I am in the process of switching out from Xfinity to Gigabit Fiber in San Francisco. I live upstairs in a multi-unit building. Currently comcast enters the building into the garage and from there the signal goes to my unit over coax where I have my Docsis 3.0 modem and router. Running a fresh Cat5e line from garage to my unit is going to be problematic, HOA issues etc. Any Ideas on how I can make my setup work?
We can't deliver our gigabit service over coax, so that wouldn't be an option. Best bet will probably be to order service and meet with our installer on site - they'll go over the path with you, and work to find a low-impact way to get either Fiber or Ethernet to the unit. Sometimes that's simply impossible and we have to scrub the install, but that's pretty rare.
Regarding HOA issues or for those in apartments, in San Francisco the municipal code requires that tenants have the right to select the internet provider of their choice. And, state law thoughout California mandates that building owners allow renters to select the telephone company of their choice.
So, both for internet access and for the phone service that comes with Fusion Fiber, you have a right to the service - even if that means running a new cable through or around a building.
Of course, our goal is not to fight with building owners or managers, but we do want to make sure that tenants understand their rights. It thus becomes a collaborative effort to find the best neat and tidy and safe way to get the new fiber service installed.