Review by CobraPA 
UPDATED: 2.3 years ago
member for 8.1 years, 109 visits, last login: 362 days ago
 Lansdale,Montgomery,PA
 $89 per month (12 month contract)
 about 25 days
 Verizon
 "Friendly tech support, broad range of services, good connection"
 "Install co-ordination rough, lack of updates when trouble occurred."
 "I expect to be much happier now that install is done."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I ordered a Speakeasy/Covad 1.5M/384 RADSL line on Dec 26. Service comes with static IP (up to 2 addresses), up to 4 email accounts, hardware modem/bridge (Zyxel 645 w/ethernet), online account management interface (TAC - Total Account Control.) Modem is billed at $199, with a rebate paid in 4-6 weeks after account goes live.
I'm a prior Directv user, so started looking for DSL service with another provider when they announced termination of service sometime in the Jan/Feb 2003 timeframe. Speakeasy looked slightly more expensive than other providers, but has good customer support ratings and provides static IP and no port blocking for home server use, both of which I wanted.
The install process was rough. No other way to put it. I finally decided that any estimate of progress given by Speakeasy staff on the phone should be doubled or tripled in time. Example "The line check at the CO will be done today or tomorrow, and we'll update you." For me, this translated to a line check scheduled in 3 days, with no update until I followed up. But I digress, here's a rundown of my experience.
Day 1 - Fri, Dec 27
I'm home, day after my Speakeasy order, mid-afternoon talking to a friend on the phone. Phone starts clicking periodicly, then goes dead about a minute later. Odd, call friend back on cell phone. Check line a little later, still dead. Within about an hour all is well and no noticable phone line trouble.
Login to TAC in the evening. Covad indicates a TELCO install date of Dec 31, with firm order commitment (from yesterday), followed by install confirm and modem shipment. This looks great, one day to line install! Wait 5 days for UPS modem shipment... (Idea for Speakeasy/Covad: I've got a Fedex account, want to use it for 2 day modem shipment?)
Day 7 - Thur, Jan 2
Okay, good news, even with the intervening New Year, it doesn't actually take 5 business days for the modem to arrive. I've already run a DSL line from the basement box, and split out the phone lines onto a filter. Plug in the modem, follow the simple instructions (power brick, modem, phone cord, press power switch, easy...) and modem is dead. No lights at all. Okay, check power brick. My 8 port switch uses the same supply voltage, even has the same connector. Plug it it, power on, green lights. Wait for DSL light/modem to sync. Nothing. Hmm, instructions say up to 5 minutes. Go do something else for 10 minutes. No sync. Power cycle, try it again. Nothing.
Ok, time to try out tech support. Call the 800 number. Wait is maybe 5 minutes, no to bad. Friendly guy, explain what I'm seeing. Explain I've got a dead power brick and no sync. "Umm, you ought to run out to Radio Shack and pick up another power supply." Me, "You can't have a power supply shipped?". Tech, "You'd be surprised how many people ask me that."
Yikes! Okay, here's my first mistake (and Speakeasy's.) I should have made them exchange the modem and power supply right here. You'll see why...
He checks a couple things on their end. Suggests I need to test at the NID (Network Interface Device - outside phone box.) Okay, um, cool, I'll run power out the window, use my own power brick, and call you back when it's connected.
So, hey, maybe it's my inside wiring. I could be up in 15 minutes if it works at the NID. Run power out a window, carry modem, cable and screwdriver out to NID. Hook up, green lights, wait 5 minutes. Nothing. No DSL light/sync. Back inside, swap phone onto a second phine line, call tech support. Wait for 5 minutes, get different tech.
New tech reviews the account. I explain I'm outside at the NID. He checks the line and finds no activity. Okay, he says, we'll order a crossconnect check at the CO. We'll let you know when it's done. I don't recall him saying how long it would take. He suggests I call back tomorrow.
Day 8 - Fri, Jan 3
Call around lunch time. Wait on hold for a while. Ask for status. Tech reviews account, no further info. Sorry. I start to think calling for status is a waste of time...
Day 9 - Sat, Jan 4
Not sure if I called back in or left online request for status. Note appears in TAC about a Covad crossconnect check request. Note says approx. 2 days for completion.
I figure at this point that patience will win out. I resolve to wait a couple days and see what happens.
Day 13 - Wed, Jan 8
Early morning, been two business days since 2 day estimate, no activity on account visible online. Let's try the online question section. Post a request for update.
Day 14 - Thur, Jan 9
Check TAC again. Covad reports good crossconnects, recommends Speakeasy continue diagnosis for a bad line or bad modem. Hmm, okay, maybe they fixed something in the CO. Go home that evening, run a phone line into the house from the NID (I'm getting smarter, it's 30F outside here.) Try to sync, no success, call Speakeasy.
Wait for tech, explain situation, tell him I'm plugged into the NID. Nice guy, he asks if it's cold outside, and suggests I go inside while he reads up on the account. I explain I've run a line into the house. We share a laugh. Okay, he looks at Covad line status, notes I still don't have sync, says they'll escalate to Covad to get the line checked out to my NID.
(more to follow)
Feb 13, 2004
I never did finish that long story, but I have been happy with Speakeasy since that original install. It' works almost flawlessly, and the speed and uptime is excellent. They just put me through the speed upgrade to 1.5/768, and that is great also. I'm upgrading them to, they rock!
Mar 9, 2006
Speakeasy continues to be a good chioce. Uptime is very high, although I do see a modem lockup every now and then. A conversation with tech support a while back suggested some investigation into noise and the modem connection, which I haven't fully done (it could have required moving the modem to a currently non-powered location and running additional CAT5.) Anyway, overall, I am happy with Speakeasy, but am considering switching FIOS.
Jul 9, 2007
I made the jump to FIOS. Speakeasy has been good to me, overall. Uptime is still very good, although I was still seeing modem lockups every few weeks. A reset brought things back to life. There have been a few slow downs lately. Sometimes a modem reset fixed them, a couple times it seemed like the net connection was down or slow for an hour or two, then things recovered.
I cancelled today, and they where very nice. Although when I asked about courtesy email forwarding, they would not. They would give me a email account for $4.95/mo to cover the account I wanted to forward though.
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