Internet "braodband" suckage... :mad:

[Tex Arcana]

Well, as a few of you know, I got AT&T Wireless Broadband Internet back in June, which works via a 900Mhz radio aimed at a tower, etc., etc.

Well, it sucks. Bigtime. Blow major chunks. :throw:

Anyway, I've already contacted AT&T's corporate offices, to try to resolve this. The wife wants SOMETHING reliable (that's up more than three minutes--then down for three, consistently), we really need it for no only bill pay, but for her business orders, and my real estate coursework. I would rather have something akin to DSL speeds, but if this continues, we're either headed back to 26k dialup (:vomit:), or possibly ISDN.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. AT&T Corporate called me today, asked me to wait a couple days, while they find a way to make things right for me. I'm about ready to call the credit card company and deny ALL charges for the wireless "broadband", simply because they've totally failed to deliver even basic customer service, and just deal with the dialup. I did hear something about "U-Verse", but they told me it's not available here yet. :(

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent, and any suggestions are appreciated. :tu:

[bluesvt]

Sucks to hear that, we have sbc/att and my only prob is when someone is on the cordless phone since I am on a wireless card I loose connection. The main comp never has had a problem with it though.

[SILVER2000SVT]

FWIW...

I was having problems with my charter cable internet (big surprise here:rolleyes: ) for the past 3 months. Really irritating because it would be up for a couple of minutes then down for a couple of minutes. When it went down, the cable light would turn off on the modem like it wasn't receiving signal. Well one day I inspecting the cable modem and I squeezed the case a little and the cable light turned off. So that got me thinking it may be the modem and not the signal. I called a tech in to check my signal because I didn't want to buy a new modem out of my own pocket if it wasn't the problem. Well the signal check out good, even when the modem turned the light off. Turns out that the modem was rebooting itself but not doing a full power reboot. It would take a couple of minutes to realize there was a problem, then another minute or two to reboot itself. Once we feel like we diagnoised the problem I went and bought a new cable modem at bestbuy and everything is working fine again.

[Tex Arcana]

Well, last set of discussions I had included putting in a reflector (hasn't happened), and raising the antenna even further, to improve signal--again, hasn't happened. They were supposed to call me yesterday and today to let me know what the status was, and I havn't heard anything yet.

However, I *did* get a response from AT&T Corporate this morning, who listened to me, and said she'd call back this afternoon--which she did!! :eek2: They've offerred to take out the wireless broadband, and switch me to the AT&T Sattelite Broadband Service, which is run by an outfit called "Wild Blue", which a friend of mine googled a few weeks ago, and found their customer service problems are worse than BWDs; so I countered with them paying for installing ISDN and providing me a modem, and she said she'd run it by the bosses, and get back to me Monday or Tuesday.

We shall see.

Anyone have experience with satellite broadband?? Does it suck? Does it go out all the time?

[Silver_2000]

Anyone have experience with satellite broadband?? Does it suck? Does it go out all the time?
Everyone I know that has tried Sat has been unhappy
Latency is BAD.

I would give them the chance to address the antenna issues - see if that helps

[Tex Arcana]

Everyone I know that has tried Sat has been unhappy
Latency is BAD.

I would give them the chance to address the antenna issues - see if that
helps

That's the thing: I don't know is they are addressing ANYTHING!! :hammer: I never hear from them, I have to do ALL the calling, and I have to go thru the same rigamarole every time, just to get some half-assed answer that really doesn't answer anything. If they were to bother to call me on a fairly regular basis to keep me informed, I wouldn't be at this point. THe only indications I get are the PingPlotter plots I get, and they tell me that they haven't done squat.

As for the sat broadband: I managed to do some research on them, and they do blow major chunks: they will get you signed up, then throttle you back significantly and THEN tell you that they changed your plan without warning, and at that point you're screwed because you signed what amounts to a one-way contract, in their favor. :hammer::vomit: Not a damn chance I'm getting into that, I'll put up with dialup first.

When the lady calls back on Monday or Tuesday, I'll tell her "no" to the satellite, and ask instead for either waiver of install fees for ISDN, or a refund of the last 4 months of service.

This is truly the WORST customer service I've ever seen in my life.

[Silver_2000]

go places like DSL reports (http://www.dslreports.com/) and check out 2nd tier providers

I was able to get DSL for some execs from second tier ( non phone company) in areas that others said it wasnt available

One company was called megapath (http://www.megapath.net/)

Doug

[Tex Arcana]

go places like DSL reports (http://www.dslreports.com/) and check out 2nd tier providers

I was able to get DSL for some execs from second tier ( non phone company) in areas that others said it wasnt available

One company was called megapath (http://www.megapath.net/)

Doug

I've never had success with DSLReports, except with thier CO distance calculator. Last time I tried to find anything, they told me I could only get IDSL at $140 a month. :hammer:

I hit your "megapath" link, they say I can get DSL from them, we'll see when they call me (or vice-versa, most of these smaller outfits never seem to care if they get new business or not). I might try for some ISDN action from them if the DSL doesn't cut it.

I hit WildBlue's site yesterday, and put in my info, and got an email from them; they claim they're not accepting any more new business until their new satellite is up, they say March 2007. What was really funny, tho, is the email said that they were going to have some supar-sekrit one-day-only signup in December for certail "select" people. :rolleyes: All this means to me is it's not available to me NOW, and I need a fix NOW. More ammo for me, hm? :d

[Silver_2000]

in my work archive I have the name of the megapath sales guy that sold i2 CEO the dsl back in the day

Doug

[Tex Arcana]

in my work archive I have the name of the megapath sales guy that sold i2 CEO the dsl back in the day

Doug

Damn, did it involve tin cans and birds? :rll:

Thanks for the info, I hope I can make something come of it.

In case you're wondering: I can't do chat, thanks to this damned off/on :Bullshit, it kills the chat programs. :flaming:

[Silver_2000]

In case you're wondering: I can't do chat, thanks to this damned off/on :Bullshit, it kills the chat programs. :flaming:
Wasnt wondering :evil

[Tex Arcana]

Wasnt wondering :evil

:hammer: bastdatidge!

fake edit: this post brought to you by Ubuntu. UBUNBTU: Linux for the Masses! :d

[Tex Arcana]

update: Got an email from MegaPath today, returned his call, we'll see where this leads.

Also got a call from the AT&T corporate gal, told her the WildBlue thing was unacceptable; she accepted that, and said she's working on getting things in place to help pay for ISDN. Again, we'll see.

[dboat]

update: Got an email from MegaPath today, returned his call, we'll see where this leads.

Also got a call from the AT&T corporate gal, told her the WildBlue thing was unacceptable; she accepted that, and said she's working on getting things in place to help pay for ISDN. Again, we'll see.

Tex, at least she called back...

[Tex Arcana]

Tex, at least she called back...

Oh, absolutely: total of six or seven calls from AT&T Corporate, from three different people, means they really are working on making it right. Chances are they're reaming the wireless "broadband" bunch with a rather sizeable tool for this snafu. Whatever, as long as I get a truly reliable connection when it's done, and I get at least something back of the money I've wasted on those jackasses.

[dboat]

Oh, absolutely: total of six or seven calls from AT&T Corporate, from three different people, means they really are working on making it right. Chances are they're reaming the wireless "broadband" bunch with a rather sizeable tool for this snafu. Whatever, as long as I get a truly reliable connection when it's done, and I get at least something back of the money I've wasted on those jackasses.

:tu: :tu:

[Silver_2000]

With a dish, broadband goes rural


http://news.com.com/With+a+dish%2C+broadband+goes+rural/2100-1034_3-6135417.html?tag=nefd.top

[Tex Arcana]

With a dish, broadband goes rural


http://news.com.com/With+a+dish%2C+broadband+goes+rural/2100-1034_3-6135417.html?tag=nefd.top


Google "WildBlue", and see what sort of "practices" they have... they're worse than the outfit I have now. Thanks, but no thanks, I'll do ISDN or dialup first.

Appreciated the link to MegaPath, he called today, but their offerings are a bit out of my reach atm. :(

Edit: The AT&T gal didn't argue much when I told her the WildBlue/AT&T offer wasn't acceptable, methinks she already knew that wasn't going to be an option, based on thier track record. Oh, and an out-of-the-blue call to WB resulted in a message telling me they weren't accepting new customers until March of 2007; but that I would get a "supar-sekrit" opportunity for a one-day signup in December. :rll: First, bait-n-switch tactics; then acting like they're desirable?? :evil