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Review by Lou_n_Di See Profile

  • Location: Seymour, New Haven, CT, USA
  • Cost: $31 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 21 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Excellent installation Tech (Matt)
Extremely poor phone Customer Service and Tech Support
I would rate this service as VERY GOOD
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Initial contact with SNET was on 12/28/00 with an Installation Date of 01/17/01.
Location- Seymour CT
Service- 384kbps-1.5mbps down/128kbps up (PPPoE)
latest Speed tests yields 658 / 110 --- I'm nearly 12,000 ft from the CO
Installation by an ASI Tech-
The Tech (Matt) was GREAT--he used the tests on this site to ensure the setup was working fine!!!!!
The only tweaks I've had to do was an increase in the MTU from 1452 to 1492 and the IP address change to eliminate stalls and freezes. The MTU change was done with assistance from this group--great bunch of folks!!!! The IP address change came from the information at the Tweaks page on this site. THIS IS A GREAT SITE!!!!!!
I would rate the SNET DSL as GOOD. I've experienced no service issues in the short time I've been with them.Their phone Customer Service / Techs Support, however, is extremely poor....they seem to lack the skills and knowledge to solve problems!!
Equipment:
WIN98se
Dell xps B800 256 MbRAM
Enternet 300 Ver 1.4 PPPoE software
Kingston 10/100 Ethernet card
Efficient 5260 ADSL Modem

04/11/02--
WOW---what a difference a year and a few months makes!!!!!
Same SETUP-some minor tweaks --- an uncapped line and an extended reach DSL modem(Efficient Speed Stream Model 5262) now routinely nets me 1260kbps down and 109 up.
I would rate the service, now, as excellent.
The SNET NEWS service is a major dissappointment with poor renention and incomplete postings--I now use EASYNEWS for my USENET needs. EMAIL service has been excellent with only several server issues over the past (13) months
Service is now listed, by SNET, as 1.5mbps down/128kbps up (PPPoE)--there's no limit on the low end of the download speed!!!!

11/11/02--
Still moving along VERY well--
Email service is a bit frumpy at times over that past 8 weeks-I'm still an SNET.NET account. No change to YAHOO yet

11/08/03---
Made the "change" to a YAHOO account a while ago---same great service...UPLOAD speeds have increased, with the ISP equipment upgrades made in late September, from an average of 112 to over 210kbps...same great DOWNLOAD speed of just under 1300.

12/23/04---
No issues---service has been GREAT--- No email issues, no service interuptions, no speed issues...the latest hardware changes have netted a big improvement in UPLOAD speeds which now average 315kbps--same great download speed of just under 1300. Even got a price break to $31.95/month

member for 23.2 years, 3811 visits, last login: 1.2 years ago
updated 12.2 years ago


Review by nil See Profile

  • Location: New Britain, Hartford, CT, USA
  • Cost: $39 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 30 days
My connection is almost always above 1.2mbit
Website does not list linux install information and technicians are relatively clueless
Pretty good ISP for home use
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

I've had pretty good experience with SNET in my area (New Britain). We're 2miles from the center and consistently receive speeds upwards of 1.2mbit. We've been with SNET for about half a year now, and it's only been down 3 or 4 times, really a pretty good track record, my dial up ISP was worse than that.

I've never had to use their tech support, so can't rate them on that part.

Overall I've been rather happy with SNET.

member for 23.3 years, 7928 visits, last login: 3.9 years ago
updated 13 years ago


Review by BigFresh See Profile

  • Location: Stratford, Fairfield, CT, USA
  • Cost: $25 per month
  • Install: about 3 days
  • Telco party AT&T
Great speed, awesome reliability, I can count on one hand the # of days service has been down in past 5 years
Tech support is lacking... the SBC/SNET/AT&T members in the BBR forum are better help with issues!
For the price and service, I have seen no reason toN switch from SET/SBC/AT&T DSL since 2000.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I first ordered up SNET (Now SBC Yahoo) DSL back in 2000. Originally was on flank of the CO range, but got it anyway. Service was always reliable, although not fast at first. However, there were few, if any issues that I can recall right now.

The BBR forums were always a help with any issues, such as the switchover to the SBC Yahoo DSL, etc. Eventually, I wanted to seek help over my speed issue. Mrfixitct helped uncap my line from the CO, and got me up to speed. That was about 2003 or so. Still, never an issue with line reliability.

2004 - No issues until Nov. when the line wasn't working. DSL and Tel. worked intermittently. Turns out after a tech visit that the temperature change or weather caused the line to disconnect @ the pole. All fixed. Only other issue was a disconnect late in the evening and into the early morning. Speed would slow as a result, but would soon resume normal action by 9am.

April '05 - DSL Pro Pack is available. Already paying $25 for the years @ 1.5 Mbps down.... so, time for the upgrade to PRO for $5. With the help of Mrfixitct, line was upgraded. However, SBC dropped the ball with the final transition from the CO to a RT down the street, and was unable to get on. After wrangling with tech support, Mrfixitct helped direct a tech visit my way. Tech came, gave me new modem, tested the line, and made sure the account was set up correctly. All good so far!!!

August '06 - DSL Pro has been in place for well over a year. No serious issues. DSL line was down the other night overnight but a modem restart the following evening fixed the issue - still not sure what it is, but I did not call AT&T to complain at that point, so they may have realized it and fixed it. I think there were line issues in the area about that time as well. Overall, I still feel this package is a good value and very very reliable. I recommend the service to any who ask.

July 2008 - Moved into new condo in July 07. Ordered AT&T home phone and DSL service. After receiving hardware, we were receiving no signal or dial tone. Call in to AT&T tech support and ticket was opened. Repairman came out and found we were disconnected within the building, perhaps last owner had VOIP thru the cable co or something. Overall the service has been excellent as it always has, very reliable, consistent speed. I will likely be renewing my one year contract if I can do so.

March 2009 - Service has been pretty solid since last review. Moved up to Elite (6 Mbps) speeds and enjoyed that for a very good price. Made modifications to my phone service and got unexpected dropped back down to 3 Mbps service, which I'm not happy about. I'm hoping to call the local support line and get this resolved as it was not mentioned when modifying the features on my home phone. Home phone service has been good too... would like to get rid of the line but is essential to have where I live. Customer support was extremely helpful and friendly when I called them, I don't believe the switch in DSL service was her fault, probably part of the modification of my package that even she wasn't aware of.

Would love to get Uverse so I could kick CV to the curb, but not offered in my area yet unfortunately.

member for 22.9 years, 2135 visits, last login: 8.6 years ago
updated 15 years ago


Review by Qixotl See Profile

  • Location: New Milford, Litchfield, CT, USA
  • Cost: $35 per month
  • Install: about 12 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Mostly stable, good price
No Uverse option in area yet, some connection issues
Content with service
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I switched from Comcast since their price was almost triple what SBC/SNET was charging and I normally don't require the faster download speed of cable Internet service. SBC's Pro level service was not an option for me when signing up online, so I called their tech support number to find out why. It was a long phone call, but they went to the effort to inform me that I was 800' too far away from the CO. They didn't try to pressure me to sign up at that moment either. With the $100 rebate through Dell, I decided to settle for the Express tier anyway. My modem (SpeedStream 4100) arrived one day before my install day and I was able to set up my account on that evening as well. Thank you BBR for showing me how to set up my service without installing the SBC/Yahoo! software. My connection has been stable at 1280/315 and I have seen no hiccups yet after one week. My only gripe so far would be towards the regional Usenet server with is having moderate completion issues, but I did expect that to be the case since it is not a documented service. For now, I am pleased with my Internet connection.

UPDATE July 2007: Moved a bit further west a month ago. There was no way to transfer my DSL service to the new address via the Internet like I could do with my phone service, so I had to make that change over the phone. It took about a half hour to get everything straight, but the call was pleasant. The service at my old address was annoyingly disconnected a day early, but I was happy to see a service tech out at my new place the afternoon that I moved in. He noticed that there was too much noise in the only DSL capable node left (which would preclude a rock solid connection), so he made a line tech call without my prompting. The line tech guys were able to complete the repair that same day, so I was up and running that night. I have seen no issues with my service at this address and have been able to see a 5100+ down/640+ up connection consistently with my old SpeedStream 4100. The Usenet service is still having occasional completion and speed issues after 2.5 years, so I doubt that will ever be fixed. Other than wanting IMAP email capability from their Yahoo! based email accounts, I am quite satisfied. Hopefully they will prep this town for UVerse soon as Charter needs a kick in the pants on the TV front in this area.

UPDATE Jan 2009: Still going strong, though had a few outages late in 2008 lasting 2-4 hours each. Also, my account was misconfigured to a 1.5 Mbps download cap for a few days. The Tier 1 telephone drones were no help, but was able to get the problem fixed through a member on this site. For the most part, I have a stable and reliable connection. UVerse should be turned on here in a few months, so I will likely switch to that service then (if AT&T does not implement bandwidth caps beforehand).

member for 22.1 years, 4873 visits, last login: 2.5 years ago
updated 15.2 years ago


Review by gregamy See Profile

  • Location: Middletown, Middlesex, CT, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 14 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Installed as promised. Self-install package complete. After some repairs the service has been good.
SBC/Yahoo CD slammed TONS of crap programs on my PC; initial DSL speed unacceptable.
Better do your own homework on the technology BEFORE ordering.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Updated 01 Sept 06. See last entry.

After a new move I had to decide on my broadband connection. I came from cable modem with limited satisfaction (Optimum Online). I had a cell phone so I didn't need a landline; I use DirectTV so I don't need cable TV. Both SBC DSL and Comcast cable promised 1500/128 speeds, but the price of the DSL/phone was cheaper than the Cable modem/TV.

I was assured on three separate phone calls to SBC reps that I could expect 1500k speeds for downloads. I gave them each the new address and the previous resident's telephone numbers. All three assured me the speeds I could expect. Based on this and pricing, I ordered a landline and DSL. DSL was installed precisely two weeks later as promised with the self-install kit arriving a couple of days in advance.

The first big hassle was the install CD. Not content to give me a simple PPOE client, this SBC/YAHOO monstrosity installed tons of craps software on my PC without asking me what I wanted installed. I got a new browser, it changed preferences, added default parental controls, add-on toolbars, desktop and menu icons, significant registry entries (enough to add two minutes to my boot time on Win2K.) It made a total mess of my PC, and I can't find anywhere wher eI could have kept it from happening. [EDIT: search the forums here for solutions to avoid this - GA]

Worst of all, when I finally got it all hooked up, I noticed that my download speeds were about the same as my dialup earlier that night. I went to three different sites and used various bandwidth testers to find that my speed was not 1500/128, it was about 150/100. That's right: one hundred and fifty. [EDIT: SBC was horrible about explaining this "optimization/learning" process. An accurate description of the system would have helped me to avoid this dissatisfaction. - GA]

A call to tech support resulted in nothing: the guy told me that I had to wait 10 days for them to "optimize" the line. I told him that I was promised 1500 speeds; could I expect the "optimization process" to increase my speeds tenfold? He gave me no response.

I then took it upon myself to do some research, and it appears that according to this web site and others I'm anywhere from 12,000 to 14,000 feet from the CO. This is info that they had prior to making these promises to me; they knew better and I'm the sucker for it.

Where I stand now is that I'm an unhappy customer after less than 24 hours. I'll give them their 10 days, and then I'll probably exercise my 30-day guarantee. Then I'll cancel DSL, I'll cancel the landline (with all the neat little attached toys) and buy cable modem service.

Hopefully this will work out, but right now I'm not too happy...

*******18 June 03 Postscript******

Due to the work of the guys on this forum, my speed issue has been resolved to my satisfaction. My download speeds are within the expected range for a 1500k connection.

I was not aware that SBC connects at the slowest available speeds and monitors the connection for reliability. Once that's established it gets upped a notch and watched again. This is the 10-day "optimization process." Unfortunately, my SBC sales rep had signed me up for "192-1500" service, which meant that once I got within that range they stopped upping the speeds. Thanks to a gentle nudge it was upped to the 1500k level and now I'm getting speeds consistent with that (minus overhead).

In addition, the link provided below by DDAWG5150 gave me the info I needed to selectively uninstall the programs slammed onto my PC by the Yahoo! install disk.

I am satisfied now. A bit perplexed about the way the company works, but satisfied by the end result nonetheless. SBC owes you guys in this forum big time; you've saved them at least one long-term phone and DSL customer.

Thanks folks!

*******22 July 03 Postscript******

Well, I'm unhappy again.

I've been watching my connection, and each and every night at approximately 12:54 AM my PPoE connection gets renewed and I get a new unique IP address. Every night.

I called tech support and was asked if I bought a static IP address. I told him no, and he replied that the system is set up to work this way intentionally "for your security".

One of my main intentions for buying SBC DSL was to be able to access my resources from outside my home. Since they are changing my IP address each and every night, and I have no way to determine what the update IP is from the outside, this "feature" has removed my ability to get there.

They offer you a "deal" to "fix" the problem; that awesome deal is $59.95 for eight IP addresses, despite the fact that I'm currently paying $29.95 and I only need one IP address. Given that the only reason I have a home phone line instead of using my cellphone for everything is that I wanted DSL, this whole schmozzle would cost me a total of about $120 per month for Internet access.

This new development is giving me great pause: I am seriously re-thinking Internet access alternatives, given the amount of money being spent.

*******19 November 03 Postscript******

Talk about your up and down relationship...

I've resolved the changing IP issue by adding a PC to my internal LAN, running a separate program that monitors the router's IP address and updates my DNS records automatically (DynDNS, see noeld.com). Not the perfect solution, but it works.

New problem: over the last 3 months I've been having connection problems: disconnects, extremely slow speeds, audible phone noise. It took 6 weeks and three technician visits (including an external wire replacement) to get rid of the audible phone noise but my DSL speeds were stuck at around 800. I finally got fed up and re-terminated all the outside wiring connections at the house and at the pole myself and cleaned up all the bits of insulation and corrosion that the telco technician left on the wires. Result: a very clean, consistent 1300/200 speed. While I'm not happy that I had to do this myself after three tech visits (the external wiring is supposed to be the responsibility of the telco) I'm glad it's fixed.

Frankly, if it wasn't for the help I got on this forum I probably would have canceled DSL long ago...I still can't imagine what the ordinary Joe is going through dealing without this board...

So, the relationship is "up" right now; let's see if it can stay that way for a few months...GA

*******24 February 2004 Update******

It's been over 3 months since I repaired the outside wiring as described above, and my service has been excellent. Consistent max speeds, minimal - if any - noise problems, and minimal disconnects. The every-once-in-a-while new IP address still happens on occasion but it's manageable.

My 1-year anniversary is in May, and if this level of service is maintained - and they continue to offer the pricing packages that are competitive with Comcast Cable Internet - I will be re-subscribing to SBC DSL. - GA

*****01 September 06 Update*****

I re-subscribed again this year, except I chose to drop all unnecessary phone add-ons (voice mail, caller ID, call forwarding, etc) and subscribing to Express (I'm too far away from the CO for Pro) in order to get the costs down to ~$42/mo total.

My service over the past year has been good, and consistent. Despite the original teething problems, my transfer rates for the Express service has been a consistent ~380k upload and ~1300 download, despite the distance. I have to reboot the modem every month or so, but otherwise no issues. - GA

*****10 November 2008 Update*****

The last several years have been pretty good. I've gotten consistent speeds, consistent service, and only a couple of calls for physical line probs (that were addressed promptly). As a result, I upgraded from basic (1.5MBit, $19.95) to Pro (3.0MBit, $30). After a couple of tech visits to fix physical line probs service has been good; I'm seeing ~2.5Mbit down and ~400k up.

Still with 'em after all these years...once again thanks to the tech support I get from this forum... - GA

member for 20.8 years, 3491 visits, last login: 41 days ago
updated 15.3 years ago


David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

Can we investigate into this one??

Can we assist in your dsl problems??

please feel free to IM any of us

MrFixitCT See Profile
David See Profile
VivelaDSL See Profile

Thanks

gregamy
join:2003-05-22
Middletown, CT

gregamy

Member

Re: Can we investigate into this one??

Yes, you can, and you certainly did! Many thanks to your team and especially MrFixIt, as the speed issue has been resolved to my satisfaction. I am disappointed it took a nudge, but the results are satisfactory.

Thanks again to all, please keep up the excellent work!

GregA
Middletown, CT

ddawg5150
When I Am Here I Can Help
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
San Antonio

ddawg5150

Premium Member

We are here to help

Try looking here

As far as the line goes. Send an IM to the official tech support they should be able to get everything straightened out for you. They are pretty awesome people. Just ask the other people in the forum.

Maxo
Your tax dollars at work.
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL

Maxo

Premium Member

Forums

Remember to drop by our forums if you have any more problems down the road.

Review by geek See Profile

  • Location: Danbury, Fairfield, CT, USA
  • Cost: $18 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 10 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Solid Connection, Solid Speeds, Solid Service.
Phone Support blows..but I never have to call support.
Solid service, priced competitively.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Install Date 13-AUG-2001-
Overall, I am a pleased customer. Cable just showed up on my block in Jan 2002. I'm sticking with my DSL. I wish there was a 'Network Status' page. When they pulled my DSLAM they gave me a month free. No complaints.

15-FEB-2002 Update-
Still no problems. Tweaked connection and get 1300/138 service consistently.

27-APR-2002 Update-
Still no problems to report. Still getting 1300/138 service. Now hosting FTP and HTTP (Tomcat) from home. Wrote our own little network monitor page. I'm very happy.

12-NOV-2002 Update-
Still rockin' at 1300/138. Very happy. Great people and help in the SNET forum. Have not migrated over to Yahoo! servers. I'm waiting for the official notice from SNET/SBC.

02-FEB-2003 Update-
Still rockin' . Migrated over to Yahoo! mail servers. Migration went smoothly and I'm very happy. Also glad that SBC now has online support right here on Broadband Reports.

20-AUG-2003 Update-
One word. SOLID. Life is good. May go for more upload soon.

05-SEP-2003 Update-
Rumor has it that we will be getting a bump in upload speed soon to 256. Sweet! I have a feeling though that the 29.95 package will be going to 39.95 when I try to sign up for another year. My contract is up sometime in April 2004 I think. We will see........ Still a great connection and @ 29.95, still a great price.

27-NOV-2003 Update-
SOLID - No downtime what-so-ever. Still waiting for the bump in upload to occur here but some others in the state have been upgraded already. Apparently, all upgrade are expected to be completed by April 2004 so I'm hanging tight. Still a happy camper! Good job SBC!

26-JUL-2004 Update-
SOLID - Re-upped for another year in June. Still waiting for upload....

14-OCT-2004 Update-
The upload speed increase is here! Terrific! Now I'm clocking in at 1298dn/320up all for $29.95 a month. This service continues to be SOLID as a rock. Added streaming radio to my site and can now support two users @ 128kbps and still host my site. SBC, I'm loving you right now. Still waiting for the 3000/384 package to hit CT but I'm a happy camper right now. Sniff, sniff do I smell fiber in my future?

30-DEC-2004 Update-
The 'Pro' package (3008/512) finally became available in CT! Went live on 22-DEC-2004 and I am pulling down speeds of 2530dn/430up. Now paying $36/month for this new package. Service continues to be rock solid. I'm now at 88% of what the line can handle as I'm ~10,000 ft from my RT. Now I wait for SBC fiber to come to my neighborhood. Maybe in a few years. Great job SBC! Now if they get rid of the PPPoE I'll be even happier.

14-AUG-2005 Update-
Solid service continues. Price continues to drop. I'm now paying $24.95 a month for the "Pro" package. I had no problems signing up for another year as I couldn't ask for better service for this price. I still would like more upload but I'm sure that will come in time. I'm thinking about getting a second line and a load balancing router for more speed. A static IP would also be nice.

13-MAR-2006 Update-
Solid! Now paying 17.99/mo for "Pro". Waiting for that IPTV to roll out soon. Lovin' my DSL.

15-DEC-2006 Update-
Wow! Has it been almost nine months since my last review? Nothing has changed. Still great service and pricing. Still waiting for IPTV. Not holding my breath on that though. Very happy. We will see what happens come March when my contract is up. Apparently, they are doing away with contracts on the price listed for 'Pro' service on AT&T's website currently says 24.99. So we will see. Still happy for now though.

03-JUL-2007 Update-
Everything is still good. Now paying 24.99 a month for 3008/512 'Pro' w/ no contract. No downtime at all. Waiting for U-Verse to show up. Apparently, there is going to be a new VRAD installed to service my area soon. They are sprouting up all over.

09-SEP-2007 Update-
We are still here waiting for U-VERSE. Still at 24.99 for 3008/512 'Pro' w/ no contract. Service hasn't gone down a single time over the last year.

member for 22.2 years, 12032 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
updated 16.5 years ago

Bjoseph
join:2002-03-23
Danbury, CT

Bjoseph

Member

What Did You Do?

How exactly did you tweak your connection? I just got SNET DSL service and I am running Win XP. I am getting about 900-1050 down and 90 up. I would love to be getting the numbers you are. Any suggestions?
b.joseph@snet.net

PeteC2
Got Mouse?
MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT

PeteC2

MVM

Re: What Did You Do?

The BEST way to tweak your system is to get on the SNET forum! These guys will have your connection maxxed-out in no time. Recommend that you go to DSLR Tools and run the "Tweak" option. This gives some very good information. You can save the link and post it on the SNET forum, and you will get easy and accurate recommendations to get the most from your connection.

geek
Mad Scientist at Work
Premium Member
join:2002-01-07
Southbury, CT

geek to Bjoseph

Premium Member

to Bjoseph
Logged onto SNET forum. Ran the tests and tweaked with the advice of the members there. Ended up changing RWIN to 17424 and MTU to 1492. That's all I needed to do and I was flying!
Sky King
join:2001-07-02
Naugatuck, CT

Sky King

Member

How Did you Change your MTU?

Do you have windows xp or xp pro? How do you change the
MTU in XP? I can use the utility to change the RWIN but
it will not change the MTU. I think I wlll have to edit
to registry.

geek
Mad Scientist at Work
Premium Member
join:2002-01-07
Southbury, CT
TP-Link Archer C7

geek

Premium Member

Re: How Did you Change your MTU?

Sky King: If you are using Windows XP's built in PPPoE to connect then the MTU can go no higher than 1480. This is the case for XP Home and XP Pro.

For me, I use a router to connect so my MTU is 1492. If using a router you need to set the MTU in the router as well as the MTU for your network card. The network card's MTU can be set using DR.TCP.

Hope this helps.
Sky King
join:2001-07-02
Naugatuck, CT

Sky King

Member

Re: How Did you Change your MTU?

Yes I am using Windows XP's Pros built in PPPoE.
I still thought I had seen a way to edit the registry
and set the MTU higher. Are you saying that even if I edit
the registry and set it higher there it will not take?
TIA

geek
Mad Scientist at Work
Premium Member
join:2002-01-07
Southbury, CT
TP-Link Archer C7

geek to Sky King

Premium Member

to Sky King
With XP's built in PPPoE 1480 is the highest possible MTU. I haven't seen where this can be tweaked at all.

You could always use RASPPPoE instead of XP's PPPoE which would allow a 1492 MTU.

I really don't think you'll see that much of a difference from 1480 to 1492 but can can give it a shot if you are a speed freak.
jmcguire567
join:2004-12-31
Stratford, CT

jmcguire567

Member

Pro Package in CT

Are you sure about that Pro package in CT?? I'm in Fairfield county and just ordered DSL. I asked two different reps about the Pro package as I saw that it was available in other states. Both reps told me not until the spring.

Review by husky55 See Profile

  • Location: Madison, New Haven, CT, USA
  • Cost: $24 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 15 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Excellent service, price performance ratio
really bad tech support from India, CA, AK to service CT
Happy camper after terrible start
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I had Comcast for several years and recently Comcast upped their speed to 4 Mbps so with some anxiety that I decided to switched to SBC-SNET DSL 3Mbps package.After the usual wait of a week or so I got my self install package of Speedstream 5100b and the CD. No problem to install filters, PPPOE and so on, except that I got about 150 kbps upload. Real shocked. Called tech support who said that my house is to far 145000 ft and line cannot be upgraded. I was routed to India, CA, AR and New Haven CT tech support who told me it impossible. This went on for several days.

I drove the exact telephone line path to the CD MDSNCT01 at 806 Post Road in Madison, CT. Exact distance 11500ft and 10000 as the crow flies. May be we are too far from the CO.

Finally, I got lucky and got help from very knowledgeable people from SBC-SNET DSL, same company, who told me my line is NOT a problem and had me connected and provisioned properly. My speed is now 2500 kbps, some thing like 17X better than when I started.

Could not be any happier, but what a choppy and terrible start. SBC is their own worst enemy. Please somebody from SBC management, fix this!!!

member for 19 years, 732 visits, last login: 4.9 years ago
updated 16.7 years ago


Review by Rungel See Profile

  • Location: Baltic, New London, CT, USA
  • Cost: $24 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 14 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Very dependable for me...
It's been worth it for me..I don't think I could ever do without it..
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

My Other Reviews

·Charter
Ok.. here's my update: Things are pretty much the same.. Very Good.. SBC or AT&T as it's known now has 3 different speed packages. I went for the best there Elite service. 6000/ 758 or something like that. My real time speeds have been around 5031 download. And 638 up. The package cost me 44.95 but i get a $21 credit towards this for signing up for a year. My time will be coming to a close soon. So it will be interesting to see what they offer me.

I think were pretty lucky living in an area with competition .. some friends I know have phone companies who own or control there whole area. So there stuck paying more then we do. For much slower speeds.

I also have there Dish TV service which i like much better then Adelphia cable. When i first got it i could not believe the difference in the sound and picture.

member for 22.3 years, 10011 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 17.2 years ago

something123
join:2006-10-15

1 edit

something123

Member

same here in Illionis

I get that same deal here in Chicago. Its awesome isn't? I have been thinking about changing to dish network as well. I mean Comcast is just way too much. Paying about 56 dollars(tax included) just for basic cable.

Review by Marcs37 See Profile

  • Location: East Lyme, New London, CT, USA
  • Cost: $37 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 6 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
Reliability, Speed, knowledge of field personnel
None anymore!
Great Speed and Value as far as I'm concerned!!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I've had DSL through SNET (min 384K, max 1.5M) for going on 16 months now, and if anything, the reliability has increased over that time period! I'm CO based, so the potential RT headache(s) are not a factor, and although I'm 9800' from the CO, my speeds have been around the 1.2-1.4M range--I'll take it!! Enternet was a bit touchy, but after it finally went, and after some tweaks, things were smooth, and have been pretty much the whole time! Stick with the external modem if you can, those little green lights will tell you all you need to know, and the support in the DSLR SNET forum will guide you through 99% of any roadblock you may encounter along the way, be it initial set-up, tweaks, or odd-ball things that crop up day-to-day. SNET had a bad rap when it first got going 2 years ago, but they have made some big strides since...give them a chance!!

OK, it's several years later.....when did I write that one, 2002? My, how times have changed. Over the last few years, I've had DSL over DSLAM, Litespan and (currently) Catena, and have upped to the 3M pkg. That upgrade process was painless, they keyed in the order and BANG there it was--no modem reboot required. I now have (and recommend) the 2wire 1800HG combo. One box, and except for some flaky port-forwarding issues, it's a great little unit. Reliabilty is rock-solid, no real down time to speak of. My ONLY gripe is that employees (of which I am one!) do not get the same rates that the general public gets (yet). Other than that, support (especially at BBR) is OK, but check here before that 1st call to Tier 1, value for the $$$ is great compared to Cable and reliability is right there.

Here we go again! 3 months later, and guess what? AT&T has, at long last, introduced an "Employee Discount Plan", as of 8/1/06! They also have started offering a 6M plan, as long as you are close enough to the CO or an RT (I am). What a good time, thought I, to upgrade! (although the "Employee Plan" is still priced higher than the plans offered to the general public, I was paying $36.99/mo for the 3M plan...my 6M plan is only a dollar more under the Employee rate). My order was placed 8/2/06, due dated 8/8/06, and I'm up and running at the new speed as I type this.



The speed looks solid, averaging throughput of about 4M on the downloads, 600k on the uploads. What's not to like? I do need to look and see if there is a way to tweak my 2Wire 1800HG modem/router (any advice from the Tweak Experts out there?) so I can get the Maximum bang for my buck.

Now, some general comments, from an employee that does a LOT of DSL work in the field:

I know there have been some "issues" with the whole ordering process, especially if you have to transfer the service to a new address. I don't have the solution for that, but I do have some advice to anyone that orders the service (or already has it, and is having problems).

Patience.

Once you cut through the Red Tape, get the service to your house, and feel there is an issue, make that first call to support. You have to do that to at least give them a chance to get you squared away. If you feel that things are still amiss with reliability or connection problems, use the AT&T Northeast forum or AT&T direct forum. The help here is top-notch, and the folks here can usually work with you on those issues. Often, connection/reliability issues are caused by something outside, and my group does many of those types of trouble reports. The Mods in here can sometimes get a message to those of us outside (many of my peers read these forums, too), and we can usually fix the issues that are knocking your speed down if it is related to an outside issue. Give us a chance to help, we are more than happy to, and don't just automatically bad-mouth SNET/SBC/AT&T if you are having difficulty. Some of these reviews are pretty poor, and I dare say many of the "issues" could have been (and still can be) fixed. Help us help you! We WANT your DSL to work! My biggest beef with the higher-ups has been getting them to understand that the service has to be in and working as best as it can, then let the consumer decide if it is right for him or her. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen for various reasons that you can read about right here. Now I'm not a "Rah-Rah, go SBC!" type of employee. No one has been more critical of the whole process than I have (just ask my boss!!), but, that being said, when it is configured the right way, it is a VERY good product, and the value for your hard-earned dollar just blows Cable out of the water. Let us make it work for you, then YOU decide if it's right for you.

member for 22.3 years, 747 visits, last login: 14.1 years ago
updated 17.6 years ago


Grrrrrrrr
@myeastern.com

Grrrrrrrr

Anon

Poor AT&T service

AT&T...Tech support is terrible. I have a medical business. Lost my DSL during a storm. Got my son, a PC/network whiz, to check it out. Office Network is good, modem is good. Spoke to Tech support and went through the routine...even hooked DSL modem to one computer, bypassing Router. Nothing...even though all lights on with modem suggesting there is a connection. Guy gives up and says call back and ask for level 2...he gave me file number and he will document everything saying "obviously problem is with the lines outside"Call level 2, guy refuses to listen and wants to go through same rigmarole...claims level 1 Tech should have written out a ticket for guys to come out but the notes he feels only indicate there is a problem with router. I scream at him and tell him for third time that I still cannot get through even when router is not used. Finally writes out a ticket and puts me through to maintenance threatening that I will be charged if problem with my system. Talk to maintenance who instead of setting up a time to make site visit tries to get me to "switch off modem....." What's wrong with you guys...do u really believe we customers are ignorant/ dumb or what. Do you not know how to listen. I use my broadband for my business....we bill over a million dollars in charges a year...do u think I have the time or inclination to go through the same steps over and over because you don't want to get into your truck and come over? Let me be clear...if the problem is at my end I will pay your charges without blinking ...however if the problem is at your end what will you do...pay for my lost productivity? I don't think so....the service one gets is directly related to the amount of competition out there...my business would have ended a long time ago if my service was a quarter as bad as you guys.

Review by richc46 See Profile

  • Location: Westport, Fairfield, CT, USA
  • Cost: $11 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 21 days
  • Telco party Southern New England Telephone
  • CLEC party: Southern New England Telephone
Reliable, Very Low Cost, Fast,
Customer Service, Shipment of Hardware
After 6 weeks, I am happy with my service and would do it again.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

At the end of February I called SBC to get unlimited long distance and a second phone line. After the order was accepted the CSR gave me the sales pitch about ATT Yahoo DSL. I was paying 11.95 for ATT dial up and was given the family price (already a customer) of $9.99 for Pro (1.5-3.0 384-512), for $9.99. I could not believe the price. I asked at least 3 times for the bottom line price, after taxes, charges, rip offs. etc. and was quoted $93.00. I was to pay $79.99 for a modem, but would get a free phone, $15.00 credit $25.00 prepaid visa and another $50.00 visa plus finally $50.00 rebate on the modem. Now I am excited and can hardly wait. While waiting, I received 3 modems; returned 2 (at ATT expense). The big day has finally arrived; but no service. Problems setting me up. I received service a day late, not a big deal. Once my DSL was ready to go I was very, very satisfied, after 56 on dial up it seems very fast. I am getting between 2100 and 2500 and about 400 upload. Had only one problem so far. Modem was lit like a green Christmas Tree, but no sync. I rebooted and now all is well.

Now, the price, again not a big deal, but even after asking about 4 times, the bottom line was about $2.00 more than quoted. Conveniently, forgot to tell me about the internet FUSF.

Only about 6 weeks now but bottom line is, so far would I do it again? Yes, Yes.

member for 17.9 years, 20 visits, last login: 17.4 years ago
lodged 17.8 years ago