Review by NefCanuck 
UPDATED: 15 days ago
member for 326 days, 113 visits, last login: 3 days ago
 Mississauga,ON
 $50 per month
 Bell Canada
 "Stable connection for the most part"
 "1st level techs unable to assist with anything other than basic issues / moves & reconnections a nightmare"
 "Better than the cable alternative"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
|
I've been a Bell HSE subscriber since 1998 (way back in the grey Nortel modem days) first at a [i]rated[/i] 1.5MB/s then 3MB/s and finally at my present speed of 5MB/s. (Rated is italicized for a reason described later in this review)
At the time I first signed up, the only other option was Rogers Cable and I had heard absolute horror stories of hackjob installs, speeds that dwindled to nothing during peak hours and decided that Bell represented the best value for my dollar.
First time I had serious issues was 2003. I was moving to a new place, put in the move order thirty days before and when I moved in not only did I not have DSL service, I didn't even have [b]phone[/b] service!
What ensues is three days of calling Bell trying to find out what had happened, seems that the suite number got mangled on their end (I had the printout confirming the correct suite # so I have no idea what happened there)
But once everything was straightened away things were stable and I was content until I made a disturbing discovery.
Fast forward to June 2007, I was at my fathers place in Aurora tweaking his Bell HS connection (5MB/s rated) and discovered that he was getting 3.5MB/s while I wasn't even getting 1MB/s! (more like 768kb/s)
Armed with this knowledge, I began my quest for speed. Having worked tech support for a year myself, I understand the need to use a script for beginner PC users, but when I clearly demonstrated that I wasn't at the "push the Enter key" stage of things, the tech seemed rather flustered but promised a second level tech would get in touch with me.
The tech visits my home after reviewing the wiring in my condos telecom vault and when he arrives says that the riser to my unit is "marginal", he also sees that despite using two completely different machines on the modem (A Speedstream 6300) I was getting crap speeds (again less than 1MB/s)
So I figure that this will get resolved right?
I wish... as soon as the tech hears that I have an in-suite alarm and intercom to allow guests to enter the building, he blames that and takes off, suddenly the riser is fine and its the alarms fault, but he does offer to have a new modem shipped to me which I get and install, but changes nothing...
So I get the alarm company in, he installs a filter at the demarc, speed rises to 1MB but stays there and I figure I'm screwed paying for 5MB, getting 1MB.
Then I found the Sympatico Direct Forum here...
Nirvana! Tech support that doesn't rely on a script and can think outside the box!
The tech I spoke to determined with my line stats that I was too far from the CO and had me put on a remote. That got me 2.5MB/s and with a bit more tweaking, just under 4MB/s which is fair given overhead etc.
In summary, when things work, they work very well, however any wrinkles and prepare to get some wrinkles of your own...
Updated May 01/08
Well, since the speed issue was resolved, I'm finally getting what I'm paying for ($51/m, still indicated as unlimited) its high compared to other alternatives, but now that its working I'd rather pay for 5mbps and get 4mbps, then try to save some money and get far less, or be put on a capped plan. I may not use that much data compared to some people (Downloading movies holds little interest for me) but there are other things that chew up data allotments
Also since the review I've hooked up a PS3 and a Denon AVR-3803CI with ethernet connections and they have worked flawlessly with the Sympatico 6250 wireless networking modem from the get go (I also have a Nintendo DS & Wii that I have using the wireless connection, with no issues)
Followup comments:  
travisc
join:2001-11-09
Port Perry, ON | ...cable alternative? If you heard horror stories about the cable alternative in 1998, how does that really qualify you to make that assertion 9 years later in your review? | |
| newf
join:2007-09-11
Brampton, ON | "Better"? I had cable for fourteen years and didn't have even a tiny fraction of the problems I've had with BS in less than two months. | |
| simms
join:2007-10-02 | correction.. pretty sure you mean 4mbps. 4MBps is 32mbps... which Bell doesn't offer. | |
| 
evanm
@bell.ca
| same story My bell line is same as yours, i pay for 5MB line and i receive less than 1MB/s. Also, when a Bell technician came to my house and saw an alarm system he just got the hell out of there and blamed it on that. Got the filter and guess what? No change. My question is how did you get yours up to 2.5MB/s?? | |
|  | NefCanuck
join:2007-06-26
Mississauga, ON
 ·Bell Sympatico
| Re: same story I posted in the Sympatico Direct Forum and was able to get it resolved through a tech who looked into my issue (A few phone calls and requests they had to make in their end, I was moved to a different remote which got me the speed  )
NefCanuck | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of Bell Sympatico |
|
(73)
(40)
(24)
(19)
(27)