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Review by jdrwho 
UPDATED: 4.6 years ago
member for 6.1 years, 876 visits, last login: 2 days ago
 Baltimore,Baltimore City,MD
 $93 per month
 about 9 days
 Verizon
CLEC party: Covad
 "Reliable rock solid connection. Fast. Great support."
 "None encountered."
 "Best ISP I've ever dealt with and I've dealt with many!"
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*****************************
Update: As of Feb 05, I have left DNS. After the November MCI to Covad change, I started working for a Covad reseller and now get my 6000/768K dedicated line for under $60. My leaving had nothing to do with DNS and everything to do with my new perk of getting the same line for almost 40% less.
I still think of them in the highest of regards.
*****************************
Wow - what more can I say about Britsys except that they rock. Been a customer of their's since 7/2003 and I am completely satisfied with their service. My speed test constantly are in the 1210/630 kbps range with ping latency averaging 19 ms. Both Customer Service and Tech Support has been a pleasure to deal with.
Over the years, I have personally and professionally dealt with Mindspring, Earthlink, Covad, XO, Comcast, ToadNet, PSInet, Verizon, Cox, and SBC. Of them all, I highly recommend Britsys. The best I've dealt with hands down.
I can't wait till they increase their downstream speeds to 3 mbps.
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Review by (hidden by request)
Posted: 4.6 years ago
(review was emailed from domain britsys.net)
Dallas,Dallas,TX
 Business customer
$75 per month (12 month contract)
Southwestern Bell
CLEC party: Covad
"Pricing"
"Apathy and incompetence from tech support"
"This company went from Jekyll to Hyde--is now a nightmare"
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I've been with Britsys for close to three years. There were no problems back when they were reselling MCI, but last October they forced everyone to switch over to Covad, which meant paying more for the same service. To avoid downtime they encouraged me to get a dedicated ("naked") line for the DSL.
In the past two months my DSL line has been down for over two weeks (entering the third as I write this). Britsys support has been horrible--a complete disaster. The new "24/7" tech support is, frankly, totally inept. They cannot even handle the most basic aspects of their job, such as contacting the CLEC for updates. Here are the highlights of the nightmarishly idiotic service I've gotten from them:
* Instead of following-up by phone as I requested they've sent emails multiple times--hello, if DSL is down I can't read your email!
* They have given Covad the wrong contact information and the wrong hours when I am available for service calls.
* When SBC failed to show up for one repair ticket I called Britsys and the clueless guy who answered insisted that I call the BILLING department because he couldn't escalate the issue or even check status!
* Billing is just a voicemail box and after repeated requests that they contact me they have yet to return my calls. Even after the tech support manager said he would have them call me, they haven't called.
* It's ironic that the team of dummies who work the tech support call center do not know how to contact Covad, because back when my problems first started the tech support person actually told me to call Covad myself and pretend to be from Britsys! Yes, these clowns are a huge joke.
* Get this sequence of events: We did testing to confirm a line problem Mon. SBC never showed on Tues. Covad came by Wed to confirm that, yes, there's a problem in the line. As of Thurs Britsys has no clue at all when SBC will finally be fixing the line. When I suggested they call Covad for this information, the guy (who sounded like a backwoods hick who had just been trained to stand on his hind legs) said he had no way of knowing how to get in touch with Covad.
Now some will defend Britsys/DNS and claim that this isn't their problem, it's the problem with the CLEC (Covad) or Telco (SBC). Well, BS. I am Britsys' customer--they cash my checks. I expect them to deliver the service they promise and I don't give a damn if they have problems with their suppliers. Plus I know for a fact that Britsys support has bungled matters multiple times. If Britsys can't take responsibility for their service, what good are they? The answer is they are totally worthless.
When the chips are down, Britsys will not help you. As I said, billing doesn't even answer the phone or return messages. Tech support is a call center filled with disgruntled losers who got fired from McDonald's. They honestly appear to be sub-mental. Oh, they cash my checks fine, but they are completely uninterested in me the moment I have complaints about service. The attitude is incredible.
The moral is that the longer the chain of companies you have to deal with (Britsys-Covad-SBC), the worse the service is going to be, especially if the first link in the chain is Britsys.
I have already made arrangements for a new ISP to install DSL on another line. Ironically, that will probably be done before my current line has been repaired. I DARE Britsys to charge me a cancellation fee when this is all over. I still have plenty of anger to get out of my system at them.
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Review by amylynne22
Posted: 4.6 years ago
member for 4.6 years, 0 visits, last login: 4.6 years ago
Owings Mills,Baltimore,MD
$42 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
Verizon
CLEC party: Covad
"Fast personalized service and great connections speeds."
"none!"
"Highly reccommended"
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Britsys has proven to be very professional! Excellent service and support. Always quick responses to any of my questions.....very knowledgeable techs. I highly reccommend Britsys!
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Review by jayman221
UPDATED: 4.6 years ago
member for 4.7 years, 5 visits, last login: 4.3 years ago
Chicago,Cook,IL
$65 per month (12 month contract)
about 15 days
Ameritech
CLEC party: Covad
"Had a great service with MCI"
"Britsys changed its name to DNS..it changed too!!!!"
"Stay away - All good things come to an end."
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I was a very happy customer with Britsys. I signed up for MCI service with static IP addresses in Jan of 04. Not one problem with the connection. I even talked to people at Britsys on the phone. Yes they answered the phone...even tech support. All the reviews are true and I will make similar claims. I guess all good things must end.
Roll the clock to Oct of 04:
I received an email from Dedicated Network Solutions. Ummm????..I realized that it was Britsys telling me that they are dumping MCI and I need to swich to COVAD. They explained that the support was lacking at MCI. What it did not make clear is that COVAD uses PPPoe. I had a trouble free static IP address from MCI. The email also did not have an SLA and last, if you click on a link, it states that I have a 30 day trial, after the 30 days I will be charged 199 if I do not continue with Covad for 12 months. I did not click. I trusted DNS was doing this for an improvement, still to this day not sure how COVAD would improve my service. At that time, I was a happy trusting customer.
The Conversion:
Problems, Problems and more problems. I got a voicemail every time I called including sales. I received confusing emails from Covard stating that if certain items were not done, the request will be cancelled. This was taking place as my MCI service was disconnected immediately, DNS told me the conversion process would begin at the end of the month. Opps.
DNS with Covad:
Problems and Problems. Forget using the phone unless you like leaving voicemail. I received emails back sometimes a day later suggesting very basic solutions. They were all very nice, but my DSL never worked more than a few hours on the weekend. I travel during the week, so trouble shooting was pretty tough during the weekend when I was home. The service was sooo bad I gave up, I am out the 199 as of Feb 05.
This will end up in small claims court. I could care less if I collect my 199 back knowing the plane ticket to Chicago will cost a lot more than 199.
I will be back with MCI through Cyberonic. I will post another review on the service.
Update - Apr 05. Cyberonic and MCI are running like a well oiled machine. I have not called support due to a down line. When I travel, I leave an internet radio running. I was curious if it would still be running when I arrive home. Answer - Yes.
Suggestion - If you move from Britsys, ask Britsys to release the covad line to Cyberonic or whomever. Have Cyberonic move the account from Covad to MCI. This was a bit confusing for Cyberonic and myself frankly. It was done and I am back to a stable static IP address.
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Review by borabuddy
Posted: 4.6 years ago
member for 4.6 years, 0 visits, last login: 4.6 years ago
Rutherford,Bergen,NJ
$40 per month (12 month contract)
Verizon
CLEC party: Covad
"None"
"Read Below"
"NOT recommended. Stay away, shady business practices."
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I signed up with Britsys when they offered the Cable Buster service. I was happy with the service for more than a year, when I got an email stating they were changing from Worldcom to Covad. With the assistance of someone in sales, they agreed to change me to a new plan that would result in minimal downtime.
What they didn't inform me was that they would be changing me from my contract to a NEW contract. The price would change from $40 to $60/mo, and that I would be liable for a setup fee, which I believe was over $100.00. This was never made clear, I NEVER authorized NOR signed a new contract. Furthermore, their coordination of the installation with Covad was pitiful. (Missed appointments, lying about availability of a Covad technician. He showed up without an appointment!)
I call them - I get no answer. I leave a message, no answer. I send email, I got no answer. So - I'll write reviews about them now and have registered my dispute with all of their charges on my American Express card. Oh, and the ultimate insult - they have charged me again, 2 and 1/2 months after they told me they cancelled my service, for another $104. They don't even bill on any set schedule!
I'll be registering my complaints with the Better Business Bureau both in North Carolina and New Jersey. This is totally unacceptable. Order service from them at your own risk. They don't have 24/7 support, and they don't answer your calls. Good luck if you do choose them!
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Review by barbi310
UPDATED: 4.7 years ago
member for 7.4 years, 660 visits, last login: 1.5 years ago
Dumont,Bergen,NJ
$60 per month (12 month contract)
about 14 days
Verizon
CLEC party: Covad
"Tech support remains decent"
"Misled me into switching into inferior Covad"
"I am sad to leave but had little choice..."
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Final update: Returned equipment in December, received refund check in January for the unused service from the MCI contract. Apparently my "no obligation trial" with Covad was not free. It would be a good idea to keep track of equipment returns (dates and tracking numbers) as Britsys was asking me proof I returned the equipment, long after the chack was deposited.
Update 11/30/04: Apparently claims that Covad can supply me with 1.5/768 as I was originally contracted were false. The best they can give me was 1.5/384. Would I have switched if I was told this all along? Probably. Now that I realized I was hoodwinked would I do business with these folks? Mind you, these folks never apologized, just explained that I could no longer get the same service level because I was now 13800 feet from the CO. Funny when I signed up initially I was 10500 feet away. To top it all off I am unable to sign with any (ex-Rhythms) reseller due to a contract dispute in Verizon CLEC region. Now I am waiting for Covad to release my line.
When that happens I will post my final review.
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Update 11/8/04: In late October I was sent an email indicating that their preferred supplier had changed from MCI to Covad. Their explanations of outsourced tech support and declining service sounded like lame excuses to me since I experienced very few outages and have not noticed service degradation. I was assured that the outage would take no more than a week.
I had Covad before I had moved to the present residence and signed up to Britsys. They cost more than the default DSL carrier and customer service was in the same league. Tech support utilized was already outsourced.
I requested service to be disconnected on 10/25. Service was not disconnected until 10/27. DSL carrier was present until 11/3. According to the online status check, I would be connected on 11/10. What is especially annoying about this switch is that it is due to a change in business relationship.
According to Britsys sales, who is the responsible party for instigating this wonderful scheme, I have thirty days money back guarantee to evaluate the service before committing for 12 months. Since I have three months of prepaid credits with the MCI service, I will be monitoring service levels very closely.
I am already unhappy I have to pay 30% more for the same level of service and it is unsettling to hear others report their static IP is really PPPoE and that upload speed is 384 vs 768 as promised.
Let's see what happens in the next month...
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Update 5/17/04: Had a handful of outages but they happened while I was not home. Service was restored by the time I returned. Throughput remains consistent at around 1260/620. About 8 months remain in my contract; if this performance is maintained I would not bother looking elsewhere.
Boy am I glad I did not go with the incumbent DSL provider!!!
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Original Review:
Wow. I am still in shock from the painless order and installation experience.
May: Started reading about the rave reviews.
June: Called to inquire about availability to the neighborhood and distance from the house. Beth answered and was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. What I liked was that there was absolutely no pressure to purchase anything whatsoever.
July 23: Called AM to order cable buster service. Kelly took my call and verified service still available. She quoted distance at just over 10000ft from CO to house so I would be qualified for 1500/768. Faxed in forms same day. Question about my order form was answered by email.
July 24: Email indicating July 29 provision date received.
July 28: Email indicating self-install kit shipped with tracking number.
July 29: Received self install kit. Wait until next day to turn on.
July 30: Hook up Cisco 678 and router. Discovers Cisco 678 in router mode.
July 31: Matt responds to email indicating they can change to bridge remotely. Calls tech support and Doug responds. Cisco 678 remotely changed to bridging. Surfing very happily, 1550 down/620 up. Upload speed not up to advertised, but there are zero complaints here.
Static IP, SLA of 50% synced speed, no server or sharing restrictions, friendly, no-nonsense support, less than $50 per month. If these folks can keep up with the service offered, they need not fear the ILEC because ILECs are unable to compete under these terms.
Will rate Mail, DNS and news at a later time.
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Review by broadbandpat
UPDATED: 4.9 years ago
member for 6.5 years, 30 visits, last login: 2.5 years ago
Washington,District Of Columbia,DC
$69 per month (12 month contract)
Verizon
CLEC party: Covad
"Awesome connection speeds."
"They switched to Covad."
"Great sales & tech support but only available by phone 9-5, Mon-Fri."
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Update --> They've upgraded the SOHO Accounts to 6mbit downloads. Niiiiiice.
--- The good:
1. 3.0mbit download/768kbit upload for $69/month.
2. They offer a routed block of 5 static IP addresses for $6/month.
3. They allow servers.
4. Britsys tech support and sales people are incredible. (However, read 4 below.)
--- The bad:
1. Covad. I've *only* had bad luck with Covad.
2. The switch to Covad did not go smoothly. The first modem/router they sent died within hours. It took almost 2 months to get my DSL up and running again. Surfing on a modem for 2 months almost made me go postal.
3. The Broadxent DSL router is mediocre.
4. Britsys tech support telephone hours are only 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
5. Covad uses PPOA.
BBPat
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Review by The Grif
UPDATED: 5 years ago
member for 8.9 years, 3473 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Geneva,Kane,IL
$90 per month (12 month contract)
about 16 days
Ameritech
CLEC party: Covad
"Transition To Covad Went Smoothly"
"Covad Uses PPPoE (PPPoA)"
"BritSys Handled the MCI/Worldcom to Covad Switch Smoothly"
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Update 11/11/2004
My service was successfully transitioned yesterday from MCI/Worldcom 1.5/768 line-sharing to a Covad 6.0/768 “dry pair” service.
The switch to Covad went well…it took about 16 days total….a Covad truck roll was required due to the “dry pair” option. The existing MCI/Worldcom service remained active through the installation process...so I experienced no down time. I performed all of the wiring before the Covad installer arrived…all he did was connect the router…this took him all of 10 minutes. The new Covad service speed tests come in at 4958 / 660…not too bad. I am 9,000 feet from the CO.
One issue that I did encounter….You must either change the PPP authentication to use PPPoA on the Broadxent 8120 router or change the MTU size on your personal router from the default setting of 1500 down to 1492, if you choose to keep PPPoE authentication. I just changed my 8120 to use PPPoA. Much thanks to the members of DSLR Covad Forum for their assistance in identifying and correcting this issue. Other than that…the switch went flawlessly.
I am still a fan of BritSys. They seem to provide great customer service.
Update 07/29/2004
All aspects of my BritSys / MCI connection remain strong...Simply put, my service offers an extremely reliable connection...with static IP's and no PPPoE for a fair price.
I am wondering when MCI will offer some faster speeds....but for now...the 1.5/768 service is fine. I would definitely recommend BritSys..
04/30/2003:
I have had a WorldCom 1.5/768 circuit via Speakeasy for well over a year now. After my 12 month contract was up in April, I began to shop-around for a better value. I was paying over $100 a month for the WorldCom service and saw many ISP’s offering far better deals.
I called several other WorldCom resellers…all with high customer ratings on DSLR. The best that I found was BritSys. I first spoke with Kelly at BritSys sales. I found her to be quite knowledgeable concerning their line of service offerings. I decided to sign-up for their “cable-buster” plan…WorldCom 1.5/768 with 2 static IP’s for $47.50 per month.
The service was up and running in 6 business days, which I found to be most impressive. After activation I performed several speed tests from a variety of sites. The speeds are the same or better than my Speakeasy service. Also, I am now receiving 1 ms pings to my gateway. I did not rank their e-mail or tech support…since I run my own mail server and simply haven’t had the need to use their support at all.
Bottom line: Basically I am receiving the exact same WorldCom service for less than half the price. I certainly enjoyed the time that I spent with Speakeasy…but I will enjoy even more the time I spend with BritSys at half the price!
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Review by MadNJ
UPDATED: 5 years ago
member for 6.3 years, 51 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
Madison,Morris,NJ
$45 per month (12 month contract)
about 7 days
Verizon
CLEC party: MCI
"Cable Buster package! 1.5/768 for $45/month can't be beat!"
"None at all!"
"Get it... It is the best service at the price, and Britsys tech support and sales are easy to deal with."
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I was a long time Cablevision Optimum Online user, but once the upload speed capping fiasco started I began looking for alternatives. I wanted bandwidth that I could use the way that I wanted to use it. When I saw the deal from Britsys, I couldn't believe it. Finally, there was a DSL package that could compete with the cable providers. Optimum Online which I long heralded as the best service out there has been going downhill, and they have been raising prices horrifically since service inception. I finally decided that I was fed up with Optimum, and I made the switch to Britsys. From the time I ordered my line to full install, I was continually updated on the status. I received my DSL router in the mail about 5-6 days after I placed my order, plugged it in, and I was online. My line had already been provisioned, and I was off and running. The router did originally come set in Routing mode with NAT enabled, but a quick email to Britsys support the following day had that resolved. I now have my DSL router acting as a passthrough to my Linux firewall/router and the connection is SOLID! The only downside to the service that I see right now is the lack of a true NNTP server. You can purchase newsgroup access from Britsys for a discounted $2.50/month through a premium newsgroup provider, but you are limited to 5 GB of transfer/month. I will miss Optimum's news server, but that is about it. Thank you Britsys for giving me a fast stable service I can actually use.
UPDATE---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
Britsys decided to dump MCI as a backbone provider and gave me some competitive rates for switching to Covad, but being the savvy shopper that I am I decided to do a little research and found that Verizon was offering a 3/768 circuit for about $10 less per month... To make a long story short, I switched and the verdict is still out on how I like it. Speeds are good, but my line is currently set up in interleave mode which definitely seems to add some lag into my normal surfing when my connection is busy. I hope that I can eventually get someone on the phone that can fix it, but who knows. The speed is excellent though and when my line isn't soaked, it is very responsive.
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Review by rmdir
UPDATED: 5 years ago
member for 6.7 years, 2149 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Chicago,Cook,IL
$85 per month
Ameritech
CLEC party: Covad
"Personalized service, and they go way above and beyond to help"
"tech support is not 24 hour, but they DO get back to you real quickly"
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The only reason news does not get 5 stars is because it does not support xpat searches of headers. mail does get 5 I guess, I don't really need it anyway. I had major problems getting my old ISP off my line so I could switch to britsys, but that's absolutely no fault of theirs,so they really get 5 for install coordination too. All things being equal, they get 5 stars in every category.
I just wish I could rate Worldcomm separately, umm their shortcomings are costing their shareholders significant amounts of money. Thank goodness I don't have any of their stock.
Update 9-3-03: They have instituted spam control for your e-mail inbox, even if you don't want it. I had some e-mail get lost, as did a co-worker. It's the height of irresposibility to institute a procedure that can result in lost e-mail, without having the courtesy to e-mail all users, and inform them and obtain their permission. Yea, I found the info buried on their web site, but I never go there.
Update 10-19-04 Effective at the end of October they are dumping MCI and switching over to Covad
Tech support never calls back.
11-3-04 Covad switchover is complete. Only took the tech about .5 hours to complete the install. It was annoying since I had a dry line in the past, and could have just plugged it in and not missed a half day of work. The good news is that SBC can kiss my phone line good by!
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Dedicated Network Solutions LLC
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