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Review by Smifgnomer 
member for 270 days, 71 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 3 days ago
 Lafayette,Contra Costa,CA
 $15 per month- (12 month contract)
 about 3 days AT&T "Speed faster than advertised, good usenet server." "Absurd process to make NAT router work with modem (I will explain below)" "Excellent speed, reliable connection, less expensive than AT&T"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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I've been using AT&T DSL service for about five years. The 1.5Mbps connection was good but the price was about $30.00 per month. I searched around for something cheaper and through Leo Laporte's website I found a link to DSL Extreme.
They were offering 3.0Mbps DSL service for $14.95 per month on a one year contract. Faster and cheaper. I signed up online and exactly three working days later the modem was delivered and the service was switched from AT&T to DSL Extreme. My total downtime with no connection was about two hours.
The modem that was shipped is a D-Link DSL-2320B. I plugged it in, connected it to the PC ethernet card, did 'ipconfig /renew' and I was connected. Very easy.
Then I tried to set up my Linksys-BEFSR41 NAT router with the modem and the hassle began.
Before the modem arrived I contacted DSL Extreme support via their online chat function and asked which modem would be delivered so I could research how to set it up ahead of time. They had no idea which modem would ship to me. No big deal I thought, a modem is a modem right?
Turns out the modem is set to 'bridge' mode which makes it just a straight DHCP connection without PPoE configuration. My thinking was that the modem would give an IP address to the router and the router would give an IP address to the computer like it worked before with my AT&T connection with a Speedstream modem. Standard setup right?
About five hours later I still couldn't make it work. I was baffled and frustrated. The router just wouldn't get an address from the modem. I contacted DSL Extreme support via chat again and they told me to contact the modem manufacturer or the router manufacturer for support! Wow. It's not like NAT routers are some kind of new, exotic hardware that an ISP support center should have trouble helping with.
I searched the web for help and discovered a post here on DSL Reports from 2008 where someone had the same problem and a general manager from DSL Extreme responded to them telling them how to set up their router with the bridged modem.
»Any special steps required use router w/ DSL Extreme modem?
Here is how you set up your NAT router to work with DSL Extreme and a bridged modem:
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Login to their site with your new ID and password. Click on the "Members" button. Under "Account Services" click on "Manage IP Addresses" Request a second IP address. Where it says "Usable IP Addresses" change the number to '2'.
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Wait a while....perhaps a half hour....then try the router with the modem again. It should work. If not wait some more and try again. A half hour worked for me.
That simple step should be in a banner right on the front of their site. It doesn't show up in any of their help pages and their support staff doesn't know about it. I had to find it here in a post from four years ago!
I've had the new connection for about a month now and there have been no interruptions in service. My max download speed so far is 3.12Mbps. The Usenet server has a big list of groups including binaries. Download speed from the Usenet server is throttled to 45KBps. DSL Extreme uses GMail for their mail service. Their service/helpdesk personnel (online chat anyway) are very polite but not at all helpful.
Update:
There was about a 12hr outage in service about a week ago. Had the same thing happen with At&T couple times anyway. I'm not going to stomp on DSXL for a short service outage. Since then the connection has been solid except for another brief outage caused by the actual phone cable pulling lose from the pole. An At&t Tech came out and fixed it. Huzzah for the At&t techs. Boooooo to At&t management!
Update:
27 Sept 2011: The DSL connection went down last night. I tried it this morning and it was still down. I called tech support, got through to a tech in less than five minutes, he ran me through a few troubleshooting steps that didn't fix the problem, he did something on his end that fixed the problem and now I'm connected again. Total time on the phone was less than twenty minutes. This was my first time calling DSL Extreme tech support and the support was excellent.
Update:
1 November 2011:
Strange tech support experience. My DSL connection went down yesterday morning. I called DSXL tech support who ran me through turning off the modem, checking cable connections etc. Then they said they would run a "line check". They told me my phone line was disconnected and my number was no longer in service. I told them that was impossible because I was talking to them from that phone number. They told me to call At&t to determine what was wrong with the line.
I called At&t, they checked the line and told me it was ok and anyway it would be impossible for me to call them if the line or phone number were disconnected.
I called back DSXL tech support. They told me they would escalate the ticket to a higher tier of support and I would get a call back within two hours. Nobody ever called me back.
This morning the DSL connection was still down so I called DSXL tech support again. The tech did another "line check" and told me the phone wire was disconnected or the phone number was out of service. After I explained that was impossible the tech told me to disconnect all the phones in the house then check if the DSL connection came back up. I hung up the phone then disconnected it and one more (I don't have access to two other phones) and waited for an hour. No luck on the DSL connection. I reconnected the phones. About a half hour after that the DSL connection was mysteriously working again! Wow. Like magic.
I am downgrading my tech support rating.
Update:
20 November 2011
Ivan responded to me via PM to explain what went wrong with my last service experience. Excellent follow-up. Thank you Ivan. I have upgraded my tech support rating accordingly.
28 January 2012
The connection has been rock solid since the outage I had in November of last year. So far so good.
8 February 2012
Service was not working this morning. I checked everything on my end. No luck so I called DSLX support at 10:26am. A tech answered the call and I told him what was happening. He had me shut off the modem, he said he "refreshed the circuit" and I should turn the modem and computer back on. I did and the connection worked. The call was over by 10:41am. Not bad.
Comments:
 | | Hi Smifgnomer, Hi Smifgnomer,
Could you please send me you account information so that I can research this issue. I apologize for you not getting a call back from technical support when you were supposed to and would like to research this if you don't mind. Thank you.
Best regards,
Ivan D. | |
| | | | Re: Hi Smifgnomer, Hi Smifgnomer,
I received the information that you PMed me, researched the issue and contacted the appropriate supervisors so that we can take corrective actions. Thank you making us aware of this. I apologize for the frustration.
Best regards,
Ivan D. | |
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| |  horrible service
I am still on hold. They are sorry for the inconvenience. I have been transferred to tier 2 four times, and they cannot get it right. They apologize for the inconvenience.I do not get internet service every morning and every morning it is later and later that the internet is accessible. They apologize for the inconvenience. Apparently for the last 3 weeks when I call in daily (because I have been told to call in when it wasn't working so they can run their tests) their techs have not been properly documenting my account so now I cannot get credit for the days down. They are sorry for the inconvenience.
Now I have to move and am told that the speed available is less than what I have now. And I have to get transferred again back to the department I was first talking to. OMG what a nightmare this is. | |
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Review by phelandsl
Fair warning: reviewer joined this month
lodged 12 days ago
- Phelan,San Bernardino,CA
- $32 per month
- (12 month contract)
- Verizon
- "Custmer service/Tech support"
- "What customer service?"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings well below consensus)
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I started DSL Extreme in the middle of 2010 with a dry loop. Everything worked great until Jan 6, 2012. I had no service. I called for 2 weeks, over 45 phone calls and at least 500 minutes on my cell phone. Finally the word that I got was that I had not ordered my DSL correctly in 2010. They stated that they did not know it was a dry loop so they did not inform Verizon in order to tag the lines. The CS rep told me flat out that I "did it incorrectly" (total bs). Verizon removed the lines for one of their customers. After finding this out, I was then told I would have to reorder service and start another contract. I wasn't happy with that but needed to get my service restored quickly. Ten days latter Verizon shows up unannounced (for the second time). Luckily I was home and they were able to install service as if I am their customer. Whoa! in fact I have become a VZ customer with a login, email and the works. Soon I will have a bill from VZ even though I ordered service from DSL Extreme. Try explaining that to their outsourced customer service. I was also notified that I would only be able to get 768k when 3 weeks ago I was getting 3Mb. This company is beyond lame. I would not, do not and will not recommend this company to anyone. I've tried many times to talk to a manager but they are always busy or in a meeting. If you need DSL look elsewhere.
Comments:
 dslx_nick
join:2011-12-24
Chatsworth, CA
kudos:1
1 edit | DSL Extreme This certainly sounds like an unusual situation. I wouldn't say that you 'did it incorrectly' at all; it sounds like the representative taking the initial order may have mistakenly recorded it as a normal (non-dryloop) line while you cancelled the voice line with Verizon, and then some half a year later Verizon finally got around to physically disconnecting the phone line. If you'd care to IM me your information, I'll make sure to have a supervisor review the situation and get back to you on this.
Update: Sorry, I misread part of that; it took Verizon a full year and a half to disconnect the physical lines. Someone in your neighborhood recently requested another line with Verizon, and since their records showed your phone line as being completely disconnected, they just disconnected the lines from your house's circuit and moved them over to their new customer. I do see that a manager tried to reach you earlier and left a message; I'll have one get a hold of you now. | |
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 Review by zbestwun2001
member for 6.1 years, 826 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 16 days ago
- Van Nuys,Los Angeles,CA
- $37 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 2 days
- SBC
- "Realiabily, Price and bang for the buck."
- "A little long hold for support.. use DLS Reports it's faster"
- "This is the best bang for the buck. Great personalized service."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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January 26, 2012
Still very happy with DSL-X, still recommend it to everyone!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
August 2010, just signed up for my 5th year!!!
George their GM is such an asset to DSLX
_______________________________
July 9, 2009
Just signed up for my 4th great year!!
__________________________________________________________
I have been with DSL Extreme going into my third year.
I have no complaints really, occasional glitches etc. but that is normal.
A great deal and much better than SBC ....I get 5 megs. consistently down and 634 up also. With that great upload speed my VOIP line works so well.
What do I have to complain about?
SBC (AT&T now) was ok when I started with them but after a while, the service started to deteriorate.
I began to be on first name basis with ASI techs they were here so much.
Then they tried to pull some shenanigans when I didn't renew my contract.
Tried and tried to talk me into signing back up.
I just couldn't put up with them any longer..
As far as DSL X:
I see no drawbacks to this ISP in anyway...They are polite, and this board is extremely helpful...
The DSL Reports forum for DLSX is extremely useful the the techs are quick to get to you.
George the GM is on the board all day long to assist.
I'd get it!!!
Steve
Comments:
1 edit | So far so good I've been with DSLextreme for quite a while, probably since around 2000 (I think they started up in 1999). So far not too many problems (knock wood). A couple outages, but that's going to happen with any ADSL, cable, T1, OC1, satellite data, etc. service (seen it happen and have had to deal with it, even $20,000/month SONET data service can get stuck). Other than that the data moves, DSLextreme sends me a bill, I pay it, they don't bug me and I don't bug them. That reliability plus the fact the two (I think) times I had to call about a problem I didn't have to speak to someone in another country reading off a script asking if my monitor was plugged in and I got to speak directly to an actual network engineer who had r/w enable on the routers.
I think that method of dealing with contracts is pretty common. Similar strategies with mobile phones, certificates of deposit, satellite radio, etc. You sign up for a contract and when that contract ends depending on what the contract said if you don't contact them they either auto-renew a contract or switch to month-to-month. If the contracts ends and they aren't contacted or paid and can't contact you, then the service is disconnected, etc. I guess it would be nice if DSLextreme had one of those auto-dialer things like XM Radio has that calls you every day when the contract is up to bug remind you to call them.
I agree that type of arrangement can be a hassle sometimes but I think that's the just the way most businesses operate these days. When a contract is up it's best to contact which ever company even if you just want to cancel (and that might mean a chat with "customer retention" at some companies) or you might be dinged one way or another.
EDIT: Clarified who the "they" I was talking about, etc. is to minimize the confusion. | |
| Reviews:
 ·DSL EXTREME
| No Problems For Me With DSL X DSL X has been nothing but great for me.
Honestly has never been an issue.
Tech support has ALWAYS fixed my problems.
George continues to be such a great asset to DSL X especially here on the BBR website.
I am going on 5 great years with DSL X | |
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Review by Nick2k
member for 7.6 years, 116 visits, last login: 23 days ago
updated 23 days ago
- San Jose,Santa Clara,CA
- $32 per month
- about 6 days
- SBC
- "great staff, quick service, superb customer service, and wonderful connection (so far)..."
- "...not a damn thing (yet)!!!"
- "DSLExtreme has impressed me so far compared to my friend's SBC/YAHOO service"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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Smoothly ordered the 3000/416kbps 5 dynamic IPs plan on the late afternoon of July 15th. UPS delivered the kit on noon the 22nd. The line was probably live a day or 2 before then (the phone box was screwed with, even missing a screw and not even closed completely...SBC's fault...sigh..). Kit contained 5 filters, a wall plate/filter, cat5 cable, dsl phone line cable, cd, instructions printout, and and of course the westell modem. The box seemed like a return/refurb, and when i opened it the bubble wrap wasn't even covering the modem. =( But if it works, it works. Got the internet going quick and easy in less than an hour with help from a good friend in the networking business. Not using winpoet or anything, just using a WRT54G linksys router and DSL is truly always on now. Ran a couple speed tests, most recent test scored 2435/336 kbps. Fiddled with the 'tweak' stuff once with DRTCP program, jumped up ONE byte. I'm not gonna mess with again since it didnt seem to do much at all. I figure I'll wait it out for the "ramping process" to see how much better my speeds can get.............
I'll keep you all updated with my experience and satisfaction with this company and their services for the next few weeks...-nick2k
---Wednesday July 28th, 2004 @ 11:15am---
I'm now on my 6th day (at least), and my speed has not improved (if any) since.
I plan to call dslextreme and inquire whats the reason and what i can do to remedy it.
dont get me wrong, i like my speed, but since i'm paying for a 3000/416 plan, i want to be as close to the numbers as possible...-nick2k
---Thursday August 5th, 2004 @ 4:20am---
I'm now on my 14th day (2nd week) and my speed has dropped slightly. I've posted on the boards in regards to this matter, so hopefully I'll get a response soon from either the DSLExtreme staff or someone else well-knowledgable in the matter. I'm about 62 KB/s away from acquiring full 'advertised speed'. If I can get closer to the 3000 kbps rate, I may consider upgrading my account. But other than that little nuance (and another involving a non-responsive linksys router when it comes to 192.168.1.1 configuration commands), the DSLExtreme internet has been quite swell. Now I just to wait on for someone to make a reply and I'll be happier......................-nick2k
---Tuesday August 10th, 2004 @ 3:30pm---
The customer service (both phone and internet) is abfab! I've been really inquisitive about lots of things, and dslextreme has been quick to answer my questions (along with the resourceful folks in the bbr/dslextreme forum as well!). My speeds are still really good (+2450/>300) and I ordered an upgrade to the 6000/608 static package. So I'll let you know how things go with that. The only problem I have now, regarding internet, is a personal problem which has dslextreme have no control over (so I wont bother going into further detail), but the dslextreme service is rocking me like a hurricane... -nick2k
---Monday August 30th, 2004 @ 2:40pm---
First off...before anything...the Technical Support Department is great. A dude named Neil helped me out big time. Very friendly and he knew his shizzle. Get the man some real chai. Please! Anyways... My Static 6000/608 package went into effect this morning and after Neil helped me out with my IP config, I ran a SpeedTest using Speakeasy. The results I got was 4988/483. The test was ran while the server was 'busy' (2:30pm). I'm quite happy with DSLExtreme (as well as the speed I'm getting. I'm gonna run another test later on in the evening when things aren't so hectic on the net. Also thinking about looking in to see what other crap I can do to optimize my speed. I heard something about making sure the SBC guy didnt fudge up my phone box or something.......... -nick2k
---Sunday September 5th, 2004 @ 11:30am---
I heart dslextreme.com -nick2k
---Thursday November 4th, 2004 @ 2:30am---
The internet is STILL running fast & strong as ever. Not a hitch.
Soon it'll be 'Halo 2' time...to subscribe to XBOX Live or not...decisions decisions...
Thanks for the great service, DSLExtreme!!! -nick2k
---Wednesday September 21st, 2005 @ 11:30pm---
I STILL heart dslextreme.com -nick2k
---Monday July 9th, 2007 @ 1:15am---
Howard UPS'd me a shiny new modem (because the old westell was on its last legs).
he was quite helpful and quick to fix my issue. i'm still loving the dslextreme!
cheers... -nick
---Wednesday January 19th, 2012 @ 1:07pm---
Wow. I've been with DSL Extreme for about 8 years now. Crazy. Things have been great for me still. Maybe its because of where I live, but I don't really encounter any problems. And for the few problems I did have, customer service/tech support have been helpful. For example, they've replaced my modem and AC adapter when they finally gave out at no charge (I now have a D-Link modem instead of a Westell). There were a few speed issues, but it was quickly resolved as soon as possible. I'm still getting +5 megs down. I'm still waiting patiently for ADSL2+ to arrive in my area, but I don't think its ever going to happen. I really only want it for buffer-free instant HD Netflix streams. Other than that, I'm quite content. Well, that's all. Cheers... -Nick (a happy DSL Extreme customer)
Comments:
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Review by millean2
member for 26 days, 0 visits, last login: 26 days ago
updated 26 days ago
- Yorba Linda,Orange,CA
- Contract price not specified.
- AT&T
- "Horrible service since outsourced to the Phillipines. Don't bother!"
| Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings well below consensus)
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This the worst service I have been provided by an internet company. I started with DSL Extreme.com 10 years ago because it was a small company and actually cared about the customer.
I was disconnected by AT&T last year due to billing issue which has been resolved. The line was reconnected and now DSL is stating they are still waiting for an update. DSLextreme tech support and service is now based out of the Phillipines and it's the worst service. People read from a script and can't think outside of the box.
Everytime I call in, the ticket is updated with a new date and pushed back further in the queue.
The phone line breaks up, the people don't care and hand up on you.
Perhaps someone that cares from DSL might give me a call.
I'm tired of hearing we don't have an answer in 48 hours. I have not had service since December 30th, 2011 and this is not the way to treat a business that has stuck with this service for 10 years.
Comments:
| | Pay your bills Sounds like the LEC disconnected you for non-payment. Pay your bills and these things won't happen. | |
| dslx_nick
join:2011-12-24
Chatsworth, CA
kudos:1 | Disconnection/Reconnection If your phone line gets disconnected (whether due to non-payment, or some other occurrence which you may not have control over), that unfortunately usually causes you to lose your DSL connection, too, and when the phone company reconnects your phone service, that doesn't automatically reconnect your DSL service. We're basically still sending the DSL signal to your 'old address', so when such a disconnect/reconnect occurs on the phone lines, we need to similarly disconnect and reconnect the DSL half of the line.
If we try to process a DSL reconnection before the phone service is reconnected, the DSL reconnection fails, and our DSL reconnection date thus gets 'reset' and pushed back. If your phone service has been successfully reconnected at this time, however, then we should be able to proceed with our own disconnect/reconnect process. I'd be happy to have a representative look into this for you, if you'd care to IM me your details. | |
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Review by (hidden by request)
(review was emailed from domain goldenwesttech.com)
lodged 27 days ago
- Fountain Valley,Orange,CA
- $20 per month
- (12 month contract)
- AT&T
- "Fairly easy hook up..."
- "Not as fast on my system as I was used to..."
- "A bit risky signing up due to cancellation clause..."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I signed up for DSL Extreme as I was having ATT issues. There were ATT
intermittencies that were really frustrating. I had heard of DSL Extreme on
the radio.Jack Levy I think. The set up was fairly easy and the unit worked
right away. The problem I had was with speed. I thought the speed would be
the same or better than ATT and it was not the case on my LapTop. I have a
fairly new laptop (HP). My son came home and wanted to use it on his Apple
so he plugged in and got great results for the most part. I was sweating
that one out as he is in the band 'OneRepublic'. He so depends on the
internet to send music out and such. When he left after the holidays, I
cancelled the DSL Extreme account. I have to pay the cancellation charges (1
year service). I don't think that's totally fair when the customer is
unhappy with the unit's speed. We might be one of those customers that live
a bit further from the junction box wherever that is. I'm back to ATT and
seem to be getting better results. Maybe they looked into the problems I was
having and found the issue. I don't think I would sign up for DSL Extreme if
I were you, due to their cancellation penalty of over $200.00. I have nothing to show for the money. Had to send the modem back. Stuff like that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm glad other people have success. I'm just not that lucky I guess.
Thank you.
Mike Kutzle
Comments:
| | uhh Why not get your computer fixed? This is obviously not a problem with the ISP | |
| dslx_nick
join:2011-12-24
Chatsworth, CA
kudos:1 | DSL Extreme I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but glad to hear your connection seems to be doing better now, at least. We recognize that speeds will vary due to physical factors so we provide expected speed ranges for our packages in AT&T phone areas, as specified in our Terms of Service and when you place an order with us; we do provide the best speed that we can, but sometimes you won't be able to hit the maximum speed of your range. If we are providing speeds within your range and you decide to cancel the contract prematurely, the Early Termination Fee applies at that time. This fee isn't intended as a penalty - rather, its purpose is to cover the expense we incur in setting up and then taking down the connection.
If you are able to get good speed on one computer but not another, that usually indicates that the problem is indeed specific to the computer, not the connection itself. In such a case, would suggest checking your local hardware (such as network cables) and software (such as firewall and antivirus) to see if making a change to those might help improve your speed. | |
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Review by Jay123aaa
member for 322 days, 350 visits, last login: 5 days ago
updated 29 days ago
- Oakland,Alameda,CA
- $28 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 15 days
- AT&T
- "Obviously, pricing is the primary consideration. And somehow connection speed(ping)."
- "Sometimes hours of outage. Takes really long time for service change/setup."
- "Should be the best choice for long term normal home DSL use."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Here is the post that contains most of the steps that I went through to get that 1.5M plan installed. The true problem wasn't difficult, nor was it hard to find out; however, it just took more than 2 weeks...
»What's the best way to switch to DSLX?
Fortunately, after the sucks installation, the line has been working without any big problem till now, except several internet outages. All of them were just about 35mins~one night, but should be annoying enough.
I had had 768/384 DSL and 3M/1M U-verse before(both from ATT), compared to those two:
Pros:
1: DSLX's 1.5M plan has the lowest ping time, and it's the only FAST connection actually.
2: Pricing again. Although other ISPs like ATT do provide low rate DSL, but only few months or 1 year. After that short period, the price will be just double. DSLX add only $5 more after the 1st year.
Cons:
1: Service from a smaller company. By these words, I'm not meaning DSLX isn't good in providing services, but less stability. For instance, more outage, less quality/sufficiency of perimeter services(customer service, technical, etc.).
Conclusion:
It's definitely the best for normal home use; if the 6M plan is available in your area, then even better than best. As I have been a DSLX's customer for more than 3 months now, I can tell you that I'd definitely go for the 6M plan with 12-month contract, but 1.5M is the highest speed available here, sad.
Facts need to be born in mind, 1)some DIY(do it yourself) ability will be needed, 2)please do expect that the line may just goes down suddenly in some day, 3)please do make sure that in case of that happens, you can find an alternate internet for emergency(sending important email, submitting school work in due day, etc.).
*Conclusion of the conclusion: Lowest price for an acceptable bandwidth.*
=========================
Updated(12/21/2011):
Sent request for upgrading to the 3M pack. The 3M package wasn't available when first signing up but now available, though my modem won't be able reach the full 3Mbps due to the low SNR of my line. Will see how it works on the activation date of Friday. Since the promo price has been cut off due to the upgrade, rating for "Value for money" drops, though the installation progress looks a bit better. The connection has been good for about 3 months, should be rated 5 stars if the line keep runing stable for few more weeks after the upgrading.
Associated thread: »[DSL] Could any one of the techs here help me with the upgrade?
=========================
Updated(12/23/2011):
Connection stays at 2.7Mbps down with 6 SNR and 512Kbps up with 20 SNR, looks pretty good. If I had known the update progress would go through like this smoothly, I would have agreed to upgrade it back in July...was afraid to the slow installation progress during the initial sign up...Any way, will see how it works!
=========================
Updated(1/13/2012):
Has been running good for 3 weeks now, nice.
Comments:
Reviews:
 ·WOW Internet and..
·Time Warner Cable
| DSLX's problem isn't the fact that they're a small company- they're actually very very large. It's the fact that the actual owners only care about the money you pay in and their wholesale customers. If they failed to tell you that yes- DSLX's parent company doesn't care about you; they care about their massive base of resellers and all the money you give them. you'd be better off at ATT. | |
| | Reviews:
·DSL EXTREME
1 edit | Re: DSLX's problem Ah, thanks for the information.  So the majority of their customers are resellers or maybe just lower level ISPs? That's interesting.
Since Verizon doesn't provide broadband service here, all my choice is ATT and ISPs relative to ATT at the moment. Comcast is also available here, but cost exactly double and double. Beside, I don't think the high bandwidth cable would give me a fast connection, which is kinda important for me.
Anyway, hope the facilities get upgraded ASAP, so more options and speed will be available(at a good price).  | |
| | |  dslx_gmPremium,VIP
join:2002-12-26
Winnetka, CA
kudos:15 | Re: DSLX's problem said by Jay123aaa:Ah, thanks for the information. So the majority of their customers are resellers or maybe just lower level ISPs? That's interesting.
I am not sure where they are getting their information but it is not correct. We do have a wholesale business in which we allow other ISPs to purchase services from us but it is a small part of our overall business. Our retail DSL business is our largest business unit and we of course care about all of our clients.
--
George
General Manager
DSL Extreme
Will work for reviews.  | |
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Review by Didra
member for 39 days, 5 visits, last login: 11 days ago
updated 34 days ago
- Playa Del Rey,Los Angeles,CA
- $20 per month
- (12 month contract)
- AT&T
- "quick shipment of modem, outstanding followup and followthrough, sensitive to the needs of novice older adults"
- "10+ min wait for Tier 1 support; instruction font could be larger"
- "DSL Extreme really cares about its customers! Great deal for the money! Highly recommend this service!"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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I ordered DSL extreme as a X mas gift to my parents (65 and 78 years old) at the advice of a BestBuy employee. The modem arrived quickly (within a couple of days) with easy installation instructions. It would have been helpful if the instructions were in a larger font. Tier 1 support wait was lengthy but when the company was contacted through this site they promptly responded with Tier 2 support. Nick (Tier 2) assisted my mom (an internet novice) in connecting to the internet in less than 30 minutes! He then proceeded to give her an internet and computer tutorial without her having to ask. My mom and dad are soooo happy with the tech support they received. Not only have they entered onto the information superhighway, but they are in the fast lane! My mom even brags that she was able to connect her own internet service after my numerous failed attempts. LOL Kudos to DSLExtreme for their responsiveness to and sensitivity of older adult internet users generally and to my parents specifically. I am switching my service from Time Warner to DSL extreme TODAY!
Comments:
Reviews:
·DSL EXTREME
| Sounds familiar, alright. "When I told him I was having trouble understanding him and requested a manager, he said I was being uncooperative and ended the call. Can you believe that!!"
I believe it. Oh, how I can believe it ... you are not alone in that, not by a longshot.
Good luck with resolving that customer service nightmare, sorry to hear your folks had to have such a horrid first internet experience ... | |
| | | Get a local company. DSL Extreme is not a local company. They sell internet service to you from a local company. They are just the middleman. Find a local company for internet service for your parents. Either DSL or cable internet. Look in the phone book for local service. Or if they have cable TV ask their cable provider about cable internet. If they have a landline telephone ask their telephone company about DSL internet. Get quotes and speeds/prices to compare. | |
| dslx_gmPremium,VIP
join:2002-12-26
Winnetka, CA
kudos:15 | I would like to review your account... Hi Didra -
I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that you and your parents experienced. Though it is true that it can sometimes take the full date on the activation date for the service to be fully established by the phone company, the support representative that you spoke with should have attempted to fully assist to ensure that your setup was correct.
I would like an opportunity to review your account and assist in getting your parents service up and running. The setup process is generally very simple so I am sure we can walk them through it. I would be happy to have one of our tier 2 representatives from here in Los Angeles walk them through. Can you please send me a private message (PM) with their account information and the best contact information.
Once again I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your anticipated willingness to work with us to get this fully resolved.
Thanks
--
George
General Manager
DSL Extreme
Will work for reviews. | |
| | Didra
join:2012-01-03
Los Angeles, CA Reviews:
·DSL EXTREME
| Re: I would like to review your account... Thank you, George for your prompt reply. As I am new to this whole Broadband DSL reports blog, I don't have a clue on how to send you a private message. I look forward to whatever support you can give my parents in connecting to your service.
Thank you, Didra | |
| | | dslx_gmPremium,VIP
join:2002-12-26
Winnetka, CA
kudos:15 | Re: I would like to review your account... Thanks for the follow up Didra. I was able to find your account yesterday and left you a message on the phone number listed on your account. I will ask one of our technicians to follow up with you again today. You can send me a PM with your best contact info as well. To send me a PM click on my username to the left of this post.
Thanks | |
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| | DSL EXTREMEly Bad Customer Service
Secondly, why do they insist you sign a contract?
It is because they have you committed into a binding contract that you will be forced to pay, regardless of the level of service they provide you.
They refuse to take responsibility for anything on their end.
We switched from AT&T, and were first told by DSL extreme that there was a problem with our phone line. Subsequently we had AT&T come out and remedy whatever problem we now had that we never had before when we were with AT&T.
The AT&T technician suggested we call and scale back our service as DSL Extreme was unable to get us the download speed we were signed up for.
Since then, we have never been able to get the download speeds that they promised.
When calling tech support it was like Groundhog Day.
They kept saying that it was not their fault that we had a problem with our phone line.
Multiple times I explained that AT&T had been out and rectified the so called phone line issue, and that we were still unable to get the speeds that they advertise.
When our phone was inadvertently disconnected, their party really began!
Now it was Groundhog Day again, as they kept telling us that it takes between 7-10 business days to reconnect after reconnection of the phone line.
So I kept asking, if it is only supposed to take 7-10 business days, why has it taken over 3 weeks?
Note that I am continually placed on hold while they go in search of answers.
I have now been on the phone for over an hour (1:21 minutes so far).
All I'm asking for is a $10.00 credit for the time they were unable to get our crummy service back up and running.
Lastly I would like to point out that all of their phone calls- customer service, technical calls are all handled over a really bad internet connection which is also annoying- leading me to believe that they have outsourced their call center outside of the United States.
I'm taking advantage of this time in order to spell out my situation and hopefully shed some light on what I consider to be unfair business practices.
I will be reporting this company to the Better Business Bureau, and strongly advise against subscribing to this service.
On the upside, all of this hold time has given me the opportunity to write this letter of warning to you. | |
| | | | Re: DSL EXTREMEly Bad Customer Service I would second TDMMONEY3's review.
This has pretty much been my experience with them as well. Over four weeks now dealing with their extremely slow speeds (10% of what I pay for if I even manage to get that).
Rebuild my line (they said), moved me to a less congested circuit, replaced the modem and they still have no explanation as to why this is. I say stay away from them at all cost, and definitely don't sign a contract with these guys. | |
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Review by BMF
member for 5.2 years, 3 visits, last login: 37 days ago
updated 38 days ago
- Alhambra,Los Angeles,CA
- $22 per month
- (12 month contract)
- AT&T
- "Good alternative for AT&T DSL, renewing contract for promo price is just couple click."
- "They don't offer decent connection speed for my house. Takes alot of time to get real help from tech support."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Switched from AT&T for over 3 years ago because the AT&T modem died and DSL Extreme had better price at that time. One nice thing with DSL Extreme is that every year when my contract end, I can renew it online with a few click and never have to haggle with some sales rep. Sadly my 1.5mbps DSL line stuck below 880kbps most of the time and never exceed 1.2mbps (which kinda sucks because AT&T kept it around 1.2mbps most of the time when I was with them). Two times when there were serious problems with the connection, reaching a competent tech support on the phone took hours if not days. Now it's time to switch to something faster and lucky for me that my cable co. is gonna provide me 15mbps at about what I'm paying for my DSL. To get the last laugh, it'll take almost a whole week to disconnect my DSL service which will lapse into the next billing cycle.
p.s. They want the 3 years old modem back.
Comments:
NWOhio
join:2011-10-25
Toledo, OH | Modem they want it back so they can sell it to someone else. Cable does the same thing. | |
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Review by gbogdanoff
member for 304 days, 266 visits, last login: 3 days ago
updated 46 days ago
- Long Beach,Los Angeles,CA
- $37 per month
- (12 month contract)
- Verizon
- "Stable Connection, helpful service technicians"
- "tier 1 support"
- "good price, good service, avoid tier 1 support"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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i have used DSL Extreme for quite a few years now. i've always had a good signal, even though i'm near the limits as far as distance from the CO goes. the US office is staffed with knowledgeable techs who do their best to solve problems. i don't think anyone will have serious issues with these guys if they are familiar with this(DSLReports) site as the DSLX forum is the best place to contact the service staff. for those who call for support over the phone or use the chat, service can be spotty as the overseas(Philippines) support is from spotty to sucks(typical corporate issues these days).
i have have both fiber optic(FIOS) and copper(DSL) service over the years, right now it's copper. i've found that the DSL lines are more consistent speed-wise, and that streaming services work much better than the fiber(FIOS) lines. the thing is, the lines must be in good condition. since most phone lines are on the old side of things, a new subscriber should be prepared to clean up their inside wiring(not everybody, but....). that said, once the wiring is clean, the connection just works and works. the fiber lines were very inconsistent and intermittent in comparison in my experience. likewise, cable in the area(which is very heavily populated) can be very good to horrible depending on the time of day.
well, this is my experience, anyway...
Comments:
Reviews:
·DSL EXTREME
| support issues may be much improved. my experience with George is that he really does care about doing a good quality job. according to the user in this thread, a more sensible arrangement for support protocol has been established.
»Tech Support -- Good Experience | |
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