Review by PrymeMover  UPDATED: 340 days ago member for 9 years, 2223 visits, last login: 275 days ago
Overland Park,Johnson,KS
$79 per month (12 month contract)
about 3 days
Southwestern Bell
"Extremely reliable, excellent BBR presence"
"sticky statics, no higher speed, miserable billing"
"Dated speed offerings but solid service"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money: (ratings match consensus)
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SBC Yahoo! Expert business package, 6.0/608. DSL was active two days after the phone service. Extremely reliable (1 hour of downtime in 3 years), fast, and routing that only improves with time. I do wish they offered higher speed tiers, and would offer real static IPs again, but oh well. The only aspect that really bugs me is that they do not offer dry lines. I never use my landline for voice anymore..I don't even have a phone connected.
I think that the 6.0/608 5-static package should be priced somewhere around $65, instead of the $99 I'm paying now.
If you ever want anything done, forget the phone--use the online support here.
Update 2006-12-27: Was able to renegotiate for 6.0/768 for $79/mo. This is still too pricey for this speed. If AT&T does not provide faster tiers in U-Verse buildout areas, I'll likely leave them for faster alternatives. I want more speed (in BOTH directions) and I'm willing to pay for it. Are you listening, AT&T?
Update 2008-07-10: In January of 2007, I dropped my AT&T ADSL subscription, along with the phone line, in favor of Time Warner's 10/1 (and later 2x 15/1) package. I ran for about 14 months like that. However, in June of 2008, I had a need for reliable static service again, as well as my desire to have a redundant connection given TW's reliability. I re-ordered static 6/768 ADSL service from AT&T. Unable to get 6/768 static dry loop because they only serve dry loops out of COs here, I had to get dial service to be eligible for a RT-provided loop.
Order-to-live was impressive. It was only 3 business days this time around. They've made great strides in this area. Billing, however, is still miserable. I ordered service and waived the technician install, since I already had a modem. The rep placed the order with on-site install cleared, but apparently it got changed somewhere within the AT&T maze: on my go-live date, I received a call from a tech saying he'd just completed the circuit and was coming out to finish the install. I informed him that I already had a modem. I flicked it on and verified the circuit, and that was that. He didn't come out, and noted that the tech install wasn't necessary and was not performed.
Of course, that didn't stop AT&T from billing me the $250 modem delivery fee^H^H^H^H^H^H technician install fee. I called up, was transfered a few times (including twice to the exact same person!), and after about an hour was told that my story had been confirmed and that he'd mark the $250 as disputed to get it cleared off--but that it might take 90 days to post, since it requires a manager to approve a credit for that amount. I don't have to pay that $250 since it is flagged, but still--this is insane.
I was also supposed to get a $50 service establishment credit I didn't get, and I'm being overcharged $20 for the DSL--but I've been told that I don't have a contract somehow. I tried to get the lower rate in exchange for a contract, consistent with AT&T's specified product offerings online, but was told it wasn't available in my area (what!?!).
AT&T also seems to have forgotten to put reverse DNS in place for the entire /24 that my /29 resides in, which is part of a larger /12 block they recently acquired. Whoops.
Final result? My order has been a logistical nightmare, but the service itself has been solid. I'm anxious, however, for static U-Verse product offerings.
Update 2008-12-30: I moved the first of December to a different unit in the same complex...a few thousand feet, tops. No big deal, called AT&T to have my services transferred. Disconnect on 11/29, reconnect on 12/1. I asked several times if this would include my DSL service, and was assured it would.
12/1 rolls around, and dialtone works great...but no joy on DSL. Called AT&T and explained that the order was not complete as the DSL portion was not transfered. The rep just saw that the ticket was closed and transferred me to tier 1 support. Tier 1 just said my signal was poor--yeah right. Called back the next day and talked to a rep that confirmed that the DSL order was not placed and so the DSL circuit was in limbo, but that the department to fix it was closed and that I'd have to call again the next day. Called in the AM, was transferred to a tier 1 tech, explained situation again. She tried to put in the order, but the system wasn't taking it. I repeatedly stated that I needed my static IP block retained. I finally got a call back later that day saying the order was put in with a delivery date 3 days away.
Fast forward 3 days. DSL is now live, but I'm on a new IP block. Called in again, finally convinced the tier 1 rep that I needed escalated support. The next rep understood my problem and tried to fix it--but said that I was built in a different router and couldn't get my old IP block back.
Rather than spend several hours reconfiguring my router, changing DNS, getting reverse for the NEW block delegated, etc...I just called back and terminated service. I then ordered business class from Time Warner. Not only is it 3 times the speed, it was also cheaper, and I was live the next day.
So once again, I say goodbye to AT&T. If you'd transferred my service properly the first time, I'd still be a customer. If you'd taken ownership of the issue when I called, and had reps that knew what they were talking about, I'd still be a customer. If the last rep had tried to get me rebuilt back in the same router (remember that this was a move to a different unit in the same complex), I'd still be a customer. But you failed at every step, so goodbye.
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