Review by j1349705 - Location: Holly Springs, Wake, NC, USA
- Cost: $45 per month
- Install: about 1 days
- No Cap
Fast download speeds, no caps, reliable Upload speeds can't compete with fiber yet A good option, especially if fiber isn't available
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection Reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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Spectrum Internet service is reliable and consistently tests at above advertised speeds. This is a former Time Warner Cable market, and TWC stepped up their game towards the end. Charter has further improved speed options in this area with the standard plan now up to 200 x 10. Unlike most ISPs, Charter includes a cable modem but also still gives you the choice to buy your own if there's a specific model you prefer which is a nice option for power users. Their phone service works well if you need it and don't want to use one of the many good independent VoIP providers out there. The only down side is the upload speeds which can't compete with fiber right now, especially on the faster speed tiers. Hopefully, Spectrum will perform the full duplex DOCSIS 3.1 upgrades in the next few years... but it requires a lot of work so I'm not expecting it to happen immediately. Still, as it is, relatively few customers have fiber as an option... normally the alternative (if any) is DSL which can't compete with cable's upload or download speeds. I can't speak for their TV service any more, as it has been too long since I had it and discussing any previous experience wouldn't be fair. member for 17.9 years, 6476 visits, last login: 1 day ago updated 5.8 years ago
ernliz join:2001-11-25 Albemarle, NC |
ernliz
Member
2013-Jan-16 6:30 pm
About those cable boxes and DVRsI concur with the above. My DVR is pathetically slow and often just hangs up. Unplugging and having it reboot always "fixes" the hangup, but that shouldn't be necessary that often. Talking with TWC Support or the local offices is pointless -- they hide under their desks when the issue is brought up. Even the TWC Direct Forum here is useless when discussing DVR hangups -- they never provide any relevant help or even acknowledgement. It's going to be Dish Network for me real soon if they can't fix these slow boxes. | |
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mad_yank
Anon
2015-May-26 8:07 pm
TWC is terribleI am sure I am preaching to the choir in this forum, but I needed a place to vent the complete and absolute incompetence of Time Warner Cable. The different departments clearly do not speak to one another; their customer service reps (both local and those clearly in India) have no understanding of the services they provide, how their systems work, or seemingly how the internet works; they have no clearly defined process for dealing with work orders; their customer solution divisions (where they reportedly send you when you are seeking to cancel) is completely disconnected from all other divisions and has no means of following up (on either the conversation or the promises they make)--how is that a solution!
My tale begins 3 weeks ago when the utility company in digging the ground cut through my cable line. The cable was sitting shallow in the ground because of a purported fix TWC had made to another problem they supposedly fixed (i.e. their infrastructure is old, corroded and breaking apart). Instead of doing the job right and replacing the old cable at the previous depth, they did a surface job and replaced a cable shallowly right beneath the surface of the ground. The utility company informed us of the mistake. We immediately called TWC (on our cell phones--I have VOIP and could not call on my telephone). They said they would send someone the next day. They sent a technician whose sole job was to tell me what I already knew (the problem was not in my house--THANK YOU TWC). He stated he would put in a work order to have the cable repaired. After 3 days of nothing--no repairs and not hearing back--we called TWC to get an update. We were told the work order had been cancelled and I was promised a new work order would be placed immediately for the next day before 7pm. The next day, nothing. Again I called. I was told that order had been cancelled. Why? They did not know but they would look into it.
Next day, no news, no fix. I called again. I was finally able to learn that the previous work orders had been cancelled because they needed a permit from the city to dig up the street. Understandable! When would you get the permit? they did not know. Was there a work around? No.
4 days later, I call again. At this point I am not too happy. The client relations personnel can hear I am upset and decides she will fix it by setting up a new work order, which I am promised will be completed by the next evening. Needless to say the next evening nothing. I call back. I ask for a supervisor who tells me they still have not received the permit. He promises to dig in. I ask him to call me back (which he actually does and leaves a message--His name is Jesus). He promises me the permit has been approved (this is May 15). He tells me they are simply waiting for it to be received. Three days later I call back and at this point threaten to just cancel service. The customer solutions personnel, again seeking to placate me promises me that the problem will be solved by the next day 7pm. I am presuming (foolish me) that they have received the permit and she understands the problem and can assure me the work will be done. The next day, nothing.
I call again. I am informed that the order was cancelled. Why? Because they had not received the permit to dig up the street . I am irate!!!!! I am promised however, that they can not tell me when the work will be done, May 24th by 7pm. I agree to wait for some discounts that are added to my account.
You guessed it May 24th roles around and nothing. I call back. I am told that the work was actually completed, even though my wife has been home all day and knows that no one dug up the street to replace a cable. They tell me to reboot my modem. I do. NOTHING!!! I am assured however that they will send out a technician. Why??? What can be done if I have no cable??? I am told to take the appointment because the technician will be able to more directly correspond with dispatch to get an update on my situation.
In other words client services serves absolutely no purpose and can't acctually assist me in doing anything. So my wife has to waste another day waiting for a tech.
My rant above can't even express the level of confusion encountered on the phone with the various reps. Their lack of understanding of how TWC itself operates (I understand they use outside contractors, but shouldn't they be able to track and account for the work that has been done?), their inability to follo-up with a case and their inability to actually comprehend what the problem is has been astounding. As I started with I am hoping they can at least get my system up and running while I port my number to a different service provider. It is not sufficient at this point to get service back, I would have a hard time continuing to get service from a company that is totally inept at providing the service they are in the business to provide. But I thought I would share my story with other TWC clients, who i am sure have been treated to the same level of ineptitude I have experienced.
ENJOY TIME WARNER!!!! | |
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Meladori32
Anon
2015-Jun-2 3:46 pm
Re: TWC is terribleI completely agree! No one within the company knows what's going on. I had the service 1 month and issues started with my hookup appointment. The installer could not find my wire in the box... I went and looked and there it was with a red tag and my apartment number. That delayed my service 3 days.... Then I get a price to upgrade my service and the order kept getting cancelled so I called in to find out what's going on. The lady insisted that there is no way on this earth that a customer can upgrade online and I had no clue what I was talking about even though the link I clicked in my account page said upgrade.. Lol and she then proceeded to be little me and tell me how dumb I must be if I think I'm getting it for the price I was quoted. I am really thinking paying ATT 71.00 for 18mb is not that bad considering I never had any issues with them. | |
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Cable Guy
Anon
2015-Jun-7 2:51 am
tips & updatesfull disclosure: I work for TWC Tips: -Purchase/order services through your neighborhood direct sales rep (think Jim Carry in Cable Guy) vs. online or over the phone. They have a vested interest in ensuring everything goes well with the installation because they are only paid on installations. Thus they are more than willing to raise havoc on any installer that begins to create problems for the new customer. -If you buy your own modem, make sure it is DOCSIS 3.0. The latest model of the Motorola Surfboard is a reliable & affordable option. -Schedule any installs for the earliest appointment available. Sometimes a 2 hour appointment will take 4 hours, creating a ripple effect for every other apt scheduled that day. -Insist on Motorola/Aris boxes instead of the ones made by Sam. (trust me on this one)
Updates: -Maximum Internet speeds in most major markets will be 300 mbps up /20 down by end of summer. The updated network goes live in sections of DFW beginning June 9th. The metroplex is split up into about 25 different areas. They are going live in 3-4 areas at a time. First group includes Plano, Richardson, and others. -The new interface is much more user friendly than previous versions. The apps are excellent.
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