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 Review by bbingurnee 
Posted: 32 days ago
member for 6.1 years, 313 visits, last login: 11 days ago
 Gurnee,Lake,IL
 Business customer
 $109 per month (24 month contract)
 about 7 days
 "Quick and solid installation - no issues and timely appointment"
 "None yet"
 "Excellent and consistent performance (so far)"
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10/09 Run a small business from my home and moved to Comcast due to DSL issues caused by excessive loop length. Implemented 20/5 service with static IP very successfully. Service has been stable to date and performance consistent. Speed is very solid but there is a higher latency than I was used to on AT&T DSL. Not objectionable but different. Will update after I have had a longer experience.
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Review by DarkLogix
UPDATED: 103 days ago
member for 1 year, 428 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Baytown,Harris,TX
Contract price not specified.
"fast and no cap"
"SMC crap router"
"if the cost isn't an issue go for it"
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I switched from 6/1 resi service to 16/2 business service
If they could go back to using cisco instead of the SMC I'd be much happier with
just a simple cisco 1805
only problem with the install was that they showed up in the morning while I was cooking a pizza (I requested saturday but didn't expect 8am)
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Review by erifax
Posted: 106 days ago
member for 8.9 years, 1191 visits, last login: 2 days ago
Fort Collins,Larimer,CO
Business customer
$71 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
"Good customer service, fast connection, static IP's"
"Questionable-quality gateway (SMC8014), unannounced downtime makes it unsuitable for servers"
"Pretty good bang for the buck"
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I have Comcast Business 6mbit/1mbit with 5 static IP's. It runs off a SMC 8014 gateway.
Good points:
* Customer support is good over the phone
* You can get static IP's with your own reverse DNS
* It's fast.
Bad points:
* Some questionable coordination
* The SMC 8014 sucks; I'd rather use a modem/bridge and my own router
* Occasional downtime for maintenance that's unannounced, you shouldn't expect to be running servers.
They make you sign a contract for service. This works out well for both parties in that you get a guaranteed rate for the life of the contract and they get a customer for a fixed period.
Comcast Business uses authenticated RIPv2 to announce customer routes. This requires a specialized configuration in the modem and because they won't reveal the authentication key, it prevents use of a standard modem and separate router. This also caused me some headaches when Comcast "accidentally" re-provisioned a bad modem from my site to another customer *without* clearing it first; both my new modem and the "bad" old modem were announcing the same routes and causing the CMTS to go wild. Luckily tech support caught this fast and got the installer at the other location to clear out the other modem while he was on site.
I've been happy with Comcast's email support as well. I had a 1 minute turnaround (not kidding) on an email request for a RDNS change on a Sunday afternoon. That's pretty amazing.
Overall, I give Comcast a 4/5 on all categories.
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Review by cybiko123
UPDATED: 133 days ago
member for 342 days, 114 visits, last login: 39 days ago
Richmond,Henrico,VA
$55 per month (24 month contract)
about 3 days
"Fast most of the time"
"Modem will sometimes lock up completely requiring a reset"
"Good value for what I pay, but those who pay more get the same substandard hardware"
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Overall, Comcast is a decent ISP. Installation went well, although the installer didn't know I was supposed to have a static IP (or what a static IP was, for that matter). Latency is low a good amount of the time, but after a while things will slow to a crawl, eventually requiring a modem reset. Tech support has been a mixed bag. Some reps know a lot, some only know their script. Most are somewhere in between.
UPDATE June 29, 2009
On June 27, we had a lightning storm, which ended up frying the modem. So I called in and scheduled a modem swap for the next day. A pretty simple process, and one that should take little to no effort (other than a few minutes provisioning the new device and setting up its static IPs). We were signed up for the 11 to 3 window. For some reason, it took Comcast until 4:45 PM to even tell us when a tech would arrive. It then took another 30 minutes for the tech to actually arrive and swap the modem. That wasn't what I had a problem with, though. I had to call in at least 15 times throughout the day before I was able to speak with the local dispatcher; other than that, the only contact that I had with Comcast was through the phone reps in Philadelphia.
On a side note: I should have been able to swap the device myself by bringing it to the local office like any residential customer can. The fact that I can't is thoroughly annoying. It would have saved us at least 8 hours of downtime, which, as a business that relies heavily on the internet, would have been very beneficial.
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Review by csnyder
UPDATED: 139 days ago
member for 2.1 years, 33 visits, last login: 6 days ago
Grand Rapids,Kent,MI
Business customer
$99 per month (12 month contract)
about 14 days
"Speeds as advertised, excellent tech support, good reliability"
"Speed fluctuations inherent to cable Internet services, residential division works on/messes up the same network"
"Feels like a different company than Comcast's residential services"
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I switched to Comcast after having a horrible time getting Covad to fix our business-class DSL line. While I had heard some bad things about Comcast's service (all on residential services), I figured it couldn't be any worse than the crap I was getting from Covad. Thankfully, I've been pleasantly surprised by Comcast's service.
Installation (which did take longer to set up than I would have liked, but I was impatient because I had to deal with an unreliable DSL line in the meantime) was performed by a competent tech. We were quickly up and running at our rated speed of 16/2.
After about a week of flawless service, things started to go awry, with brief outages. These were the same kinds of problems we had with our Covad line, so I had the chance to compare the two companies' tech support on equal footing. Where Covad's "techs" (more like human-flow-chart interfaces) could not be convinced that there was a problem, Comcast's tech immediately acknowledged the problem, and seemed almost more distraught about it than I was. A tech was dispatched that afternoon to replace the modem, which solved the issue.
I also had the opportunity to test Comcast's tech support when I called to set up reverse DNS records for our /29 static IP block. They were knowledgeable and prompt - the PTR records were set up (and even query-able) before I was off the phone with them. My only gripe there is that they were unable/unwilling to set them up as CNAME records (pointing to our own PTR records), which means that if I ever need a PTR record changed I need to call rather than changing our own zone configuration. It's technically possible to do so (Covad set ours up that way), but it's not a big deal - the records won't change often (if ever), and dealing with tech support is fairly painless.
Overall, I've been impressed. While the infrastructure is the same as for their residential services, they clearly prioritize their business-class customers. We're paying 3/4 the price that we were for our 6M/768k DSL line, and getting better service as well.
UPDATE June 22, 2009:
A couple of weeks ago, our line went dead, and I heard some scratching sounds from the side of the building. Going outside, there was a person wearing a "contractor for Comcast" polo shirt near the service entrance. I asked him what he was doing, and he replied that he was going around and disconnecting inactive lines to deter people from getting free cable. When I replied that the line was, in fact, active, he was surprised, and referred to his records that showed a residential line that was terminated a few years ago. While he was correct (we used to have a residential line), the business line was very much current. He was very confused, saying, "I don't know why your Internet connection went down - I just disconnected the cable." My co-worker and I tried to keep straight faces as I assured him that we do, in fact, get our Internet service over that very cable. I convinced him to leave it connected and called Comcast Business tech support, who seemed to recognize and correct an error in their records and assured me that it would never happen again. This is probably the biggest strike against Comcast Business - their residential techs and contractors work on the same lines.
This past Thursday, we had an outage that lasted most of the afternoon, which I suspect it was caused by tree-trimming that was going on in the neighborhood. Comcast's tech support response was acceptable: they sent out two techs (contractors, but much more competent than the idiots the residential division relies on), who arrived about two hours after I reported the outage. They inspected our line and determined that it was a larger Comcast system issue, which they (being contractors) could not address. The line was up again an hour or so later. While any outage is annoying, we aren't paying for a five-nines SLA, and their response was prompt and professional. Assuming that this sort of thing doesn't become a regular occurrence, their reliability score remains high.
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 Review by Cjaiceman
UPDATED: 160 days ago
member for 5 years, 531 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Aurora,Arapahoe,CO
$189 per month (24 month contract)
about 1 days
"Fast constant speeds, no usage caps, exchange server, Office 2007, REAL tech support, static IP addresses available,"
"runs over the same infrastructure as residential connections, contract, cost"
"Great connection for the heavy/power user or a business that needs a real internet connection with speed"
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In my last review I had stated that I had Comcast's 8800/768 connection. I was happy with it but needed faster upload speeds, and I was getting close to the usage cap every month. This brought me to Comcast Business. I contacted the business department to get prices and contract info.
I was presented with a few options, a 6/1 connection for $59/month with a 1,2 or 3 year contract. The 1 year I would have to pay for the install fee, but the 2 and 3 year contracts they would waive the install fee. They also have a 16/2 connection for $89/month with the same contract setup. I opted for the 16/2 with a 2 year contract. They also offered me 5 static IP addresses, but I declined stating that my Motorola SB5100 (which I own) was more than fine and very reliable. The rep made it so I keep my DHCP address, but I do get 5 of them on my SB5100.
**If you do wish to get the static IP address you are required to get their SMC cable modem/gateway device.**
Since I was keeping my current cable modem and firewall setup the rep was able to get around having a truck dispatched. The rep then e-mail me my contract, I signed and faxed it back. Within 6 hours I had the new config file sent to my cable modem and I was hooked up with the new speeds.
The rated speeds are 16/2, but the provisioned speeds are 17.2/2.2 after powerboost is done. Powerboost at that time was allowing me to climb up to 32/3 for the first 150MB on download and 40MB on the upload.
After about 3 months I moved from my old location to my new home and had my service transferred. I called up my rep and they put up everything to make sure the transfer went very smooth. The day I moved in the Comcast Business tech showed up and hooked up my lines. The service has been very smooth since then, and I have only had 1 outage, but it was from 1 AM to 3 AM.
Comcast has recently upgraded my area from DOCSIS 1.1 to 2.0 in preparation for DOCSIS 3.0, which has given me grater powerboost speeds. I now get about 35.5/3.8 on powerboost.
Edit: They turned DOCSIS 2.0 off again due to major issues everywhere.
Along with the great connection you also get to register a domain name which points back to your webspace for a website, you get an exchange server with an e-mail address for your domain of your choice, real tech support that understands the technology, and an account rep for general questions and problems.
Overall I am very happy with the connection and the service that has been provided and would recommend it to anyone that needs more of a connection that a standard residential connection.
Update: Comcast has turned DOCSIS 2.0 back on finally after what seems an eternity. I now get about 30-35 Mbps download and 10-11 Mbps upload durring powerboost. In early march I called in about getting faster speeds when DOCSIS 3.0 comes to Denver and found out I can get the 22/5 right now. I ordered it, and they upgraded my config file. Everything works great and I get 24/5.5 sustained speeds. Comcast attempted to give me their SMC 8014, but it underperformed and was not right for my setup, they also had not turned D2 back on yet so I was getting about 24/3. In early april they turned it on in my area and I was blazing along. I upgraded from my SB5100 to a new D3 SB6120 that I purchased online. After a quick call to tech support they put it on my account and I am now D3 ready. I am going to upgrade to the 50/10 when made available. I will update again after that happens.
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s9cVqSXQ_I
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Review by upgradetime
UPDATED: 186 days ago
member for 6.1 years, 9 visits, last login: 186 days ago
Miami,Miami-Dade,FL
$61 per month
about 160 days
"You call tech support and they send someone"
"The person they send is not a tech so there is nothing but wait"
"You have to put up with their crap working or not and pay the bill. Still better than DSL."
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They have no idea of who is doing what or when. They outsource so much of the work that most of their services are sold by ex employees on the sidewalk. People that would knock your door and try to sell you the service illegally because you know its not worth having it otherwise.
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Review by Skandalis
UPDATED: 276 days ago
member for 1.7 years, 72 visits, last login: 109 days ago
Bloomfield Hills,Oakland,MI
$89 per month (24 month contract)
about 3 days
"Extremely helpful sales staff, connection has been rock solid, above average comcast speed."
"original modem sucked (replaced by self owned modem), Tech support sometimes frusterating ( highly dependent on when you call)"
"Would suggest doing buisness with them if you need better service than standard residential."
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Previously I had been using Covad Business DSL .07 (as they list it) which had a static IP and a speed rating of 3.0Mb/768. I however was only receiving about 60% of my total speed and they told me that was "within spec". I was paying 109.99 a month for services that were not competitive in my area at all. My contract ends 06/19/08 and as such I had to start looking for a replacement. I originally switched from Comcast residential to Covad back in 2006 due to unsatisfactory service. After reading some good things about Comcast Workplace and also having fantastic service at my business from them I decided to replace Covad with Comcast Workplace at my home. I currently am experiencing well over my rated speed on a regular basis regardless of PowerBoost. My speed tests are returning an average speed of 21 Mb down and 3.3 Mb up. My service agreement lists speeds of 16Mb/2Mb. I was told during sales that business clients are must less limited in their bandwidth. Compared to my old Comcast Residential line, I find that statement fully reliable. Currently, my service has not been down once. The first gateway I received from Comcast was a piece of work! It was so bad that I instantly went out and purchased my own Surfboard 5101 to replace the Netgear gateway they gave me. Overall, I will be sticking with the Comcast business plan until I have a reason to change. All I can say from experience is that if everything stays as it currently is, I will be an EXTREMELY satisfied customer. Nice work Comcast, you finally provided the service that will keep customers happy.
Update: January 28th, 2008:
My service just recently got a whole lot faster although i am not sure why. I am now frequently pulling well over 20mb down and 4.2mb up even when powerboost wears off. I have had no service interruptions, however it should be known that the entire building is on standby generators and the server room is powered by APC backups. We have not seen any slow downs with our service and the speeds are nearly constant. Currently we are paying $89 a month for service and have opted for full voice service also (prepping a review). I am very satisfied with my service choice; so far so good.
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Review by megawhizz
UPDATED: 305 days ago
member for 7.6 years, 129 visits, last login: 87 days ago
West Bloomfield,Oakland,MI
$85 per month (12 month contract)
about 10 days
"Fast, reliable service"
"Abyssmal pre-sales. If I had another choice I would never have gone with comcast"
"Service (so far) is better than what I was expecting (and I had low expectations)"
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I chose comcast amongst all my choices (namely comcast, comcast and comcast). Too far for DSL, no other cable provider. Personally I prefer the smaller ISPs. Ordered the "Standard" business package with 1 static IP additional. $79.90 + $4.95 per month.
8/7/08
=====
I have had comcast for about a week now. I will post serial reviews as I gain more experience.
Pre-sales and Installation:
* They provide minimal information on their website, so all communication was via e-mail back and forth and phone calls.
* The sales rep was eager to get my business. However she was not very knowledgeable. Made up answers to questions she was unsure about, and when I prompted her to ask someone who knows, got back to me with the correct (I hope) answers.
* Sales rep promised order to live time of 3 to 4 business days. Actual time: 8 business days
* Sales rep promised an SMC Wireless Router as the internet gateway. Finally I was supplied a non-wireless model. When I called comcast to complain, I was told that I was misinformed, they never provide wireless gateways to business customers.
* Installation tech came on time as promised, and did a good job of neatly installing cables, etc.
* I was provided with zero papers/manuals on how to set up my static IP, e-mail, configure NAT and port-forwarding, etc. Had to call comcast to get that info. In fact I wasn't even told what number to call for tech support, had to ask my sales rep for that.
Service
* So far the service has been fast, stable. I have been able to set up my SMTP server, reverse DNS on IPs, etc.
* Comcast (sales rep) promised no filtering or blocking, and I have seen none so far.
* Hopefully comcast will support my SMTP server and not write me off as a spammer when I start sending out my newsletter. That is my greatest anxiety at present.
Tech Support
* Promise 4 hour turn around time, 24x7. Have not used this service yet, but seems reassuring
* The basic tech support answers the phone very quickly, but expect 30 min wait times if you are transferred to a higher level, as I needed for my reverse-DNS setup
* Tier 2 tech support is knowledgeable and polite. Work quickly to solve your problem.
Overall, sales rep was poor. Avoid her if possible (can I name names here?). Service seems reliable and fast, good value for money (though I signed up for the more expensive 1 year contract). Will keep you posted as time goes by.
Update 1/7/09
==========
I continue to get excellent up/down speeds with no significant downtime. Very happy with the service. Have not had to call support yet, so no feedback on how responsive they are.
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 Review by wolves01
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 6.9 years, 2356 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Crystal Lake,Mchenry,IL
$181 per month (36 month contract)
about 45 days
"Internet works good"
"Using this sevice could end up costing your business big time."
"Sometimes you get what you pay for."
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Update 10/21/2008
I returned the Cable boxes after not being able to get any resolution on the TV issues. Now I've come to find out that clients calling from within my town cannot get through to me, or send a fax. Apparently this is not an urgent matter to the tech support team over at Comcast. I am going to try and get out of this contract and go back to AT&T. Just remember, sometimes you get what you pay for. I've learned a valuable lesson here.
10/10/2008
I wanted to get Comcast Business Class service for my small office to take advantage of faster internet and more reasonably priced phone service. They had to extend the service to my building before the service could be installed. The first install appointment failed because Comcast never put in a request to port my numbers from AT&T. I finally had the service installed yesterday. I was amazed at how smoothly the phone install went. Everything worked right away and my business wasn't down for even 1 minute.
The TV install did not go nearly as well. We are not able to receive many of the HD channels that we should be getting. I called support several times and was transferred, put on lengthy holds, and cut off a few times. I was also promised call backs that never occurred.
I've been very happy with my Comcast home services for a few years now, except when I needed support. If you never needed support, I'd say Comcast is wonderful. However, things don't always go as planned and sometimes you need help.
Quite honestly, I think Comcast should outsource their support to India. They can be difficult to understand at times, but they could easily provide better service than the current bunch here in the U.S. Sad to say, but true.
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