 Review by Mospaw 
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 7.8 years, 4484 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Henderson,Clark,NV
 $29 per month (12 month contract)
 about 2 days
 Sprint
 "Reliable and stable"
 "Slow. Much slower than cable. For the same money, you can do better."
 "If you need speed, get cable. If you don't care, it's a good choice."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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UPDATE: Embarq still can't provide the speed I need. And we're in a new (2 years old) community so you'd think they would have the latest and best stuff. Maybe we're too far away from the CO. Who knows? I'm not going to worry about it. I've got COX HSI and couldn't be happier. So unless COX really blows it, I'm not even going to consider Embarq again.
Previously....
I gave up my Embarq line. I never had an issue with it going out or other problems such as latency. it was a painfully slow connection and Embarq verified that I was getting all the speed I could at any price tier for DSL. I decided to go with cable instead, which was the same price, but far faster. Roughly 10 times faster, actually.
So, while I cannot say anything really bad about my DSL service, I can't recommend Embarq when other better solutions exist.
Previous review:
I've only had Sprint DSL service (through EarthLink) for a few weeks. I would have preferred to have cable, but kept getting the run-around about when it would be ready in our community of newly-built homes.
I called Sprint on Thursday, asked about what deals were available, and signed up for the $29.95 a month plan with speeds "up to" 1.5 down. The deal required me to have a cell phone with Sprint, which I needed and also got a good deal on. Regular price is $49.95 a month without the deal. I'm required to keep the service for a year or pay a $99 penalty. I can handle that.
The modem arrived on Monday and installation was a matter of taking it out of the box and hooking it up. Literally five minutes later I was online. The wait was 2 business days. That's EXCELLENT! To this day, cable is still unavailable.
The speed leaves something to be desired. I'm getting consistent 512/128 speeds. Not terrible, but not what I'm used to. Downloads take longer, and surfing while on my VOIP line sometimes causes quality issues with the calls. Other than that, I'm happy and barring any serious problems, will probably keep the service even after the contract expires.
Followup comments:  
bugrad71
@spcsdns.net | Maybe I can help with DSL speeds 1. Check that you have a CORRECTLY installed DSL line filter on EVERY phone, and EVERY item that uses a phone jack.
2. Check that the line going into the PC or DSL model ALSO has a DSL filter.,...after that...speed goes way up! | |
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Mospaw
What time is it again?
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-08
Las Vegas, NV
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Embarq
Host:
Road Warriors, Not..
All things Macintosh
Automotive
| Re: Maybe I can help with DSL speeds Thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately, I confirmed with Embarq that the speed I was getting was the highest possible they could give me. Actually I could sync at 640 or something like that, bit I was limited to 512/128. Oh well.
If Embarq could have provided more speed, I would have stayed a customer. | |
| | | mutesounds
join:2006-06-22
Hickory, NC | Re: Maybe I can help with DSL speeds Sorry to hear about your problems with Embarq. Out where I live, it is my only choice for HSI. Luckily I can receive the full 5 mbit offered. Good luck with cable  | |
|
Johnny Vegas
@embarqhsd.net
| Upload degredation during Embarq Switchover, Streaming Audio Some 5 years ago, I tried DSL in the Vegas area. For that time I enjoyed excellent service. Almost 2 years ago, I started doing live audio streaming on the internet. At best, my peak upload would be 256k continuous to the host server (I would often throttle that down even). Since Embarq took over, I now notice a continuous, periodical glitching every second or two, in my feed which translates to all my listeners. After doing Embarq's upload test, I see, (as my feed also indicates) a 'bursting' effect.
Based on my own experience, when you see a pattern like that, it usually involves someone introducing some kind of compression technology, be it hard or soft, in order to start cramming more stuff down a line. I've been down this same road before in the 90s when I worked in a recording studio and did live hard disk recording. If you didn't have a continuous DMA access the a drive, such as a maxtor (which used a 'bursting' protocol), you ended up with intermittent data.
Bursting-style technology is certain death to virtually any video or audio feeds unless the available bandwidth (be it a serial modem transmission, a parallel buss, or WHATEVER,) is so rediculously high that it's unnoticeable.
Bottom line is, I challenged Embarq on it, to no avail. Their recommendation was a business solution (side note - go look at their business section on their website... The Webmaster needs to get off their butt and finish it). Today, I'm going to look up the cable company and give them a shot.
For the record:
1. I'm 5 meg down 640k up.
2. I can literally throw a rock and hit the substation.. my distance is about 100 feet.
3. It worked fine right up until Embarq got a hold of it.
... And I have a feeling this is one of those things that their illustrious Engineers have set up for, sold somebody in upper management on, and I'm shyt outta luck.
Sorry Embarq, you just screwed the pooch on this one.
If anyone else out there has a similar problem... I feel your pain.
Regards,
Ticked of Vegan.
P.S. DSLReports I love your site and appreciate your work. I've found it to be a valuable resource over the years. Thank you. | |
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Anoymus
@clearwire-dns.net |  Price
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