Review by jroysdon 
member for 1.6 years, 3 visits, last login: 72 days ago
lodged 258 days ago
 Modesto,Stanislaus,CA
 $35 per month- (24 month contract)
 about 2 days "Relatively fast and easy to set up" "Requires good signal, my tower overloaded, requires NAT you cannot disable" "If it works, great, but if it doesn't work, cancel after 29 days"
| Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I went with Clear after years of Comcast due to the price. Comcast raised their prices on me from ~$50/mo to ~$63/mo. Clearwire was only $35/mo.
I signed up in April of 2010. I was actually rather happy with the 3G service. It acceptable on the speed for the price. I didn't do regular speed tests, but it always seemed fine.
During the summary of 2010 they "upgraded" their service to Wimax (which they call 4G) and sent out new modems. Things were not as good as the 3G modem. Signal strength was weaker, speeds were noticably slower, but it still worked.
Over the proceding months I would have days where I had to reset my Clear modem each night. Sometimes multiple times per night. Calls to tech support didn't actually solve anything, but I think they were getting enough from the folks around me that they probably flagged the tower as a problem and fixed/adjusted things. Prior to them fixing this, they sent me a replacement modem. Except the modem was also a wifi router, which I didn't want as I already had my own. I never hooked it up, and as things were fixed, I ended up just sending it back, in the box, unopened.
About 3 months ago I got NetFlix streaming. Sometimes it was good and only buffered for 2-3 minutes at first and then only a few times during the show. However, recently (last three weeks) it has gotten worse and worse, buffering more than the show will be on.
I tried pointing at another tower that is just as close, but the problem was the same. Last night I even removed my wifi router and connected my laptop direct and fine-tuning the pointing of the modem until I got 5 bars and . Speed tests of .5mbs download were typical, and a CINR Signal Quality of 24 (on the high-end of "great") and RSSI Status of -69 (on the lower-end of "great").
Nothing is wrong with my computer. I actually ordered Comcast again yesterday and if I move my PC over, I get the 1.5mbps I'm paying Comcast $20/month (for 6 months, then back to $35/mo) for each time I do a speed test. Move the laptop back, same results with Clear over and over.
I tested once before work and got 3mbs (my contracted speed), and then had it tested once when at work and it was down to 1.2mbs. Not my contracted speed, but I'd be somewhat OK with that.
I waited to contact them tonight after nto use on the modem all day. Tests were the same, .5mbs - .7mbs, and the same great signal quality. I went through their troubleshooting steps, they did their voodoo behind the scenes and had me reset it, etc. No better, just sitting at .5mbs. Flat out the tower(s) are just way oversubscribbed. Then the tech guy started to apologize for that. I asked if there was anything I could do, and he suggested turning off the modem for 2-4 hours and trying again. Whaa? I'm paying for 3mbs and getting .5mbs, and then told to not use my modem for 2-4 hours.
I asked about cancelling and if he could forward my case info and problems. He did, and was very polite and I'm thankful for that. I was expecting a fight to not have to pay ETFs. The cancellation person gave me a song and dance that it is not the tower overloaded, but a fairness thing they have that slows down the biggest users. I told her I'm not, I was a handful of Netflix shows each night, and even when doing that it is horrible. The stats show I'm not getting anywhere near 3mbs, more like 1/6th the speed. She stopped giving excuses and said she'd process the cancellation. I was concenred about the EFT, but she said there would be none. She put me on hold to find out about the modem, came back and said it was an older one and that I didn't need to return it.
I think Clear is just a sinking ship that isn't upgrading their networks and oversubscribbing their tower (at least my two towers). CEO left in March, lawsuit, just a mess.
I highly suggest you pound on your connection for 25 days, and if you have any problem at all, return it. If they'll let you, sign up again in a week, test for 25 days. Again, any problems, and get rid of them before you are locked in. Even then, just document the problem. I was just doing screen shots of the signal tool right next to the speedtest.net page in case I had to fight them. Glad I didn't have to fight them, but I think that shows that they know they have a problem and no leg to stand on.
Oh, and I was not happen when the Wimax modem came out with no way to turn off NAT. At least you can disable the firewall and do a DMZ forwarding to your own router's IP. IPv6 tunnels over IPv4 (using Protocol 41) work just fine, DNS and SSH work just fine as well using this method.
One plus: I always got my contracted upload speed of .5mbs. Again, this just shows my signal is fine and the towers are overloaded with downloads (but not uploads).
Comments:
 ernliz
join:2001-11-25
Abilene, TX Reviews:
 ·Clearwire Wireless
| Clear, and Netflix..... Thanks for the great write-up. Interesting. If I ever had a chance to get Comcast, or anything other than Clear, I would! But I have no other option --perhaps an expensive and slow 3G connection from ATT.
You mentioned Netflix. I get around 1.2 mbps down with my Clear connection, on a good day. Is this good enough for Netflix??? | |
| | | Customer failed to see something here... First off, the Clear router they sent you to use was meant to be used with there new WiMax Services. Because you were useing your original modem and not the new one when they upgraded services it was only semi-compatible with the new connection protocol. I am sorry bout your complaint is outrageous, and your refusal to open and use the new modem they sent you was stupid, your bad not theres. My point has been made. | |
|  | | | Re: Customer failed to see something here... I have the same problem, this is BS | |
| | | | | Re: Customer failed to see something here... I've had Clear for 2 years now with similar issues. Apparently when the summer temperatures break 100 deg Clear's brodcasting equipment on the towers overheats and is the primary cause of everyone's internet speed problems. Here in Fort Worth, TX we began dealing with record heat begining in June...not long after my internet began experiencing the same speed problems I had the prior year. Out of the numerous times I had to speak to Clear's technical support (and went through the differnt routines of checking my signal and being asked to leave my modem of for over an hour before restarting it) I managed to speak to a tech that explained the overheating issue. If they don't fix the problem this summer I plan to drop the service and sign up with a cable internet service. | |
| | | | | | Re: Customer failed to see something here... I am having the same problems as the replacement modem keeps resetting.
Problem has been going on for 11 days now. | |
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| | Beware... Clearwire is a JOKE...!! I was once a loyal Clearwire member. In the early days we had great reception and was at a great price. But now the company has fallen behind in their technological prowess. The company has expanded its call centers around the globe and customer service has greatly depreciated with the worst center located in the Philippines. I was on the phone for over an hour trying to fix issues with my account.
Clearwire also had the nerve to take additional monies off of my credit card without informing me ! I would have have never known about the extra charges, had not my account had a cellphone alert on it.
Finally a customer care center rep, located in Texas told me that Clearwire had put a bandwidth restriction on my service, without me knowing of course. It was only when I threatened to go to my states attorney general's office that some things were fixed. I still have problems with my modem constantly re-setting and lower speeds than most DSL providers.  | |
| | | | Re: Beware... Clearwire is a JOKE...!! As of 45mins ago, I was just told Clearwire has placed a bandwidth restriction on my account. I've been a customer of clearwire since Feb 2007. I have had the same kind of comp usage since Dec 2010. My services are next to none. Is this legal? | |
| | | | | Re: Beware... Clearwire is a JOKE...!! I too was told last night that my area is now restricted?? But my money is sure not for them to take every month? You would think a company would email you and inform you of this matter. I even asked the foreign customer service people if they are going out of business. It sure seems like it. | |
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| | Clear is the worse I just switched from comcast to clear and I feel I did a mistake, I am with $35 plan which is so slow and does disconnect every 10 min! I can't download or streaming anything ! I can't imagine how people have a good internet service for Clear ! I wish I have the same.tried to call the customer care to cancel the service, they kept transfer me till losing the line for four times and two times they just simply pretend not listening !!! I feel I stucked with them especially they are not allowing me to cancel the service and have the automatic payment which didn't allow me to cancel !! be aware of clear you will be moving in circle and gain nothing just waste of time and money!! | |
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