Review by dvarona 
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 9 years, 985 visits, last login: 6 days ago
 East Elmhurst,Queens,NY
 $199 per month (12 month contract)
 about 36 days
 Verizon
 "They seem to have improved some poor behaviors I've read about, like poor customer response"
 "Out-of-normal-parameters installations will probably slow things down"
 "Speakeasy is a great ISP, but the install can have problems even from their end"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I ordered a 1.1Mbps SDSL with 4 static IPs, 2 e-mail addresses for $199/mo with a 12 month contract. Modem is a SpeedStream 5250. Perqs were: free X-box or PS/2, $149 Covad rebate for $150 modem, and $125 rebate for a $225 install. Sounds nice, eh?
Pre-Sales information: pretty good. The website tells you almost everything you need to know. However, the sales force is ready to say yes to just about anything to get you to sign up. 9600 feet from CO? "We can get you 1.1Mbps" but I'm only at 87% of that (consistently). The written guarantee is only for 80%. "$150 rebate from Covad" but they don't tell you be sure you fill it out and send it in even if you don't have an install completed because the time to get it in will expire before your line is installed.
So I was legally supplied with everything I needed, but I still feel cheated. Thus BE SURE TO READ ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THEIR WEBSITE when you sign up so that you can back out if you want to instead of feeling stiffed later. The sales force also told me I could use a phone number that I was disconnecting to qualify for service, but didn't tell me it would cause problems... more below.
>> Install Co-ordination: not so great, but I expected that. Verizon doesn't give a hoot because they're the phone company. Waiting for the Dance of the Three Providers takes some time. So I did have problems: Verizon couldn't seem to find me and I had to spend Yet Another Day away from work waiting for them. My out-of-normal-band situation caused problems here. Details below.
>> Connection reliability: absolutely no problems, other than somewhat-less-than-1.1Mbps. UPDATE (12/9/02): I've been reading the graphs wrong. My 960kbps does not include the overhead, which when added in, comes pretty close to the 1.1Mbps rating.
>> Tech support: friendly, helpful, responsive-- but clueless in some ways. After Verizon missed me the first time, the web status showed there were problems and I needed to provide new dates. I called to do that... the tech rep took the information... and it went nowhere. The web status updated a few days later to formally ask me for the same information again. Hmmm, should I respond to status page or just wait for the e-mail? It was a little confusing because there were other times I didn't know whether I should do something or wait for an e-mail request. Recommendation: wait for the e-mail.
>> Mail, DNS, News: good, but would be better if newsgroups were not capped. I don't want them badly enough to pay more for them, especially since they're getting to be mostly crap and spam, but $199/mo doesn't include unlimited newsgroups? I get 1GB (presumably total downloaded bytes) with the price. I'm having trouble accessing it too or changing my password... maybe it comes after the payment?
>> Value for money: Okay. It's a premium service, 1.1Mbps with 4 static IPs and an always-on connection, but boy do you pay for it compared to other services like cable or Verizon DSL.
My installation problem seemed to be cause by a qualifying number that was disconnected. I was moving from the 3d floor apartment (of a 3-family building) down to the first floor. I wasn't going to keep the land line phone because I've decided a cell phone is all I need now.
The whole reason I signed up with Speakeasy was because my former ISP (XO Communications) no longer serves home users, even though I've been their customer for nearly 3 years. For them to move my former separate loop SDSL service to the first floor they would have had to roll a truck and merely move two wires from one set of posts to another in the outside box. "No we can't do that" they said. Heck I could have done it if I wasn't trying to follow the durn rules. So I canceled my service with them and called Speakeasy.
I explicitly told the sales person that the number I was using to qualify was being disconnected and would that cause a problem? "No that's okay" she said. It was valid for qualifying the distance because the same junction box serves all three apartments.
Little did she know... Verizon is supposed to come out two weeks later and do the install, but they claim they can't find me. Bullcrap, I was home for the whole day. I mention to Speakeasy that my contact number (my cell phone) is NOT the same as my qualifying number. They pass that to Covad. The next service date, over two weeks later, Covad calls me: "Verizon can't find you, are you at home?" "Yes, I'm standing at my front door." "They'll call you" but they never did, just showed up 2 hours later.
When they get there and make noises about how they had the wrong number and were directed to apartment 3 instead of 1... which could only have happened if they were given the qualifying number as the sole source of all information. Good thing I decided to point out the number difference to Speakeasy, eh?
So the install was delayed for more than two weeks because Speakeasy didn't recognize the possibillity of a problem. Since SDSL doesn't require an installed phone line to work, why isn't there an alternate way to qualify? I will admit that my situation is currently unusual, but it can only become more common as people switch to wireless for phone service.
Other than that, I'm very happy with Speakeasy so far. The faster speed (from my former 768/384) is noticeable and crisp. So here is the Pointed List Of Recommendations From Donald Concerning Speakeasy Internet DSL Service:
>> Read all your info on the website after you order-- you can back out if you want
>> Send your rebates in early
>> Beware of unusual situations
>> Don't fully trust a sales rep who just wants to get you in the door
Update 08/05/2003: As an ISP, I have to say that Speakeasy is the best. I like just about all of their features: spam filtering (80%, it's not perfect but better than nothing), good newsgroup access, high uptime percentage, continually good throughput, no PPPoE, no download caps, no single-computer requirements, no server restrictions or port blocking. Why can't Verizon deliver? If they provided this level of service, they might actually have customers flocking to them, but alas they seem only to be able to play the Monopoly card.
Update 09/13/2007: I finally terminated my Speakeasy service. SDSL 1.1 is limited to about 10,000 ft; originally I was under that number at about 9,400 ft but somehow, over the past two years, 2,000 ft of extra loop length has appeared between my stationary house and their stationary CO. Back in May the signal started degrading, dropping out for a while then coming back. Speakeasy sent someone out to diagnose it, and told me that I was too far from the CO.
Howdathappen? It was working just fine for almost four years.
I was moving anyway (new Covad ISP review coming soon!), so I canceled the service back in July after a month or two of spotty service that gradually got worse. Eventually I was up only about 25% of the time. I put up with it because cable is worse, Verizon is unacceptable (128kb upload is broadband? lazy greedy company there), and I was moving. Been without service for almost two months, but I'm all moved into my new place.
The best part: I'm within 4,000 feet of the CO! ADSL2+, here I come.
--dv
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