What Is Fiber?

Optical fiber is a highly transparent strand of glass that transmits light signals with low attenuation (loss of signal power) over long distances, providing nearly limitless bandwidth. This technology enables telecommunications service providers to send voice, data, and video faster and more reliably than older copper-based services like DSL and Cable.

In short, this means Sonic can provide blazing fast Gigabit speeds to its customer's on a highly reliable Fiber Optic Network, all for a great price starting at 49.99/mo.

What Does "Gigabit" Mean?

The term "Gigabit" is in reference to data transfer rate (also known as bandwidth). Sonic Gigabit Fiber affords up to 1,000Mbps (Megabits per second) or 1 Gbps download speed. That is a whole lot of bandwidth! To illustrate just how much bandwidth we've made a small list of common streaming definition and their recommended streaming bandwidths:

• 720p: 2.5-5Mbps connection
• 1080p: 4.5-9Mbps connection
• 4k UHD: 20-35Mbps connection

For the majority of folks, the most bandwidth intensive activity on their network is video streaming. On Sonic Gigabit Fiber, if you stream UHD video on 10 devices at the same time, you'll be using approximately 20% to 35% of your available bandwidth. Whoa!

Wi-Fi vs Ethernet

Wi-Fi is a convenient and, at this point, ubiquitous method of connecting to the internet. Phones and tablets rely solely on Wi-Fi for connectivity. Laptops are fast relinquishing Ethernet ports in favor of Wi-Fi. Smart TV's, gaming systems, streaming devices (such as Rokus or Firesticks) all connect to the internet wirelessly. Wi-Fi is awesome!

However, with regard to Sonic Gigabit Fiber, Wi-Fi is a bit of a bottleneck. In our tests, speeds can vary from 100-200Mbps at longer ranges or with significant Wi-Fi interference, up to 600-900Mbps with a modern laptop using a strong Wi-Fi connection. However, even at the lower end of speeds, 100Mbps is still sufficient for almost any normal internet browsing or streaming.

Ethernet is the optimal method of connecting to Sonic Gigabit Fiber internet, specifically with regards to speed and stability. Ethernet does have its drawbacks, the most evident of which is the fact your computer is literally tethered to the Router. However modern Ethernet cables like Cat 6 and Cat 6E are not as susceptible as Wi-Fi to interference and Ethernet is able to achieve true Gigabit speeds, making Ethernet the best option for connecting devices that aren’t typically mobile but need strong, consistent internet connections. (Smart TVs, gaming systems, desktop computers, printers, etc.)

Fiber Equipment

All equipment below is provided by Sonic for Sonic Gigabit Fiber customers. 

Eero

- Sonic Gigabit Fiber utilizes Eero Wireless Mesh routers to provide fast and reliable WiFi speeds. Renting Eeros is optional but strongly recommended as there are additional perks afforded to customers who rent the device! You can learn more about the functionality and available Eeros models here. 

ONT (Optical Network Terminal)

- The ONT provides modem functionality as well as phone services for our Fiber products. The ONT is not rented and is provided as part of the fiber install and is generally installed indoors or within a telecom closet and must be adjacent to a power outlet. Click here to learn more about the 601qv and AdTran 411. (Future ONT page linked here!)

Troubleshooting Your Fiber Service

If you are experiencing an issue with your Sonic Gigabit Fiber service, Sonic Customer Support is available to assist you everyday 6am to 10pm PT. They can be reached by phone at 888.766.4233, by email at support@sonic.com, and by SMS at 833-836-0300. Below are a few troubleshooting steps for common service issues you can take (if you're so inclined) before reaching out to Support. 

Slow Speeds

Slow speeds on Sonic Gigabit Fiber are most commonly due to a bottleneck on your device or local networking equipment. You can learn more about troubleshooting slow speeds over Ethernet and WiFi here: Troubleshooting Slow Fiber Speeds Over Ethernet, Troubleshooting Wi-Fi. 

No Connectivity

If you have no internet connectivity on any of your devices, check the following:

• The LED's on the front of the Eero : If the service light is red then the Eero has lost its connection to the internet. Usually it only takes rebooting the Eeros to resolve this. To reboot the Eero, unplug it from power for 30 seconds then plug back in. 

• Check the cables : Make sure the Gigabit Ethernet cable is securely seated into the Ethernet jack on the wall, and into the red Gigabit WAN Ethernet port on the Eero. Also confirm the Eero is plugged into a power outlet.

• Bypass Third Party Devices : Rule out a faulty third party device by disconnecting from the network any Wi-Fi extenders, switches, routers, hubs, etc and test the connection on a single device connected directly to the RG.

• Reboot the ONT : If the above doesn't resolve your lack of connectivity issue, you may want to reboot the ONT. To reboot the ONT you'll need to unplug it from the UPS for approximately 30 seconds, then plug it back in.

 See also: Troubleshooting No Signal

Voice Issues

• No Dial Tone : Dial tone on Sonic Gigabit Fiber comes through the internet, so if you're experiencing internet connectivity issues there is a good chance you'll experience voice issues as well. Rebooting the ONT would be the first step in that case. If you aren't experiencing internet connectivity issues but have no dial tone then you'll want to check your phone. Confirm your phone is plugged into the phone jack, the phone cord isn't damaged and if the phone requires external power that the phone is plugged into a power outlet. If you have another phone to test with that would be a good troubleshooting step as well. 

• Garbled Voice : If you experience garbled voice on multiple phones then rebooting the ONT should resolve the issue.

• Cannot Be Called : If you are getting reports of people not being able to call your Sonic Gigabit Fiber landline there are a few things you can check in hopes of resolving the issue. If you have confirmed all of the below then there is a chance there is a routing issue on Sonic's network. To correct the routing error you should report the issue to Customer Support within 24 hours of an instance of the issue occurring.
  • Confirm that the calling party is dialing the correct phone number (including area code).
  • Confirm that the calling party isn't blocking Caller ID information. And if they are, that you don't have Anonymous Call Rejection enabled.
  • Confirm that you have dial tone.
  • Confirm that you do not have a call forward in place.

• Cannot Dial To an International Number : International dialing is disabled by default, you can enable it in Member Tools. A guide on how to do that is located here. If international dialing is enabled and you are still unable to dial internationally, confirm you are dialing the correct phone number. If you are dialing the correct phone number please give Customer Support a call to report the issue, there may be a routing issue on Sonic's network.

Again, these are just simple troubleshooting steps that resolve most issues. You should be able to perform these steps easily at home on your own. If after performing these troubleshooting steps your issue(s) are not resolved please reach out to Customer Support for assistance.

Wi-Fi Issues

Please see our Troubleshooting Wi-Fi page for help with wireless connectivity issues.