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Review by mikek753 
UPDATED: 82 days ago
member for 7 years, 743 visits, last login: 73 days ago
 San Jose,Santa Clara,CA
 $52 per month (12 month contract)
 about 10 days
 SBC
 "tech. support"
 "price, customer support"
 "customer support waiting time is killing, don't match Comcast $19.99 price"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
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(ratings match consensus)
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I didn't rate Tech. Support so there isn't Customer support categories.
Tech. support - tech. people are great, where Emerging product dept the same as bad. Waiting time on phone usually more then 30 min then they will ping-pong you to another one and again another 15 - 30 min waiting then after 1 hour they will tell that order was placed and in the next two weeks you'll see these changes. But after 2 week nothing happened. I called to Tech. Dept. and was told that they can't do much so my "profile" still has old data and I need speak to Emerging people that just they can allow do something to tech. So, I'm again waiting on hold about 30 min to talk to Emerging dept. (1-888-884-2375).
Update 08/2009:
In the past years Comcast increased speed and lowered price. The last offer from Comcast was $19.99/month for 12 months for 12mb/s, where SBC wants $34.99/m for 6mb/s
I was not ready to drop SBC/ ATT, but soon I'll.
Why to pay more for less speed?
the price includes land line.
Followup comments:  
Logan 5
Some people go WAY over the top
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-25
The WasteLAN
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| Price Matching for Broadband? Since when has there been the expectation that "Comcast must match AT&T pricing" or "AT&T must Match Comcast's"?
Both of those companies try to run a profitable business which means that they put out a product at what they feel is at a fair market value but it's obvious that you don't feel that way...
Playing one against the other because you aren't willing to pay the price that everyone else does is kinda Sleazy IMHO plus you are trying to compare DSL and HSI which are two completely different technologies...
If you absolutely *have* to try and lowball for the cheapest price you can get, at least do it with a company offering the same type of technology as the one you are trying to get the low price from.
And yes, I am a happy AT&T DSL user... been that way for over a decade now.....
No wonder AT&T wouldn't give you the time of day when you tried that with them.... what were you expecting?  | |
| | k1ll3rdr4g0n
join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL
| Re: Price Matching for Broadband? said by Logan 5 :Since when has there been the expectation that "Comcast must match AT&T pricing" or "AT&T must Match Comcast's"? Both of those companies try to run a profitable business which means that they put out a product at what they feel is at a fair market value but it's obvious that you don't feel that way... Playing one against the other because you aren't willing to pay the price that everyone else does is kinda Sleazy IMHO plus you are trying to compare DSL and HSI which are two completely different technologies... If you absolutely *have* to try and lowball for the cheapest price you can get, at least do it with a company offering the same type of technology as the one you are trying to get the low price from. And yes, I am a happy AT&T DSL user... been that way for over a decade now..... No wonder AT&T wouldn't give you the time of day when you tried that with them.... what were you expecting? To criticize the review, Comcast's offer for 12 months will go up more than what AT&T wants for the highest DSL speed.
But to defend the reviewer, AT&T does not have their shit together, period. AT&T's records are out of date, their CSR is as useful as talking to a brick wall...I mean its just horrible. In fact, if I didn't talk to the guy at the CO, Homer Glen to THIS DAY still would not have DSL due to the fact some lardbutt can't keep the records up to date. AT&T claimed that we couldn't get DSL because we had a duplexer or something on our line (which we didn't) which prevents the use of DSL. The tech at our CO was sympathetic enough to call his supervisor and they got it worked out through him.
I honestly think that AT&T could be infinitely more profitable, but they just don't care.
Services works great when it does work....but you better pray you NEVER have a problem because if you do - the only way to actually get someone who cares would either be a EECB or a BBB report. | |
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Review by setaylor
Posted: 155 days ago
member for 7.9 years, 828 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Sonoma,Sonoma,CA
$36 per month (4 month contract)
AT&T
"cheaper than Comcast"
"Awful customer service"
"Avoid like the plague unless you are broke or desperate"
| Pre Sales information:
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(ratings well below consensus)
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I install highspeed Internet for many businesses and individuals. I cannot tell you how horrified I am when I hear "they just signed up with ATT".
Rarely has an installation gone smoothly, especially if there's something tricky like you used to use Earthlink DSL and now you are switching.
One hand does not talk to the other, and those hands are all in the 3rd world. Once you get through their overloaded call center, you invariably get transferred, often dropped, then told to call another number that is no longer active. Each time you have to start from scratch.
This is NOT a high-tech company. They are good at advertising and billing. They are awful at provisioning, awful at technical service, and awful at internal coordination.
PLEASE do yourself a favor and don't cheap out if you can at all avoid them.
Followup comments: 
mike73
@pacbell.net
| wrong impression of att Sound like you work for the cable company, I used to do some work for them. But even Time Warner is an At&t customer, we sent all the converter box activations thru DSL because time warners own system was too unreliable. Most of us techs had satellite and DSL at home.
Since ATT was bought out by SBC the call transfers to the black hole have almost disappeared. I always get a english speaking person quickly. All my installs have gone smoothly and troublefree. Have you read about comcasts install experiences lately? | |
| 
Technogeez
Gone but not forgetting
Premium
join:2007-01-20
1 edit | Is this legit? Too bad they can't have UVerse... which is working great for me...!
--
Read your contract and TOS before signing anything. | |
| setaylor
join:2001-12-27
Sonoma, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| Well, I'm legit at least in my own mind No, I don't work for Comcast, and yes, my complaints are legit.
Where ATT drops the ball completely is in their customer service phone-routing-from-hell to every third world cheap labor country they can exploit. Given that they are a phone company, you would expect this merry-go-round to at least work...but they drop transfers left and right.
Uverse is nice if you can get it, but the customer service aspect still looms.
Comcast will roll a truck same day if you're a business customer, at least around here. ATT? Good luck, and only after finally getting to the right person.
I'm only calling it like I sees it as an IT consultant. I have no real complaint against their technology or the reliability once properly installed. It's the support that's the problem, and that's a management issue. | |
| 
royphil345
Premium
join:2004-12-10
Lakewood, OH
clubs:
| Good DSL... Haven't had the best luck with service... I've noticed maybe 3 or 4 short interruptions of service in 5 years...
AT&T DSL is very reliable, but the service can be very poor. Took me 3 calls to get them to properly subscribe me to the service plans I wanted... and they kept blaming me for probably not being clear with the last person. The customer is always wrong at AT&T i guess... when they repeatedly try to jack up your bill a little. Why would repeatedly blaming me using the exact same words be part of their training? Hmmm... this seems to happen often... Could it be maybe INTENTIONAL? How much clearer than "this is the only service I want and this is the price on your web site... no additional options" can you be???!!!
If you ever have a billing issue, God be with you. If you ever have a technical problem, the guys in the AT&T room here will take EXCELLENT care of you. For gosh sakes... don't call though.
And for the record... outsourcing call center jobs does not exploit workers in other countries. They live like kings compared to the other people in their country and actually have a higher standard of living than an American with a minimum-wage job. Who outsourcing and illegal labor exploits is the American people who are subjuct to a treasonously and often illegally manipulated job market. Supply and demand... The lowest bid always wins in "globalism" and the status quo will becomes the lowest standard of living in the world. What we are seeing now is the American economy and standard of living adjusting to treasonous "globalism" and the issue not being addressed. Both parties in the 2-party system fraud have agreed to keep the issue "outside the box". | |
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Review by sjshaffer
Posted: 221 days ago
member for 2.9 years, 15 visits, last login: 128 days ago
Oakland,Alameda,CA
 Business customer
$80 per month (12 month contract)
about 14 days
AT&T
"Tech sent to connect the line was top rate"
"missed 3 appointments couldn't tell me when between 8AM and 8PM they'd arrive. Horrible line sync rate and even worse data."
"Last resort for data. Gotten much worse to deal with."
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I'd like to be anywhere but with AT&T. Comcast is supposed to trench for cable in my street.
The order process took nearly two hours on the phone for a simple POTS line and hte fastest DSL they could deliver (sadly the line syncs at 2 Mb/s and our VoIP quality is unacceptable at best).
THey missed a 12 hour window for the first install (Friday). Came by Saturday but the door wasn't open so they didn't stop. Finally showed up on Tuesday with an excellent tech and we were up in less than 5 minutes.
We were told we'd have 3-6 Mb/s but now they say they can't get us better than 1-3 Mb/s. The line syncs at 1984 Kb/s but throughput is in the 750Kb/s so our VoIP is unacceptable.... Come on Comcast.
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Review by sfsunny
UPDATED: 264 days ago
member for 9.3 years, 50 visits, last login: 234 days ago
San Francisco,San Francisco,CA
$40 per month
about 7 days
AT&T
"Easy self-install."
"Billing is very problems are VERY difficult to rectify. Slow service, spotty reliablility. Expensive for the bandwidth."
"Good value for those that want an AT&T bundle and have little computer skills. Billing and cust. serv. can be problematic."
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We have a Comcast High Speed Internet cable connection for our main broadband connection. We were looking to add dry line (no local phone service on the telco line) DSL as a back-up for the rare occasion when the cable connection goes down.
Various other DSL options were explored. We settled on AT&T because we had the equipment (2Wire 2701HG-B Gateway) from a previous DSL account through them. This would keep the costs down for the initial install.
We ordered the High Speed Internet PRO package with self installation. The earliest install date was in fourteen (14) days. It was early morning on the fifteenth (15) day before service was working properly. After several hours with tech support we discovered that AT&T had installed the service on the wrong wire pair at our location.
Accurate billing continues to be a major problem with AT&T. Billing errors are VERY difficult to rectify. It even went so far as service being disconnected (without prior notice since no land line is involved). I had been working with customer service for several months trying to straighten out the billing but was not having much luck. I was surprised to find out while speaking with customer service one day that my service was to be disconnected in the next 24 hours. There was no way to stop the disconnection at this point since it was "in the system" already. My only option was to install NEW service, with new account number, etc. on the same line. I figured this would at least put an end to the previous billing problems. Although it was two weeks before service could be installed on the same line.
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Review by astevens
UPDATED: 358 days ago
member for 1.9 years, 29 visits, last login: 96 days ago
Turlock,Stanislaus,CA
$59 per month (12 month contract)
about 90 days
SBC
"copper already ran..."
"down more than it is up. missed appointments.."
"even att techs say they suck and to get comcast if you can."
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Even the techs badmouth their own company. Don't even have dial tone on my line currently. This place is a joke. They do ok in areas where they compete with comcast, but where they compete with charter, they joke about charter sucking so bad they see no need to update anything. avoid like the plague if possible. tech was supposed to be here before noon, its 4pm and no dial tone and no tech yet 
basically if it rains or drops below 55 degrees, we loose even pots service.
tethering my blackberry has become the norm to get online with these shadey characters. lots of lies, lots of misrepresentation, lots of excuses about how they are working on it, well it has been literally over 36 months with the same problem and no resolve. now i do not even have voice service.
PLEASE NOTE: this is isolated to my area, as we have connections in other parts of the country that are flawless. please do not flame me saying how great your dsl is if you are in reno, or walnut creek or one of these areas where we seem to have no issues either.
Nice to see that the speed test our CO manager submitted from his home is an uncapped uverse. So glad to see that they fix up their own connections but leave the rest of us high and dry.
Followup comments: k1ll3rdr4g0n
join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL
| My suggestion So you have a bad experience, tell people who can make something happen.
Usually my first recommendation would be to goto the CO and talk to him about it. Seeing as you did that, work your way up the chain of command.
Send a BBB report.
Send a letter/email/call your town reps.
Send a letter/email/call to your state reps.
Usually by that stage someone high enough up has noticed and AT&T is going "oh #$@#%^@."
Remember though the first rule is always be polite and descriptive but short as possible (remember they have things to get done too!). "My phone doesn't work" vs "Here is my long 1 page sob story about how my phone doesn't work".
And do not forget to ask for compensation, and lots of it. This way it will entice AT&T to get off their lazy butts and go "oh, maybe we should send a tech out after all!".
My two cents, for what they are worth! | |
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 Review by elvey
UPDATED: 1.1 years ago
member for 8.7 years, 649 visits, last login: 35 days ago
San Francisco,San Francisco,CA
$80 per month (12 month contract)
about 41 days
AT&T
"The service of this Organized Crime Syndicate works when their SMTP server isn't blacklisted. Fast install."
"AT&T supports spammers, lies."
"Use a CLEC like sonic or dslextreme or speakeasy instead."
| Pre Sales information:
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My connection has been VERY flaky lately, and AT&T/SBC support was poor. The support folks I spoke with when I called can't do anything but follow a fixed script; giving them information about the symptoms I was seeing was useless; they refused to pay any attention. The direct support forum folks here provided the info I needed, but it took a couple months and couple dozen messages before they sent me the info I needed. (connection logs)
LYING IN WRITING TO ME AND THE GOVERNMENT
Before that, I switched from legacy DSL to the SBC/Yahoo Package, and was getting overcharged. They refused to fix it until my 4th appeal (2nd to the PUC, the California Public Utilities Commission - they regulate AT&T). During the appeal process, they lied, to the PUC, in writing, about what they had charged me - i.e. bald-faced lies about what was on the bills they sent me.
News server logs me off sometimes (e.g. when reading net-abuse groups).
Online order process contradictory about whether existing customers can order online.
Their SMTP servers are periodically blacklisted because their abuse department (see »[General] Hey SBC Techs, what's with abuse@pacbell.net? ) seems to have ~0 employees. Their support folk not only won't do anything about it, but even refuse to understand what it is to be blacklisted.
Yahoo and SBC support ping-ponged me back and forth about who was responsible when I tried to get them to fix a bug in their mail system. (Yes, it really was a bug, by any reasonable definition; SBC level 2 eventually (after 10 phone calls back and forth) asked Yahoo level 2 to look into it, and they said a few weeks later that they'd fixed it, but they hadn't.) The support techs here are aware of the bug and have failed to fix it. I ping them regularly (I've done so dozens of times) and they say they get in touch with the people responsible, but the bug never gets fixed.
See my mpower review for more about SBC's unethical business practices.
The employees do seem to try to do the right thing; the problem is probably short-term profit-maximizing middle and upper management, with the staff not willing/able to stick their necks out by doing the right thing.
It's poor value primarily because of the time I have to spend to get them to reverse overcharges from attempts at ripping me off!
THE FRIEND MOVES EPISODE
A friend moved recently. She had the DSL service move with her, so as to avoid the early termination fee, and SBC insisted on charging her $50 for the move.
PacBell was unable to provide the terms for the service documenting the charge - 2 floor supervisors were unable to provide any documentation (tariff or terms of service in ANY written form - online or by fax or mail) for the $50 move fee they required if I didn't want to extend the contract; asking what fees will be charged results in different answers from different reps; no this info isn't at »sbc.yahoo.com/terms/. They couldn't take the entire order; they required me to call back after the new line had been activated to order DSL at the new place.
They refused to honor the terms stated (because I asked about them) when I got DSL; the terms were: if I move, no problem: if the new place can't get DSL, there's no termination fee, and if it can, the contract term continues. Nope: have to commit to another year, they claim, and won't process the order otherwise. This is called bait and switch and is illegal. (IANAL)
The DSL was actually alive and running days before scheduled, which was good, except no one told me this; I happened to notice that the modem got sync.
PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES TO SPAMMERS.
It's because their Executive Management knowingly provides these services to criminals that I call SBC an Organized Crime Syndicate.
7/04 Update: Well, spamhaus reports they're harboring more spammers than ever - 54 spammers including a dozen hardcore spam gangs. The v. long thread linked to below shows exactly how they're responsible and shirk that responsibility. I have a monitor set up to detect DSL outages since a couple months ago. It's only had a few brief outages. Speed tests have been more variable, but never terrible- not like in the past..
4/05 Update: They're hosting more spammers than ever, per spamhaus. They do so knowingly - their senior management (e.g. the head of IP services at SBC) is aware of the details of the problem and refuses to resolve it. I have contacted him personally, so I can state this as fact.
Their port 25 blocking (which they apply very rarely) is a step forward, but it hasn't impacted the volume of spam coming from their network significantly, AFAIK. I'm told that they have one person who handles abuse issues, and that he has other responsibilities as well. They generally refuse to respond to abuse issues, but if they do, my experience is that their responses are at often misleading or dishonest and at worst are provably outright lies.
(Apropos the comments from CCMTech: He has my # and all the details, but SBC continues to knowingly harbor spam gangs using accounts that remain open for months and years; that is NOT what I call HELPING, but rather what I call hand wringing. And no, the billing issue was never fully resolved; when will SBC stop lying to the PUC?)
Update Oct05 Re.: Most recent SBC DSL install (typical $15/mo+POTS+fees+taxes deal) I've been (reluctantly) involved with: It took 41 days past the initial scheduled install date to get the service working. During that period, there was a 2-day complete loss of phone service. 6 service visits and 14 phone calls were required. And the billing was screwed up, as usual. Amazingly, the offshore techs have no ability to look up any of the calls, open tickets, etc. Oh, and they send me incorrect bills: for allegedly $15/mo DSL and POTS, I get $81 bills.
Update Jan06:
"I've had several people at ASI admit to me that there is a problem in SoCal with overloaded routers. They have severely oversold their service. They are VERY careful about admitting it. There has been an internal memo about it.. as one ASI tech told me. She told me there were at least 40 routers people are on in SoCal that are completely maxed out... causing our problems.. The next person at ASI I talked to, told me that the last person 'had told me too much'. Curious."
-cb90068 ( »/useremail/u/1156234 )
I'm filing a formal complaint against SBC at the CPUC(»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPUC) apropos the discrimination and some of the other issues above that are violations of CPUC regs.
For those who think I'm not credible, here's someone else's view, which I feel helps to back mine.:
"I am completely with everyone who thinks that the Bells are capable of incredible evil and are total monopolists who couldn't care less about any concept of ethics. Having been in the ISP business for over 10 years now, I have witnessed, first hand, the incredible nasty bag of evil we call "SBC". I have the scars and war stories to prove it, brother. I believe they will do anything and everything they can to destroy all competition and take over all communications to the exent that they can do so. I believe they will break any law that suits them and just give the government a cut of the proceeds by paying a fine. It literally doesn't matter to them." - anon "Industry_Pro" on dslreports.
Update September 2008: Well, they 'only' have a dozen unresolved SBL listings. Are they being responsible? No.
I took a look at one: »www.spamhaus.org/sbl/sbl.lasso?q···SBL66244, dated 22-Jul-2008, complaining of hosting of spammer landing page at URLs such as »pws.prserv.net/RoyaltyDividends/···age.html but in the months since the complaint was filed, did they terminate? No, the page is still up, on AT&T's network.
The executive leadership of AT&T should be rounded up and shot for their frontal assault on the constitution. See »www.eff.org/nsa/hepting for details.
»www.eff.org/files/small_att.png
Attachments:
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Review by schapkl
Posted: 1.1 years ago
member for 8 years, 9 visits, last login: 4 days ago
Pittsburg,Contra Costa,CA
$39 per month
AT&T
"Reliable"
"SLOW"
"Been on for 4 years, but dislike Comcast"
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I've been using AT&T DSL for 4 years, Originally purchased 384K down and 128K up as this was the only package available for my address due to distance from CO (~10k feet). AT&T refuses to up-grade the CO I am on, so 384k is the best I can get. I've called AT&T sales and they informed me that if I were to request DSL today, I would not be able to receive it as 768K is the slowest package available and my line does not support it due to an old CO that needs upgrade (something about the power needed to go the extra distance).
Today, my speed is 384K up and down, but I would like more for video (384k SUCKS for Internet video!)
Am looking into Comcast, but lately I have my reservations....
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Review by nietono
Posted: 1.1 years ago
member for 1.1 years, 2 visits, last login: 1.1 years ago
Fullerton,Orange,CA
$70 per month
about 10 days
"was cheap in the beginning"
"slow internet bad connection high costs"
"I really want to cancel but we need something with static ip so im stuck with it"
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Alright, it was around 30 a month for the first year. First 2 months was good, but not great. Then we needed a static ip, so we upgraded to express. Alright, first we were offline for a week to 2. Then we log in. Slooowww... I thought it was the router, so i swapped it twice. Both routers were the linksys 4port router. I tried direct connect, same speeds. I called them, took 2 hours to get to someone, was no help. They blamed my computer. So I lived with the internet for 2 years after that. Speed at that time was about 200-300 with disconnections daily. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they were installing new servers. a year past that, same slow speeds, but less disconnections. I called once more. Took a while again. They said my line was the problem and will send a tech to check it out, said there is 100 initial charge, i said no. I asked if the modem is too old, they will replace it for 300 dollars. I said no. At this time, they upped the charge to 64.99. I got pissed but my parents needed a static ip. So stuck with it. In a couple of months, it went to 69.99. I got furious, i pretty much yelled my way to the tier 3 people. He said it might be because my area was in a busy residential section, so i may experience slow connections. Well it can be true but every hour for 24 hours, i tested my speed. Both showed the same result. 327 kbps for both upload and download. Now that should equal to 40kbps. Half of what i started with. And much slower than what i am supposed to get. So I spent long hours and many days to get to the point that I can not fix it without spending more money on things that may or may not fix the problem. I had dsl for 7 years. That tells you how long i've been with them.
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Review by legaxis
Posted: 1.1 years ago
member for 1.2 years, 201 visits, last login: 27 days ago
Carson,Los Angeles,CA
$20 per month
about 5 days
AT&T
"It was very reliable"
"It was very slow."
"Although it was very slow it might have been because of the apartment wiring."
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Review by Neilkn
UPDATED: 1.2 years ago
member for 9.6 years, 63 visits, last login: 9 days ago
Fullerton,Orange,CA
$40 per month (12 month contract)
AT&T
"Due to censorship... NONE"
"New on 08/30/01- Censorship of Usenet"
"NO to censorship"
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To add once again ... Pacbell was taken over by SBC years ago. Then SBC was taken over by AT&T. After a couple of years with AT&T I find myself forced to move on. In two weeks, I'll be starting with Earthlink cable Internet via Time Warner Cable ... who I have just dropped a few weeks ago in favor of DIRECTV satellite due to their superior number of HD channels and much better HD picture quality. AT&T's DSL has been a nightmare. From email shutting down to slow dragging butt speeds. My 3.0 mbps DSL service has been giving me in the 600 kbps range lately. It started happening when AT&T introduced U-verse service to my area. I stayed with the DSL as I read lousy reviews of the AT&T U-verse HD TV service. So bye-bye AT&T, open your arms to welcome me Earthlink ... which I was one of the original members of when they were a regional ISP located in Pasadena years ago. They were good back then, I only left to get DSL which they didn't have yet.
To add to my original review ... I have so far enjoyed my relationship with Pacbell, until the email I received and verified today, Aug 30, 2001. They have changed their Usenet server to news.sbcglobal.net and eliminated many newsgroups in the interest of "saving money and avoiding the transfers of copywrite material", and saving our souls. Their email refers you to a site which states that "some" alt.binaries newsgroups will be eliminated. When you log into that news server and download all groups after clearing the current listing (in a copy of your newsreader of course), there is not a single alt.binaries/binary/bin anything listed. In fact, there is a total lack of any adult related material. If you endorse censorship at its worst, join SBC / Pacbell. Who knows where the censorship will end. If they can decide what is proper for people to view, at what point does the southern baptist attitude stop?
Original review: I ordered the special offer $39.95 Pacific Bell/SBC 4 weeks ago. Installation and equipment free, one year term for basic DSL, whatever your line can handle. I'm 1.3 miles as the crow flies, not as the wires run, from my TelCo CO. They scheduled installation 3 agonizing weeks after I placed the order. I called them back and asked to have it put off one more day to better fit my schedule. They had no problem with doing so. I did call the day before to verify the installation and they told me I was all set up to go the next day. Had an afternoon appointment scheduled, they called the morning of the install and asked if they could come earlier, about 9AM. Rather than put it off, I told them come on over. Good thing, too. They first installed a PCI combo NIC/Modem card that wouldn't let my system even boot. They asked if I'd rather have an external modem. YES!!! Heard good things about the Alcatel and jumped at it. Well, that caused a major problem in one respect. I now have the Alcatel Speed Touch Home modem. The work order called for the internal no-name made south of the border combo card. The modem synch'd with no problem, but couldn't find the network. They spent a lot of time waiting on line for PacBell's tech support. About the third call, someone actually listened to them and said they would have the external Alcatel set up in the server. Apparently, it required a different router as the gateway. BINGO .. I was on line and flying, at 3:30 PM, when it was finally changed over. The installers were very good at what they did, and we had a great day together chatting and comparing notes. They left the Install CD, so I could move to an anticipated new system eventually. Bravo to the installers, contractors to PacBell. It is a PPPoE with dynamic IP address connection. But at system boot, it automatically connects using NTS Enternet 300 and stays connected for the entire period the system is on. I never have to enter a password or select to connect, it's all in Startup and works like a charm.
The service has been very good so far, the week and a half that I've had it. Agent Newsreader flies, as does Eudora email. I've experienced a few problems co-ordinating Netscape and IE5, especially Netscape using MS MediaPlayer, it does NOT like it. PacBell's tech support has been basically useless. They send canned responses about who's responsible for plug-ins rather than supporting the browser you download from them at their suggestion. As a tech rep myself, I have been responsible for supporting any programs included with my company's product including all versions of Windows, any included factory software, and communications programs shipping with our modems. Although this seems to apply to every company that I have represented, it doesn't seem to be the case with PacBell's ideas about themselves. Everything else has been excellent though. The email has not been a problem as I have read in past reports, although it did go down for one day, yesterday. It was back up in the evening though. The dial-in account they included allowed the downloading and installation of a client that did not recognize the always-on DSL connection when it attempted to download additional files. In general, I have been experiencing speeds of 500k-1.8mbps incoming, with 1.5mbps being what it usually hangs around. Other than the technical support needing a bit of training and taking on rather than shirking their responsibilities, the experience has been a very positive one. It sure beats Earthlink's occasional disconnections and their dial-in speed. I'm a happy customer. Or was until they decided they knew what is best for me and decided to protect my morality (?).
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