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796 reviews
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Review by borisbadenov See Profile

  • Location: Barbourville, Knox, KY, USA
  • Cost: $84 per month (12 month contract)
  • Telco party WCV Telecom
When its working properly it is fast as advertiesed
Selling product they can't provide.
Don't count on Windstream to provide what they sell
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Typical Windstream still advertising and selling products they can't provide.

member for 18.3 years, 1191 visits, last login: 4.7 years ago
updated 8.3 years ago


thedude777
@alltel.net

thedude777

Anon

??

whats the issue?

pisoff
@slb.com

pisoff

Anon

worst ever company

This is the worst shi**** service.Please please please dont go for this if you have a choice...........these knuckle heads contract with stuppid apt property managers and get their business. In an open market this type of companies won't last a day. People running this company should be ashamed of their abilitys and degrees...






Review by GoonrGrrl See Profile

  • Location: La Fayette, Walker, GA, USA
  • Business customer Business customer
  • Cost: $90 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 3 days
rarely drops connections
everything else
there has to be a better way
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Please, dear Lord, save us from this awful company.

I have a business account w/ phone. I run a small business related to live streaming from a farm in rural Georgia. Obviously with the amount of streaming I do, I can't do data caps, so satellite is not an option. Windstream is the only option I have, and it's SO slow that it has a direct financial impact on my business. At peak live-streaming times, when I need to be monitoring anywhere from 1-4 livestreams, I have to rent out an office share in Chattanooga so I can access 100-gig on EPB. It's costing me a fortune and it's exhausting. At times I have to monitor livestreams from international events which start at 4:00 a.m. our time and then do more on the West Coast which wrap up at midnight our time. Add 2 hours of commuting onto that and you can figure out how much sleep I'm getting!

I was promised 6 Mbps and at the MOST Windstream delivers 1.2. My average is more like 0.8 Mbps and at times ducks as low as 0.28 Mbps. You heard me right - I'm paying $90/mo. for 0.28 Mbps. That is highway robbery. It's to the point now where I can barely monitor a single livestream on my Windstream account. I have to buy extra data on 4G LTE and run the livestreams off my phablet while taking care of the commentary on my PC. I can't go on like this for much longer.

I suspect, but cannot prove, that Windstream gives traffic priority to the big high-profile livestream providers such as Netflix. I find it fascinating that I can stream Netflix and Hulu without too much difficulty (albeit the quality is of course horrendous), but when it comes to the small companies I do business with such as USEF Network, I can barely get a livestream at all.

I can't find out any information from Windstream as to when or if service will be upgraded in my area. The CSRs always say they'll get back to me and they never do. I'm getting desperate. I need to make some serious business decisions - such as, am I better off selling up and bailing out of the Windstream service area completely, giving up my farm in order to run my streaming business? I NEED ANSWERS and I can't get them. That should tell you a lot about their customer service, right there.

Credit where due, I have to say that their area on-the-ground tech is pretty good. He has done everything for me that it's possible to do. I had a HORRIBLE tech in my last Windstream service area. And with Windstream you really live or die on the quality of their tech support. At my last location, where the tech *literally* lived right up the road from me, it took over a year to wind my way through the customer non-service pipeline and actually get him OUT to the farm to replace a box I knew perfectly well was faulty - I had dropped connections every time the WIND blew harder than 10 mph. No exaggeration. But at least I did get the promised 6 Mbps, when it worked.

As another FYI, the small biz sales rep who signed me up to Windstream out of the Dalton office was one of the rudest people I have ever encountered, and that pretty much set up the way this experience was going to go. The takeaway is that this company does not give one SINGLE eff about rural small business customers.

I sure would like to know exactly what Windstream is doing with all that government grant money, b/c for h8lla sure it isn't being deployed around here.

My advice is to take a serious look at your usage, and if there is any way to avoid Windstream, do it.

NOTE: This review has been revised to include present download and upload speeds per speed test today (10/15/15)

member for 9 years, 3 visits, last login: 8 years ago
updated 8.4 years ago

tyrant_
Wannabe Billionaire
join:2013-07-07

tyrant_

Member

I hate saying this, but your best bet is Exede.

I have some family that live in the middle of nowhere that use it.
Often scoring above their 12mbps (usually around 20/3)
While the latency is really, really, horrendous , it destroys these guys. Also, they have an unlimited plan, I believe its roughly $70. Trust me, I'm used to my fiber here and would never touch satellite with a ten foot pole, but the service and speeds compared to Windstream make it way more worth your while. Hope I helped!
sparky007
join:2011-08-25
Phoenix, AZ

sparky007

Member

Comcast?

I'm guessing Comcast isn't located in your area.

»www.comcast.com/location ··· tte.html
GoonrGrrl
join:2015-03-18

GoonrGrrl

Member

Today's stats.

See the post re Exede. In order to run my company I *cannot* do datacaps. My business model depends on my being able to livestream sporting events 20 hours per day every week from Thursday thru Sunday.

And no, Comcast doesn't come out here. Do you think I'd still be on Windstream if they did? :-P

Today's stats: »www.speedtest.net/my-res ··· 36381416

I am paying 90. dollars. per. month. for this sh8t. :-(
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

davidhoffman

Premium Member

Re: Today's stats.

What sporting events are you livestreaming from LaFayette GA 20 hours per day?
abilly
join:2015-04-01

abilly to GoonrGrrl

Member

to GoonrGrrl
I feel your pain. While I'm not live streaming, I am trying to run a web based business here but the latency in eastern OK makes it nearly impossible. 600-2500MS is the norm.
sparky007
join:2011-08-25
Phoenix, AZ

sparky007

Member

Fixed Wireless

Looks like fixed wireless is in a town near you, BUT not sure if it reaches to you. Might want to give them a call to see if they service your area or if they know someone else does fixed wireless in your area.

»iwispr.net/index.php/internet/
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT

tired_runner

Premium Member

Fractional or full T1 not an option?

I realize that would probably cost more than $90 per month, but T's usually come with an SLA that you can hold them accountable to.

Or you can always do an unlimited wireless plan, but again that would likely cost more than $90 per month.
sierge
Premium Member
join:2010-05-23
Glasgow, KY

sierge

Premium Member

Poor service

That is typical of Windstream. Have you looked into a T1 line?

Review by Jack See Profile

  • Location: Broken Arrow, Tulsa, OK, USA
  • Cost: $8 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 10 days
  • No Cap
Unlimited COnnection, no restrictions, servers allowed
SLOWWW, cuts out ALOT of the time. barely works during peak hours
For anyone that ants to use the internet, your better off Getting another ISP/Cell phone
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Windstream is our only choice when we moved to a new house, the highest ackage we could get was a 3MB package, order and install took awhile, we used our OWN router and modem, since theirs is horrible..
UPDATE: 2-1-13: we have been upgraded to 6mbps, getting around 3-4 with 90ms ping.. still dropping every few hours..

UPDATE 12-30-13: we have been using our 6mbps package, and recently upgraded our router to an Asus router, now we are getting around a 45ms ping with an average of 4. download, and only about 1-3 drops a day, has gotten much better

UPDATE 9-9-14: After alot of complaining and trying all the options we have, have gotten upgraded to 12mbps bonded DSL, which peaks at around 10mbps, still has drops but is much better

- Jack

member for 12 years, 800 visits, last login: 251 days ago
updated 8.4 years ago

tonyNM
join:2014-01-05
Espanola, NM

1 recommendation

tonyNM

Member

Monopoly by windstream in rural areas

Congratulations, you must be in an area where windstream has competition
GPmax1
join:2014-01-19

GPmax1

Member

Re: Monopoly by windstream in rural areas

Windstream has a monopoly in my area too.
HoTMeTaL9
Premium Member
join:2010-02-12
Coweta, OK

HoTMeTaL9

Premium Member

I tire of Windstream's fraud as well

Click for full size
Here is a post of actual speeds from my SamKnows box monitoring their speeds from 9-22-2014 to the last test done today at 10am on 9-23-2014 charting download speed sustained - hourly

Sir_Veilance
@choopa.net

Sir_Veilance

Anon

best router for slow Windstream service

i only have one internet provider and I was wondering what other routers out there are better than their crappy ones and give me a bit more speed. im paying for 3mbps. we get like 1.5-2

Review by mshelton See Profile

  • Location: Blairsville, Union, GA, USA
  • Cost: $65 per month
Better than dialup...mostly
Oversold trash, one of the worst providers in the nation
Avoid at all cost
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I have the 6meg plan for $50/month (Update: has since risen to $60+ after taxes). Complete ripoff. Even if I was receiving good service and advertised speeds that would still be expensive compared to other ISPs, but during peak hours (from about 4-11pm) Windstream speeds slow to a crawl. I'm talking barely faster than dialup speeds. Lately I can't even stream Netflix until nearly midnight. Judging by the forums this is very widespread. What does Windstream do about it? Nothing. They usually just give the same story about supposed "upgrades" coming in the future or the issue is currently being worked on. Apparently that has been going on for years now with no success.

The worst part is even though they are obviously oversold Windstream continues advertising and putting more customers into their junk network. I really don't see how a company this bad can exist. There should be laws against it.

If you have any other options for broadband, go with it. Unfortunately I don't so I'm stuck with these con artists.

---------------------

Update: 9/02/15 - Windstream recently took a handout with the requirement they provide a minimum of 10/1 speeds when possible. That's exactly what they are doing, the minimum. They now offer G.Bond (2 DSL lines combined for double the speed) service in my area from that money. That's actually a good thing. But of course this is Windstream, so nothing else positive will follow. Instead of offering the standard 12 meg plan like they always have (which is exactly what my current 6 meg line would be once bonded with another pair), Windstream instead went with the bare minimum of 10, meaning they would LOWER my provision from 7200 Kbps to 6000 Kbps. On top of that, the price (which is now over $60 after taxes and fees for our current 6 meg) would increase by about $10 a month ($17 if you rent their ADSL G.Bond modem, which you would pretty much have to since they are practically impossible to find from a retailer)! Just for a measly 4 meg upgrade. Which was paid for by a government handout. All so they could charge us even more on top of their already overpriced, underperforming service.

The most moronic part about all this from Windstream is my line should easily be capable of 10 meg WITHOUT resorting to G.Bond. My SNR hovers around 19.5-20 on the 7200 Kbps provision with a max attainable rate of 14000 Kbps. Meaning a 10 meg provision (somewhere between 11400-12000 Kbps) would be totally feasible on just my single line. So not only are they crooked, but incompetent. Or maybe they just want everyone to rent their junk G.Bond modem for $6.95 a month and pay even more for a small 4 meg increase with the excuse that it's bonded, even though it doesn't need to be. If they're going to offer bonded DSL at such a premium when they were handed the money for these upgrades, at least provision the line as efficiently as possible. Hurts knowing a competent ISP could offer upwards of 20 down on my line if bonded, but the max Windstream will go is 10 meg with a $17 price increase. And BTW, the drastic peak time slow downs still exists 3 years later! As I said in my original review, there should be laws against it.

member for 19.9 years, 2886 visits, last login: 2 days ago
updated 8.5 years ago


Review by radsld See Profile

  • Location: Ephrata, Lancaster, PA, USA
  • Cost Contract price not specified.
None
Horrible Tech Support and Customer Service
Select any other provider if you dont want a crappy ISP
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Windstream has lied to me point blank and tried to screw me out of money for a service/package I have had with my old ISP (D&E Phone) which they bought. After reading numerous reviews on the net I would have never selected this ISP but sadly they purchased the ISP I was with. Now I get crappy customer support, numerous lies and a company that is trying to scam me out of another $100. They want me to buy something from them to replace a device I never owned in the first place.

I just joined this week to compalin about the horrible dealings Ive had with them in the past two weeks. Prior to this I was a customer of Denver and Ephrata Phone Comapny and never had a problem with them. I am spreading the word to help other people avoid getting involved with what is possibly the worst ISP available.

member for 13.6 years, 12 visits, last login: 8.5 years ago
updated 8.5 years ago


Windstream
Premium Member
join:2009-03-31
Twinsburg, OH

Windstream

Premium Member

Here to help

We're sorry to see you're having problems with the service. If you'd like to send us a PM detailing what kind of problems you're having with the service along with your DSL phone number, or cable account number if you are in the State College area, we'll be happy to take a look and see what we can do.
-JV
radsld
join:2010-08-04
Ephrata, PA

radsld

Member

Re: Here to help

I am not in the State College area I am in Ephrata PA. State College is a couple hour drive from here. Just another way to say I am out of luck?

Windstream
Premium Member
join:2009-03-31
Twinsburg, OH

Windstream

Premium Member

Re: Here to help

No, we asked for your account number only if you were in the State College area, as that area is purely cable and the service is not associated to a telephone number. Since you do not have cable service, you can send us your telephone number that the service is under.
-JV
radsld
join:2010-08-04
Ephrata, PA

radsld

Member

Re: Here to help

You recieved my phone number and replied to the IM at

17h29m : 2010-08-04 14:24:52 : From Windstream delete-this | mark-unread | keep-this
We apologize for the experience you've had with us. We'll take a look at your account and we'll work something out for you.

Yet after that you post to my review with another request for my phone number? Did you lose it? Does this mean you are not looking into it any further?

Windstream
Premium Member
join:2009-03-31
Twinsburg, OH

4 edits

Windstream

Premium Member

Re: Here to help

We were simply responding to your reply and clarifying that you are not "out of luck" if you do not have cable service with an account number.
-JV

WestKy
@windstream.net

WestKy

Anon

Windstream degraded

The first 6 months or so (when they just got in town) service was OK, then after about a year was same ol highly inconsistent speeds (12 MPS promise) lame tech support ect.. after 5 years or so had to cancel service for awhile during winter (2014-15) when I reinstated service a few months later they now have a "1.5 MPS" cap on all new subscribers, (no wonder my other service was so lagging) I'm guessing they overload the infrastructure in rural areas instead of providing quality to a few the provide fecal service to many. On that note the 1.5 MPS is just as inconsistent as the 12 MPS was, so often just watching YouTube is a joke. As with other they have a monopoly on this area (aside from Mediacom, which often cannot run drops lines far enough in rural areas) My best idea to date to rectify the speed issues is to set the local hub station in my area on fire so they are forced to upgrade. But yeah as all other say avoid at all cost unless you are in a highly urban area and know techies who can guarantee they have been consistent over a extended period of time.

FloridaRob
@windstream.net

FloridaRob

Anon

Beware of Windstream

During the day, our internet is nearly flawless and I have little to complain about in that regard. But every night, like clockwork, the quality dips drastically. Usually around 7:30, it will work for 1 minute, usually around 5-20KB/s (if you're lucky it might jump to around 150KB/s), then stop for about 4 minutes, ad nauseam, until around 7 the next morning! Exact speeds and time may vary, but this seems to be about the average. It is impossible to get anything done! Because of the timing and calculated up/down of internet, the only thing I can guess is that it's being throttled. Want to stream netflix at bedtime? Good luck. Want to browse reddit when you can't sleep? You're going to wait a hell of a long time for the imgur meme to load. I've had Comcast, Verizon, Bright House, etc. in the past, and have never been as frustrated as I get with Windstream. And being out in Citra, FL, there isn't much else to do in the twilight hours, so it drives me crazy. So beware, because from my experience, when you want your internet to work, like after work/dinner, it won't. If you work the nightshift though, it's great!

Review by kahfess See Profile

  • Location: Colbert, Madison, GA, USA
  • Cost: $67 per month
Nothing
Unrealiable serivce, slow speeds, doesn't care about it's customers.
If we had a choice, I wouldn't still be with them. Crashes daily.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I bundled my phone and DSL together with unlimited long distance.

I've been on windstream for years, because it's the only show in town. When I first started with them the service was slow, but at least it was dependable. Starting about a year ago the service started to decay and about six months ago it became normal for it to crash or else have just enough to keep your modem light from turning red. When I could do a speed test we have actually tested out as little as 0.10 for download speed. If it's not hovering somewhere under 1.00 Mbps then it's spiking between 3.06 and crashing. This goes on day in and day out and when I ask all I get is told that the lines are over subscribed.

As soon as anything else becomes available I'm switching, being slow is one thing, but crashing all the time just doesn't work.

UPDATE:
As of August 2015 our service has continued to degrade to the point now that it's not reliable at all, and is often at such a slow speed we can't even use it. Last check it was 0.471 download, with about that upload.

They did put fiber optic in to the hub that serves us, they did change the switch out twice. They've chosen to not turn on the fiber for some unknown reason, and after talking with their "Broadband Support Group" last night, I hold little hope of it being switched from the copper to the fiber anytime soon. No one seems to have any idea WHEN they are choosing to turn it on.

Meanwhile, we are totally stuck, because after extensive checking around and phone calls, we have no other options.

Windstream is a horrible provider. The customer service people I have spoke with through the years "sound" nice, but will try to fill you full of fantasy answers instead of just coming clean and saying what one finally said last night, "We just don't know what the hold up is."


member for 9.1 years, 124 visits, last login: 8.1 years ago
updated 8.6 years ago

sparky007
join:2011-08-25
Phoenix, AZ

sparky007

Member

Charter Cable

Looks like you might have Charter cable and high speed internet in your area.

www.charter.com
kahfess
join:2015-01-24
Colbert, GA

kahfess

Member

Re: Charter Cable

Thanks. They haven't run anything down our road, but they are within a few miles of us. I have contacted them, and they even called me back, so we shall see if anything comes of it.
AZinOH
join:2007-04-25
Swanton, OH

AZinOH

Member

Re: Charter Cable

Just out of curiosity, what make/model modem are you using and how old is it? Have you ever asked for a replacement? I used to have problems similar to yours with the Speedstream 4200 & 4300 modems. They were unreliable and prone to overheating. I've had fewer difficulties since getting a Sagem 1704N.

Review by wowmahoney See Profile

  • Location: North Ridgeville, Lorain, OH, USA
  • Cost: $55 per month
  • Install: about 3 days
Not time warner
Only get 24/4 speed after calling to complain. Usually 12 or less but u/l always 3+
Nice employees, but service has been unreliable for years.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Been with them since 2010. Upgraded 6Mb/s to 12Mb/s in 2011, and 24Mb/s since 2012. Unfortunately have to power cycle daily to maintain connection, and half speed or less is the norm, unless I call in. Then techs are able to do something on their end that returns 24Mb/s DL 4Mb/s UL. Wish I could get a stable connection with proper speeds without having to call in. My autopay works flawlessly and has reliably paid monthly for years.

member for 8.8 years, 14 visits, last login: 8.3 years ago
updated 8.6 years ago


Review by Jesus55 See Profile

  • Location: Manchester, Clay, KY, USA
  • Cost: $66 per month
It's an evil monopoly
It's an evil monopoly
A terrorist should destroy Windstream.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

A terrorist attack against them is the only hope rural America has for equal opportunity in a new globalized, technologically driven marketplace. In such a scenario, Windstream would accelerate a rebuild of their dated infrastructure, and of course the plastic political class would jump on the bandwagon just to teach those terrorists a lesson, providing more corporate welfare of course. Windstream received millions in stimulus funding yet it was only used to gain market share, not improve quality. Because corrupt monopolies like Windstream pay to control the FCC and politicians, rural youths are placed at a permanent disadvantage in a globalized economy.

A family of four should need a minimum of 20MB down and 5mb up just for the most basic access, here if one receives 3MB download and pays for 6MB they are getting a fair shake. The National Broadband plan is a joke. It is simply a corrupt corporate welfare scheme payed for by taxpayers to benefit the big telecoms, enabling them to gain market share and provide inadequate service.

Sadly, our only hope for an immediate improvement in service from the evil Windstream monopoly is widespread terrorist attacks against Windstream's infrastructure, and I do not jest. It would provide a direct GDP bump to these areas from the politically fueled rebuild, and a long term indirect gain from equality in service.

The babbling (GIGABYTE IN EVERY MARKET) CEO should be given the electric chair for fraud. If the Kentucky AG had a brain he would sue them like Georgia's did for exploiting the poor with their evil monopoly. I certainly will not vote for his gubernatorial campaign, nor will I donate.

Their local supervisor in Manchester threatened to lower my speed if I didn't stop calling the corporate office complaining. If that cocksucker sets foot on my property after he bragged about his 50mb service I will meet him with double out buck.

I think I'll think take a semester off of school to gather signatures and pursue a class action against Windstream, otherwise they will continue to operate with total disregard for the services they deliver.

member for 8.6 years, 9 visits, last login: 8.5 years ago
updated 8.6 years ago

jerminy11
join:2011-12-27
Texarkana, AR

jerminy11

Member

?

But then thousands of people in my city wouldn't get our VDSL from windstream.

Review by TateA See Profile

  • Location: undisclosed location
  • Cost: $69 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
Nothing
Not keeping US laws. Does not give what you pay for. Fraud.
Windstream does not care about there customers. Just out to make a lot of money, for nothing!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I do not live in the sticks. We have a cable service down are road, but Time Warner Cable and Concast do not know who it is. So I'm stuck with Windstream, if I ever figure out who the cable is and they provide internet faster then 1 Mbps and 75% up time, I wood drop Windstream like you wood drop something that was 1500 degrees in your bear hands.

Windstream advertise 1.5 Mbps, but we get average of 0.6 to 0.8 Mbps download and 0.3 Mbps upload, ping 250 ms to 1500 ms. Where about 0.5 mile or less from the hub. Windstream blames the slowness on your computer, router and ethernet cable. I know it's not my fault that my internet is slow, because my iMac can download a 1 GB file in 7.6 seconds, just got a brand new TP-link modem / router TD-W8970 and a brand new cat 7 ethernet cable. Had the wire replace from the pool to my house. And I replace the phone wire from the box on the house to the TP-link modem, the modem is about 6ft away from the box on the house. I still get the same speeds, at least Windstream can't blame the slowness on me. Windstream said they will never upgrades there service, except for expanding capacity, its been 14 years you wood think it is time for a speed upgrade. They made about $11,592 in the last 14 years off 1 customer, and there about 36 houses in 1 mile, and about 33 houses have Windstream's high-speed-internet, LOL. The internet really slow from 9 AM ( 0.6 Mbps ) to 8 PM ( 0.45 Mbps ) and to 9 PM ( 0.4 Mbps ) to 1 AM ( 0.16 Mbps ) 2 AM ( 0.75 Mbps ) 8 AM ( 0.6 Mbps ). In the last year and a half, the internet go's out 12 to 17 days of the month. I wood not recommend Windstream to anybody!

Windstream is fraud, see link below.

»www.ftc.gov/news-events/ ··· ertising

Windstream not keeping min broadband speed law in the US, see link below.

»www.fcc.gov/document/fcc ··· ing-pace

Windstream said they are high-speed-internet, not broadband, so they do not half to keep the min broadband speed law.

Windstream is a broadband provider, see link below.

»www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia ··· nections

There is a contract stoping Time Warner Cable from coming down are road.

member for 8.7 years, 1 visits, last login: 8.6 years ago
updated 8.7 years ago

TateA
join:2015-07-14

TateA

Member

14th Jul 04:20PM

Speed test @ 14th Jul 04:20PM: »[DSL Speed test: 0.02/0.01 415 ms]

Review by ThreePhaze See Profile

  • Location: Barbourville, Knox, KY, USA
  • Cost: $53 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
  • No Cap
Get the download speeds I pay from 4:00 am to about 11:00 am
No upgrades in sight. Does not invest money to upgrade service.
A really awful ISP.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I bought a house back in the sticks last summer. We have a cable ISP that services this area but I was told I live too far from the tap for service. Windstream was my only option besides satellite. The advertised speed for my location was 6 mbps but they would only provision me for 1.5. During peak hours I'm nowhere close to this, the service is almost unusable from around 7 pm until around 4 am. It's usually not as bad when kids are in school. The installation was simple. They sent me a modem and I followed the instructions. The modem was a Sageam (I think that's spelled correctly) which they urge you to use but it's a piece of crap. I bought my own and actually improved my service. My biggest gripe is my area is listed as a latency outage area and they do nothing to fix it. If you use the internet for emails and checking Facebook only, then their service might be adequate for you. If you want to stream music or videos or game, then find a better ISP. Windstream is awful and you'll never see an upgrade unless you live in a "select" area.

member for 9.1 years, 145 visits, last login: 5.4 years ago
lodged 8.7 years ago

totalradio
join:2007-09-15
El Dorado, AR

1 recommendation

totalradio

Member

Same experience

Windstream, at first, sent me one of their junk modems, and after 2 days, got rid of it, and used an old modem from when I lived in an AT&T area, and still use it today.

"Latency outage" is a term that Windstream invented when they either don't know, don't care, or doesn't do anything about your ongoing problem. They know they've screwed up their DSL offerings, and this is one of many excuses they'll give you. This company is so screwed up, I don't think it can be fixed.

Don't fault your local techs, as they're getting their marching orders from the idiots higher up. They know what the problems are, and have told their superiors, they just don't want to fix anything, unless they have no other choice. Its the local techs who catch hell from customers, but their hands are tied by the morons above them.

As long as your service "works", they don't care at what level. First level tech support people, are just as moronic as the higher ups. Good luck !
IanLee
join:2014-11-24
Woodland, WA

IanLee

Member

Re: Same experience

TDS is the same thing.

Unusable from 4 pm to 12 am. Dial-up speeds for a supposed 3-5 MB line. High ping (over 600), packet loss, high jitter. They hold a monopoly in a small pocket of Washington State. A state is that listed in the top 10 in internet speeds and performance.

So I looked up TDS regarding complaints and blogs and sure enough, people are having the exact same problems. Turns out they're still installing old FTTN in places like rural Colorado. Rural Oklahoma is no different, and neither is rural Tennessee.

TDS Telecom is in 32 fucking states. Are you kidding me? Windstream almost has as many states and they have a lot more subscribers. The reason you don't hear from TDS much is because not too many people have them. But they suck just as badly.

Like Windstream, if you don't live in their 'select' spot for upgrades, TDS will just ignore you and throw you to the curb.

I quit online gaming entirely. I even quit watching a lot of Youtube videos. That didn't change shit, I still get bandwidth throttled no matter how little bandwidth I use. I work a lot these days and I simply can't use the internet much, except via mobile smartphone.

There's a 250 GB cap but I don't think I've reached anywhere near that amount. The DSLAM here is so congested and overloaded it often breaks due to everyone getting on at once. Tech support here is terrible, but the technicians out here are usually nice.

A few miles down the road my uncle has a local ISP for internet and while his is still slow, it always works. No congestion, no bandwidth caps, no bullshit like the router resetting itself several times. They give you a fixed IP address which means no dynamic IP changing every 30 minutes. I watched Youtube, heck even watched some videos in HD and they loaded fine. Ping was 17 ms which is good for gaming. Keep in mind I did all this at 8-9 pm on a Saturday, when TDS DSL is basically unusable. No jitter, no bait and switch crap. Watched some Twitch streams, no problems there.

TDS service is shit, and is basically on par with Windstream. Both ISPs have two out of five stars on Speedtest, which speaks volumes on how shit they really are. No upgrades in sight, no changes, no reimbursements, nothing.

I've been with TDS for over six years now and not once did I get the speed I'm paying for (3-5 MBs). I will never get 17 ms ping with TDS Telecom. They're too big and corporate to care.

needshelpnow
@windstream.net

needshelpnow to totalradio

Anon

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Their service is awful and as long as you can log on its ok. I run an Internet business and I cannot maintain my products unless I have hours and hours to sit in front of screen and wait... worse than the old dialup....rates do not match service. Need to find another solution..... can't work this way from Holly Springs GA.

My suggestion if you are reviewing and looking for ISP - look elsewhere!
WindstremNo
join:2015-07-16
Heavener, OK

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Member

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Same experience in eastern Oklahoma, for years, as these posts about Windstream. They would call my office and send junk mail advertising "faster speeds", for more money of course. We were already paying them the higher rate at home, two miles from office, with no difference in service, and probably worse. A local Windstream employee who came to my office and house to troubleshoot problems, as in frequent and long down-times of service, told me that they had fiber optic along the highway/main drag in the little town where my office was, and which we live just outside of, but that everything off of the highway was old and outdated, hence the constant poor service, as in max speed of about 1.2 mbps, and usually 1. Pres. Obama just came to our stated to talk with the Choctaw Tribe about a deal in which the Choctaws would provide internet service to their members who have little or no internet service. Our county is part of the Choctaw Nation area, and we are hoping that the Choctaw service will be available to everyone. What W-stream needs is some stiff competition, but what they really need is to be brought up on charges for false advertising and fraud.

- What we Windstream customers need to do is start calling and writing to the FCC, our congressional members, and our state attorney general's consumer protection divisions about not getting what we are paying for.
- Consider this: Pres. Obama is correct in that the internet is no longer just a luxury and entertainment for many people, it is a necessity, in business, in school and in government affairs.

- It is ironic that the state governments have websites with links to social media, and they want citizens and licensed professionals to use the internet to communicate with the state agencies, complete forms, do license renewal, etc. Yet, they (the Republican anti-regulation states) of course will not even think about regulating ISP's. One reason being is the same as the Repub's attitudes toward education: they want the masses to be ignorant, non-educated and non-communicative.

The ISP's do need to be regulated, or at least have good competition in ALL localities, but even then, as with the insurance industry, they still can and would at any opportunity, continue running over their customers. Our State Representative is actually trying to do something to rein in the crooks at Windstream (and I mean that, and have documentation of their false advertising and charges to me for DSL speeds they are not providing), but the Repubs in charge of Oklahoma refuse to cooperate in doing anything about improving internet service to rural Oklahoma.

- Call and/or write the FCC (888-225-5322), your state legislators and your congressional reps and let them know about your lousy, not as advertised internet service, that the situation needs to be fixed.