn’t centrally located. The “modemish” functionality is provided by Quantum supplied equipment in your low-voltage panel or in a box on the outside of your house for older CenturyLink fiber installations. From that location, they typically use the existing cat5/6 cable in your walls to where your router will be located.

Can you tell me what modem is compatible with Quantum, we need to purchase one or if you could, let me know how to contact you. Thanks a million. We tried to have someone come to house they said didn’t know anything about fiber

[Justputt]

I've had Centric fiber in my home in Dabney for over a year. Very happy with the price ($65/mo) and service for the 1Gb internet. They do offer 100Mb speed for $40/mo if anyone wants to be that slow :). Their TV packages seem pricy, so we went with YouTube TV and my wife wanted Netflix. The modem and wireless router are usually in the house above the cabinet over the frig. The house is prewired for standard ethernet cable as well, but the cables are unterminated at the modem and in the low voltage panel in the garage, so if you want to use them, you'll need to properly terminate them and plug it into the wireless router as well as a switch in the LV panel. This is a simple DYI job that you can get everything you need at Lowes/Home Depot, etc. All the houses are live at when finished, and I think I remember being told they'll stay live for several weeks until you make up your mind to use Centric or not. Given the price and performance, I see no reason to use any other provider unless you want a more extensive TV package. The set top box is $8/mo. if your TV needs it; ours doesn't.

I haven't used the cable connections, but I suspect they're not terminated either, since there are a bunch of unterminated black cables in the LV panel too. In summary, as long as you're operating wirelessly, you need do nothing but active your account and enjoy 1Gb speed.

[rsmurano]

If you use your on routers, get the new 6e or 7 routers, they make a huge difference. I use 4 6e mesh network routers and the new 6e features a backhaul of 2Gb speeds between the routers in wireless mode. But 2 of my 4 routers are hooked up by wired connections for better more consistent speeds.
If you want to use an older router, I got 2 I’ll sell you, they will work just fine in wireless bridge mode if you can’t hook them up wired.
You can buy th equipment to terminate the cables but if you do, get the tester too. It’s not as easy as you think, mainly because you’re lying on the floor terminating all your rooms, in the garage with a step stool, and on a ladder in the kitchen. I guarantee you when you terminate the cables, you will screw up the pairs going into the plug and only a tester will tell you if you did the job correctly. Galaxy wanted $900 to terminate my 6 cables in the house, that entails terminating the ends in the garage box and changing out the outlets in each room. I used to build enterprise networks 35 years ago, so bought the tools, the fluke tester, the the wall plates, and connectors for < $100 and did the work myself, so I saved $800. Remember they don’t give you a lot of slack cable in the outlet boxes so don’t cut off too much each time you put the terminator on, you might have to do it again.
Fibre networks like centric are far superior than copper networks like xfinity and spectrum. $40 for 100Mb or $65 for 1Gb, get the 1Gb, 100Mb is too slow

[Justputt]

All the ethernet connections in the house are terminated, and wall plates in place except the one above the frig at the router and modem. The unterminated ethernet cables in the LV panel are waist high, so a stool instead of a ladder is what you'll want. The tester is a nice idea in the event there is a problem, but the wires are color coded, so careful attention is what you really need. The tester only confirms you were or weren't attentive. The only places you need terminate are at the LV panel and at the modem/router location, at least as built in Dabney.

[johnsi911]

Lots of positives here for Centric. I had nothing but problems with the service. It would work fine for a while and then would slow down to unusable rates or completely stop working. Technician came and wanted to blame it on my Mac computer but since we stream all our TV content that would stop as well. I finally dropped them and got Spectrum and everything works fine. The downside with Spectrum is it's expensive. They also advertised 600 MB/sec at $50. When I got my first bill it was around $75. Spectrum said to get the $50 rate, I had to bundle it with another service.

When my promotional rate ends with Spectrum, I will probably try Centric again. I'm thinking the issue I had was with their router. I now have an Eero mesh router setup which I need for my Christmas Light Show and home use.

[Range Rider]

Can you tell me what modem is compatible with Quantum, we need to purchase one or if you could, let me know how to contact you. Thanks a million. We tried to have someone come to house they said didn’t know anything about fiber

Quantum Fiber provide you their own modem and it provides a whole house Wi-Fi all for $50.00 a month! Their tech will hook-up all your home devices TV's, computer, cell phones, etc for their service.

[PGApromike]

Centric actually did terminate all my cables and labeled them when they installed my Ethernet switch. I have 8 ports around the house I can p plug directly on a wired connection. Did a wonderful job, best customer service in the industry. I'm an ex-IBM IT guy so I have experience in what they do.

[MorTech]

I would like to run a cat cable from the garage box to the center of the house ceiling...Terminate just the living room ethernet cable for wired TV and run a PoE+ capable switch in the garage box to a ceiling mounted wifi 7 Access Point. I think that would be ideal.

[WYgladiator]

We have Centric in Lake Denham. Nothing but positive experiences with them. We did have to add 3 mesh units ($5 ea. Per month) to get consistent signal to our wireless security cameras on the external corners of the house. But since adding them, great reliability.

[Brasshog]

Can you tell me what modem is compatible with Quantum, we need to purchase one or if you could, let me know how to contact you. Thanks a million. We tried to have someone come to house they said didn’t know anything about fiber

You don’t need your own modem with Quantum Fiber. They supply all equipment. No charge.

[Bridget Staunton]

Yes Brasshog I have their modem but tech said we would be better off buying our own, just don’t know what manufacturer or model to buy. A million thanks

[revfiddle]

I have Centric in my house in Newell. It's already running on day one. All you need to do is change the password. We stream our 2 televisions, our 2 phones and 2 computers. We have never had a problem.

[Ignatz]

Another positive vote for Centric.

We closed on the house, activated their service, and we’re up and running since.

We have tv’s in the house and lanai streaming service, security cameras, computers and tablets in use, etc.

I still work F/T remote from home with lots of applications open all day.

Thankfully we’ve had no issues at all.

[ToddS]

Always get a fibre network if available. Centric or any other internet provider will not build your internal network, that would be your doing. The cat 5 cables in your house will not be terminated in the interior rooms nor in the network panel in the garage. A friend of mine just moved in the area and this is how his house was wired with centric. I told him he would need to terminate all the cat 5/6 cables and buy a 8 port switch. He hired centric to perform this work.
If possible, use a wired connection if possible over wifi. I use 4 mesh network routers in my house to get coverage in every room and area in the house.
The poster above mentioned getting 600Mb speeds, this could be bad or good. To test the internet speed, you need to hook up a newer pc/Mac to the router and run a speed test. If you do this and get 600Mb, that is very low and you need to call them. The minimum wired speeds should be in the 900+Mb speed. If you got 600Mb using WiFi, that’s not to bad. If you build a better internal wifi network, you can get up to 800Mb

Centric Fiber app downloads to your phone and will test the speed at the router as well as allow you to update ssid name, password, and add a dedicated network such as solo 2.4 ghz for cameras, etc

[Rocksnap]

:coolsmiley:
Great news. Thank you. To be sure that I understand, Centric service is active on the closing date. There is an operational fiber modem in the low-voltage panel with a single(?) Ethernet port into which I can connect any wireless access points, etc. Or do I interface with Centric at the over-kitchen cabinet data point?
(It doesn’t matter where really; I’m just trying to manage my own expectations.)

After talking to several of my neighbors in the new Eastport area, it is hit and miss if Centric has hooked up ANY of the network cables. My neighbors house 2 doors down, ALL network cables were active. In my house, zero network cables were hooked up in the garage box.
Centric will connect 1 network outlet to the modem for free. After that, they offer a 4 way switch for free, but you need to pay $129? for them to put the cable connectors on in the garage panel box. This will not cover all the available network lines in our house. We have 2 (upper & lower) in the master bedroom and living room. And 1 upper in the lanai. We opted not to network wire the 2 other bedrooms.
For Centric to install a 10 port switch/put connectors on all network lines in the garage box was about $230? AND a monthly fee on top of that.
I had Centric come and connect the upper living room network line to the modem which just involved installing 3 Cat 6 connectors. 2 for the modem line (each cable end) and one for the upper living room line, and their supplied pass thru connector to hook up the living room line to the modem line, in the garage box.
I then bought a $16 8 port switch and a $29 Cat 6 connector kit which includes everything needed to easily install the Cat 6 connectors in the garage box to the new switch, also housed in the garage box.
Now all my network lines are active, if I ever need to use them.
Seems daunting, but it’s actually a very simple procedure.

And my Centric $40 a month base speed of 100 mbps has our 2 hardwired tv’s operating basically lag free. We are also streaming to 2 iPads and 2 iPhones at the same time.
No need for the 1gb internet speed, as 99.999% of us will never come close to using the base 100mbps speed, never mind their 1 gb speed.

Our graphic artist daughter was here for a few weeks. She is a data hog, up/down loading massive files thru the day. She had no issues streaming with our 100 mbps speed.
Why people think they need, pay for the 1gbps speed is beyond me, as they will NEVER USE that much capacity.
Think having a 4” fire hose connected to your house water supply, instead of the 1” water supply line. You will never use the 4” capacity. Ever!

[TheWarriors]

After talking to several of my neighbors in the new Eastport area, it is hit and miss if Centric has hooked up ANY of the network cables. My neighbors house 2 doors down, ALL network cables were active. In my house, zero network cables were hooked up in the garage box.
Centric will connect 1 network outlet to the modem for free. After that, they offer a 4 way switch for free, but you need to pay $129? for them to put the cable connectors on in the garage panel box. This will not cover all the available network lines in our house. We have 2 (upper & lower) in the master bedroom and living room. And 1 upper in the lanai. We opted not to network wire the 2 other bedrooms.
For Centric to install a 10 port switch/put connectors on all network lines in the garage box was about $230? AND a monthly fee on top of that.
I had Centric come and connect the upper living room network line to the modem which just involved installing 3 Cat 6 connectors. 2 for the modem line (each cable end) and one for the upper living room line, and their supplied pass thru connector to hook up the living room line to the modem line, in the garage box.
I then bought a $16 8 port switch and a $29 Cat 6 connector kit which includes everything needed to easily install the Cat 6 connectors in the garage box to the new switch, also housed in the garage box.
Now all my network lines are active, if I ever need to use them.
Seems daunting, but it’s actually a very simple procedure.

And my Centric $40 a month base speed of 100 mbps has our 2 hardwired tv’s operating basically lag free. We are also streaming to 2 iPads and 2 iPhones at the same time.
No need for the 1gb internet speed, as 99.999% of us will never come close to using the base 100mbps speed, never mind their 1 gb speed.

Our graphic artist daughter was here for a few weeks. She is a data hog, up/down loading massive files thru the day. She had no issues streaming with our 100 mbps speed.
Why people think they need, pay for the 1gbps speed is beyond me, as they will NEVER USE that much capacity.
Think having a 4” fire hose connected to your house water supply, instead of the 1” water supply line. You will never use the 4” capacity. Ever!

It’s easy to say you don’t have any Smart garage door openers, cameras, lights, etc. not everyone is in your usage category. Some of us have the 4” water supply line and use the higher speeds daily.

[jrref]

After talking to several of my neighbors in the new Eastport area, it is hit and miss if Centric has hooked up ANY of the network cables. My neighbors house 2 doors down, ALL network cables were active. In my house, zero network cables were hooked up in the garage box.
Centric will connect 1 network outlet to the modem for free. After that, they offer a 4 way switch for free, but you need to pay $129? for them to put the cable connectors on in the garage panel box. This will not cover all the available network lines in our house. We have 2 (upper & lower) in the master bedroom and living room. And 1 upper in the lanai. We opted not to network wire the 2 other bedrooms.
For Centric to install a 10 port switch/put connectors on all network lines in the garage box was about $230? AND a monthly fee on top of that.
I had Centric come and connect the upper living room network line to the modem which just involved installing 3 Cat 6 connectors. 2 for the modem line (each cable end) and one for the upper living room line, and their supplied pass thru connector to hook up the living room line to the modem line, in the garage box.
I then bought a $16 8 port switch and a $29 Cat 6 connector kit which includes everything needed to easily install the Cat 6 connectors in the garage box to the new switch, also housed in the garage box.
Now all my network lines are active, if I ever need to use them.
Seems daunting, but it’s actually a very simple procedure.

And my Centric $40 a month base speed of 100 mbps has our 2 hardwired tv’s operating basically lag free. We are also streaming to 2 iPads and 2 iPhones at the same time.
No need for the 1gb internet speed, as 99.999% of us will never come close to using the base 100mbps speed, never mind their 1 gb speed.

Our graphic artist daughter was here for a few weeks. She is a data hog, up/down loading massive files thru the day. She had no issues streaming with our 100 mbps speed.
Why people think they need, pay for the 1gbps speed is beyond me, as they will NEVER USE that much capacity.
Think having a 4” fire hose connected to your house water supply, instead of the 1” water supply line. You will never use the 4” capacity. Ever!

I understand your analysis, but $100-$200 dollars to have a tech come out to your house to put connectors on you ethernet cables and install an ethernet hub is not unreasonable. Centric is in business to make money and the techs don't work for free.

That said, you can purchase a 1Gbs ethernet hub or switch on Amazon and mount it and connect it up in your data cabinet for less than $50. As you mentioned can also buy the tool and connectors on Amazon to install the plugs on the cables as well. If you are handy, this is fine to save money but there are many here in the Villages who are not handy, don't want to do it themselves or are incapable of this kind of work and need a "professional" to come in and do the work.

I know this because I also live here in the Villages and do this work for my neighbors, friends and any referrals.

But I do agree, from experience, some new homes are all wired with an installed hub and others just have a few connections. It may be something to do with the "smart home" package you purchased or not. I also do agree it's foolish to rent the ethernet hub from Centric if that's the case. There are many here in the Villages who can do this work for you including myself inexpensively.

Finally concerning the speed issue, you said "Why people think they need, pay for the 1gbps speed is beyond me". It's confusing to you because you don't understand how the internet actually works and that's OK, I don't mean any disrespect to your comment. For most people who live here in the Villages, speeds from 100-500Mbs are more than enough.1 Gbs is overkill but if you work from home and do a lot of uploading and downloading of files then it can be useful. In my opinion, when shopping for internet service you will find the cheapest for 100Mbs then the next level up will be for speeds of 200-500Mbs. These days 500Mbs seems to be the "norm". If you pay $30 for 100Mbs and you can get 500Mbs for $40 or $50, thats a reasonable option to consider. As many have said except for fiber internet, your speed will vary durning the day and at prime time at night. Having a little more speed capacity will insure you have enough bandwith no matter how much is varies.

Hope this response puts things in perspective.

[GoldenBoy]

Greetings,

As I understand, new homes down in the Well Point area come pre-wired with Centric Fiber. Does anyone have experience with this company? Uptime? Value-for-money? Customer service?

Also, I’d appreciate any insight into owner-installed routers and wireless access points behind the Centric demarcation line.

My wife and I will move in towards the later half of March and the equipment in our current home is a few years old and I’m considering upgrades.

Thank you!

In the northern end of the Villages (in the Marion County area) the developer gave exclusive access to Comcast/Xfinity. I have never heard of any quid-pro-quo between the developer and Comcast, but...the residents cannot get access to any other cable provider. Dish is an alternative as long as you don't mind a wind catcher screwed through your $15k roof, or can get a dish to work from a ground install.
When you are not given a choice, someone is making out on the deal and it is almost never the homeowner. It could be that a different cable provider could use the wiring, as long as the standards are universal.

[Pinball wizard]

In the northern end of the Villages (in the Marion County area) the developer gave exclusive access to Comcast/Xfinity. I have never heard of any quid-pro-quo between the developer and Comcast, but...the residents cannot get access to any other cable provider. Dish is an alternative as long as you don't mind a wind catcher screwed through your $15k roof, or can get a dish to work from a ground install.
When you are not given a choice, someone is making out on the deal and it is almost never the homeowner. It could be that a different cable provider could use the wiring, as long as the standards are universal.

You could get internet service from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon via their cell network.