And what were your speeds then?

true. And the person should know that DSL distance based. You can order the 40Meg package and end up getting much lower speeds and a profile- the same happens ALL the time with T and VZ and others as well. They don't know fully until a physical tech goes out and checks when they install the service.

And "up to" is not miss-leading or anything. the OP is just unhappy about the service of a small company.

I have been a Sonic.net subscriber since the dial-in modem days of the late 90s.

I switched from Sonic's basic DSL to Fusion. At a previous apartment near the CO I got 6 Mbps from that service. When I moved here that dropped in half. So I expected approximately half the advertised maximum of 40. Instead I get less than 1/6 that.

Sonic cannot make good on its claims and thus should not make them. What I get is pitiful compared to what is claimed. Why should I be at the whims of which wire AT&T assigns to Sonic for one of their DSL customers?

Yes, they can. The fact that YOU can't get that speed doesn't mean EVERYONE else can't.Fusion's speed varies from 0.00mpbs to 20mbps, how do you think Sonic should advertise their speed without people b*tching?

If Sonic advertise it at 10mbps, 15mbps, you'd still be b*tching that you couldn't attain the advertised speed.

So you haven't answered my question........did you previously have DSL service at this address, prior to switching to Sonic Fusion, and what speeds did you achieve?

Sorry, but your expectation of 6Mbps just because your old apartment "near the CO" got 6Mbps screams newbie

As many postings on DSL Reports will attest, your line speeds will vary based on your actual (not perceived) neighborhood copper wire gauge, length, and the condition of the lines within your apartment building.

Sonic tech support is excellent, especially when compared to AT&T and others, and like you said in your initial posts Sonic is beholden to AT&T for the copper line loop.

That said, I do hope you find the speeds you desire!!

If, and when, you decide to change back to AT&T at your new apartment, please update this thread with your actual speeds.

Sincerely,
Tobester.

You're deliberately not reading what I wrote and insulting me. Why should I engage with that?

You're suggesting that by claiming "up to," they're under no obligation whatsoever, is that it? And you think this is a reasonable way to do business? That this is just one of those "caveat emptor" things?

Well, I disagree. A business is not fulfilling its obligations if it only gives some of its customers what it claims to.

And a complaint is not "bitching," it's me expressing legitimate dissatisfaction with a service that falls far short of what is advertised. As I said, I'd be satisfied with half what's advertised, but 1/6 is far too little to be considered satisfactory.

uh, yes it is bitching.

You joined DSLReports in 2003 and have only visited 9 times, including this thread. Join in the discussion and learn.

And what are you trying to say? Blaming on other's ignorant isn't very helpful either.

There is definitely something ISP can do better. Say, the ISP should try its best to provide pre-sales information like the destination to CO and expected achievable speed.

Also it's never the customer's fault for living far from the CO. I paid the same telephone fee as everyone, why should some people get better served than me? Isn't it the ISP's responsibility to build enough CO to serve everyone?

Remember, customers are always right. If a customer is not satisfied it's the service provider's problem.

For rschulz:

I'm in a similar situation to you. I ordered the 40Mbps service but got only 17Mbps from it. I was expecting much better than that because the pre-sales information told me that I was 5000ft from the CO, but it turns out to be actually 7000ft.

Unfortunately, any DSL-based ISP cannot give you better than what you get now due to the physical restriction, and it is unlikely that they will build a new CO only to serve you. However you may try AT&T U-verse if that is available to you. U-verse uses fiber from the CO to your curb-side phone box, and the distance running on copper is usually shorter than 1000ft.

In my situation U-verse is available to me, but I don't want to bet if AT&T can give me more than 17Mbps (their advertised speed is 24Mbps). But if U-verse is available to you, I think it definitely worth a try.

Sonic is excellent providing pre-sales information.

Their pre-qualification tool states the ~distance to the Central Office; and in the link below, Dane Jasper (Sonic CEO) has a graph of other users actual speeds based on distance.

»Re: Is ~7000 feet away from CO supposed to be about 6 Mbps?

I found their information and service to be the BEST of any ISP I have ever dealt with, including Covad, Earthlink, Comcast, Frontier, Cable One and AT&T.

Several posters, myself included, attempted to explain to rschulz how DSL speed is determined to no avail.

So... You're dissatisfied with 17 Mbps. I get 7 Mbps. Should I not be extremely dissatisfied?

And in the "This Just In" category, my speed today has dropped below 4 Mbps.

It's an outrage, frankly.

they told me i was about 7k from the CO, but it turns out im actually 10k, i get 2.7mbps with the single line at 40bucks a month, however, it seems pretty snappy when compared to att that i used to have when i was living about 2 miles away from my current location.

their customer support is pretty helpful in terms of courtesy and everything, but i might just delve into the dual bonded line to see what kind of speed i am getting before i decide to jump ship.

i dont exactly blame them for att's poor wiring gauge, but they should atleast update their location software a tad bit...