»next review in page
Review by (hidden by request)
Posted: 9.3 years ago
(review was emailed from domain earthlink.net)
 Grover,Saint Louis,MO
 $20 per month (12 month contract)
 "Reliable and fast with simple DHCP to a public address (PPOE? Just say no!)"
 "The install made comforting wife through two 24 hour labors look good"
 "Pleased but feel like a monopoly has me by the short hairs"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
Two years ago I dumped cable for satellite. While I've been thrilled
with satellite service, their broadband option never appealed to me
since I don't want to tie up my phone. A year ago I tried to get DSL
but Southwestern Bell told me I was too far (SWB limit is 17,500 and
they estimated 19,500. By road it's exactly 3 miles and an electronic
test using my modem showed 14,600 feet. SWB only believes itself!)
While I've had dialup cable modem service in my area for about a year,
in June Charter upgraded my area with two-way access.
I called in early July and was told that the service was $24.95/mo for
256/64 and $34.95/mo for 512/128. There's also a $5/month modem rental.
I promptly ordered the 512 option. Then I was told that since I wasn't
"a current cable subscriber" I would have to subscribe to "basic cable"
which added another $13.22/month. I said OK because I wanted broadband
access that didn't tie up my phone.
During the order the sales representative asked a bunch of questions:
a.. What OS are you running? Windows 98
b.. Ethernet card installed? Yes
c.. Is your PC near a cable outlet? Yes
d.. It's been two years but how was your cable picture? Good
After the last question I asked if the line running to my house was
still OK. The sales representative said it didn't matter since my old
line was outdated and that they would run a new line. He said
installation would require what Charter calls an "all day" appointment.
An all day appointment means they can come anytime between 9am and 6pm.
If they miss the time window (by design almost impossible) you get a $20
credit on your bill.
Two weeks later, the Pipeline team (two guys) showed up at 11:45am
Tuesday and I took them downstairs where the coax wiring terminates.
The first time I had cable installed they pushed their drop through the
house using the hole that the electric company made and tapped into my
existing coax wiring. When I got satellite, I pulled their drop (just a
few feet) out of the house and coiled it up on the ground behind the
bushes and ran the satellite coax through. Boy, was that a mistake!
Because the line wasn't running in the house, they said that they could
not run a new cable. Apparently they aren't allowed to run a line in
the house. (How they were going to run a "new" line, as advertised by
the sales representative, without running it in the house I'll never
know.) They said that they could run a wire through the FRAME of the
house but that they couldn't run it through at the FOUNDATION. The
technician muttered something about liability. They said they would
have to reschedule a separate wire installer next Tuesday and then they
would follow that same day with the Pipeline install. I told them I'd
be happy to push the wire through the electric hole (which had plenty
space and was packed with soft caulk) if they'd turn their back.
Nothing doing! They checked the signal at the POP in the common ground
behind my house to make sure there were no "hidden" problems and promptly
left. If they're going to send two guys out, why can't one guy know wiring
and the other guy know modems!?!?!?!?!
Since I took a whole day off from work (remember, the appointment was
anywhere between 9am and 6pm) I was pretty disgusted. I called up the
cable company to vent and asked for a manager. While I never did speak
to a manager the representative that took my call was pleasant and
listened to me rant and rave about blowing a whole day for nothing.
(I'm a consultant and time is money!) I demanded that they schedule me
sooner since they screwed up the order. (They were supposed to schedule
a wire guy to run a new cable first and then schedule the Pipeline
team.) The best she could do is schedule the wire guy in two days
(Thursday) but that the pipeline team was booked until next Tuesday. I
told her don't mess with the schedule because I didn't want to get
signals crossed and have the pipeline team show up again without the
proper wire to the house. Of course, this install was also an "all day"
event.
One week later the cable-wiring guy shows up around lunch and runs a new
drop to my house in about an hour. (I cut the old one off at the ground
in anger because I didn't want them pushing the old wire through the
hole!) He was a really nice guy and I talked to him about the company
and surprisingly, he had nothing but good things to say. He said that
he had worked for several cable companies but that Charter was by far
the best. Since he was a sub-contractor and didn't actually work for
Charter, I was pretty impressed with what he said. We chatted about the
cable system and how it worked and I found him pretty knowledgeable
about cable systems. (Of course since I know nothing about cable
systems don't weigh my opinion too heavily.)
At 5:45pm that same day the Pipeline team finally showed up and even
though I had an Ethernet card in my machine, I asked them for the card
they were going to install. They said they don't install a card unless
I pay for it. (It clearly said in their ad that they provided an
Ethernet card.) It didn't bother me that much since Ethernet cards are
cheap. About ten minutes later I was surfing the web. Unfortunately,
all of their modems are set to the 256/64 speed and they said it would
be about 24 hours before my speed was bumped. (Something about a bin
file being pushed to the modem by the head unit.)
24 hours came and went and I was still at the slower speed. I called
support and they said wait another 24 hours. 24 hours later it's still capped
at the slow speed. I called again and this time they told me to flash
the power on the modem. After I did this, I was at full speed.
Apparently flashing the power has to be done and the original Pipeline
team forgot this minor detail.
Incidentally, while the guys were installing the modem they told me that
Charter was running a special that cut the cost of the Pipeline service
in half to $14.95/month (plus $5 modem rental.) All I had to do is subscribe to their digital cable package for $49.95/month. This package included all of the major movie services (HBO, Show, TMC and MAX) plus basic and extended basic.
The only fly in the ointment is that the package deal is only good through
March 1st of 2001. After that they don't know what the price of pipeline
will be or if there will even be a bundle. After one year, the $49.95
digital package goes up to $70+/month. (Same old cable company!)
Still, when I added up the costs to keep my satellite, basic cable and
full-price Pipeline, I had to get their package -- if only for the
next year. I called and ordered the digital cable. They said it would
require an ANOTHER all-day install (see a pattern here?) and that the first appointment was, you guessed it, next Tuesday.
Next Tuesday was a no show and when I called for my $20 credit, they
conveniently didn't show an order in their system. I told them that I
had Pipeline and I that I wanted the package deal. They said that I
have to sign a one-year contract before they could schedule an install
and that's probably why my order wasn't in the system. Apparently they
have to mail the contract, I sign it, mail it and when they get it they
can schedule an install. Why can't they send the contract with the
installer? This just doesn't sound right.
At this point I was desperate to get out of this "all day install"
cycle. I asked if I could simply drop by, sign the contract and pick up
the converter. They said that would be OK.
The next day I stopped by, signed the contract, picked up the converter
and installed it.
It's been about two weeks since I've had pipeline and aside from the
wacky installation woes, I'm very pleased with the service. I can
typically get 700-800kbps even though I'm capped at 512. I don't notice
slow-downs during peak usage as other cable modem users experience.
It's always pretty fast. According to the Pipeline team, I'm guaranteed 512.
Some web sites do slow down but when I trace the route, it's usually
general internet congestion. I can always hit Charter's internal web site
at full speed so I know it isn't their infrastructure and their OC-12
has not been overloaded.
Reliability? You bet. During a major storm last night I watched the
various weather sites for radar information. I didn't lose my cable
connection even though the power went out several times. (I have my
computers on battery backup and apparently the cable company has their
equipment on battery backup too!)
Overall I'm pleased but Charter really needs to get new management over
their installation department. What a mess!
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes but I'd make sure they know how
to get a successful first install. Truthfully, the install could take
just ten minutes but as Detroit always says, your mileage may vary.
Even though this is off-topic I also have to comment on digital cable
that really isn't digital cable. Yes, some channels are digital but
most of the channels are the same old analog channels mapped into the
digital converter's guide. The quality is inferior to satellite but I
can't beat that package deal. I understand Charter is owned by one of the
Microsoft founders. Since Microsoft wrote the book on monopolistic
bundling, Charter's package is par for the course.
Robert Radina
Wildwood, MO (metro St. Louis)
P.S. When I called the satellite company (DirecTV) to discontinue
service, they naturally wanted to know why. I told them that a recent
cable company package that included internet access made keeping
satellite cost prohibitive. The customer service representative told me
that in the third quarter of this year they would have two way satellite
access. I told him that I was aware of their plans but that third
quarter sounded pretty agressive. (I had heard first quarter 2001.) He
finally told me that he would setup a reconnect deal for me should I
decide to resume service. I thanked him and that was that.
While two-way satellite access sounds good on paper, because of the
distances involved and Einstein's physics, there's no way they can get
sub 50ms pings. Satellite is also pretty expensive for "unlimited"
usage. I also don't like the sound of "up to 400kbps" bursts. While I'd
love to have my satellite TV back, until a competitor offers another
land-based broadband option or DirecTV employs low-earth orbit satellite
internet access, I'm stuck with cable. (Of course, once my package cable
price ends, satellite may once again be attractive.)
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of Charter Pipeline |
 |
Charter Pipeline
(64)
(69)