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Review by (hidden by request)
Posted: 2.3 years ago
(review was emailed from domain tds.net)
 Medford,Taylor,WI
 $29 per month (12 month contract)
 "Do not have to wait for dial up"
 "My average speed is 300 kbps and am signed up for 3000!!"
 "Paying way to much for not enough speed."
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To Whom This Concerns,
I have DSL now for about 6 months. I went with DSL from TDS as I was told of
how good it is and that speeds do not vary like broadband. Boy I do
wish I still had broadband. I never have to deal with this type of
speed, 202 kbps, sometime 340 kbps and am suppose to have 3000 kbps. I
had about 2000 kbps for about 1 week out of 6 months. SO I am not happy. I
have called tech support 3 times to no avail... what to do? Go with Net
Zero? I will be telling people of my demise... No one can seem to help
me. What is up with DSL?
Your almost formal customer, Mike.
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Review by goillini 
UPDATED: 2.5 years ago
member for 3.5 years, 933 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Madison,Dane,WI
Contract price not specified.
 Southwestern Bell
"none"
"unable to stick to delivery timeframe, had to cancel order after waiting 1 month"
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I moved to Madison (near-West side) last summer and signed up with TDS. I was pretty excited about their DSL and phone offerings, so when they said it would take 10 days to do activate the phone line, I didn't blink. But when the 10-day mark rolled around, they said it would be another week. Then, after a week, they said it would take another week. Each time they told me there would be a longer wait, there was a different story (the final one was that they were oversold and needed to add some more switching equipment at the central office).
After waiting over three weeks with no phone service, I finally canceled the order and called SBC. They were able to activate the phone line and DSL within 2 days.
I'd stay away from TDS, but that's just my $.02.
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 Review by quetwo
Posted: 2.5 years ago
member for 5.2 years, 1726 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Lansing,Ingham,MI
$30 per month (24 month contract)
 about 30 days
TDS Metrocom
"Local Company, Local Techs, Local Cust. Support"
"A bit slow..."
"It has always been a pleasure to work with these folks"
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Bought an old house in the heart of Lansing, and did my research -- 3 (viable) ISPs could serve me at my new location : at&t, TDS and Comcast. While speed was something I was looking for, more important was a static IP address. TDS was the only company that could offer a static IP and no restrictions on incoming ports (I do lots of consulting work, and I need people to be able to connect to my PC for demos).
Ordering the phone line and DSL circuit was pretty easy; a single phone call the their 1-800 number is all it took, and I was done in about 15 minutes. I called a full month ahead of time, so I was able to choose the date that it would go live (my closing date on the house).
Day after the closing, a TDS guy showed up at the house, did his work at the DMARC, and dropped off the modem. While I had to call into tech support to find out my static IP address and get instructions on how to set it up with their router, it took no more than a half hour to get it up and running.
The speed is good for a DSL circuit at 15,000ft from the CO. It is faster than at&t quoted me over the phone (and cheaper too). Reliability has been rock-solid so far, with 0 disconnects that I am aware of.
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Review by dakornblum
Posted: 2.7 years ago
member for 2.7 years, 3 visits, last login: 1.8 years ago
Lansing,Ingham,MI
$24 per month (24 month contract)
about 16 days
TDS Metrocom
"Exceptional performance, price, reliablity and Customer Support."
"Encountered some problems/delays with initial installation/activation."
"No regrets whatsoever re. my decision to go with them."
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Having lived with a dial-up connection for years, I'd been actively comparing high-speed internet options available in my area for a long time. My budget is tight and I tend to be a very cautious consumer, especially where large companies are involved.
Last fall I stumbled upon TDS Metrocom and was intrigued enough to call them for more info. Obviously, I was impressed enough to take the plunge and signed up with them for both DSL and phone service.
Being on a budget, as well as being informed that my residence was reasonably close to their local signal office (~ 1 mile), I ordered their lowest speed option -- 1M download/512k upload -- for $24.99/mo. (after a six-month promotional price of $14.99/mo.).
There were no installation or any other setup fees, they supplied the modem at no cost (an Actiontec GT704-WG Gateway-Modem), and I had 60 days to try it out with the option of cancelling the whole thing at no charge.
The only glitches I ran into involved the initial installation/setup/switchover process, though in TDS's defense I should point out that they had to coordinate this with two other companies: my previous phone provider (McCloudUSA) and AT&T, which "owns" the outside phone lines and had to come out first and physically re-wire the line from the pole to my house.
After that, I got everything up and running and have been extremely pleased with all aspects of my new setup. The modem/connection has performed flawlessly and the connection speed is excellent.
One last note: I've called and spoken with TDS personnel on a number of occasions re. an array of issues/questions. Without exception, I've found them all to be extremely bright, knowledgeable, honest, helpful and very "down-to-earth", so to speak. This has been one of the most refreshing aspects of my experience with them.
All-in-all, my monthly total expense for phone and internet is significantly less than before and I'm getting vastly improved service and performance to boot. What more can I say?
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Review by brewcrew9
Posted: 2.8 years ago
member for 2.8 years, 28 visits, last login: 18 days ago
Cross Plains,Dane,WI
$35 per month
about 7 days
TDS Metrocom
"Fast reliable,installed quick, 7 days from order to delivery, Great price point $35.00/4mb ,Service 24/7 tech support"
"4/mb is the fastest available at this point,"
"Good speed/Price point, 24/7 service, just hope faster speeds are coming but is more than enough speed for majority of people"
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7 days from order to install with really quick and easy install instructions. I am a very happy convert from charter cable. The pain is changing my email to everyone/websites/accounts , however it actually only took about an hour to do so. I can really tell the difference in the upload speed which is about 4 times faster than cable at my location. So far I am more than happy that I finally took the time to switch! Charter email was terrible and service outages were constant.
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Review by kicknit
UPDATED: 3.5 years ago
member for 5.1 years, 12 visits, last login: 2.6 years ago
Appleton,Outagamie,WI
$45 per month (24 month contract)
about 10 days
Southwestern Bell
CLEC party: TDS Metrocom
"Sales rep explained everything clearly; I felt I knew what I was getting"
"Not sure; location of antenna can't always be where you want it"
"I am impressed"
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I ordered the wireless DSL from TDS metrocom a little over a month ago. I was up and running 10 days later. I thought the idea of the wireless internet was an interesting idea, since I have no need for a landline. I got an advertisement in the mail, scanned over it, and thought about it for a few days. As I drove back and forth to work, I could see some other houses that had the white antenna. Not being a very shy guy, I stopped by a couple of the houses and asked straight out if they liked it. Both said yes, so I called TDS Metrocom. The rep on the phone was patient and answered all of my questions ... even the taboo question "What if I don't like it?". I was satisfied that the rep was sincere and I wasn't being hoodwinked. Four days after my call to TDS Metrocom, a guy from a company called Digicom (their contracted installers) to set up an appointment for installation. The installer that came to my home was polite, and the installation went exactly like the rep at TDS Metrcom said it would. The reception antenna is mounted, a small hole is made for the cable to come inside the house, and then it is all hooked up. The guy even took the time to make sure it was up and running before he left - unlike the other DSL providers who simply ship the modem to you and provide the instructions.
So I've been up and running about a month now, and I think I made a good choice. I ordered the 768kbps w/ dynamic ISP at $40/mo. I got the first 2 months free. The price is $5/mo cheaper if I ordered their phone service, but I really didn't need it. I'm consistently getting speeds between 700-768kbps down and a little less up. I haven't had to call tech support yet, so I don't have anything on that experience. The signal between the receiving antenna and the transmitting antenna is a secure one; it is coded so no one can "ride" your signal.
There's only a couple of wishes. I wish that the modem that comes with the service had a wireless (or even wired) router with it. I think the price of the service is a little higher than other, but I'm not sure if that is comparing apples to oranges because the data isn't running on a copper wire. Because the data signal comes from the water tower, the antenna has to be facing the tower, which isn't always the most convenient place to put it. The antenna is a little smaller than a baseball plate, it's not easy to notice unless you are looking for it. You get 50' of cable with the installation, while I didn't have to get more (you need to buy the extra), I used all 50' to connect to my PC. If TDS Metrocom ever offered VoIP, I might consider it ... but then I may have to upgrade to the 1Mbps speed. Actually, I think I may upgrade to that speed anyway, as I was used to 1.5Mpbs before I moved here. Previously, I was paying $34.95/mo for 1.5Mbps through Verizon, so I kind of wish TDS Metrocom could match that speed for the same price. Actually, I wished they offered faster speeds. I think the equipment they use can handle speeds up to 3Mpbs. The homepage, tds.net, isn't all that impressive or offer a whole heck of a lot.
Overall, very happy so far.
updated 05/30/06 - for the most part, I am happy with the service. HOWEVER, in the 3-4 times I've called into tech support, the wait time has been at least 25 minutes. I thought that because I wasn't dealing with a ma bell or cable conglomerate I would receive faster response timese. This has turned out not to be the case.
I have also discovered that their web-based mail service has a lot of catch-up to do. I was adding a new mailbox and the next thing I know the system isn't recognizing me. Turned out to be a big pain.
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 Review by StratNAV_CPO
Posted: 3.9 years ago
member for 5.7 years, 2046 visits, last login: 100 days ago
Saint Marys,Camden,GA
$39 per month (12 month contract)
TDS Metrocom
CLEC party: Covad
"Always online - in 3 years have had a total of 1 hour down time"
" none"
"The only DSL provider in St. Marys, GA"
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The CO name is STMYGAXA.
The internet bill and phone bill is on one bill - less checks to write.
Yes TDS is based in WI, but this is the only phone company here in ST. Marys, GA.
Ordered the 256k speed then was upgraded to 448k/448k for free - a new speed (1.5mb) is available in my price (39.95) but requires a 12 mos contract. I just finished my 18mos contract. An Actiontech gateway is what is given for the DSL with a dynamic IP using PPPoE.
The prices and speed avaiable for TDS are:
3Mb - 49.95
1.5Mb - 39.95
256k - 29.95
Followup comments:  
Upset Navy Vet
@tds.net
| TDS DSL Unfortunately, TDS is the only Broadband provider in St. Mary's, GA. They do offer 3Meg, but unless you are living in a community currently being built, you will not be able to use it. They will sell it to you, let it crash a few thousand times, and then say "well, your too far from the RT to get 3Meg. Guess you'll have to go down to 1.5Meg". Then, when you get 1.5Meg and still have the same problems, they will tell you that there shouldn't be a problem. After MONTHS of back and forth, they will tell you there are too many packets being lost on your line and unless you move to a newly built neighborhood, there is nothing that they will do for you. And at that point, you start too wonder why our chamber of commerce won't allow another company like ATT to come in and compete and then realize they all have vested interests in TDS. AHAH! | |
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Review by gtuser
Posted: 4.3 years ago
member for 4.3 years, 1 visits, last login: 1 year ago
Grand Rapids,Kent,MI
$75 per month
TDS Metrocom
CLEC party: TDS Metrocom
"rarely down, nice people to talk to"
"spamlist issues with bigger ISP's, don't return calls or fulfill promises"
"good value but they seem to be very busy, which slows things down"
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Overall, TDS has been a decent ISP to work with and they have helped with some issues we have had with email routing. But that appears to be where they stopped recently as a sufficient resource. It appears they have either not kept up to date on spamlist status or have lost a certain measure of respect from other larger ISP's. Increasingly, we have been notified that our outbound company email has been delayed or not delivered usually due to spam detection. We resolved this problem a year ago by forwarding our outbound mail to the TDS mail servers however it now appears they have the same problem. We have called multiple times and have sent multiple examples per their request. They promised a 24 hour update call on this issue and have not called since doing so a week ago. We are constantly calling for status and getting a different explanation each time.
UPDATE - TDS finally called and explained how complex the problem was. We seem to be making better progress now!
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Review by d00d92
UPDATED: 4.5 years ago
member for 4.9 years, 31 visits, last login: 3.9 years ago
Chili,Clark,WI
$50 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
TDS Metrocom
CLEC party: TDS Metrocom
"Dependable bandwidth, few blocked ports"
"expensive, typical crappy modem, idiot corporate tech support"
"ehhh its broadband i guess?"
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May 4,2005
Have experienced my first issue with TDS, they're trying to tell me that i'm an abusive user and that i make too much traffic. According to their 'accurate' bandwidth meter, i uploaded 195 gigs in April. I'm not sure if TDS uses a different type of math than the rest of the world, but the most that i could have possibly uploaded at 512kbit in a 30 day period is 162 gigs, and thats assuming full balls to the wall traffic. After explaining the math to the CSR via email they pretty much dismissed by claim non-sense and moved onto asking if i used a wireless router. What kind of idiots do they have working there? Apparently they have a traffic limit of 50 gigs upload or download per month. Considering i shell out $50/month for this service i'd imagine a little more bang for my buck. A dollar a gig essentially.. Doesn't sound all that good to me.
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Ordered on a monday, was up and running on friday. Their sales staff was excellent with answering all of my presales questions and directing me to any other information that would have been helpful. The technician gave me a call the second he had everything hooked up at the CO. The service so far has been excellent and very reliable. Had to restart the modem a couple times but that could be attributed to the excessive connections caused by p2p.
Line is rated at 1.5/512 and it pretty much runs at that all the time, occassionally sags a little bit during peak hours but nothing substancial to where my usage is inhibited. I'm impressed with TDS for them hooking up this CO for DSL considering local population is about 250 people at most.
For my area TDS Telecom is the only route to go, beats the hell out of the wireless ISPs and no cable provider exists.
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Review by syarost
Posted: 4.7 years ago
member for 9.1 years, 268 visits, last login: 11 days ago
Grand Rapids,Kent,MI
$45 per month (24 month contract)
about 7 days
TDS Metrocom
CLEC party: TDS Metrocom
"Blazing Speed, no charge upgrade to faster speed"
"Lack of knowledge from pre-sale support"
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My service was upgraded from 1000/1000 (852/559 actual) to the 4000/768 service on 2/4/2005. My actual new achieved throughput is 3350/720. The upgrade was done over the phone as I watched, and was completed without charge!
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TDS
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Here's hoping we both find a better ISP.