Review by jericho 
UPDATED: 265 days ago
member for 7 years, 1431 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Halifax,NS
 Contract price not specified.
 "good reliable service , hardly any downtime"
 "they call a 5/1 mbit service a 15/1 mbit service"
 "don't get the 15/1 service as its throttled pretty bad and its no better then the 5/1 package"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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My suggestion to anyone considering getting the 15/1mbit package, DON'T, it's no better then the 5/1mbit package. The speedtest results you see are from Eastlinks own speedtest page within there network, it doesn't give the actual speed outside of Eastlink's network cause they throttle everything to death outside there network to 5mbits down, some HTTP sites you will get good speeds but who needs 15mbits to view web pages or to even stream media, you don't so my suggestion is for people to just save some money and stick to the 5/1 package
Followup comments:  acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada | 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P Unless you don't really know what you're doing to take advantage of 15 ::rollseyes:: | |
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neonerd
manic
join:2006-03-10
Dartmouth, NS
 ·Eastlink Cable
edit:
November 6th, @11:44PM
| Re: 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P said by acrufox :Unless you don't really know what you're doing to take advantage of 15 ::rollseyes:: lol, did you mean are/is tech savvy as in like how you couldn't even make a smiley, we the actual customers of the service are supposed to think its "tech savvy" to try to hack our cable modems to get the proper advertised speeds? and yes i am tech savvy and i dont bother trying to show off with broken smilies... and Eastlink is BS, i think the only people who arent tech savvy are the fools that brag and or continue to waste their $ on this service, lol tech savvy (google illegal while your at it there too eh) oh wait i forgot if you have a friend inside Eastlink you can probably get full speed...not too savvy now is it. | |
| | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada | Re: 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P Cable modem hacked? No
Excellent noise margins? Yes
Know Eastlink employee? No
Knowing transport encryption? Priceless! | |
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neonerd
manic
join:2006-03-10
Dartmouth, NS
·Eastlink Cable
edit:
November 7th, @01:03AM
| Re: 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P said by acrufox :Cable modem hacked? No Excellent noise margins? Yes Know Eastlink employee? No Knowing transport encryption? Priceless! lol ok then if you got eastlink all figured out how come you dont just effin help this guy instead of shittin on every1's parade?? also i was wondering exactly how you were able to change you noise margins as the equipment you'd need would be fairly complex, *mind you i did notice you ran 300+ tests in the past week or 2... but also if you can boost your snr to the point +/- 0.001% thd, then maybe you should be working for eastlink AND dslreports and maybe teach them how to make a super tweak tester that can detect snr/sinad and how to improve it, and im assuming when you said not hacked modem that also meant not attaching filters, antennas, caps to anything including your computer and or modem, wall jack, etc,. (myself i put the tv on chanel 70 i think and it tells me all the stats) and speed tests and whatever else thats amazing sounding but not real lol, and as for your "priceless" info, its called tunneling through a vpn using tls which is pretty old tech, but you couldnt just say that tho eh, lemme guess fresh outta uni with a failed attempt at an electrical engineering degree? that oughta burn your parents pockets lol | |
| | | | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada | Re: 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P Naaah you're not worth my time | |
| | jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
·Eastlink Cable
edit:
November 7th, @07:13PM
| acrufox , obviously you have no idea that most users have no idea about workarounds and they shouldn't have to worry about them if there paying for a certain advertised service , I'm talking to the people that have or are considering getting Eastlink HSI. I'm pretty tech savvy as I run my own PC business so take your childish "rollseyes" comments elsewhere. People that pay there hard earned money for an advertised service expect to get that advertised service and not have to worry about having to try to find ways around all the throttling(packet shaping) that Eastlink does just to get what there paying for. Yes Eastlink has some good points like no monthly bandwidth caps and a pretty solid network. | |
| | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada
edit:
November 8th, @01:33AM
| Re: 15 is fine if you're tech savvy :P Although Eastlink puts those silly caps and throttling rules in place, it's still very beneficial to those with more than one user in the family who may be online at the same time.
Yes people spend their hard earned money for an expected service and usually do not get it, but that's the rule of thumb for quite some time now. I remember when I was on "the wave" which worked well but was very overpriced, then it was offloaded to Shaw and things went south quickly. Even though you paid for service; they did not want to fix their own equipment(bad nodes). I then ended up on Mpowered which was great until they took my 4 Megabit profile, dropped it near 1, charged the same price, then offered the same speed back to me for more. Eastlink at that time simply throttled you back to dial up speeds when you downloaded too much.
Most users I've met/helped usually don't even know the terminology of 5 or 15 megabits. Those that do and want 15, usually find ways to make use of it even if they can only accomplish it combined.
The only ISP of late I've seen to give you the advertised speed you paid for is Verizon FiOS and even they have their own flaws (jumping through hoops to get it, or playing billing games when your yearly contract runs out, and is not available in Canada)
I've done speed tests outside of Eastlink's network to places on the Eastern seaboard of the US and actually benchmark at times higher than Eastlink own tests. Recently I downloaded some game demos in excess of 1-2GB and it took mere minutes to complete the transfer. Or downloading service packs...or in my case test beta ISO's almost 4.7GB in size and see no throttling in place (only network congestion) Being on 15 I have yet to see an overall cap on speeds to keep me at 5.
No strings attached ISP's are rare on this side of the pond, especially in Canada.
Compared to what's currently available, Eastlink 5 or 15 is better than most of the rest of Canada, and unless you're willing to bind two DSL connections on an ISP like Techsavvy in places like Ontario. Working with/around the traffic shaping seems to be a lot easier to deal with.
It's the protocols that have bandwidth shaping applied to not the entire service at the same time, and is a small price to pay to have 15. | |
| 
H41N
@eastlink.ca
| Eastlink 15 The new 15Mbps comes bundled with my TV & phone so it's nothing extra for me to receive.
I've been an Eastlink HSI internet customer for years since it first became available in my area and yes, I notice a significant increase in speed for everyday online activity (dl'ing included) since the 15 upgrade.
We have only 2 available HS carriers in this area and I would honestly rely on a hamster in a wheel before I would give underhanded bastards Aliant one thin dime of my money for *anything*, phone service included. On the whole, it is proven that cable far exceeds DSL in terms of reliability but mainly speed. There is not an Aliant customer in this area that I know of who can hold a candle to the speeds I get on the whole.
I am quite content with Eastlink. Anyone who analyzes every bit and packet of their traffic to death will eventually find that the ISP's advertised speed is somewhat false advertising. Eastlink is regularly rated among the fastest cable-based ISPs worldwide (Google it), I've had no issue with them from a tech point of view since coming onboard with them several years ago, and I too regularly have enjoyed gig-plus file downloads which completed in a matter of a few minutes. | |
| | jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
·Eastlink Cable
| Re: Eastlink 15 dude read the whole thread lol. The only reason there rated #1 is cause we can do http speedtests within there network which is unrestricted thus the high download speed results, its outside there network thats the problem, there throttling(packet shaping)pretty well everything and they have admitted to doing this. you would know this if you just read lol. My guess is your an employee with Eastlink. I'm sure you will deny that but I think we all know better. I'm not saying there not good , what I'm saying is that there advertised speeds are not totally accurate but who's arn't. Also they do not specifically come out and say that they do indeed throttle the service to a point. Why do you think there is no direct mention of that anywhere on there website? Answer: So new customers won't know the total truth of what exactly is going on and think that there getting the service advertised. | |
| | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada
| Re: Eastlink 15 Okay fine, you want proof it's not just limited to speedtests from within Eastlink's own network and that "outside" is the problem.
Go to:
»speedtest.mybroadbandphone.net/
Last time I checked Portland, Maine was on the OUTSIDE if you're not getting the speeds you are expecting/wanting then you might want to look outside of blaming HTTP throttling.
Most of the time the speed test is 13-14 megabits and is still climbing when the downstream test is completed. I pull down files off of Microsoft's networks 1-4GB in size and it is outside of Eastlink's network going at 12-14 Megabits. I've pulled data off their mirrors in Europe/Asia and actually get even higher speeds than I do from their North American mirror.
Guess if someone notices or gets the speed they must know someone that works for or has a friend at Eastlink. Come on now, go sign up for some other internet providers across the country and you'll not say a word you get back from your travels.
Would you like some really low bandwidth caps instead...and if your main point is to argue out that Eastlink does not advertise that they throttle various protocols on their service then you had better get in line because most cable ISP's do some form of screwing the customer over. | |
| | | | jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
·Eastlink Cable
edit:
November 16th, @12:27PM
| Re: Eastlink 15 first off I wasn't talking to you jackoff, secondly I'm just making sure that potential Eastlink customers understand what Eastlink's practices are before they signup. Like I've said before , Eastlink is the best ISP in our area and has no monthly caps which is a blessing cause most ISP's these days have monthly caps so stop making dumbass comments that we already know cause all I'm trying to do is inform. Dude they have admitted to throttling so please take your crap elsewhere. This thread is to inform potential customers of exactly what is going on . Bottomline is that they have openly admitted to throttling so thats that. All I am doing is informing people thats all . One more thing , they tend not to throttle http as much and if you thoroughly read my other posts you would see that, http is there first priority. I get tired of listening to guys like you saying they don't throttle connections, your pathetic,maybe your on a node thats not as throttled as much as others who knows but they do throttle protocols and again have admitted to it ,most isp's use packet shaping technology , most of us know that,sometimes it is necessary thats all I am trying to say so lets just stop this back and forth BS now.
»www.thecoast.ca/119846.113118bod···.subpub= | |
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H41N
@eastlink.ca
| Re: Eastlink 15 I *have* read the whole thread, and the site where Eastlink was rated high was based on outside polls and covered more than just up/download speeds. It was a rating reference of cable and DSL ISPs worldwide. I'm not an Eastlink employee and I can say that whether "we all know better" or not. I'm a consumer who has enjoyed good service and excellent speeds with Eastlink, which is all that *I'm* saying. Jumping on my post spouting off about throttling and whether or not they've admitted to doing so is irrelevant in relation to what I'm saying, since I never once said that they *don't* throttle, nor whether or not they are open in admitting such.
It's so very fortunate that we all have someone willing to "inform" potential Eastlink customers of their behavior (although what your inside information is based on you've neglected to make clear) lest they make the mistake of signing up for Eastlink's HSI. We have so many quality choices in terms of HS ISPs to choose from in the Maritimes, I'm sure you're doing potential HS customers a great service in directing them to one of the many others available out there. Oh wait, there *is* only one other one out there - Aliant, which has benchmarked many degrees lower side by side with Eastlink and has perhaps the most horrendous and indifferent customer service should their customers ever have a problem. Yet you don't see me on the attack saying "I'm sure you'll deny you're an Aliant employee, although I think we all know better". Funny how different levels of tolerance exist in people.
I'm sure you think any reply you will post to this will be poignant and intelligent, though from reading this last concoction of irrelevant excrement I for one *do* know better. Argue with someone else. | |
| | | | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada | Do you always reply by insulting the other person?
You don't inform, you reply with derogatory personal insults when someone says something you don't want to read. | |
| | | | | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada | Re: Eastlink 15  | |
| | | | | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada
edit:
November 16th, @05:44PM
| Ahwell Done with this silly argument :> | |
| | | | | | jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
edit:
November 29th, @11:52AM
| Re: Eastlink 15 bump | |
| | | | | SpankR
join:2004-11-09
| Throttling is a non-issue with most p2p clients now so what's the problem? You get 5Mbit/s? So? I don't. Many others don't either. When Eastlink started (Andara) I got 5Mbit/s, but MPowered customers got 7Mbit/s. MPowered went from that 7 to 5, then to 3, and now to 1.5. In that time, Eastlink has gone from 5, to 10 to 15Mbit/s - And trust me - I routinely get 15Mbit/s - Hell, I constantly get faster speeds to California and Europe than Aliant customers get to their mail server!
-Spank
»www.sveasoftsucks.com | |
|
dh25
@eastlink.ca | 15meg children, please get a life. I routinely test speed on outside the network servers . So far , I've gotten what i"m paying for. more than i can say then when i was with aliant. | |
|
gone
@eastlink.ca
| What is better then Eastlink? I'll most likely be moving from Canada to the US soon. I can't find anything even close when comparing to Eastlink.
To complain about the speeds at Eastlink is like complaining about the top speed of a Ferrari. I guess there isn't satisfying some people.
Anyway, does anyone know if there is a service that even comes close to the speeds and reliability that Eastlink provides, but down in the US?
Thanks | |
| jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
·Eastlink Cable
| sorry acrufox and others I apologized for my rude comments towards you. it's just it is frustrating when you know what's going on with an isp and when Eastlink has openly admitted to all i have said and others are claiming otherwise .You may be getting these good speeds because of workarounds, all I am trying to do is explain to people , the common everyday user how Eastlink operates . Please accept my appology for being rude. | |
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dawziecat
@eastlink.ca
| 5Mbps vs 15Mbps . . . all seems the same . . . I am a subscriber to an eastlink bundle and understand that I supposedly have the 15Mbps service. (Or do I have to call somebody to actually effect the upgrade?)
But, I never get much more than 5 mbps in speed tests.
Just checked at »speedtest.net/ and, after selecting a server in Toronto, clocked a download speed of 5328 kbps. This is a pretty typical result for me.
Not complaining . . . but I noticed no increase in going from 5Mbps, which I had before I subscribed to a phone/internet bundle, to 10Mbps with the bundle and then the upgrade to the 15Mbps. All seems pretty much the same.
Am I interpreting the figures incorrectly? | |
|
okcomputer
@NS.CA
| Aliant vs. Eastlink These sites and reviews can be useful, but the problem I have is that it's all very circumstantial.
I have Aliant High Speed Ultra. I get the advertised 5.0mbps all the time (and sometimes I can get up to 6-7). My connection has never dropped in four years. I have had a few problems when I moved (they don't seem to ever get the switchover right), but I always get the speeds I am supposed to get.
This may be because I have been close to a CO every place I've lived, who knows. But Aliant has been very consistent. Several friends of mine have had Eastlink and it's been completely inconsistent. A few other friends have Eastlink and get their 15mbit all the time. I think the only way to know what your speed/connection is going to be like is to try it out at that specific location - there are too many environmental factors that can affect things.
Lastly, I'm not sure what's up with the bashing of Aliant's customer service. I have had a few problems over the years, and they've always been corrected in a very timely fashion. They have also been accompanied by credits to my account which far outweigh the cost of the lost service or the inconvenience.
Seems to be a lot of Eastlink fanboys out there spreading misinformation... | |
| | acrufox
join:2004-07-14
Canada
| Re: Aliant vs. Eastlink They both have had their moments :> For many many MANY years the only offering for cable internet (through all the name changes) meant downtime for hours on end every night.
I switched to Aliant at the time because I wanted stability...unfortunately I didn't like the whole fiasco of cutting your speed in half then offering your original speeds back to you under a new higher priced package.
Ended up back on Eastlink 5, which quickly turned to 10, then to 15...they finally fixed their flaky node problem and for the most part Eastlink is OK (seemingly do early morning maintenance at 4-5am/DHCP renew warnings)
I'm more concerned with the Aliant customers I've come across that have SNR's that show they are very close to a CO/RT yet their profiles only have them syncing at 1-1.5 megabits and pay close to what Eastlink 5 offers.
I'd ditch Eastlink in a heartbeat if they started capping or doing that whole slow you down to dialup speeds if you download too much | |
| Radian600
join:2002-09-30
Kentville, NS
| fast for me 
I just got that before logging in. You won't see that on Aliant. And Aliant is a pain for many because their IP changes so rapidly.
I also like to support a local company. It's good for the economy. At least I think Eastlink is smaller then Aliant.
Anyway, it's been pretty good for me. | |
| | jericho
join:2001-07-20
Halifax, NS
·Eastlink Cable
edit:
January 31st, @03:49PM
| Re: fast for me again read the other posts , that test means crap cause its within eastlinks own network plus its an http test, eastlink doesn't throttle http this has already been discussed also so your post doesn't accomplish anything. HTTP is the main priority for eastlink thats why its not throttled, all other protocols are throttled, some are throttled more then others. Most of us get those speed results from http speedtests :S | |
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