 Review by techwench 
Posted: 1.9 years ago
member for 5.4 years, 1262 visits, last login: 123 days ago
 Mckinney,Collin,TX
 $45 per month
 "About the only good thing about them is that they don't use PPPoE"
 "Too many to list here, but the last straw was my 9kpbs upload speed"
 "Houston already had RR, Dallas already had Comcast...why swap the two out?"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
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I'm a former Comcast customer in the DFW area. We had absolutely no problems with Comcast whatsoever - the speeds were excellent, and the connection was rock solid.
Ever since the TW takeover, we have had nothing but problems (not even counting the missing channels and on-demand content cut by 2/3 for TV).
We did receive plenty of warning about when the switch was gonna happen (approximately), and about how long it could be expected to complete (grossly underestimated). However, after 3 months, things are still crawling over here.
Webmail has never worked properly. There's a delay on when the messages get forwarded from Comcast (thankfully, I still have access to comcast.net webmail). Their mail servers don't support IMAP, so webmail is my only option. When it's busted, I'm SOL.
We have lost our cable link light on the modem multiple times. It seems to go down at least twice a month.
The download speeds have been averaging around 3mbps (was getting 9mbps through Comcast). The upload speed dropped to a whopping 9kbps (yes, you read that right, KILObits per second). I can get a faster upload speed on dialup.
Not to mention the fact that the rates are going up, and we're actually LOSING services!
I can't take this anymore. I've already got my DSL connected, and will cancel roadrunner on Monday. I just wish I had line-of-sight for satellite TV so I could get rid of TWC completely.
Followup comments:  timpinson
join:2001-08-17
Dallas, TX
 ·AT&T DSL Service
 ·RoadRunner Cable
edit:
January 6th, @09:44PM
| Been There I had Comcast for 2 and 1/2 years and service was great, speed was excellent and reliability was perfect! Time Warner came to Dallas and took over the whole thing the first of August and after a month on Septembet 3rd my internet went out and would come on for a few minutes every hour or so. After 8 techs out to my house, 3 line technitions out on the poles, and numerous phone calls with these people regarding this situation, on October 3rd I switched over to DSLExtreme/AT&T DSL and I've been up and running every since. I had SWB/Yahoo DSL before I went to Comcast/TWC but I got their cable TV service and they kept on about their speed so I made the switch. Worked great when Comcast had it, but as soon as Time Warner took it over everything went downhill. I wish I had never switched over and stayed with DSL like I had to begin with. What a drama the whole thing was! Time Warner's tech support totally sucks and after constantly being told over and over again the problem with the connection was me and my computer, I just couldnt take it anymore! It's obvious now what the problem was, and I've take care of that. The cable TV has been fine since day 1 but knock on wood it will be ok. I just have the basic at $11.35 a month because I'm not a big TV person, thats why I keep it. I'm more into the internet. I dont know what happened with Time Warner but I can see them not doing so well in the Dallas area. Even a couple of their techs told me they liked working for Comcast better so what does that say. I been with DSLExtreme now for a few months and I'm very happy with the service. Hasnt been out once! | |
| dadarkside
Premium
join:2006-05-20
The Moon
| RoadRunner took over Comcast, yes... But they didn't rebuild or reroute or replace the Dallas market infrastructure. They are using the exact same infrastructure Comcast had in place. Loosing link was not likely caused by the transition, but by some kind of hardware issue with the cable plant. Stuff breaks on occasion. (not excusing it, trying to help understand is all)
The webmail is an interim solution, you just don't import 10 million e-mail accounts in the space of 6 months without significantly upgrading or modifying the mail platform.
(I'm referring to the acquisition of Adelphia and those e-mail accounts as well)
As for TW TV options, they cannot, by law, use all of the same feeds Comcast was using. Each MSO has contracts with the programming providers, and TW, most likely, has to fold in their own programming and, quite possibly, acquire additional.
Anything this size takes time, and issues do develope. It's unfortunate you had to experience some negative impact from the transition, but I do believe, given a little more time, it will be smooth sailing.
Saddened to see you go though. Good luck. | |
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techwench
I Work For Food
Premium
join:2003-06-26
Oklahoma City, OK
·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: RoadRunner took over Comcast, yes... dadarkside , thanks for replying.
I know the physical infrastructure is still the same. But, in my book, that's about all I can say for it. Unfortunately, I don't have any before/after screenshots anymore (otherwise, I would attach them), the traceroutes were all over the place. And DNS has been up and down and extremely slow as well. I actually had to switch out to my work's DNS servers. While some things are the same, some things definitely have changed, and for the worse, IMO (i.e. my 9kbps upload speed).
Things may improve with time, but honestly, I can't afford to wait on them for who knows how long. I work in the IT department for an ISP. That being said, I also need to VPN into work and 9kpbs just won't cut it for upload speeds. I know how shitty network changes can be (been there). I also know that things break (done that). But, I also don't expect people to stay with us when we fuck something up.
As far as TV goes, I am aware of the licensing issues with TV feeds/providers. But, how long have they known this was going to happen? How long has it been since the takeover? Considering the combined time, how hard would it have been to try to strike deals with the providers, to at least try to get at least similar programming hashed out before the takeover? Or maybe it just wasn't even an option? If it was never an option in the first place, with 1/3 of the content I used to get, where's the justification in raising the rates again this month?
PS: I know my $120/mo doesn't mean anything to TWC (just like our customers' $40/mo doesn't mean anything to me). Which is why I also never threaten to cancel, I just DO...then review.  | |
| | | 
wifidude
@rr.com
| Re: RoadRunner took over Comcast, yes... The cable modem service in the north Dallas suburbs have always been twitchy but they have generally been reliable and inexpensive. Back when AT&T ran the network, it took forever for them to offer service out in the exurbs. But, at least it was fast for the time (2Mb/s) and cheap ($35/mo). When Comcast took over, the speed went up (3Mb/s and then 4Mb/s) but so did the price ($45/mo). THat's fair.
The TWC switchover has been a scourge on the land. For ONE WEEK, I either had no connectivity or intermittent connectivity that lasted about 15 minutes before my modem connection would drop. I called Tech Support and they were no help; they said they would have someone out in ANOTHER WEEK! The connection eventually came back about 2 DAYS later and I cancelled the appointment.
But, that's not the end of the story. Since then, I have noticed ny download speeds during the evenings are slower than before. They then jacked my rate up to $55/mo. I called Customer Care and had them change my plan so that it would be lower. At the end of the month, I check my bill online and there is this $11.95 surplus between the bottom line on the bill and what all of the adjustments and new charges were on the E-Bill. I called the Billing department and they said it was some "special fee" for changing my plan and they could not remove the charge even though I could not see it on my bill!
I work for a big Wifi provider and we would NEVER accept this level of service coming from our organization. It is quite clear the TWC knows that they run a regional monopoly and are here to overcharge us. | |
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