Frequently Asked Questions

How does Verizon High Speed Internet work?

Verizon High Speed Internet takes advantage of "Digital Subscriber Line" ("DSL") technology and a standard telephone line to connect you to the Internet. It divides your phone line's bandwidth so Internet data is carried on the high-frequency band and voice communication on the low-frequency band. That means you can surf the Internet and talk on the phone at the same time.

What does "Mbps" mean?

"Mbps" means millions of bits per second, or "megabits" per second. It's a measure of your Internet connection’s "bandwidth"—the total amount of data that flows through the connection in one second.

Will I share my Verizon High Speed Internet connection with other users?

Verizon High Speed Internet provides you with a dedicated connection to the Verizon Central office so you don't have to share your local access connection with other users in your neighborhood.

What affects my connection speed?

When you connect to the Internet using Verizon High Speed Internet, the speeds that you will experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including the following:

1. Distance of your line from a Verizon Central Office
2. Condition of telephone wiring inside and outside your location
3. Computer configuration
4. Network or Internet congestion
5. Server and router speeds of the Web sites you access
6. Other factors

Will I need an additional phone line for Verizon High Speed Internet?

No. Your Verizon High Speed Internet service will be installed on your existing phone line. This means you can talk on your phone or fax simultaneously and access the Internet at the same time.

Will my phone work if my modem loses power?

Yes. The modem is designed so that your normal telephone service will operate even if the modem is unplugged or otherwise disabled.

How do I order Verizon High Speed Internet if I already have Verizon Online Dial-up service?

If you already have Verizon Online Dial-up service, call us at 1-888-588-0875 to order Verizon High Speed Internet. If you have dial-up service from another provider (such as AOL, etc.), you can order Verizon High Speed Internet online.

Is Verizon High Speed Internet available on my phone line?

You can find out right now by entering your phone number on the Check Availability page or in any of the boxes throughout the site that say "Check Availability". This process helps us determine if your line is eligible for Verizon High Speed Internet. Activation of Verizon High Speed Internet to your location is subject to final confirmation of service availability.

Why can my neighbor get Verizon High Speed Internet, but I can't?

Verizon High Speed Internet is a distance-sensitive technology that works solely over copper phone lines. Currently, Verizon High Speed Internet is only available to customers residing within approximately 3 miles (up to 18,000 feet) from their Verizon Central Office. In addition, customers must be served over copper wires. Some wires may be capable of handling Verizon High Speed Internet and others may not, even in the same area. We're currently working to overcome the distance limitation so our service is more widely available. So, while you may not qualify today, it is possible that you could be able to receive it in the near future as the technology improves.

Can I change my phone number to get a phone number that qualifies for Verizon High Speed Internet?

Unfortunately, a telephone number change does not change your physical telephone line.

If one number doesn't qualify, will another number at the same location qualify?

Please check the availability for any of your telephone numbers. It is sometimes possible that a customer location could have more than one telephone line, so one telephone line might qualify while another telephone line does not.

Do I have to have Verizon local phone service to get Verizon High Speed Internet?

No! We offer Verizon High Speed Internet service WITHOUT Verizon local phone service for anyone who does not have or want home phone service. Find out if you can get it right now by checking your address.

How do I "self install"?

First check to make sure that your computer meets the Verizon High Speed Internet minimum system requirements. After you place your order, we will send you a self-install kit. The kit will walk you through the installation process, including installing your modem, using filters, and downloading your Verizon High Speed Internet software. Instructions are included in the kit, and we're always here to help you with our 24/7 live technical support.

How long will it take to install my new service?

Installation time can vary, however, we recommend that you reserve about one hour. Your self-installation kit includes an easy-to-follow audio-visual, installation CD.

How can I check the status of my order online?

It's simple. All you have to do is use our Order Status Tool at www.verizon.com/residential/checkorder.

Can I host a Web page?

Yes. Verizon High Speed Internet plans include 10 MB of Web space and you can also use our Web Builder Tool.

Can I hook up more than one computer with a single connection?

Yes. Verizon offers home networking solutions. To learn more, please visit our home networking site.

Can I access the Internet if I'm traveling?

Yes. Verizon offers Remote Internet Access, so you can dial-up and access the Internet and your e-mail when you're away from your primary connection. Additional charges apply. You can also access your Verizon e-mail from any computer with an Internet connection by using Verizon's email - at no additional charge.

What happens to my current email account when I switch to Verizon High Speed Internet?

Your service from Verizon includes a free subscription to TrueSwitch software which can forward all of your emails from your old account to your new account for up to 30 days. It even copies over all your old emails and contacts.*

TrueSwitch lets your friends and family know you've moved by sending out email messages informing them of your new email address.

*Accounts may be copied from the following ISPs using the TrueSwitch ISP migration services, furnished by Esaya, Inc: AOL, ATT Worldnet, AT&T yahoo, Charter, Comcast, Compuserve, Cox, EarthLink, Gmail, Juno, Mac.com, MSN/Hotmail, Netscape, OptOnline, PeoplePC, Yahoo email accounts; TrueSwitch is subject to Esaya's Terms of Service and other conditions. Available to Windows PC users only; see additional service and account restrictions when you sign up.

When do I get to choose my home page?

After you've placed your Verizon High Speed order, you'll be able to select Verizon Yahoo! or Verizon with AOL® during the installation process.

Do I have to use Verizon Yahoo! or Verizon with AOL® as my home page?

No. You can use any Web page you would like to. If you don’t want to use Verizon Yahoo! or Verizon with AOL® you can use Verizon’s personalized start page.

What are the minimum PC specifications for Verizon Yahoo!?

Verizon Yahoo! is made to run efficiently on today's most popular computers. To use Verizon Yahoo!, the minimum requirements are:

1. Minimum of 650 MHz Processor Speed
2. Minimum of 64MB of RAM (128MB recommended)
3. Minimum of 125MB of free hard drive space
4. CD-ROM or DVD drive
5. Windows XP/Vista

Does Verizon Yahoo! software support Macintosh?

Only Web based Yahoo! features are Macintosh compatible. However, Verizon High Speed Internet does support Macintosh and provides a Personalized Start Page for users who do not want to or cannot use Yahoo!. Check out the Verizon High Speed Internet minimum system requirements for Macintosh.

How does Verizon Yahoo! help protect my children from inappropriate content on the Internet?

As any concerned parent knows, the Internet is one of the best tools available for kids to access useful information and fun entertainment. However, there are also places and content on the Internet that are not appropriate for young eyes.

While there's no substitute for adult supervision and teaching kids good common sense while they're online, Verizon Yahoo! offers free Parental Controls and some of the best anti-spam tools online. In fact, Yahoo!'s Parental Controls have recently been awarded The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval and iParenting Media's Hottest Products Award.

Parental Controls provide fully customizable filters for many different age ranges and can be activated by the account holder and applied to each individual user of the service.

You want to keep your kids safer online and Yahoo! Parental Controls will help by providing you with powerful filtering tools and useful Internet safety tips. You can find out more about Parental Controls by accessing the My Services area from within your Yahoo! Home Page.

How does Verizon Yahoo! help safeguard my computer against viruses, spyware and/or hacker attacks?

With the frantic pace of work and family life, we know that most people don't have much time to spend thinking about Internet security. However, it is becoming an increasing concern. That's why Verizon Yahoo! offers free e-mail AntiVirus protection and computer AntiVirus to help protect from viruses that may enter through downloads, file sharing or CDs. Many virus protection software products will remove dangerous e-mail attachments, should you try to open them. Verizon Yahoo! takes virus protection one step further, by helping to prevent viruses from even making it into your inbox in the first place.

With Verizon Yahoo! Anti-Spy, you can identify and remove unwanted programs on your computer -- programs that may be serving you "pop-up" ads, tracking your online behavior and even slowing your computer's performance. You will also have the option to install a free Firewall software package which will help block the most common unauthorized access attempts to your computer.

You will be able to find out more about these services by accessing the My Account area from within your Yahoo! Home Page.

How will Verizon Yahoo! help shield my inbox from spam?

Verizon Yahoo! Mail offers powerful protection through SpamGuard Plus, which redirects junk mail into a customer's bulk mail folder. Additionally, Verizon Yahoo! members can further improve the effectiveness of the spam filtering capability by tagging those messages that are considered spam. Over time, the Verizon Yahoo! spam filters learn what you personally consider to be spam and will become that much more effective in keeping junk mail out of your inbox. In addition, Verizon Yahoo! offers AddressGuard, a spam feature that allows you to create hundreds of disposable e-mail addresses. This comes in handy particularly when you need to provide your e-mail address to people and companies you have no history with. Instead of giving out your permanent e-mail address, you can give out a disposable e-mail address. That way, if the disposable e-mail address is abused in anyway, you can simply eliminate it to stop the spam from reaching your inbox.

Do I need to use Verizon Yahoo! if I already have an e-mail account with Yahoo!?

If you are already have a "you@yahoo.com" e-mail account, you can continue to access your mail separately if you wish. However, we highly recommend you give your existing you@yahoo.com account all the benefits of your new Yahoo!. This can be done at no additional charge by linking your "you@yahoo.com" account with your new Verizon Yahoo! account during the registration process. Just imagine all the added value you get from getting additional storage, premium spam functionality, premium virus protection, and more.

Yahoo! Mail users will also be able to receive messages from multiple e-mail accounts (including @verizon.net and @yahoo.com accounts) in a single inbox.

Can my Yahoo! Home Page be customized according to my preferences?

Yes! You'll find many tools to quickly and easily change the content, colors, and layout of your Yahoo! Home Page.

What if I already have an AOL account?

If you're already an AOL member you will continue to be billed by AOL at your current rate and you will continue to use your current AOL screen name, email account and software with your new Verizon High Speed Internet with AOL account.

What are the minimum PC requirements for Verizon with AOL?

The minimum requirements are:

1. Windows 98 or higher
2. 166 MHz Pentium class processor or higher
3. 32MB RAM (64MB recommended)
4. 205MB hard drive space
5. 800x600 screen resolution or higher (1024x768 recommended)

Does Verizon with AOL support Macintosh?

Yes. You can access AOL email, instant messaging, content and features from any Internet-connected computer at www.aol.com. You can also install free AOL software for Macs by visiting http://downloads.channel.aol.com/macproducts.

How does Verizon with AOL help protect my children from inappropriate content on the Internet?

AOL's powerful Parental Controls automatically help safeguard your children from contacting strangers, accessing inappropriate content or using the Internet without your supervision.

Parental Controls include these important features:

1. You decide whom your children receive mail from and IM with, and which Web sites they may visit.
2. Activity Reports sends you an email report detailing which Web sites your kids visited while using the AOL service, which sites they were blocked from visiting, and how many emails or IMs they sent.
3. Online Timer lets you decide how long, and when, your kids can go online with AOL.
4. Monitored Chat Rooms let children and teenagers chat safely in fully supervised kids' chat rooms.

How does Verizon with AOL help safeguard my computer against viruses, spyware and hacker attacks?

The AOL® Safety and Security Center is the most comprehensive set of free, automatically updating security tools -- protecting your whole PC, not just e-mail:

1. Always-on, always up-to-date virus protection
2. Automatic protection from known phishing sites* when you sign on with your screen name to the AOL® service
3. Spyware protection that scans more powerfully and faster than ever
4. A security barrier between your computer and the Internet with AOL® Firewall

What is Verizon with Windows Live?

Verizon Online has teamed with Microsoft to bring you an Internet experience like no other – Verizon with Windows Live. It combines the speed of your high speed internet connection, with the latest content, applications and features from Verizon and Windows Live at no additional charge. Learn more about Verizon with Windows Live Features.

How do I get Verizon with Windows Live?

You can get Verizon with Windows Live online by visiting www.verizon.net/getLiveNow and selecting the GET IT NOW! button.

How long does it take to install?

By visiting www.verizon.net/getLiveNow and selecting the GET IT NOW! button, you can immediately install, Verizon with Windows Live by downloading the software when prompted.

Do I have to install any software?

Yes. You can download the new software directly from www.verizon.net/getLiveNow. Select the GET IT NOW! button.

What are the minimum system requirements?

Before downloading the software, please first check that your computer meets the minimum requirements – as all computers may not qualify. Please note that Windows Live is not compatible with Macintosh computers. System Requirements

Can I keep my current email address?

Yes. Whether you have an existing Verizon Online, MSN or Hotmail email address, none of your email addresses will change.

Can I keep my current MSN 8 customizations?

Yes, an option in the Favorites Menu will allow for your previous favorites and customizations to be retained.

What should I do if I have questions after I install?

If you have questions specific to Verizon with Windows Live features, visit Help and Settings found in your Verizon with Windows Live browser toolbar. If you have questions about your Verizon with Windows Live service, use our Find an Answer tool. You can also get there by simply clicking on the Verizon Central icon found in your Verizon with Windows Live browser toolbar. From there click on Help and Support.

Does Verizon High Speed Internet include unlimited Internet access or will I be charged according to my usage?

Verizon charges a flat monthly fee for Verizon High Speed Internet service. You will not incur additional charges based on your Internet usage.

How do I know that prices won't change in the future or that I won't be charged for features that are currently included?

If you signed up for a 1 year plan, the monthly price(s) stated when you signed up will not change during that 12-month period.

Do I have to purchase a modem and pay an activation fee?

You may be required to purchase a modem and pay an activation fee, but those fees will be disclosed to you before you sign up for Verizon High Speed Internet.

Are Verizon High Speed Internet charges in addition to my current monthly phone bill charges?

Yes. Verizon High Speed Internet monthly recurring charges are in addition to your monthly telephone service charges from Verizon.

Is there a money-back guarantee?

Yes. Our 30-Day Money Back Guarantee provides that if, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied with any Verizon High Speed Internet product, you may cancel your service within 30 days of your service ready date and receive a refund for any fees you have paid to Verizon Online. We only ask that you return the modem and any other equipment we have given you within 30 days of cancellation to avoid any equipment charges.

What type of technical support is available?

We're here for you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Online tutorials, user guides, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and our extensive online help and support site are also available.

I'm already a Verizon High Speed Internet customer and am moving. How can I keep my service?

To learn how you can keep your Verizon High Speed Internet account when you move, please call your local Verizon business office.

When will my Verizon High Speed Internet service be active?

In most cases, Verizon High Speed Internet service is active five business days after you place your order. Verizon Online will send you an e-mail with your Service Ready Date once we receive your order.

When does billing begin?

Billing and your 30-day money-back guarantee will begin on your Service Ready Date, which is the date your Verizon High Speed Internet service is activated on your phone line and is ready for use.

How will I be billed for Verizon High Speed Internet service?

Your Verizon High Speed Internet charges will appear as a separate itemized charge on either your telephone bill or credit card, depending on which billing option was available to you or the one that you chose.