 Review by darcilicious 
UPDATED: 3.3 years ago
member for 7.8 years, 1782 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Forest Grove,Washington,OR
 $29 per month (12 month contract)
 Verizon
CLEC party: Verizon
 "Works Great!"
 "Support from VOL/ISP is pretty worthless, Support from VADI is priceless!"
 "I couldn't be happier with Verizon"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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My original review here: »Review of Verizon west (ex GTE) by darcilicious
Update 11 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4f]
Well, shoot! The UPS gal came by and left TWO packages from Verizon. Turns out we were shipped two self-install kits, one with a Versalink (USA assembled) and the other with a 6100. LOL!
Hooked up the 6100 (didn't use the CD) and ran a speed test: 2808/690 right off the bat 
Officially doing the happyhappyjoyjoy dance
Update 11 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4e]
Just got the following email:
Congratulations and welcome to Verizon Online DSL! Your Verizon Online DSL
service is ready.
Too bad the modem and self-install kit haven't arrived yet. According to the UPS tracking website, it hasn't left my local distribution center for delivery and it's due today. I want it already! 
Update: 10 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4d]
Plugged in the old Fujitsu modem for the heck of and we have completely lost synch since my last update. Yay! Modem is scheduled to arrive tomrrow and we're still looking good for activation on Wednesday.
Now... it's just a race to see who will offer the next higher tiers of service first: Verizon (7/768 where are you?) or Comcast (6/384 for they're lowest tier, we're currently on 4/484).
Update: 7 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4c]
SRD has been confirmed (tentatively ) for 7/13. Also, as of this morning, the DSL kit (with modem) has shipped. Hurrah! Should arrive early next week.
Update: 6 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4b]
Oh. My. GOD. Just when you think it's safe  Turns out the person who placed the order did it as a NEW ORDER instead of an UPGRADE even though I SAID it was an UPGRADE from dial-up. A NEW ORDER would have meant losing our original email addresses for which we jumped through various hoops EARLIER to keep (and made this process take even longer).
Thank goodness for a Verizon employee HERE at BBR that notified me of that mistake and thank you to the guy at Cancellation that cancelled the NEW ORDER and (hopefully) successfully placed an UPGRADE order for me. He was very methodical, took his time, and at the end, saw my primary email account correctly and gave me a confirmation number. He also checked and saw the NEW ORDER cancelled and the PENDING order as an UPGRADE.
Poor Frank is going to come back from his lunch (I tried to reach him directly first) with a voice mail and my name mentioned AGAIN -- and it's not my fault!!
Oh, and we're not getting the Versalink (which is fine, we'd run it in bridge mode anyhow) because no matter what the guy at Cancellation tried, it kept showing up as a $49 charge for the Versalink. I told him not to worry about and just give us the other modem (Westell 2200? who cares!?).
I will do a totally happyhappyjoyjoy dance if 1) the modem ever even shows up and 2) we get synch on it
Update: 6 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 4a]
Everyone who is anyone at Verizon claims our DSL circuit is clear and so I placed the order to get on ATM a few minutes ago. Frank the supervisor says he will track the new order as well and give us two months free! Woo!
So, here's keeping our fingers crossed that there's room for us in the ATM slots at the CO I should receive our SRD via email in the next 24-48 hours -- I've already received the initial order confirmation email so that's a step in the right direction
Update: 6 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3h]
I've been waiting for Frank to call since I don't have a number for him -- he's been pretty good at calling back so I haven't stressed it too much. And so he called this morning and I told him that as of Friday, we have not been able to pull an IP BUT the modem still synchs
He was somewhat surprised to hear this because they HAD expediated the disconnected and well, it's sort of disconnected Anyhow, Frank is off to research it because the last thing we want to do is place an order and not end up on ATM after all this!!
Update: 4 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3g]
Didn't have time to update on Friday but shortly before leaving town, we still had synch but were no longer able to acquire an IP address on our DSL line. I'm hoping that this means we're one step closer to having our DSL cancelled finally!!
Update: 1 July 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3f]
[Third update for the day]
Debra called with an update that I more or less guessed given the info I've received up until now. None of the billing systems show me as having DSL. The good news is that means we're not being billed for service since Monday (I'm guessing). The bad news is that Debra confirmed what Frank said eariler in that something special/different/extra needs to be done at the CO for the disconnect to actually, really, physically happen. She said it should happen in the next few days (per Frank's info below).
Poking right along in Verizon time...
[second update for the day]
Well, somebody lit fire under somebody's butt or coincidence is at work
Frank just called (the Supervisor I began working with a little over a week ago) to verify my connection status. When he asked how I was doing, I told him it seems that I still have DSL and he sort of chuckled (not in a bad way -- more in sympathy). He said that despite everything in their systems showing that I don't have DSL, the backend is still not processing the cancelation. And apparently Frank has placed THE SECOND MANUAL DISCONNECT ORDER. WTF? I mean, Debra and Frank are pleasant and all but WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS HERE, PEOPLE!
Frank did say he would be calling each business day to check with me and that this current disconnect order shouldn't take more than 72 business hours. So that still puts it out to Thursday morning next week. ERF!!
Changed my mind, called P.A. (1-800-483-7988, at the menu press 3) today. Wasn't overly impressed -- didn't ask for my ticket number (probably couldn't have used it), nor was I issued a new one but was told that it would be escalated to the DSL Group and I was left with the impression that I would get a call back.
Okay, that WAS quick. I got a call back. The current cancelation order is set to disconnect on 5 July but Debra is going to try and get it escalated for today or ASAP.
For the record, it will be three weeks on Monday from when I first placed the first cancelation order. ARGH.
Update: 30 June 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3e]
It's almost COB of the fourth day since the latest disconnect order went in (supposedly) and my frame relay is still (un)happily connected. Come Tuesday afternoon, I'm calling Presidential Appeals.
Update: 27 June 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3d]
So, all the disconnect orders keep getting rejected for some mysterious reason that no one understands. I've been in touch with a Supervisor since last Thursday (before which I had the most boggling conversation with a CSR ever -- long story short, my Verizon account showed that I was on ATM even though the Fujitsu -- a frame relay ONLY modem -- was still actively connected). Anyhow, the Supervisor is calling me each morning with an update and is currently placing a manual disconnect order which should take effect in 3-4 days. We'll see!
Update: 21 June 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3c]
It's now approaching the end of the seventh business day and I still have synch. I have not received any kind of email confirmation for the cancelletaion (frame relay) or for the new order (ATM).
Tomorrow I start harrassing VOL CS on the phone.
Update: 13 June 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3b]
Sweet! Called Sales, everything showed that my "current" DSL was gone, and that I was dial-up customer. This enabled me to place an order for 3000/768 today. It also meant that since we were upgrading from dial-up, the shipping cost ($19.95) for the new modem (Westell 257 Gateway) was waived. AND, the first three months are only $19.95 and then $29.95 for the next eight months and the modem itself is free (with a one-year contract). Very happy with how easily this is falling into place.
Next update when the modem and SRD arrives (should receive an email with SRD in a few days)
Update: 13 June 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 3a]
Late last week I received the email indicating something or other and confirmation from an employee that all was good to go with the downgrade. I called 1-800-567-6789, asked for billing and told them that I wanted to downgrade to dial-up without losing any of our email accounts. The CSR checked a few things, asked why we were downgrading and I explained I wanted to re-up with ATM. She was familiar with the process, checked a few more things and then transferred me over to Cancellation.
So I talked to another CSR who was also familiar with the whole downgrade/re-up with ATM process and also checked a bunch of things and put in a due date of today for the downgrade to dial-up and cancelled our DSL with the understanding that there's no guarantee as to when we'd get back on with ATM. Got the confirmation number and then he transferred me to Sales so that I could have the new connection "set-up" in their system and ready to go once our current DSL connection dies. After being on hold for 15+ minutes, I hung up and decided I would try again later today to get a hold of Sales.
Update: 26 May 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 2]
Our Comcast connection has been rock solid so we're ready to start the Verizon side of things. In order to keep our Verizon email addresses active the entire time, the overall steps are to:
1) Call to downgrade our Verizon service to dial-up
2) Wait to lose DSL signal
3) Call to upgrade to Verizon DSL (3000/768 on ATM)
The first step had a small hitch in that we could not immediately downgrade to dial-up without our email service being interrupted. Instead, we have to have our "retail" account converted to a "wholesale" account which can take up to two weeks. I will receive an email notification once that conversion has taken place. Once that happens, I am to call again and re-request the downgrade to dial-up.
Additional information via VADI about my line:
Loop QUALIFIED
Sale Open for Alcatel.
Sale CLOSED for Fujitsu.
Relief Date : 2008-02-29T00:00:00.000-05:00
Sale NOT_AVAILABLE for G.SHDSL
Loop Length : 8541
Line Technology Type : ADSL1PREF
Will update when once downgrade to dial-up order has been placed.
Update: 29 April 2005 [upgrade from frame relay to ATM, part 1]
First step taken: we have signed up for Comcast through »www.comcastoffers.com/ so that we have a broadband connection while Verizon disconnects us from our frame relay connection (top speed: 1500/384) and reconnects us to ATM (top speed: 7000/768 though Verizon Online the ISP doesn't offer that package). We could be without DSL from 5 days to two weeks (typical) or more depending on the availability of ATM slots at the CO. Having some kind of broadband during that time seemed like a good idea.
My Comcast review page: »/doratef···79/50146
Once the Comcast connection is up and running, we'll begin the frame relay / ATM shuffle with Verizon.
Update: 29 April 2005 [static / bad modem? ]
Have been without problems for more than two years though the intermittent static returned in force a few weeks ago, typically in the afternoons and occassionally in the early evenings. The last time this happened, we got a new modem for Verizon. So I decided to try and get one from them again. Unfortunately, they now charge for new modems if you've had yours for more than a year. Lovely.
So I bought one off of ebay for about half the price which may have fixed our problem though not directly. The modem itself didn't work (ethernet port was dead -- it wasn't detected by either our router or by the laptop when it was connected directly to the modem) but in using the new power supply, we seemed to have addressed the static issue. Maybe. I also disconnected our cordless phone (which hasn't been a problem for the entire 8 years I've had it but maybe it's getting old?). For several days, no static, no dropped connections.
Two days ago, I plugged the cordless phone back in. Still no static and no dropped connections.
Update: 10 April 2003
We suffered from some kind of network/hardware issue off and from late August 2002 through December 2002. Being able to deal directly with VADI was the only thing that made the outages tolerable. Finally in December, myself and five others in my area were moved to completely different circuits and we've had no outages since. VADI did a wonderful job of tracking the history of outages and basically tried new solutions with each outage until it became obvious that we needed to moved to a different circuit.
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