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 Review by fuffer 
UPDATED: 10 days ago
member for 7.1 years, 2617 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Mukwonago,Waukesha,WI
 $39 per month (12 month contract)
 about 7 days
 CenturyTel
 "Right at advertised speed, low latency"
 "None anymore!"
 "No problems here."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
|
Let me start by saying that I'm not a big downloader. I surf/email quite a bit, and VPN into my office. Speed is important, but not everything.
Having said that, I was using RoadRunners 3000/512 cable service (without their TV) which was running me $50/mo. Unlimited calling through Vonage was $24/mo. Since the competition is heating up around here with TW phone service, CenturyTel has become quite competitive.
I called to check availability, and found the package that I wanted. The modem cost and installation fees were waived, though it's a 12 month contract. If I want out early, I pay a prorated charge for the modem. Anyway, this was a Friday. By Monday the modem was on my doorstep. five days later, Friday noon, it was up and running.
I now get unlimited phone service, and 1500/256 PPPoE DSL for less than what I was paying for the old configuration. Yes, a reliable phone service and a still snappy connection for less. Even after taxes and fees, I save a couple of bucks.
Do I wish they offered faster service? Sure. They don't offer their 3000/512 service yet, and if they do, it will probably cost more than I'd like to spend.
As I said above though, speed is not everything to me! I do have to say though that the low latency has made surfing and email seem "peppy" to me. I haven't wished for the higher speeds at all!
Good job, CenturyTel!
*UPDATE 5/6/06*
This service has been absolutely rock-solid! The low pings make surfing "snappy", and there has been no downtime that I've been aware of. I absolutely do not regret making the switch. The phone/DSL bundle is great, even if a tad on the expensive side.
*UPDATE 9/1/06*
3000/512 now available. Painless upgrade, still working very well!
*UPDATE 4/8/07*
A big win for customer service! I moved to the next town over, also serviced by CenturyTel. I wanted to switch my 2 phone lines (one is a biz line) and DSL from the old house to the new one on the same day. about 11AM, service at the old house is shut off. Pack up the phones and modem, and sure enough everything was up and running at the new place, without even missing a beat!
Now I find out that they have 10Mpbs service in my area for the same price as the 3000/512 I have now. No problem, they say, we'll have you hooked up by 4/12/07. I'll come back (hopefully I'll remember!) and do another update then. The overall reliability - only an hour of downtime in well over a year - and service has earned them in increase in score from me.
Good job, CenturyTel!
*UPDATE 4/13/07*
Wooo hooo! I'm now getting 10000/768 and it ROCKS! The one thing to be careful of is that older CTEL modems won't sync to the higher speeds. Be sure to ask them about your modem when you upgrade.
At any rate, 10000/768 for $10/mo less than 3000/512. Am I happy? You bet!
*UPDATE 11/2/07*
Everything is still great. There was a week when I my speed was brought down to 6000/768 due to some technical issues. It was resolved quickly, and I'm back up to my full 10000/768. The service has been great, especially when dealing with the local techs. I highly recommend them!
*UPDATE 5/22/08*
Well, I narrowly averted disaster! I had a cable modem installed yesterday because "dry DSL" was going to cost me $59.95/mo. Fortunately, a CenturyTel rep informed me of a deal where I could save enough to make the price comparable to cable. I called in, got it worked out, and I'll be taking the cable modem back tomorrow. I'm glad that I was able to keep CTL!
*UPDATE 7/15/08*
True to their word, not only was my bill lower than what I would have paid for cable, but they also credited me (pro-rated) the rest of the month when I switched to a different plan. Everything switched with no hiccups. I am excited - I see lots of trucks laying fiber in my area..I hope that we'll be seeing 15000/768 around here soon!
Followup comments:  
Simon Kodousek
@centurytel.net
| Should Be Better Hi,
I've had Centurytel's DSL internet service (1.5 MBPS) for about 2 years now. When we moved here, we had Centurytel's dial-up service, however when DSL was available we jumped on it. At first I loved the speed, but 2 years later it's pretty slow. Right now I'm considering switching to Road Runner since it is 5 MBPS VS. 1.5 MBPS and it is only $5 more per month for 12 months (after 12 months the price raises from $34.95 to $44.95).
Here are some things I'd like to add: First off, Centurytel's customer support is absolutely terrible. You usually get very rude people, people who don't know what they are talking about, or people who don't seem happy to help. They also require a social security number for every small task, even adding an e-mail account. Second, there are parental controls built into the internet, so you have to call to turn them off. These controls block popular sites such as Google Video and YouTube.
As soon as Verizon FiOs service becomes available in my area I'll be getting their 15 MBPS service.
Thanks,
Simon  | |
| | | | BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI
 ·CenturyTel Inc.
edit:
April 8th, @02:17PM
| In reply.I have been in contact with the customer service several times and they Always where polite and helpful so i don't know what customer support you ended up with.Also doing changes on your account requires verification and that IS for your protection.If not anyone could do changes on your account and you wouldn't like that....right.I use YouTube with NO problems as well as Google video.You should check your setup.Are you using the included software?? If so dump it.What it goes for speed vs price Yes, if i ever would get a chance to something cheaper and faster i would jump on it too since Centurytel's offerings is Highly overpriced.I will never be able to get any Verizon Fios (and if you do, Do you have some extra rooms to rent out  )at my location but wish you the best. | |
| | Dolgan
Premium
join:2005-10-01
Sun Prairie, WI | LOL I just wonder how Simon plans to get Verizon FIOS in Century Tel territory. Verizon will not be overbuilding into other carrier's territories. | |
| | | 
Icon
Time Keeper
Premium,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Kimberling City, MO
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Re: Should Be Better said by Dolgan :LOL I just wonder how Simon plans to get Verizon FIOS in Century Tel territory. Verizon will not be overbuilding into other carrier's territories. Exactly. No such luck there bro. As for blocking the websites you mentioned, there is nothing on CenturyTel's service that blocks those sites.
--
Something unknown is doing we don't know what. Sir Arthur Eddington | |
| | | |
| Forums » comments on review of CenturyTel Inc. |
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Review by netlive
UPDATED: 10 days ago
member for 72 days, 9 visits, last login: 8 days ago
Plattsburg,Clinton,MO
$60 per month
about 75 days
CenturyTel
"None - Not a single one."
"Too many to list - read full review for details."
"There is something very wrong with this company. Avoid at all costs."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings well below consensus)
|
I was promised numerous times by their customer service before I purchased my house (a mere few hundred feet from the aggregation point) that they could provide me 3.0Mb DSL service with static IPs. Turns out they do not offer static IPs, but "sticky" IPs through "dial-up DSL" technology - using the old dial-up modem PPP technology. I made numerous phone calls to CenturyTel complaining about this, only to be told every time I call that they have no record of my previous calls indicating promises made or any dissatisfaction with my service. This is either the pinnacle of incompetence or I am being flat-out lied to.
Then when I find workarounds for their lack of true static IPs I find out that they have so severely oversold their backhaul that the most throughput I can get is 20-25% on average, with a low of 7% in mid-afternoon when all of the kids get out of school and start logging on. How is someone who works through the internet supposed to conduct business when the network chokes in the middle of the workday?
CenturyTel's response? "Perhaps you should consider our T-1 service for $450 per month".
My response is not fit for print.
I moved to my current location based on the false promises that CenturyTel repeatedly made to me only to find out they are a den of incompetent liars. They have a complete monopoly on broadband service in this town of ~2500 people and they are using it to cheat and abuse their customers. If there were any viable alternative at all I and others here would be gone in a heartbeat, but instead we're forced to suffer under the boot of CenturyTel.
If anyone from CenturyTel sees this, I would love to post a follow-up about how you promptly fixed this huge mess in Plattsburg, MO and how everything works wonderfully now, but until then I will continue to spread the word loud and clear about how you are treating your customers here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
UPDATE on 6/9/08:
I have successfully switched to Socket DSL services (socket.net). After more than a week of tests and activity I can confidently say that they are providing exactly the DSL service that I expect from a 3Mb DSL connection with static IPs. And yes, they are REAL static IPs over a fully-bridged connection, not the mis-labeled crap CenturyTel tries to pass off as static IPs - using a PPP connection and DHCP server to re-issue the same IP. Sorry, but that's not a static IP, and no amount of ignorant double-talk from CenturyTel will ever change that.
I still have not received any reply from CenturyTel regarding any of these problems. In fact, every business in town that relies on their DSL connection has had the same problems I have, and the issues have become so severe that City Hall has gotten involved and asked me to assist in finding alternatives to CenturyTel. Well, I found one in Socket and I'm going to make sure everyone in Plattsburg knows that a viable alternative exists. From what I've been told the business community here is ready to lynch CenturyTel, and I can't blame them. I'm ready to lynch them myself.
I don't understand what CenturyTel's problem is. If you have so much contempt for your customers why do you even bother? Why not sell your assets to another business that's actually interested in the products and services they are offering? I've never in my life encountered first-hand the kind of contempt, apathy, rudeness, and just plain ignorance that I have encountered with CenturyTel. If the Public Service Commission regulated DSL like they regulate the phone lines CenturyTel would be black-balled from ever providing service to anyone.
If you're an investor in CenturyTel I would get out immediately. There is something definitely very wrong with this company.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
UPDATE on 7/15/08:
After being ignored in every other avenue of communication, I sent CenturyTel a registered letter demanding that my DSL service with them be discontinued immediately. Well guess what, THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED THAT TOO.
I have no words to describe how awful CenturyTel is. I have now sent all of my information to the Missouri Attorneys General office, the Missouri Public Service Commission, the FCC, and the FTC. If they won't respond to me, and won't even respond to our city government, then perhaps they'll find it necessary to respond to one of these organizations.
I simply cannot stress hard enough how utterly terrible CenturyTel is. There is absolutely no excuse for this, and this company should not just be avoided but should be dissolved altogether.
Followup comments: chelpt
join:2008-05-24
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Update? So I don't get it. My connection is exactly what I expect. Mind, I have high tech support standards, so I don't talk to them.
But your story sounds like a torrential rain of BAD... and at the end you said it was promptly fixed. Does this mean your connection works?, they gave you a discount?, you actually found a good tech support person?, the Area Plant Supervisor called you?
I feel the story is leaving us hanging. | |
| | netlive
join:2008-05-14
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Re: Update? No, it was never fixed. I said that I would be happy to report back here if it *was* promptly fixed, which it has not been. In fact, I have submitted requests for a technician to come and review my connection and its myriad of problems, and CenturyTel DID NOT EVEN RESPOND to my request. At this point I feel that I have been sold a fraudulent service by a company who has now disappeared.
Fortunately, after months of searching, I have found a competitor in this area and am in the process of setting up the same DSL service with them. Once that service is online I will post back here with another update, but I can tell you that so far the technical knowledge, responsiveness, and customer service with this new company has been absolutely the polar opposite of CenturyTel. At this point I just could not possibly think any lower of CenturyTel, and they apparently aren't even bothered enough to care. | |
| | netlive
join:2008-05-14 | I have updated my original review. | |
| | | chelpt
join:2008-05-24
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Re: Update? Ok, I'm sorry to hear that it was so bad in Plattsburg. I'm not sure if Centurytel just act differently in La Crosse (maybe it is because they have the Midwest headquarters over here) or what. But I do have one thing to ask of you...
Your Static IP. Were you paying the extra $20 to get this? I do, and I get the static IP just fine. Sure the modem needs to log in and such... but getting that static status makes certain that it is that ip address all the time. Did some one in their customer service tell you that it came with static ip? That would have been wrong. Also, did your system just not understand how to use the 255.255.255.255 on a single static ip? | |
| | | | netlive
join:2008-05-14
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Re: Update? Yes it's bad in Plattsburg, and it's not just me. As I mentioned our city government has been receiving fierce complaints and they have also been unable to get any kind of response out of CenturyTel.
Yes I was paying the extra $20 for an 8 block (5 usable) static IPs. However, static IPs must be served over a fully bridged connection as described in RFC 1483. CenturyTel uses a DHCP server to re-issue the same IPs over PPP, which means to the outside world your IP address is still a dynamically assigned IP. If you only need a static IP for game playing or other casual use then that's fine, but when you're trying to run a business this just doesn't cut it. The static IP *must* be visible to the outside world as an actual static IP, not a dynamically assigned IP controlled by the upstream provider. The generally accepted term for this arrangement is "sticky IP", and it is fundamentally different than a static IP.
Furthermore, by issuing these sticky IPs with a DHCP server, it makes the other 4 usable IPs worthless. How am I supposed to set up 5 routers - one on each IP - when the IPs are assigned in the order of request? Every time my power goes out or I lose DSL synchronization it becomes a race condition for each router to log in and obtain an IP, which means there is no guarantee that the same router will end up with the same IP from the sticky set. As I said before, this just doesn't work for actual business use.
The amazing thing to me is that CenturyTel doesn't even realize this. It's not that CenturyTel understands and just accepts it as a shortcoming of their service - they actually believe they offer static IPs. Their website even states that they offer static IPs. I'm still considering whether or not I should report them for false advertising. If there were an agency for reporting technical incompetence I would have reported them for that long ago. | |
| | | | |
fuffer
RF is Good For You
Premium
join:2001-06-21
Mukwonago, WI
clubs:
·CenturyTel Inc.
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| Re: Update? First, if you're running a business, then you should pay for a biz-class service, or be prepared to deal with the issues.
You are paying residential prices for a residential service, with no speed or uptime guarantees. It seems that the T1 offer is entirely appropriate for someone who needs biz-class service, or at least calls an complains about issues when you haphazardly decide to run your business on a residential connection.
It's unfortunate that you're having those sorts of issues. It seems to be the exception, rather than the rule.
I'm not sure what you'll achieve with your "reporting" about their advertising. A static IP is a static IP - and I use CTL as a backup connection at my office (a backup to a T1, since I wouldn't trust my business to a DSL connection) and I can access my stuff through a static IP. It may not fit YOUR definition, but it fits THE definition.
Anyway, it sounds like you found a provider that better suits your needs. I think you're probably better off looking at them in the rearview mirror. As for me, I have 10000/768 through them and have had nearly zero problems in two years.
--
The goal of the broadcast engineer is to get all the meters on the transmitter to go as far to the right as possible!! | |
| | | | | | netlive
join:2008-05-14
·CenturyTel Inc.
| Re: Update? I was paying for biz-class service. I've been doing this long enough to know exactly what service levels I need in order to run my business. I never expected SLA guarantees or dedicated circuits like you would get with a T-1, and that's not at all what I'm complaining about anyway.
There is a certain level of expectation for a business class DSL connection, and getting just over 20% of the bandwidth, being sold one product and receiving something entirely different, and being treated with such contempt and eventually being ignored is absolutely unacceptable.
As I said before, the entire city is ready to lynch CenturyTel and not even our city government has been able to get them to respond. Does this sound like an exception to the rule? Does this sound like someone who is just ignorant of what they really need? Does this sound like just one unhappy customer with an axe to grind?
And CenturyTel's rate of $450/month for a T-1 circuit was with a 3 year contract. So you're basically saying I should fork over a no-bid contract worth $16,200 to a company that can't even get the simple details right? A company that is so rude and technically incompetent that they have an entire city upset with them? A company that won't even respond when the problems are so bad the city government has to get involved? And I'm supposed to put trust in any SLA they provide for the more complex services?
And I have to fervently disagree - a static IP is a very specific technical setup that is very important to the business class users who really need them. A sticky IP is technologically very different from a static IP, and if you really needed a true static IP you would understand that the two are simply not interchangeable at all. | |
| | | | | | netlive
join:2008-05-14
·CenturyTel Inc.
| I just have to follow up again on the static IP issue because it's really becoming a pet peeve of mine.
A static IP is *not* defined as an IP that doesn't change. It's defined by the way the IP is assigned - ie, statically. If a DHCP server is assigning the IP then by definition the IP is *not* static. It makes no difference at all if you receive the same IP from the DHCP server or not, it's still being dynamically assigned.
Static IPs can be delegated to independent name servers for reverse DNS resolution, which is critically important for real business class use. Sticky IPs cannot be delegated which makes them no better than using third party dynamic DNS resolvers with a non-sticky IP.
Static IPs are also assigned - statically - at the node consuming the IP. That guarantees that the node will maintain that same IP if the connection is ever lost or reset. Nodes that request their IPs from a DHCP server are *not* guaranteed of receiving the same IP address if there is more than one IP in the sticky set.
This isn't directed at anyone in particular, but anyone that thinks that "static IP" simply means an IP that doesn't change then please stop talking about it. That's *not* what static means, and by propagating this misinformation it only serves to make it harder for the people who need real static IPs to get what they really need. | |
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Review by jood
Posted: 14 days ago
member for 1.9 years, 59 visits, last login: 14 days ago
Pine Prairie,Evangeline,LA
$59 per month (24 month contract)
about 4 days
CenturyTel
"None"
"Absolutely horrendous service. Massive packetloss. Overloading of badnwith. Price is horrible for the speed offered."
"Not even worth being called a broadband connection/internet provider."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
|
First off, I'll start with I've been a CenturyTel customer for over 6 years now. I live in a small village called Pine Prairie, Louisiana, which basically has a population maxing at 1,000 due to a large prison facility being within the town limits. We have no other options here for phone service/internet service other than CenturyTel. 59.99 a month package for 1.5mb/256up.
Well, the first year that we got it, it was fantastic! I had 56k for 1 year before getting broadband, and I was absolutely amazed.. Boy was I happy.. then, about 6 months later.. it was like I was playing on a 56k again. I am an avid gamer, who depends on quality of the service... packetloss being my main factor, secondary comes speed.
Well, repair ticket after repair ticket, my problem has never been solved and they always tell me it is fixed. As of about 4 years now, I've been getting packetloss of 4-5% from the hours of 6-11pm. On top of that, the speed slows to about 700kbps down (which isnt that bad). 4 years I have called and talked to technician after technician about the problem.. them telling me it's something wrong with the lines, they check my lines and everything is fine on my end.. Then the other day I finally had it. My packetloss had sky-rocketed up to 39%. It stayed like this for a solid week. Well, the night it happened, I called the hotline and talked to a tech. They set up a repair ticket and when they couldn't figure out what the problem was, they told me "Sorry we don't know what's wrong. But to tell you the truth, we only offer internet service. We don't guarantee quality."
This has to be truely one of the worst internet providers out there. Don't even waste your time bothering with this company. You are better off settling with 56K from another company.
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 Review by grunt9800
Posted: 20 days ago
member for 6 years, 2164 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Fort Rucker,Dale,AL
$92 per month (12 month contract)
about 7 days
CenturyTel
"Stays connected when good weather"
"Intermittent connection during bad weather/Speed not as advertised"
"Good when connected"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Get disconnected for a minute or so whenever there's thunder and lightning. Currently only 3 Mbps of the advertised 6 Mbps (waiting on resolution)
Price is bundled with landline
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Review by mmccrore
Posted: 21 days ago
member for 21 days, 0 visits, last login: 21 days ago
Lapeer,Lapeer,MI
$49 per month
CenturyTel
"Consistantly reliable, well priced, well supported"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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have provided great service for years.
have had the same price plan since the first packages were offered in my area, and have been automatically updated as service became available.
49.95 when 256 became available
49.95 up to 768
49.95 up to 1.5Mb
49.95 next week up to 10Mb
Within a month or two of availability, upgrade notifications came from CenturyTel via email, or local technician (which was nice) and performed without headache.
Service disruptions (on only a few occasions) in the past few years have always been met with good customer service, and have even been credited toward my account for time of service disruption.
I noticed that 15Mb is now available through centurytel, but I would imagine that fiber is required up to the house for this. I live far from the road, thus only having copper up to the house, so this will have to suffice for the time being. At least until cable or 802.16 are available locally. Nice to see that centurytel and my satellite provider have combined forces, however!
F* the cable monopoly in this neck of the woods! Haha!
Pre Sales information: 4/5 Decent enough website, but phonesales staff is not informed
Install Co-ordination: 5/5 Customer support++, and great local (inhouse) support!
Connection reliability: 5/5 Only a couple disruptions in several years
Tech Support: 5/5 Notification and usage credit!!
Services: 4/5 Would like to see better discounts in Dish service
Value for money: 4/5 Only free wi-fi gets 5/5
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Review by swineyjs
UPDATED: 29 days ago
member for 29 days, 0 visits, last login: 29 days ago
Troy,Lincoln,MO
Contract price not specified.
CenturyTel
"DSL in Rural Missouri"
"Installation has not been smooth"
"To Early to call"
| |
We just bought a new house. Called CenturyTel and ordered Phone and 3mbps DSL. Install was set for 7/26/08.
Why am I writing early? Well...Because we called to get status and someone closed the work order saying it was done on 6/16/08. We drive 1 hour to the house and find that indeed a contractor showed up on 6/16/08 and did the install to the house. He used, are you ready for this, Orange 18 AWG UTP in thin PVC that he ran on top of the ground and tied in a knot to the house and then closed the work order. Even if someone comes behind this guy and uses this cable, I will have tons of trouble. First the run should use 24 AWG Direct Burial cable...I think we can all agree that indoor cable under the ground is a bad idea. Second the signal loss using the wrong cable will cause DSL issues.
So far I'm not impressed with CenturyTel. I'm waiting to hear back from the account folks. I'll keep you posted.
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Review by mellcomm
Posted: 31 days ago
member for 31 days, 12 visits, last login: 9 days ago
Porterfield,Marinette,WI
$33 per month
about 8 days
CenturyTel
"Field tech has been great and eager to fix problems"
"DSL much downtime, slow connects and latency. Phone techs are worthless, and can't tell you anything"
"If you have a cable alternative take it, otherwise WildBlue is a better alternative if you have the $"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings below consensus)
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Cable unavailable here, I would have preferred to get Wild Blue, with am unemployed, and the $30 price tag fit well with CTE.
I got their 1.5 mbps "True Broadband" package (without a phone line to save $), but the bandwidth is not reliable enough to support a Voip phone. If I have to add a phone line for another $25 I will switch to Wild Blue.
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Review by guy54435
Posted: 37 days ago
member for 5.4 years, 41 visits, last login: 37 days ago
Gleason,Lincoln,WI
$51 per month
CenturyTel
"Hardly ever have any problems"
"Could be cheaper"
"Very good service, but could cost less"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
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(ratings match consensus)
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We have had Centurytel dsl for 6-7 yrs and before that had dial-up with them for 7-8 yrs. in all that time have never really had any problems at all with service until recently. We used to get 1520 down 260 up now lately it has been sporadic anywhere between 600-1300 down most of the time with the occasional 1520-270
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Review by mikefr24
UPDATED: 41 days ago
member for 3.9 years, 21 visits, last login: 41 days ago
Marlette,Sanilac,MI
$29 per month (12 month contract)
about 3 days
CenturyTel
"DSL is rock solid. No downtime and excellent pings."
"Seems expensive compared to what you can get in other areas."
"Quality product. It's a nice option for rural areas."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings above consensus)
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I have had Centurytel for over 2yrs. I pay $39.99 for 1.5Mb DSL. It's kind of pricey but I can't complain too much because I live in a rural area that has nothing else. The DSL is rock solid and it always works. I get my rated speeds at any given time and have had no issues so far. They do not seem to throttle or limit downloads at all. I have averaged 300Gb a month several times with no trouble so I do get my money's worth. I also am a huge online gamer and have had no problems whatsoever. The pings are great (50 or so). I had one outage last year due to lightning hitting my house. The modem fried along with my Linksys router. Centurytel had a new modem on my doorstep in 3 days (cost me $14.99 shipping) and they fixed the phones the next day for free. Tech support was helpful getting me setup with a repair ticket. All in all I have been satisfied with Centurytel. I have a lot of friends that get 6Mb for what I pay and they live less than 10 miles away (I also have buddies that are stuck on dial-up 5 miles away!). Centurytel seems to push out into the rural areas where no one else will so I will give them credit. I wish they would offer the "Pure Broadband" option here in Michigan.
---- Update 03-08-08---------------
I called them again today and they offer "Pure Broadband" in my area finally. Its $29.99 for 1.5Mb. I signed up with no problems. I now have DSL without the phone service. 911 works and I can receive incoming calls on the phone. There is a catch however. Your existing phone number is changed to a new one. The old phone number is lost forever. They told me they do this to prevent people from abusing the free incoming calls on the line. Who knows....I did not really care. Rock solid DSL for a decent price is nice in my area. There is nothing else to choose from.
---- Update 06-14-08 -----------------
I still have the 'Pure Broadband". It has worked perfect for months. I download 100Gb+ a month and never notice any throttling or issues. Great deal for $29 a month.
Followup comments: 
dsldude08
join:2008-01-03
La Crosse, WI
·CenturyTel Inc.
| The "Pure Broadband" Call them, you can get the pure broadband option anywhere DSL is available as far as what I was told when I called. I called to ask about it but I didn't take it because I still wanted the landline, but a friend of mine has it and I guess they even give you dialtone for 911 but nothing else.
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"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."
- Abraham Lincoln | |
| mmccrore
join:2008-07-05
Lapeer, MI
·CenturyTel Inc.
| centurytel in Lapeer, MI have had great service for years.
have had the same price plan since the first packages were offered in my area, and have been automatically updated as service became available.
49.95 when 256 became available
49.95 up to 768
49.95 up to 1.5Mb
49.95 next week up to 10Mb
I noticed that 15Mb is now available through centurytel, but I would imagine that fiber is required up to the house for this. I live far from the road, thus only having copper up to the house, so this will have to suffice for the time being. At least until cable or 802.16 are available locally. Nice to see that centurytel and my satellite provider have combined forces, however!
F* the cable monopoly in this neck of the woods! Haha! | |
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Review by chelpt
UPDATED: 45 days ago
member for 63 days, 5 visits, last login: 45 days ago
La Crosse,La Crosse,WI
$60 per month (12 month contract)
about 21 days
CenturyTel
"Fiber To The Premise @ 15 meg and Static IP"
"TV is still being tested"
"with Static IP, it is a WAY better deal than Charter."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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I moved into the La Crosse area about 5 years ago. My path was Onalaska, then to Viroqua, and back to La Crosse. Onalaska and La Crosse are both serviced by Centurytel, while Viroqua is serviced by another company (who will get their own review).
When I first moved to Onalaska I tried the cable company for a static IP. I actually went for it. But I got a speed that was less than the 256k of DSL, and it required to be a business account. That was 5 years ago, but I kept my eyes open. Centurytel was in the area and it was my initial thought that DSL was worse than Cable. After a few months I ditched the business class cable service and I couldn't even use a DynDNS service. I found any server calls were blocked.
I talked to some one that worked at Centurytel's Internet Help Desk and found that such thorough blocking wasn't done by Centurytel. They did block some email ports, and otherwise only major virus ports got blocked. So I changed. I went with just the regular service and I was able to use the DynDNS service as I started my own web server.
Moved to Viroqua for about 2 years, then moved back to La Crosse and Centurytel. My new home is serviced by utility poles, and I found out they upgraded the area to Fiber Optic Heaven! And they were selling a full fledged IPTV service as well (not that web browser based thing, but real chanels to my TV)
Even though I have an old home, I had them upgrade to the FTTP (Fiber To The Premise) service. It took them about 3 weeks to schedule, as it was being done with TV service too (they were fighting a back log, and in this area there is a particular football channel that Centurytel has that the other guy doesn't, probably the sole reason for the long wait).
The upgrade consisted of using an ONT (Optical Network ????) on the outside of the home and a nearly 2 foot by 2 foot board with a battery back up, power supply, apc power strip, 8-10 port Lynksys Switch and a Westel 327 Wireless & 4 Port Router. They wired an Ethernet Connection to my Computer Lab and then an Ethernet Connection to my main TV Connection.
The internet connection has been SOLID. 15 Meg is so Choice.
The TV service could use some work. I've heard we should be getting new TV boxes soon. So I hope that will fix those issues.
--------- 6/10/08-------
A week or two ago the TV went out. This was 2nd bad outage in the last two months. I've heard rumors that they are going to do a major overhaul of the TV system. I got myself a good credit for the TV outage, so I'll keep with it for now. I got a real good fiber internet connection with 15 meg down and residential static ip, so that is keeping me in place for now.
(an FYI about my charges: only includes Static IP and 15 Meg Internet)
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of CenturyTel Inc. |
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(13)
) Now it's really 1500/256...again lol