Google picks KCK/KCMO for ultra fast fiber network

[earthling]

Just got an email from Google Fiber saying we've been selected into their test program. Test includes replacement of the hardware, which will combine the network box and storage box into a single unit, as well as upgrade of WIFI to 802.11ac. New Google Fiber app, as well, but currently supported only on Android platform.

Think we'll accept, but will have some binge viewing ahead since all DVR'd shows will be long during the transition.

So much for being a Trusted Tester. Hopefully the AC router is Wave 2, which is now starting to appear and can do about a Gbit. Wave 1 AC can 'only' do about 400Mbps.

[earthling]

^kcjak, your comment was picked up by a tech site and others are linking to it...
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2014-07/goo ... -detailed/

It literally links to this thread.

[kcjak]

guess I need to follow through with the test sign up now!

[im2kull]

Regardless of rated speed wireless AC will always fall far short of that speed in reality (As will any wireless network). AC has even less penetrating power than 2.4ghz Wireless N and therefore the range at which you can obtain a higher speed is far more limited. I run a dual gigabit home network that gets roughly 90% of it's rated speed (A little over 2 Gbps actual..2.5 in theory) and I also run a wireless AC 1800 network that is lucky to see anything over 200 Mbps of actual speed even while the computer is reporting high AC speeds (800 Mbps+). Wireless still has a LONG ways to go to catch wired networks.

That said my only complaint about Google Fiber is this: Complaints about not getting 1 Gbps.

Trust me, You ARE getting 1 Gbps. It's impossible not to unless they were doing some harsh QOS. Why you "Seem" to get less is usually because NO servers hosting content on the internet are capable of delivering content from their hard disks to your home PC at Gigabit speeds. There's so many weak links between you and them that it's virtually impossible. Even speedtests can't keep up. So the limitation is that...the server...not the Google Fiber. Therefore, internet speed tests to "Test" your GF speed are worthless. You're always getting far more speed than what the speed test is capable of determining. Speed tests were built with 6-30 Mbps connections in mind. They probably can't output their own test data at a speed higher than 800Mbps, so testing a 1000 Mbps device isn't going to work that well..

[earthling]

Some think they are only getting say 50Mbps because that's as fast as some devices can go on WiFi, some can be below 15.

There are several speedtests that show near a gig, including Google's own speedtest. But you need a modern computer hardwired to get it on a single connection. When doing many devices at once, might be able to pull near a full Gbit. Google also has improved routing to the coasts, so can get over 800 to the coasts now...
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r294025 ... erformance

The fastest single app I've seen is a torrent at 500Mbps (Linux). Outside torrents, the fastest I've seen is Steam downloads at 300+ and Google Drive sync up to about 200-300. Is not likely anyone can pull a full Gbit in real world but when a household is doing many things at once, you likely won't have a bottleneck with a Gbit.

On Wireless, I have an AC Wave 1 router that can do up to about 400Mbps. AC Wave 2 routers are just now starting to appear that can do about a Gbit real world.

This is the fastest this one computer (hardwired) can go but if doing 2 at same time, can get maybe 960Mbps. When factoring TCPIP/app layer overhead, that's about as high as it can go on a physical Gbit link...

[bobbyhawks]

^^Thanks for the background. It is amazing how fast we are spoiled by technology. The speeds I have with GF have made me almost entirely forget that, with the exact same AC router, and with a 50 MB TWC connection, I was getting maybe 10 MB wireless on a good day. I was also convinced that TWC somehow metered my connection or allowed/engineered it to be slowed at times. Now, I am in the 200-400 range consistently on my laptop.

[pash]

.

[kcjak]

I was mistaken about the elimination of the tv boxes - the Google guys came out yesterday to get us installed for the test and gave us two new tv boxes and removed one of the two boxes where the cable comes into the house. I wasn't home when they were there so didn't get to ask many questions, but my partner said we should be receiving an email soon explaining the test more in-depth, but we should be seeing faster internet speeds.

[earthling]

Be careful not to disclose info publicly, the Trusted Tester program is confidential and you may lose privilege to test or GFiber service altogether. They are setting up a private forum soon for testers...

https://productforums.google.com/forum/ ... ries/fiber

[lock+load]

I got email into trusted testers today.

I am not sure losing everything on the DVR is worth it. Also no support for iOS app.

[SWFan]

Yesterday they started running the actual fiber to the various connection boxes they installed a few months back in our neighborhood.

[DaveKCMO]

i just cancelled our TV service because we rarely watch it. keeping the gigabit data. does anyone else notice the network box has a pretty loud fan?

[KCtonic]

i just cancelled our TV service because we rarely watch it. keeping the gigabit data. does anyone else notice the network box has a pretty loud fan?

The old one does have a noisy fan. I hear the new ones being tested are much quieter.

[flyingember]

Yesterday they started running the actual fiber to the various connection boxes they installed a few months back in our neighborhood.

to the boxes or from the box to homes?

[PumpkinStalker]

i just cancelled our TV service because we rarely watch it. keeping the gigabit data. does anyone else notice the network box has a pretty loud fan?

Noticed that too. It's quite loud.

[swid]

One of my coworkers just got an email about being able to sign up for Google Fiber; "Central Johnson County" (Shawnee, Lenexa, Merriam) has a sign-up deadline of October 30.

[shaffe]

One of my coworkers just got an email about being able to sign up for Google Fiber; "Central Johnson County" (Shawnee, Lenexa, Merriam) has a sign-up deadline of October 30.

If the JoCo rollout is anything like the northland has been so far, I'm sure Google will have them hooked up by next Christmas.

[WinchesterMysteryHouse]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/techn ... r-app.html

Complete with a photo essay at the Hacker House on St. Line.

[earthling]

I don't think it's about having specifically a Gbit, it's about not having conflicts for many things going on in a household. Many talk about how there is no single app that can use that much but that's not the point. The point is that you have more than enough bandwidth needed for many people/devices in a household and they wont conflict with each other (at a price less than top speed of other ISPs). And Google doesn't have monthly usage caps like other ISPs are starting, since they have more than enough capacity.

I have over 20 devices connected to Internet at home. They aren't going to conflict with each other. There are some things like Google Drive/Dropbox and backup services that do syncs using 200-300Mbps or more. While torrenting content is usually not legit, I can get 500Mbps from single computer. Legit video services are thinking about using torrenting type technology to deliver content. Netflix/Amazon 4K TV (UltraHD) streams coming will use 15+ each stream, they'd probably do much higher if more people had Gbit. Google TV allows up to 8 DVR recordings and up to 4 TV boxes using about 15M each channel = 180Mbps max. Is not realistic a home will do all of that at once but when many occur at once, they won't limit the top speed of each service/capability.

The other big advantage of fiber is low latency, especially the way Google designed it. After a few Mbps, low latency makes web browsing faster than more bandwidth. Low latency is also important for VoIP, interactive video and online gaming. Gfiber latency/ping is 1-2ms in KC and up to 30s/40s to the coasts. TWC and others are much higher.

Another thing is the way Google designed the backend of the network. The neighborhood level is not significantly oversubscribed like other Gbit ISPs are doing. ATT Gigapower shares 2.5Gb GPON across 64 Gbit users - there's a good chance they will conflict with each other at prime time. Google is doing a more robust hybrid fabric (called GPON/WDM-PON) that allows everyone to have near a Gbit even under heavy neighborhood loads. I heard under most extreme neighborhood loads, they are still targeting 800M per household. Google also has their own longhaul network between cities before it hops to other providers. They have nodes in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, SLC, San Jose that reduces latency and boost performance to the coasts. They could reduce further if they add more nodes on E Coast.

More detail here. You can see the googlefiber.net nodes across country in the traceroutes...
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r294025 ... erformance

[SWFan]

Back in July and August they ran the fiber through the conduit installed earlier this year in our neighborhood. I thought for sure we'd have installations going through the winter, but got an email from the GF team stating that likely we wouldn't see anything until next summer.

On a side note, Time Warner called me and wants to give me a new modem, upgrade me to 100Mbps with 300Mbps upgrade coming sometime between Jan and Mar; all for no additional cost. Looks like they are feeling the heat from GF.