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All reviews of Bresnan Online


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Reviews:
read 64 reviews (24 positive) (25 negative)
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Six Month Rating

Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:


$78 per month avg ($36 to $154)

Speed test results 3 year trend

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Review by christcorp See Profile
UPDATED: 1 days ago
member for 8.5 years, 2423 visits, last login: a few hours ago


Cheyenne,Laramie,WY
$65 per month
about 14 days
"Fastest speeds available in my area 15mb/1mb"
"After 6 month intro promo; price goes to $62.90"
"If you live in Cheyenne Wyoming, it's about the fastest you will find."
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings well above consensus)

    My Other Reviews·VOIPo
    UPDATE: November 22nd 2009. I know some people still seem to have issues with Bresnan. Maybe I'm lucky, but no negative issues. The 6 month promo is over, so I am paying more per month than originally, but I'll live with it. No discounts when you only have internet service. I don't need their phone (I have REAL Voip "VoipO.com" ); and I don't need their cable tv (I have REAL TV service "Directv"). But I need more bandwidth than what Qwest can give me, and this is my only other option. The way I see it; IF, a big IF, Qwest could give be DRY Standalone 7mb DSL; it would be about $55 a month or close. So, the $65 a month I'm paying for the Bresnan 15/1mb service, it about on par. And I'm not required to have Windows Live or any other crap software like Qwest likes to push onto customers.

    Now; price aside; let me mention reliability. I have NOT had the Bresnan Internet go out on me even 1 time; that wasn't my own fault. (I had a cabling issue that dropped the download single to around -15 to -17; and the upload to about 61-63. Definitely my fault. After fixing the cable issue, it's been around -2db on the download and about 50 on the upload. And has NEVER gone out on me. I live in Cheyenne; Sun Valley; if that helps anyone reading.

    As for speeds. I would say that 85-90% of the time; ALL my speed tests are consistent with what I'm paying for. 15-16mb down and 1mb up. There are a few times when it's obvious that a lot of people in the neighborhood are doing their thing and surfing the internet too. But on a bad day/time, I'd say the slowest it's been has been around 7-8mb down and 1mb up. Latency still remains consistent; and my streaming video conferencing, netflix, voip, etc... are not effected.

    When I was having issues (Which turned out to be my cabling); customer service was really cool. Yes, they have to read their scrips. And yes, I have forgotten more about the internet, computers, and technology than those service reps will ever learn in a life time; but they were polite and were helpful if for no other reason, than to assist me by monitoring the signal while I troubleshot and experimented with my end. So for that, I bump them up. They could have been pricks; but they weren't. They were very polite and professional. Other than that 3-4 week period where I was reconfiguring on my end, I've never had to call them for anything. I also bump up their service rating, because even though they are instructed to "Up-sell", just like all customers, I specifically spoke with the customer service department and requested that they NEVER call and NEVER email me with promotions or to sell me anything. If they did, and I was in a bad mood, I would cancel service with them altogether. (Service is VERY IMPORTANT TO ME). The respected my wishes. I have NEVER been called and NEVER emailed trying to up-sell me on anything.

    I could save $10 a month with bresnan by getting their 8mb/1mb service, but on the slower days/times, I'm afraid it might drop around the 3-4 mb area. And that isn't very conducive to the type of video conferencing and such that I do. $65 a month might not be a great value, but for me it works fine. Anyway; I haven't had any issues. I'm not a gamer, and gamers tend to be a bit more anal about their internet connection. I don't know the type of usage those who have issues with Bresnan are, but it's fine in my area. I'm sure a lot depends on the backhall. I have all fiber in my neighborhood. The wiring in the house is all mine. So for me, no problems.

    UPDATE: February 1st, 2009. Well, it's been a little over 1 month now. 5 weeks to be closer. I bumped up the reliability factor. It hasn't gone down 1 time in the time I've had it. Usually, besides the unforeseen issues like cars running into poles or driving over pedestals; if the service is prone to having issues, it will be seen in the 1st month.

    I have noticed that like ALL CABLE PROVIDERS, there are times of the day when the service slows down somewhat because of more people using it. E.g. 4-6pm mon-fri after kids get home from school and people get off work. Weekends early after noon. But; having a 15mb/1mb service; I believe that the slowest I've ever seen has been around 8mb/1mb. Yes, there are some people that are really anal and would complain about this. "I'm paying for such and such and I DEMAND that I get what I'm paying for". Well, I'm not one of those people. I UNDERSTAND the technology, the TOS, the capabilities, how to do a speed test and what it means. (Most people definitely don't understand this), and I also have a life. But I would say that probably 80-90% of the time (At least when I am using it); I get the full 15mb/1mb service.

    So for me, it's been a very good service so far. The latency and jitter are low enough that it doesn't hurt my voip and/or video conferencing. (Very time sensitive). Downloads are good (if you understand the servers you are downloading from). The few times I've call customer/tech support; e.g. set up email, verify I was allowed to stream Netflix, etc...; they have been FANTASTIC. No giving me a line of B.S. or anything. So, I've updated my review of them.

    If CONSISTENT bandwidth was one of the most important things to me; then DSL is definitely what I would recommend. If you don't have 5-20mb DSL available, and cable is all you have as an alternative to 1.5mb dsl, then it's a hit or miss thing. Some towns like where I am at, Cable is great. The same provider in a town 300 miles away have nothing but complaints. That's the thing about cable. It's a town by town thing. DSL works within the ATM network; which is basically Ma'Bell's OWN LITTLE INTRA-NET. Which means with the exception of different dns servers and some minor issues, the service is the same no matter where you live. What changes with DSL is usually what is called "The Last Mile". The cables running to your house or the limitations of the DSL equipment in your neighborhood. But for those in a larger bresnan serviced area; e.g. Cheyenne, Casper, grand jct, etc... you'll probably love the service. If you are in a town/village; where the service is almost SUBCONTRACTED through other services to get to where it's going; you might have issues. But if 1.5mb dsl is the max you can get; then Bresnan is definitely worth a try. No contracts, month to month service, good customer support, etc...

    *********************************************

    I have been using Qwest DSL for the last 8 years. I am still a Qwest supporter and think their quality, service, and price are great. However; I really need more bandwidth, and Qwest has no intention of upgrading my area any time soon. Qwest 1.5mb/896kb service is $43 a month. Bresnan INTRO price for 6 months on 15mb/1mb service is $46.90 a month. For 6 months, a no brainer.

    So far, latency is good . Averaging about 30-40ms less than Qwest DSL. Bandwidth fluctuates a lot, but it all ranges in the 12-15mb area. Upload is always around 1mb. Most important to me is jitter. (The difference in latency). So far, that has been very good. Less than 5ms. Necessary for Voip.

    Anyway, after I do some more testing, I will update this review. For now, it's doing fine.

    Followup comments:
    donaldjune

    join:2008-12-03
    Swink, CO

    Speed is great

     
     
    I live in south east colorado and have always had great service with Bresnan.
    These are two of my speed tests. these are usually the norn depending how many folks are in the pipe at any given time.

    christcorp
    Premium
    join:2001-05-21
    Cheyenne, WY
    ·Bresnan Online
    ·VOIPo


    1 edit

    Re: Speed is great

    As you can tell from my initial post, I am in Cheyenne Wyoming. Here is my normal connection when doing a test to Los Angeles, Ca. One thing people need to realize is that NOT EVERY server can accurately measure ALL speeds of internet. therefor; one test can show 15mb and another only up to 6mb. So when doing tests; do a variety. Also; while this is the norm I get; there are times of the day where it will fluctuate. Upload has almost always still been around 1mb. Download has been as slow as 9-10mb. But the latency and jitter are low enough, so I'm happy. later... mike....



    Here's one to New York. As you can see, these are the farthest away, yet great ping and speed. Closer can be slower or higher pings. Part is the servers; part is the routing.

    iansltx

    join:2007-02-19
    Golden, CO

    Qwest

    These days West's 7 Mbit tier runs around $35 per month for the first year, dry. Of course real-world speeds are about 6 Mbps down and 700 kbps up, but something to note.
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by OneAfter909 See Profile
UPDATED: 8 days ago
member for 5.3 years, 35 visits, last login: a few hours ago


Canon City,Fremont,CO
Contract price not specified.
"Local office has convenient street parking"
"Subpar Internet Service Provider"
"Gaming? Streaming? If these things are important to you - look elsewhere"
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    I've had Bresnan for 5 years now and can honestly say they do not offer the same level of internet performance that can be found elsewhere. I have the speed plus service, mainly for gaming, and do get anything close to what they claim in their last advertisement as "insanely fast speed" most evenings. In fact, the only thing insane is their claim. Customer service while friendly is either in the dark or trying to keep me in the dark about the realities of their network problems at this time.

    I'm in Colorado but based on the reviews and forum threads here it seems to be a common problem for Bresnan's subscribers in other areas. I'm currently considering going with another provider.

    Followup comments:
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by edesignway See Profile
UPDATED: 15 days ago
member for 6.5 years, 123 visits, last login: 3 days ago


Cheyenne,Laramie,WY
$36 per month
about 14 days
"I'll get back to you on that."
"Service is hit or miss, speeds are not close to advertised."
"Cross your fingers."
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    My Other Reviews·Vitelity VOIP
    I just purchased a new house and now living at my fifth service address I have had with Bresnan. Service still continues to suck. My lego TV is worse and I am lucky to see internet speeds above 2.5Mbps at any time of the day.

    On my speed tests (using Bresnan’s servers) I can max out the connection to their Cheyenne and Casper, WY test servers. Their other three speed test servers I average 2.32Mbs on the test, which is about the same speed I see on the open internet. I have contacted Bresnan Technical Support several times and I usually receive one of three canned responses:

    --
    Bresnan: Their might be something wrong with your wiring.
    Me: My wiring in the house is completely new and terminated by your technicians.

    Bresnan: We don’t see anything wrong.
    Me: Then why do these network tests you had me run contradict what you are stating.

    Bresnan: There is an issue in our network and we are working on it.
    Me: When will this be corrected?
    Bresnan: We are working on it and no ETA.
    --

    I have a couple cabinets in colocation in the Downtown Qwest building. When on Bresnan’s network I see insanely high response times and packet loss connecting to my equipment. I receive this same complaint from many of my clients across the state. I do not receive these complaints from users using other ISPs in the state.

    I have had enough. The only way to have this corrected is to start contacting your state’s Attorney General. Let them know you are sick and tired of poor service and lame excuses.

    Followup comments:

    wmjohn3

    @iauq.com

    No phone needed

    You don't need phone service with Qwest to get DSL, they sell DSL on a stand alone basis.

    steve_in_jackson

    @bresnan.net

    Exact same thing is happening to me!

    I signed up for the 8mbps package (around $60), and have never had more than 1.2mbps. The tech came out and tried to convince me I was getting around 7mbps to Casper. I convinced him otherwise, even showed him my test results from 4 independent bandwidth testers, but there was nothing he could do.

    Then I get a call from Bresnan a week later asking me to rate my service. I told them in a friendly way that their internet service sucked and I was getting nowhere near what they advertise and that their new internet phone service is the reason why the bandwidth is so low. She quickly got me off the phone.

    Then I get another "service call" message on my cell phone asking how my speed issues are. Pa-lease! They still suck, and they know they still suck.

    I'm going to look into Qwest DSL and see how bad they are. At least it's only 39.99 for 7mbps, instead of 59.99 for 1mbps.

    CIDR

    @bresnan.net

    Speed Tests

    Once you get off Bresnan's network your packets are at the will of the other networks. Running a speed test to a speed test server not on Bresnan's network is pointless.

    bresnan.com/speedtest are the only authorized speed test servers on Bresnan's network.

    edesignway
    Premium
    join:2003-05-03
    Cheyenne, WY
    clubs:
    ·Bresnan Online
    ·Vitelity VOIP


    2 edits

    Re: Speed Tests

    Bresnan’s speed test servers are located within their network. Below are the IP addresses to each server:

    Billings: 69.145.254.140
    Casper: 69.146.118.10
    Cheyenne: 69.146.46.10
    Grand Junction: 69.146.114.10
    Missoula: 69.146.16.254

    My IP was 69.145.x.x

    These speed tests did not route out of Bresnan's network and back in nor did they traverse the same through Bresnan’s network as my internet traffic. Meaning hop 1 and 2 took the same route, at route 3 or 4 it was handed off to different router. Because of that these speed tests are not reliable. What this tells me is that most likely my problem occurs at either hop 3, 4, or 5 when routing to the public internet. Hop 3, 4, and 5 are still within the Bresnan network.

    The type of speed test bresnan is using would be the same as setting up a test server at your friend’s house who lives a couple cities away that also has Bresnan internet.

    cablegeek01

    join:2003-05-13
    Canon City, CO

    Re: Speed Tests

    They have to be on the Bresnan network. Bresnan can't guaranty speeds on an upstream providers network (ie MCI/L3/ATT). Speed tests from your ISP only guarantee your network speed to the edge of their network (charter and comcast etc do the same thing). Speakeasy.net is a good place to test from for an actual internet speed test.

    The slow speeds are due to a capacity issue. Bresnan ordered additional trunks from Qwest, but they are still being installed.
    If anyone in the Riverton/Lander area is experiencing speed issues, this is most likely the cause.
    We hope to have the new trunks up and running in the next few weeks.
    Feel free to email me (in profile), and I can respond to you from my official Bresnan email address with status updates.
    I'm sorry tech support wasn't able to correctly understand/explain the issue, but sometimes they don't get the correct info.

    Cheers,
    Ryan
    -Bresnan Engineer

    edesignway
    Premium
    join:2003-05-03
    Cheyenne, WY
    clubs:
    ·Bresnan Online
    ·Vitelity VOIP


    2 edits

    Re: Speed Tests

    Ryan,

    I appreciate your response. I may make a big stink and it‘s mainly because of the Billings staff that I have dealt with. As long as the powers at be know that the local staff that I have come in contact have been very helpful and courteous.

    Before I post any further I will wait for the upgrades to be lit.

    cablegeek01

    join:2003-05-13
    Canon City, CO

    Re: Speed Tests

    Sounds good. Shoot me an email, and I'll try and upgrade you to our 15Mb x 1Mb package for some testing once we get the circuits upgraded.

    yuutomo
    The Wonder Kitter
    Premium
    join:2001-08-27
    Missoula, MT
    ·Bresnan Online

    Bresnan = true bi-polar ISP

    well, at least they did not try to make you pay for any networking hardware you owned.

    I got told that modems I've owned for 2+ years were not mine and theirs and I either have to give them to Bresnan or pay $60 a piece for them, city and state officials were of no help, and the corporate office bumps my case back down to the corrupt local office that is behind this.

    edesignway
    Premium
    join:2003-05-03
    Cheyenne, WY
    clubs:

    Re: Bresnan = true bi-polar ISP

    They tried... I have receipts and used a modem that they don't offer customers. However it took over four phone calls to have them cancel my internet service.

    yuutomo
    The Wonder Kitter
    Premium
    join:2001-08-27
    Missoula, MT
    ·Bresnan Online


    1 edit
    you got lucky, I got mine at yard sales, so I have no receipts. I asked them to show a physical inventory list showing my modems, and all they did was send a screen capture of a program where someone had input them into their database, I've tried everything, and they stonewall, bullshit, and lie, to the point that noone can do anything.
    mt_deb

    join:2008-03-26
    Great Falls, MT

    I have had it with Bresnan

    I KNEW my internet had gotten slower ( now I know thanks to you all and this topic) I called this morning and the tech said it looked fine to him ( yah right ) We have every blasted channel known to man on our cable so you would think we would be considered good customers and that they would try to help a little bit with the internet part. Nope, they don't care. I'm calling Qwest tomorrow simply because it's the point of it. I guess I am just a little tired of these companies with monopolies holding us by the ( yah, you know ) That's one reason I don't even use Windows anymore. I'm a Linux geek. But I digress. I am only getting DSL speeds now and barely that so I may as well pay Qwest instead and see how they are.

    edesignway
    Premium
    join:2003-05-03
    Cheyenne, WY
    clubs:

    Re: I have had it with Bresnan

    Ryan, how are these so called updates going... haven't seen any improvement!
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by Barbarus A See Profile
UPDATED: 17 days ago
member for 35 days, 2 visits, last login: 17 days ago


Missoula,Missoula,MT
$60 per month
"They have a nice looking website"
"Their service performance is hideously, freakishly unreliable."
"Bresnen Communications does not appear to be operating in good faith. I actually miss Comcast."
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    **update** The below issue appears to be resolved, but I'll leave this as record of our disgust as paying customers. Also, actual through speeds are still pathetic; I just ran a speedtest [not theirs lol] Spokane: 0.78 Mbps, San Jose, CA: 0.61 Mbps, Helena: 0.71 Mbps. So this may be outside their network, but it's outside in every direction lol. This is at 9:47 am on a Saturday morning. Also, I can't say this as fact, but behavior gives me the feeling that something somewhere is actually capped at below 1 Mbps at the moment. Please see below for some details on how this company performs its services.

    I have a $60 a month Bresnan broadband link which worked fine for a while; speeds were the best in the area and ping was usually low and stable. Welcome to October 2009; network instability is ridiculous - tonight my average ping to Seattle / Idaho / any server I can find is around 422 ms. Not too long ago, I was getting nearly 100% packet loss for almost an hour. This seems to happen during evenings and weekends, i.e. due to user load. This has been ongoing for weeks now, probably a lot longer depending on your area. So, this is fabulously wonderful for my gaming community connections / hobbies.

    Previously they had been sticking with the deflector script of "it's outside our network". It is their network that is the problem; there are tracerts that confirm in these very reviews and I can run... actually I'll do that now:

    Tracing route to www.yahoo.com [209.131.36.158]
    over a maximum of 5 hops:

    1 9 ms 8 ms 10 ms host-10-24-128-1.msl-mt.client.bresnan.net [10.2
    4.128.1]
    2 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms host-72-175-110-32.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net [72
    .175.110.32]
    3 32 ms 10 ms 9 ms host-72-175-110-5.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net [72.
    175.110.5]
    4 406 ms 417 ms 428 ms host-72-175-110-10.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net [72
    .175.110.10]
    5 431 ms 426 ms 414 ms 66.62.136.49

    Trace complete

    Behold the power of cable. Also, if you use their "speedtest" tool it invariably returns near advertised speeds for your connection. Any other speedtest returns an order of magnitude lower [see below]; this has to be some kind of litigation-worthy practice.

    I remember when I moved here to Missoula, MT, I was glad there was such a reputable and well run cable broadband provider in the area. Now, I'd like to see the government build FIOS directly into this city and thereby annihilate even the memory of Bresnan Communications. If you are actually considering paying these people cable internet price points, you might want to explore any other option available. DSL, while hideously maligned, is cheaper for one and cannot possibly be less stable or more poorly accounted for than this company's current service. At the least, ask them specifically about their service issues during your initial conversation. See how they reply...

    Seattle:
    »www.pingtest.net report: »www.pingtest.net/result/1365315.png
    »www.speedtest.net report: »www.speedtest.net/result/597202704.png

    Spokane:
    »www.speedtest.net report: »www.speedtest.net/result/597191737.png

    Denver:
    »www.pingtest.net report: »www.pingtest.net/result/1366492.png
    »www.speedtest.net report: »www.speedtest.net/result/597198681.png

    P.S. Keep in mind that Bresnan's speedtest tool is indicating 8349 kbps to Grand Junction, CO during these independent tests. [»www.bresnan.com/support/data/speedtest/]. I think its obvious what this says about their corporate ethics.

    P.S.S. Also, if your interested in technical aspects of their evil; »Massive Slowdowns? Certainly this could be construed as unfair business practices. For those who would rather not read through everything, the graph about halfway down is pretty damning. It basically shows how this users latency massively dropped off when he tricked his modem into thinking he was a business customer with a "preferred" ip address. The point at which this happens is marked "lol", lol.

    Followup comments:
    Cowmancents

    join:2009-10-23

    Bresnan Internet quality is declining badly, I agree

    I agree in most part to all the recent comments posted in this forum. I have been a bresnan residential cable modem customer for several years, and have seen a significant decrease in quality of service in 2009. Latency, available bandwidth, and even Internet access itself has been up and down regularly, almost becoming a daily discovery as to what I can and cannot do on the Internet that day. If you can believe this, of the number of times I have called in for help to correct problem internet connectivity, one time a tech actually told me that a coax cable connector inside my house was responsible for taking down the service of several hundred of its customers! How's that for trying to pass the buck eh? Of course, the next day the problem resumed, even after he supplied me with a "magical" new coax connector...

    I also whole-heartedly agree that the lack of availability of competition in some of Bresnan's service areas most likely contributes significantly to the quality issues. I think it unlikely that until a viable competitor becomes available that they will have much motivation to do anything about this. Qwest? Not likely...in my location inside the city of Grand Junction city limits I only qualify for 768Kbps DSL...and if you've ever lived with a Qwest contract you know that isn't a very attractive choice either.

    So, here we are...stuck on the west slope of Colorado with little options, a problematic at best ISP "monopoly", and no other providers appearing to want to step up to the plate and give them a run for their money. Here's to hoping that someone with a good investor comes along...because as it stands I have little hope that this situation will improve in the near future.

    MontanaMan



    We need so help here

    I agree with the 2 post about Bresnan. I wish they would just tell us that you are just getting dial up, But your paying for high speed internet.I'm also in the internet gaming community and my ping is very imported to me. Some of my other friends here in Montana are now looking other provider in are area, as well as myself. Like Bresnan say it personal

    StrryEys23



    Re: We need so help here

    I am so fed up with Bresnan's service. I call constantly to tell them that my ping is in the 600's, and every response that I get is "It is in our network". Well that has been about a month ago, and still not fixed. I am honestly thinking of taking my money elsewhere. I have talked to an agent, and talked with online tech support and get the same answer every time. "It is in our network, and there is not ETA on when it will be fixed". I just pray that they "fix" the problem before everyone realizes what is going on and leaves.
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by Omega See Profile
UPDATED: 25 days ago
member for 7.3 years, 3759 visits, last login: a few hours ago


Cheyenne,Laramie,WY
$104 per month
about 21 days
"Customer Service is nice"
"Latency, slow speeds"
"They pretty much have a monopoly out here, it's too bad Qwest has slow speeds"
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    When I came out here, I was looking forward to getting Bresnan. 8mbit in Cheyenne, WY which is in the middle of nowhere sounded too good to be true. Service was great from April 2009 to September 2009. Then Something happened, I don't know what.

    Now (Oct 09) during peak hours my pings skyrocket. Gaming is nearly impossible as my ping goes from 350-600ms. My download speed is also slow. I don't know if my node is oversold or if it is the network itself, either way its annoying.

    Installation was okay. The customer service people were very nice, but they were so overbooked/underemployed that I had to schedule 3 weeks out.

    If these connection issues keep up, I will seriously consider moving to Qwest. Even though they only offer speeds of 3mbit, if they have a lower ping, it may be worth it.


    Followup comments:
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by Rye See Profile
UPDATED: 28 days ago
member for 34 days, 7 visits, last login: 4 days ago


Missoula,Missoula,MT
$59 per month (month by month)
about 21 days
"Their print ads are very nice."
"Horrible latency, tech support that either lies or is just pig-ignorant."
"I would leave them in a second if they had competition in my area!"
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    They've been going downhill FAST over the past year. Every single evening for about 6 hours (during peak time) their network latency is so high that it's difficult to use the net for much besides email. I am now seeing 400-600ms latency to anywhere outside their network during this time. Of course, tech support says it's my issue, but the traceroutes and pings don't lie. If they had competition in my area I would leave them in a second. Supposedly 7Mbps Qwest DSL is coming my way soon.

    Followup comments:
    cabletek

    join:2009-10-27
    Canon City, CO

    Poor service

    I can tell you how to get some results from them if interested.
    I am an ex employee.

    Tino

    join:2009-10-18
    Great Falls, MT

    Re: Poor service

    Yes plz
    Rye

    join:2009-10-20
    Missoula, MT
    That'd be fantastic. Please do tell us how to get results from them!
    cabletek

    join:2009-10-27
    Canon City, CO
    all you have to do is call the corporate office.
    Tell them what you think. This works very well. Trust me.

    (914) 641-3300
    1 Manhattanville Rd
    Purchase, NY

    Simba7

    join:2003-03-24
    Billings, MT

    Huh?

    Downhill fast over the past year?

    I've never seen problems until a couple months ago.
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by jrlittlejr See Profile
Posted: 33 days ago
member for 8.9 years, 113 visits, last login: 2 days ago


Wilson,Teton,WY
$99 per month
about 4 days
"Telephone works."
"Speed and ping times SUCK during peak use"
"If I had another alternative, I would use it..."
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    I've been a Bresnan Internet/Cable/Phone customer for about 6 months. Prior to that, I had Bresnan internet only for 6 months.

    I'm paying for "speed plus" 15kbps down/1.5 kbps up, plus phone and cable.

    During off-hours, my speeds are OK. But during 5pm-1am hours, speed is TERRIBLE. I routinely get ping times >400 ms, high packet loss, and max speeds of 1-2 kbps down during peak hours. Streaming video is unusable. Websites load slowly, if at all. During peak hours, the service is often unusable.

    Bresnan insists that you only test speed to their servers, which is complete BS. I'm not paying for my connection to their servers, I'm paying for INTERNET service. I realize they have no control over the speeds of services on the net... but the problem is right at the point where Bresnan connects to the net. So they need to fix this, or work with their Tier 2 provider to fix it. But blaming it on the "net" doesn't cut it.

    This problem has existed for at least the last 2 months. Bresnan keeps pointing fingers at 360.net (their Tier 2 provider)... but bottom line is it doesn't matter who is to blame, they are not delivering on their promised service. Bresnan needs to fix this.

    I would change to another service... but sadly they are my only reasonable option. I'm too far out for decent DSL.

    Followup comments:

    Simba7

    join:2003-03-24
    Billings, MT

    Hmm..

    kbps? I think you're meaning mbps.

    Could you post a traceroute from your end to google?
    jrlittlejr

    join:2000-12-15
    Wilson, WY
    ·Bresnan Online

    Re: Hmm..

    I've posted some ping tracings in the Bresnan forum. Here is a sample traceroute:
    traceroute to google.com (74.125.45.100), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
    1 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) 0.653 ms 0.260 ms 0.222 ms
    2 host-10-253-36-1.jcs-wy.client.bresnan.net (10.253.36.1) 18.858 ms 10.245 ms 8.521 ms
    3 jcswy001hb6-ge-0-0-0-u209.int.bresnan.net (69.144.94.213) 17.162 ms 9.613 ms 14.504 ms
    4 * blnmtfh1hb7-so-0-3-1-u0.int.bresnan.net (69.145.247.25) 64.005 ms 54.949 ms
    5 host-72-175-110-54.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net (72.175.110.54) 39.321 ms 34.010 ms 38.879 ms
    6 host-72-175-110-45.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net (72.175.110.45) 39.709 ms 50.704 ms 33.509 ms
    7 66.62.160.25 (66.62.160.25) 271.034 ms 287.342 ms 263.873 ms
    8 den1-core-02.360.net (66.62.6.66) 391.211 ms 364.632 ms 382.846 ms
    9 lax1-core-01.360.net (66.62.3.41) 312.061 ms 305.602 ms 308.683 ms
    10 66.62.6.195 (66.62.6.195) 320.498 ms 342.372 ms 324.528 ms
    11 core1-0-1-0.lax.net.google.com (198.32.146.46) 104.777 ms 105.224 ms 98.081 ms
    12 216.239.43.12 (216.239.43.12) 98.312 ms 127.080 ms *
    13 216.239.43.125 (216.239.43.125) 156.108 ms 149.767 ms 152.215 ms
    14 72.14.232.213 (72.14.232.213) 165.078 ms 142.250 ms 146.744 ms
    15 209.85.253.133 (209.85.253.133) 143.708 ms
    209.85.253.137 (209.85.253.137) 163.594 ms
    209.85.253.141 (209.85.253.141) 156.063 ms
    16 yx-in-f100.1e100.net (74.125.45.100) 149.432 ms 149.393 ms 169.166 ms

    traceroute to cnn.com (157.166.224.25), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
    1 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1) 30.446 ms 2.517 ms 3.356 ms
    2 host-10-253-36-1.jcs-wy.client.bresnan.net (10.253.36.1) 13.072 ms 12.872 ms 10.105 ms
    3 jcswy001hb6-ge-0-0-0-u209.int.bresnan.net (69.144.94.213) 12.104 ms 12.513 ms 19.602 ms
    4 blnmtfh1hb7-so-0-3-1-u0.int.bresnan.net (69.145.247.25) 48.590 ms 40.639 ms 66.462 ms
    5 host-72-175-110-54.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net (72.175.110.54) 41.355 ms 62.328 ms 47.498 ms
    6 host-72-175-110-45.bln-mt.client.bresnan.net (72.175.110.45) 36.945 ms 57.050 ms 41.491 ms
    7 66.62.160.25 (66.62.160.25) 250.259 ms 265.605 ms 277.969 ms
    8 ge-6-16.car2.denver1.level3.net (4.53.2.25) 255.002 ms 252.869 ms 249.782 ms
    9 ae-32-56.ebr2.denver1.level3.net (4.68.107.190) 273.621 ms 262.094 ms 281.004 ms
    10 ae-1-100.ebr1.denver1.level3.net (4.69.132.37) 271.004 ms 263.441 ms 271.137 ms
    11 ae-2.ebr2.dallas1.level3.net (4.69.132.106) 285.746 ms 276.816 ms 300.716 ms
    12 ae-83-88.ebr3.dallas1.level3.net (4.69.146.84) 274.066 ms 280.984 ms 309.857 ms
    13 ae-7.ebr3.atlanta2.level3.net (4.69.134.22) 304.693 ms 315.988 ms 331.725 ms
    14 ae-2-52.edge4.atlanta2.level3.net (4.68.103.46) 310.858 ms 299.645 ms 298.740 ms

    Simba7

    join:2003-03-24
    Billings, MT

    Looks like a 360 issue.

    dragon ~ # whois 66.62.160.25

    OrgName: 360Networks (USA) Inc.
    OrgID: 360NE-1
    Address: 2401 4th Avenue
    Address: 11th Floor
    City: Seattle
    StateProv: WA
    PostalCode: 98121
    Country: US

    NetRange: 66.62.0.0 - 66.62.255.255
    CIDR: 66.62.0.0/16
    NetName: 360NETWORKS-BLK-1
    NetHandle: NET-66-62-0-0-1
    Parent: NET-66-0-0-0-0
    NetType: Direct Allocation
    NameServer: TAISP1.IN-TCH.COM
    NameServer: TAISP2.IN-TCH.COM
    Comment: ADDRESSES WITHIN THIS BLOCK ARE NON-PORTABLE
    RegDate: 2001-01-03
    Updated: 2004-08-05

    OrgTechHandle: 360NE1-ARIN
    OrgTechName: 360Networks Technical
    OrgTechPhone: +1-877-993-4237
    OrgTechEmail: network.operations@360.net

    # ARIN WHOIS database, last updated 2009-10-22 20:00
    # Enter ? for additional hints on searching ARIN's WHOIS database.
    --
    Bresnan 15M/1M|MyWS[P4HT@4.01GHz,2GB RAM,2x1TB HDDs,Win7]|WifeWS[P4@2.4GHz,1GB RAM,60GB HDD,Win7]|Router[2xP3@1GHz,640MB RAM,18GB HDD,Allied Telesyn AT-2560FX,Kingston KNE100TX,2xDigital DE504,Compaq NC3131,iPro/1000DP,Blitz BWI715,Gentoo Linux]

    Jarsyl

    @bresnan.net

    Re: Hmm..

    Its funny how people always point to a middle man, and yes that does look like it is from 360. On the other hand I have had problems like this for the entire 4 months I have lived in Montana and had Bresnan. I was actually running quest DLS side by side with it, and it never once had these problems. If they are having problems with backbone providers that quest isn't, maybe they need to grow some balls and get the shit fixed? The ONLY reason I didn't drop bresnan and switch to quest is that the wiring in my house is subpar and shorts out when it is raining. While quest "could" choose to fix it to get a customer not wanting to redo telephone wires in a crappy house is acceptable. Saying that your internet access sucks, but it isn't your fault because the backbone companies are just mean and screwing over lil' ol defenseless bresnan is bullshit. If it was a problem with anyone outside of bresnan they would have started filing lawsuits within a month or two of the problem starting.

    WY CLEC

    @CERENTO.COM

    Re: Hmm..

    It's not a 360Networks problem; it's the Bresnan router to 360Networks. The ping results show this AND when really, really, really pushed...they will admit they are still having massive router problems in their core sites (Casper and Billings). Oh...they have 4 middle mile routes that are at 100% capacity too.
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by Tino See Profile
UPDATED: 37 days ago
member for 37 days, 45 visits, last login: 2 days ago


Great Falls,Cascade,MT
Contract price not specified.
"...."
"Slow internet, support is far from helpful"
"They deny any issues because they can as they are the only cable provider"
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    The cable internet through bresnan is SLOW.

    In network of course you get advertised speeds, though that doesn't help you when 99.99999% of the web sites and servers you connect to are outside of their network. I personally know of more than 5 people who have called to complain about the same issues, though when you call they play the "dumb" game and pretend there is no issue.

    They are more than aware of the slow internet issue though because of their monopoly on the cable in this region they do not have to fix it. Their advertised 8 or 16 mbps speeds don't matter. You will get the same speed during peak hours no matter which plan you have. Which will be sitting around 1.5 mbps download AT MOST. Go with DSL and hope they do not share the same backbone as bresnan, as it is my conclusion that it is the connection between bresnan and 360networks that is the issue, and I have notified both companies of this and both defer responsibility.

    The cheap 1.5mbps DSL connections WILL be faster than the advertised 8-16mbps connections thruogh bresnan. You will have higher pings and much less packetloss resulting in a more stable surfing or gaming experience Do your own speedtests and you will see this is the truth.

    Followup comments:
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online

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Review by little_mak See Profile
UPDATED: 42 days ago
member for 42 days, 0 visits, last login: 42 days ago


Bozeman,Gallatin,MT
Contract price not specified.
"They have a 1800 number to call for free"
"high pings, constant interruptions in service, slow upload, download under what you pay for"
"Get DSL, Bresnan Online is terrible. I got rid of mine."
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    Pings from servers within the same town return values between 200-400 ms. I've seen as high as 600ms. Download speed they claim is 8 Mbps, falls well below that during normal hours. Constantly stalling out, then have to reset the modem (sometimes 5 or more times). If you want to have a reliable internet connection or gaming, don't get bresnan online.

    Followup comments:

    Barbarus Ant

    @bresnan.net

    yep

    Bresnan is garbage. I've never lived in a place where DSL is actually preferable to Cable. Congratulations, Bresnan! You win the money game.
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online






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Review by WyoGriz See Profile
Posted: 44 days ago
member for 2.6 years, 11 visits, last login: 44 days ago


Gillette,Campbell,WY
Contract price not specified.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)

    The past several months service has been very poor. I'm either disconnected from the net or teh service runs at a snails pace. I've had service techs out here several times, and they can't seem to find and fix the problem.

    Followup comments:

    Ioscipescu

    @bresnan.net

    Same here

    We're in the same boat. It is so frustrating to put up with their technical service now. They put the responsibility of proof that there is a problem on you, but when you do prove it, they just say "that's not on our network."

    Well, they should find a better connection to the rest of the internet, because they've certainly got poor service with who they are currently using. I'm VERY close to switching to Dish/DSL despite the DSL only being 1.5 Mbit service in our area (versus the supposedly 8 Mbit cable service).
    Forums » comments on review of Bresnan Online







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