Review by ClintJCL 
UPDATED: 96 days ago
member for 6.8 years, 40 visits, last login: 96 days ago
 Alexandria,Fairfax,VA
 $85 per month (month by month)
 about 15 days
 Verizon
 "Everything works!, true static IPs, no PPPOE"
 "extra IPs too expensive"
 "I will stay for years to come."
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After a VERY bad experience with Lightning Bolt DSL, I switched to SpeakEasy.
ALL problems were INSTANTLY resolved.
I negotiated for 5 IPs, as I am absolutely unwilling to pay $6/month for an IP. I know what an IP is worth, and it is jack squat.
I am a bit upset that I forgot to negotiate for 7 IPs instead of 5, which would have allowed a router and a PS2 to be added to the fray (currently: 5 machines direct-connected, just how I like it, don't want to sacrifice any of their IPs).
So... No wifi-PDA, and no online-PS2 without cable-pulling, as I am unwilling to pay $12/month for thse 2 things. THAT crippling kind of sucks and is caused by their prohibitively high IP pricing.
However, all ISPs seem to overcharge IP addresses. It's how they make the big bucks.
Overall, THE SERVICE IS EXCELLENT!! The speed and realiability are great. http responses are fast compared to Lightning Bolt.
NO PPPOE.
Decent support.
UPDATE:
I have been harassed multiple times over the last few months for "using too much bandwidth". But of course, since they don't have limits, they wont tell me how much I am allowed to use. Just that it is "too much".
Against my best instincts, I complied with another request to install a scheduler, so that my bandwdith is limited to 25% levels during business hours. I even made business hours 10 hours long to deal with other time zones.
Again, I am called out and harassed today, despite the fact that I believe my usage has actually gone down a bit, and is certainly mostly during the evenings and night and weekends. Here is the email I got:
Hi Clint,
I know you can be rather difficult via email, but this cannot wait.
Are things still secure on your LAN? Have you added new wireless gear to your network that's not been locked down, maybe? You are severely over-utilizing your residential-class circuit, and are outside of compliance with our Terms of Service.
I know you are quite savvy, and since we have already discussed this matter, I must be firm. This download pattern must change, or your services will be terminated for abuse of our network.
Excerpted from »www.speakeasy.net/tos/#moderation
"Customers will not be charged for the bandwidth consumed, nor do we have specific limits or caps on that bandwidth. If you utilize any of your Speakeasy services in a manner which consumes excessive bandwidth or affects Speakeasy's core equipment, overall network performance, or other users' services, Speakeasy may require that you cease or alter these activities."
If something else has happened, then I humbly apologize for my tone, but you are still responsible for what happens at your end of the network.
Lawrence McBride
Executive Escalation Manager
Toll Free > 800-556-5829 ext. 5103
Direct > 206.971-5103 Fax > 206.728-1500
Email > lawrence@hq.speakeasy.net
www.speakeasy.net
At this point, I feel very lied to. Who else thinks I should take them to small claims court for my setup fees (both for them, and for my next ISP)?
In the end, the terminated me, and even threatened me with a $300 early termination fee, despite the fact that THEY WERE TERMINATING ME.
EarthLink may be the worst ISP ever, but SpeakEasy is the biggest hypocrite of an ISP.
Followup comments:  
soundtank
Holy Cow
Premium
join:2006-02-07
Harwood Heights, IL | What are you running? What are you running on your connection? Server, torrents? | |
|  | 
look in the mirror
@wideopenwest.com
| Re: What are you running? Looking at this review and the users past ISP reviews, it appears to be a theme, over use the connection, and blame the ISP.
4-5 ISP's, all similar issues, maybe it is time to stop blaming the ISP, and realize you need more then an ADSL connection for your higher the normal use. | |
| | | ClintJCL
join:2001-09-19
Alexandria, VA
 ·Speakeasy
| Re: What are you running? Looking at your review of my past reviews, there appears to be a common theme that you aren't actually reading them.
I gave glorious priase to my first DSL ISP, capu.net. They let me use 100% of my bandwidth 100% of the time for years. Then stopped doing residential DSL.
I was transferred to EarthLink against my will. At the time, I was downloading files at least 150 megs in size every day. Some by FTP, some by HTTP, some by DCC (IRC file transfer protocol), and some via instant messenger software transfers. NO RESUMES WOULD WORK. Now I know the network transport layer and the application layer are separate, but ALL RESUMING for ALL PROTOCOLS on ALL COMPUTERS stopped working. I used no router, I had static IPs. When I left earthlink, the exact minute I was cut over to my new ISP, ALL RESUMING for ALL PROTOCOLS on ALL COMPUTERS *started* working again.
I think that's a pretty good reason for complaining about EarthLink. The better business beaureu agreed, and eventually Earthlink accidentally refunded me even more money than I gave them. 6 months later, they inexplicably sent me a DSL modem even though I am not their customer. They are incompetent.
I then switched to Patriot.Net, who I used for years. Again, I used 100%/100% of my bandwidth, 100% of the time. We're talking 150G/month downloads. I was never hassled. EVER.
I ONLY left Patriot.Net because I could get double the download speed for $10 LESS a month with Lightning Bolt. That was a big mistake. They were rude. On the first day Brent, who runs LB, had the audacity to tell me "not to have your wife call us, she called us more in one day than most people do in a year". Despite having a static IP setup, NOT A SINGLE INBOUND CONNECTION EVER FUNCTIONED. They told me how to turn their router into a bridge via it's web interface, and doing so completely made all connections stop working whatsoever. I gave up and invoked my moneyback guarantee and they tried to charge me $200 for "breaking" the modem. Of course, they would not return the modem for me, and I stopped my check: If I broke it and am buying it, then you must give it to me.
It had nothing to do with my configuration. When I switched to SpeakEasy, EVERYTHING WAS WORKING RIGHT AGAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES.
So no -- don't try to blame me on this.
I've only left ISPs for:
1) going out of business
2) no file resumes working
3) no inbound connections
If I leave SpeakEasy, it will be because they terminated my service because their "unlimited" pre-sales promise is a lie. They are getting on my case for "downloading too much". They have said to try to keep it to 100G.
Of course, I don't know if that means I have to restrict my upload either. I intend to use 100% of my upload 100% of my time. For one thing or another. When I have nothing to do with my upstream, I donate my bandwidth to the TOR network to help promote anonymity and free speech on the internet. If I can't use my upstream as I see fit, the access is not worth having.
If you don't believe me about pre-sales, I have screenshots of the entire pre-sales exchange, which I did under a pseudonym:
»www.flickr.com/photos/clintjcl/t···eakeasy/
--
-Clint
clint@acm.vt.edu | |
| | | | robscullion
Premium
join:2001-12-07
Philadelphia, PA
| Re: What are you running? I was a little skeptical of Clint's story myself, but I strongly suggest checking out the flickr link provided before passing judgement. You have to read the pics in reverse order to make sense of it, but the SE rep clearly says that 100% usage of the bandwidth 24/7 is acceptable.
Most broadband savy people know that's a flat out lie, but if an SE rep signed up to it, then they should at least let Clint get out of this with no monetary penalty beyond the monthly fees associated with usage of the service. As for being responsible for setup fees for his next ISP...I think that's going too far. They clearly mislead him as to the nature of the service though and that's a mistake to which they need to own up.
Clint, I'd suggest emailing that flickr link to Larry McBride and see if you can work out an amicable solution. There's no way they're going to let you use the service 100% 24/7, but with such clear evidence in your favor, I'd think he would have to be more accomodating about releasing you from any financial obligation re: disconnect fees, setup fees etc.
I'm very disappointed to find an SE rep apparently lying to a potential customer. In my experience they've always been pretty straight shooters. My first call to investigate service involved the same questions and I was clearly told that usage was not hard capped but that I couldn't use it 100% 24/7. | |
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