Review by keepsake 
UPDATED: 75 days ago
member for 113 days, 59 visits, last login: 48 days ago
 M1L
 $30 per month (12 month contract)
 Bell Canada
 "Ordering through 'sales merchant', service is actually fairly decent, I'm actually unthrottled"
 "As we all know, Bell Canada is throttling everything now; my internet connection fluctuates"
 "If you can get 5Mb/800Kb for $30 or less, no reason to switch... yet."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
|
Pre-Sales:
The usual stuff, except our internet was actually introduced by a sales merchant. I don't quite remember, but I felt he had some adequate information.
Install Co-ordination:
I made a lot of modifications myself to the installation, but from what I remember, it wasn't done all too well - wires left in heaps and etc.
Connection Reliability:
For all the Bell-haters out there, I'm going to have to apologize, but the connection is decent here (in Toronto). I pretty much have 24/7 uptime, with downtime very occasionally and when another computer in my home network tries to access the internet (not really sure why, no IP clashing or such).
Tech Support:
By far the worst. I'm sure I'm not alone here. This doesn't need much explanation except: ignorant, time-wasting, and unhelpful.
Services:
The line gets really mixed results here. Last night, I did a speed test and achieved 4200/680, but today I only managed 3400/680 at best, and 1300/300 at worst. For some reason, I'm not throttled yet, and can still get 200+ speeds on popular torrents (tested with ubuntu), so I'm leaving a neutral note here.
Value for Money:
This one is really up to you guys. I can get a decent deal still (if it weren't for the deal, I'd have already switched to TekSavvy, but the decent pricing (for 5Mb/800Kb with unlimited bandwidth it costs me $30 CAD per month) keeps me at Sympatico right now. If the prices were to increase (even a rise to $35 would be sufficient) I would change to TekSavvy and ditch this dynamic IP for a static one - they cost the same anyway.
I don't particularly like Bell, but I don't particularly hate it. Maybe it's because I'm not throttled, and normal internet activity is still pretty fast, and gameplay yields relatively low ping (in Counter-Strike: Source I average about 40-50ms). I get the bang for my buck, so I'm still fairly happy here.
EDIT:
I forgot to mention, if I were in fact throttled (which apparently should take place on the 7th(?), then for sure I'd change. I'm still pondering switching over to TekSavvy at the moment, because I'm not sure if I want Premium with the bandwidth limit (when technically at the moment I have unlimited).
My speed test: »/im/48695972/11005.png
EDIT on April 13, 2008:
Their customer service isn't totally incompetent, but... their systems don't work very well, apparently. I signed up for a 12-year contract, with discounts amounting to $30 a month (modem rental included), yet their system claims I'm paying $48 a month. ...okay... Anyway, I cancelled today, and I'm going to have this service for one last month before I switch to TekSavvy. I don't really hate the connection (though yesterday, my line dropped 10+ times in one night, it's not something that happens more than rarely), but I think I could do better.
MINOR ADD-ON on April 28, 2008:
Speed was actually maxed today, and recently there haven't been much down-time, so I'm pushing reliability back to a five.
»/im/49965030/54508.png
FINAL EDIT on May 11, 2008 (mother's day!):
I'm officially with TekSavvy, and have dropped Sympatico (and glad to have dropped too!)
TekSavvy!: »/im/50699913/86780.png
Followup comments:  
pressman
Premium
join:2007-05-16
North York, ON | your in for a surprise $30 for unlimited bandwidth ...without a contract ? lol
just wait till you see your first months bill | |
|  | keepsake
join:2008-04-03
M1L
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Bell Sympatico
edit:
April 3rd, @10:44PM
| Re: your in for a surprise Actually, it's a 12-month contract, and I've confirmed the bills - $30 per month, no more, no less.
By the way, I've been using this for several years now, which is why I don't have a crazy monthly rate.
And, if it did cost over $30, trust me - I'd have switched to TekSavvy by now. | |
| | | 
tudmax
join:2005-04-08
Kitchener, ON | Re: your in for a surprise Well that's about to change drastically ... if Bell gets it's way.
Please read: »www.p2pnet.net/story/15497 | |
| Yonsil
join:2008-02-21
Fort Erie, ON | Watch out make sure you don't pass 200 GB dl/ul boundary
They have every right to break you off if you do  | |
| | | |
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