dslreports logo

Review by megarock See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, MO, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 30 days
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
They installed the line on time.
Would be fast, if it ever worked
Worst service I have ever had in my life....BEWARE!!!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

At first, I thought it would be the best ISP I ever had. Boy, was I ever fooled. This experience was the worst ISP experience I ever had!

I originally subscribed in September of 2001. The speeds were good, the service was installed in a reasonable amount of time. Those were the good points.

Now the bad. The billing department must have been on crack. They screwed up my billing on all but three bills, began billing me before the service even worked then decided not to send me a bill for four months, then decided to charge me a fee for receiving my bill in the mail!\

Then, the real fun began. The service went completely down in April of 2002 and remain almost completely unusable until almost August of 2002. They continued to send bills charging me for the entire time (finally dropped). The service, when restored, was lucky to reach 100.0 (even though I was promised a minimum of 120.0) and most of the time was lucky to hit 75.0. Then at the end of September 2002 it began to lose sync and drop connections alot - finally going almost inoperable again by the first week of October. I receive one phone call (have an answering machine and caller ID) being told "We've been trying to get hold of you for some time". Yeah, right fool! They deal with the problem, never verify if the problem was fixed - and their solution? Slow me down to 30.0 and charge me the same freaking rate.

Now, they have changed their TOS to warn people if their bill is 10 days late they'll disconnect you immediately and charge you a bunch of reconnection fees. This, after not being able to restore my service for ALMOST A YEAR?

THIS ISP IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. THEIR TECH SUPPORT IS THREE STATES AWAY AND CAN BARELY SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH. THEIR TECH SUPPORT DOES NOT FOLLOW UP AND IS INEPT IN FIXING EVEN THE MOST MINOR PROBLEM. DEAL WITH ANYONE BUT ACCESS US OR YOU'LL BE DEARLY SORRY.

Update: Last I heard they wen't under. Shouldn't have shocked me if they did.

member for 22.7 years, 611 visits, last login: 348 days ago
updated 13.2 years ago

ken_mcghee
join:2001-05-07
Saint Louis, MO

ken_mcghee

Member

Weird..i haven't had any problems with support

That is weird, I haven't had any problems receiving support from AccessUS...DSL support was always there when I had a question about my service. There was one time that my service was down for more than a week and that was when the DSLAM card I was on at the CO shorted out(I wasn't even able to use my phone or anything)...but that was fixed. My speed has been great..and I pay the extra $2 or whatever to get my bill in the mail so I don't forget it...i don't like email bills...i kind of wish they didn't have this fee, but the great service I have received is worth it. I'm sorry you have had such a hard time with them, I know that there are horror stories wherever you go....i wish you good luck in your broadband ventures.

Ken

Review by Gentle1969 See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis City, MO, USA
  • Cost: $48 per month (12 month contract)
  • Telco party AT&T
SBC Yahoo Expert Plus - 2.5Mbps (*WAS* 6Mbps down.)
Loss of connectivity, drop in throughput....
Somewhat mostly happy with the connection.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I was a DSL customer from early 2000 until November 2009. I was very happy with the technology and the overall service in the nearly 10 years I was a user of the technology. I am a cable internet user now and I do not like it. My life changed radically and this made me have to change.

(10/19/2004) - Update. Experienced intermittent noise on the line, and also intermittent loss of internet access. Made the mistake of calling SBC Yahoo tech support, when I should have dealt with it purely on the "phone" side. They "capped" me at 2.5Mbps, saying... "To stabilize you, we are changing your profile to a lower throughput..." Urgh.

(9/27/2004) - After that last update, I stuck with AccessUS a little while longer, but in the end, I left them. I went with SBC Yahoo, got the Expert Plus plan based on my distance of under 9,000 feet, I get 6Mbps down. Very happy with the stability. Nice pings on game servers. Overall, happy with the service so far.

(02/09/2004) - Update. Well, my experience with DSL has changed. From my original connection (which did not use filters since it was a separate copper wire drop from the phone pole) to my current connection which uses filters on my original phone line, my connection has been less than great. It's been... "o.k" I've had a few sync issues, and my connection download throughput dropped to 1.1Mbps and the upload throughput dropped to around 110Kbps. On 2/6/2004 a major (as far as I'm concerned) interruption occured where sync was not occuring. I called DSL tech support at 6pm all the way up until 8pm (posted hours of operation for technical support are 8am to 8pm CST Monday - Friday) and did not even get a chance to leave a message. At this point, since I did not have internet, I couldn't very well E-mail technical support, could I? I left a message with the account manager and did not receive a call back. Service did return that night, but not having any information about what was happening was disconcerting.

I am seriously considering going to another provider. If I could get the SBC Expert Plus (Download 1.5-3.0Mbps, Upload maximum 384Kbps) I would go to it no question. It's only $44.99 or so and that would be acceptable to me.

I think 8 years from one company (Primary/MPower/AccessUS) might be long enough.

(09/26/2001) This review is primarily a notice to AccessUS. I do not require additional support at this time (9/26/2001) from AccessUS.

I was a Primary Network/MPower customer from around March 2000. As you may see in my review of Primary, they had some initial issues as well, but of a different sort. (But the connection was nice....)

I contacted AccessUS in August to ask them to add an additional email to my account as I was told that DSL customers would have 5 email accounts available. From that request (give me another email account) someone decided to enter my account as "Customer unhappy with DSL account and wishes to cancel..." (*This issue has been corrected.)

Then there was the bill after the "cancel" episode and guess what, they wanted to charge me around $150 for my connection. (That's not the price I paid with Primary/MPower, and the paperwork I had seen to that point all stated "Pay the same amount you paid with Primary/MPower for the same performance or better...") (*This issue has been corrected.)

Then in September, I received a piece of mail at home from AccessUS stating something to the effect of... Please return your hardware since you are cancelling your DSL account, *per the terms of the lease*. Well, if they had checked their records, I passed out of the "lease terms" after a year, so the hardware is mine now. (*This issue has been corrected.)

I have a really nice connection of 1.5Mbps/384Kbps (Give or take) and I'm deliriously happy when it comes to my online gaming pings... I can on most days pull down in excess of 150KB on downloads, and that is just nice... They have for the most part kept their word as far as honoring my account being transferred from Primary/MPower to them. Just some annoying "What are they doing?" times as most issues have been taken care of reasonably...

Oh, and I almost forgot, when they first sent me the "Conversion Packet" which contained the introduction to AccessUS, their list of contacts for the account, a referral slip, and some other information, they sent installation instructions for a dynamic IP connection rather than the static IP connection I was told I would be getting. This installation routine did not work. (*This issue has been corrected.)

Jim

Note, at this time, my connection seems to be o.k. Although, as I write this on (09/26/2001), the "Nimda" worm has been making trouble on all sorts of servers out there and this may be impacting my performance a little bit.

member for 23.8 years, 104 visits, last login: 12.9 years ago
updated 14 years ago


NoAccessUS
@uprr.com

NoAccessUS

Anon

Astroturfing?

Looks like WATYF is astroturfing for Access US.
WATYF
join:2001-10-09
Fenton, MO

WATYF

Member

Re: Astroturfing?

Nope... I just don't have the same MPower stick up my @ss that everyone else around here does...

WATYF

P.S. I noticed a dip in my download speeds tonight.. I think I'll call tech-support tomorrow.. and, of course, get through on the first try,... and then I'm sure they'll have it resolved within the day.. he he
foistboinder9
join:1999-12-28
Saint Louis, MO

foistboinder9

Member

Re: Astroturfing?

said by WATYF:

Nope... I just don't have the same MPower stick up my @ss that everyone else around here does...

After all, it's not like the MPower people are real customers who have any right to complain. They should just shut the heck up and put up with the crummy service.

BTW, since switching to another service, I've zero problems since I switched. That's right, zero problems in almost six months. Something that NEVER happened while I was with Primary/Mpower or Access US - with them I was lucky if I went six weeks without a problem.
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: Astroturfing?

And who is thie other service with? Maybe I should go with them too!

Review by Hunckercast See Profile

  • Location: Park Hills, Saint Francois, MO, USA
  • Cost: $19 per month
  • Install: about 6 days
  • Telco party AT&T
Top speed connection, reliable
Sloooooo customer service, long telephone waits
Great value for the money
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

My main criteria was reliable high-speed DSL with a reasonable price, and that is what I got. The few problems I had were quickly resolved (but with long waits on the tech support line,)

The speed package I purchased was 348k to 1.5mbps down and up to 128 up speeds for $13.50 plus telco user fees and tax. It comes to19.97 a month. The DSL modem came with the package as did 3 email accounts, and 30 Mb email storage.

The modem was the standard SpeedStream 4100 DSL modem.

Except for the long waits for customer service, I have no qualms about recommending this service. (Note - my local provider is Brick.net. They were bought by AccessUS a few months ago. The customer service is still through the Brick office.)

After almost 2 years with Brick/Access US, I have to say it is great. No service outages, major upgrades to their hardware, and email filtering at the server makes them an even better choice. Also, the price has stayed the same.

The call center must have added some new staff, because the wait times are much lower (about 5-7 minutes at peak hours)

member for 16.5 years, 89 visits, last login: 10.5 years ago
updated 15.6 years ago


Review by tdclauss See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
  • Cost: $32 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 35 days
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
  • CLEC party: Southwestern Bell
Customer Service, particularly pre-sale. Price
Some recent turnover, but that was sales staff. Everything else has been great.
This company went above and beyond to provide me with service.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

You can read my escapade with our previous ISP here: »Review of Valuenet.net by tdclauss

Bottom line, I was with a ISP that hosted spammers. I needed out, with a good clean ISP that could provide me with the service I required. Problem was, I couldn't just apply for an ISP switch, I had to have the service totally cut off and and then re-installed. Thing is, I found this out because I called Access US. Before ever spending a dime, or even comitting to spending a dime, they started doing the research on what it would take to get me off my old ISP and with a new one. They told me things that SBC couldn't tell me. Mostly because they kept pressing and talking to techs at SBC when I couldn't get further than a sales person.

We ended up needed to drop a second line so we could keep service continuous through the cut over. As a result, it took some time to get the service going. They also discovered that there is a new RT that is less than 10k feet from our house. Access US didn't have the agreements in place yet to use it. Did that slow things down? Not a bit, they had the papers signed in a couple of days. Of course, it took SBC a couple of weeks to execute them, but Access US was happy to keep after them on my behalf.

They had offered the superfast service that SBC had on special 6M/1.5M prior to having the wiring in place. Once they had the hookup, they found that it was not technically possible to provide that. Instead of messing around with me, they apologized and gave me a discounted 1.5/128 service. They even allowed me to set up e-mail accounts with them a couple of weeks before the service started, just so I could get away from the SPAM box at our old ISP.

Oh, and the e-mail is sweet. It has a good web-interface, and can be access either via POP or IMAP. I really like having the IMAP capabilities. So nice if you use multiple computers as I do.

Now that we're running, the speeds have been exactly as advertised, if not a little faster. Nice, since we supposedly had the same 1.5/128 from the old provider and the best we ever did was 340/100, but we were 16,500 ft from the CO, so that was a distance issue.

We've had one 4 hour outage when their bandwidth provider's DNS machines suffered a meltdown. And when I called them about it, they had a Network Status message that had been updated in the previous 15 minutes. All I needed to know was that something was going on, and they made it very easy to find out. Since then, we've been hauling right along.

The prices are easily the equivalent of our old ISP, but I don't have to worry about our e-mail disappearing into SPAM filters. So far, I've got nothing but big thumbs up for Access US.

member for 20.2 years, 51 visits, last login: 10.1 years ago
lodged 19.9 years ago


Review by glamouriz See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
  • Cost: $19 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 3 days
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
Great Customer Service-Tech support- Sales
cant think of any
All around good company
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Access US must be in a new phase- I've read some of the other reviews for this company and cant imagine what they are talking about.
I recently moved to the area- and decided to get connected. With having had bad experiences in the past with DSL companies that folded- I thought it would be a good idea to start small- see how they are... then move up in speed from there.

After getting connected, I dialed in, and lo and behold- NO busy signals.. NO booting off... wow- I'm connected!

I had a minor question about my email- sent a quick note to CustomerCare@accessus.net, and was responded to quickly! Now that was a suprise to me- no holding on waiting for DAYS for a reply...

I think whatever issues this company was having in the past- hopefully its just that- the past... and wont come back to haunt me!

member for 20.8 years, 3 visits, last login: 20.8 years ago
lodged 20.8 years ago


Review by tertl See Profile

  • Location: Independence, Jackson, MO, USA
  • Cost: $40 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
  • CLEC party: Covad
There aren't any
everything
STAY AWAY
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

OK, Access US switched from static IP to dynamic IP now via PPPoE (was static without PPPoE b4). Hmm. (Since IP Com bit the dust they went with Covad). And my speeds dropped from 900k or 1000 to a usual 500 or so. So, I am paying the same amount for about 50% of what I was recieving before? Access US answer? "Well I guess you need a professional install". THIS after THEY did the original install. (I guess it wasn't "professional" back then?) The cost? $175. And average hold time for tech support? THREE hours. AND that is only Monday through Friday (9 to 5)!!! (With breaks apparently at 10 and 3 and an hour lunch..wish I had a job where you work 6.5 hours and get paid for 8! AND no weekends or holidays to work!)

So, I called SBC. Let's see. For $5 less a month I can get a bit better connection. I tried calling thier tech support all kinds of hours of the day for a week and usually got to talk with someone in about 5 minutes (including weekends). OK, I don't know if they were knowlegable or not, but I DID get in to tech support for DSL! (A LOT better that Access US...or should I say NONAccess US!)

Ignore the old dated responses sice they were b4 the switch to Covad. This was submitted 3-12-03.

Well, looks like SBC for me! Will let you know how it goes. Still PPPoE, but can get static if I want to shell out for it ($65 a month). So, I placed an order on Friday March 7th. Supposed to be live 5 biz days after order. AND, with the order I get "free" equipment" a new Speedstream "modem" (I will use it as a back-up,,already have one) and an external NIC (Will use it when I build a new puter as my laptop has a NIC already).

Oh the cost I should mention: Access US $39.99 for (0) to 1500 connection (never got above 500 or so after switch to Covad). And I should point out that they still advertise static IP, but they don't actually have it. Just look at accessus.net, its still there on thier site. (Oh, and if you weren't a convert from MPower it's $79.95 a month for "basic" DSL) Verses SBC, 385 to 1500 for $35.95. WITH Tech support where you can actually GET a real person on the phone in about 5 minutes, verses SEVERAL hours of hold time as with Access US.

******3-14-03. I moved on to SBC, and I LOVE them. Actual...real... 24/7 tech support that actully knows how to help!!! (and getting about 1200 down and 130 or so up!)

member for 23.4 years, 182 visits, last login: 4.6 years ago
updated 21 years ago

Rameses
join:2000-02-14
Olathe, KS

Rameses

Member

The 'irreputable'cable company

You might try your irreputable cable company again. In Independence this should be Comcast. Olathe is run by the same group over here (out of the Blue Springs office), and cable modem service has been excellent for almost a year now. 2500k down 24/7 and no outages since last December (even according to the modem log). I guess the MO side had some bandwidth issues a while back, but according to a friend in Indep., that seems to have been taken care of.

It might be a different story if you have some localized problem with the cable plant, but on the whole Comcast@home in the KC area seems to be doing pretty well.
[text was edited by author 2001-06-23 19:15:27]
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: The 'irreputable'cable company

Well actually I tried the service (cable for the TV) when it was Jones Intercable. After three months of having them here to "fix" things 1 to 2 times a week, every week, for that 3 months, and still only 2 clear channels on the whole darned thing I said "screw it, I am going with a dish system". I really doubt that they would be more reliable for a cable connection for my internet. (And during the time I had them as my cable TV supplier they had already "updated" thier system). And yes, I know that Comcasy bought them out, but they still have the same equipment and the same poeple running it. But, thanks for the post anyway
System

Anon

just curious

Why would you think that it was AccessUS or for that matter IP's problem that your NIC went bad? Why would you think the IP tech would have a NIC? Installing NIC's is not IP's responsiblity.There are liability issues involved where they can not touch your machine plus it states clearly on AccessUS website that YOU are responsible for connecting the equipment to you own network or computer. The IP tech will test it with his laptop to ensure he can surf then its up to you from there on out. Actually if I were IP I would charge you for the technician roll out to your location since It was not a circuit issue and IP is just the circuit provider.I have had AccessUS for awhile with no problems at all and great speeds. Why in the world would you want PPPOE vs a static IP address thats just plain stupid. You must like logging on to an ISP's radius server and having your bandwith usage monitored not to mention the websites you visit.

Anon

I agree

Some people buys a computer and expects it comes with
a computer science degree.

You do not buy a car to learn how to drive.
You do but a computer to learn how to use a computer.
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: I agree

To "I Agree", your response is not logical. I didn't expect a computer to come with a computer degree and actually some people do buy a car first and then learn how to drive.
System

Anon

Re: I agree

I said some. I did not say all.
While "SOME" people buy a car to learn how to drive,
"Most" people buy a computer to learn how to use a computer.
When you buy a car to learn how to drive, you life is as stake and you be careful. When you buy a computer to learn how to use a computer, You do not care and you can always bring it back to the shop and say "your computer does not work".

[text was edited by author 2001-08-06 03:15:43]
NeaLMaN
join:2001-07-17
Perryville, MO

NeaLMaN to Anon

Member

to Anon

Re: just curious

I'm still up....and I still love my dsl....maybe tech support is busy with people like you who like to whine...
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: NeaLMaN's reply

Now that it is working I love my DSL also. I never had any problems with my two previous ISP's like I have had with AccessUS. The previous providers would actually return calls on the extremly rare occasions that I had to leave a message due to heavy call volumes. Also the IP tech said that due to the "extremely screwed-up" way that AccessUS was handling the transfer of MPower customers he would be suprised if any of them stayed with AccessUS.
tertl

tertl to Anon

Member

to Anon
First of all your response is apparently based on several false assumptions. And to call a preference of mine "just plain stupid" I find highly offensive. If anything here in this posting is "just plain stupid" it is your response. I will proceed to rip apart all your conclusions. First of all I was never able to see the AccessUS website because the connection died the same day I received notice that it was to be my new provider (notified by snail mail). Second, when Primary installed the equipment in my computer I was told the equipment was their property. Primary was sold to MPower at a later date. MPower decided to leave the DSL market and transferred my account to AccessUS. AccessUS stated in their letter to me that the equipment (PC-NIC and bridge) was theirs now. The tech said that if he were a residential trouble-shooter he would have had a NIC with him to replace mine. All the self-diagnostic programs for the NIC said that it was fine. And when I specifically asked AccessUS if the trouble were in the NIC or bridge I was told that IP would replace the defective item and then be reimbursed by AccessUS. Lastly, there are times that I prefer not to be connected to the net while working with my computer and I don't care if they know which websites I visit as I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
System

Anon

Re: just curious

When you were told the equipment was Primary's or AccessUS's or whoevers they did not mean the NIC the meant the bridge and or router they could care less about the NIC here is the quote from their website:

Who installs this equipment?An Access US authorized installer will install the inside wiring and equipment for end-users who purchase authorized bridges and/or routers. The installer will complete standard inside wiring and connect the DSL equipment to the wiring, making certain the connection is live and functioning properly. However, the installer will NOT connect the equipment to a computer.

IP is the authorized installer they are talking about, now if they are not responsible for connecting anything to your computer WHY would they care less about if your NIC went bad or not? I feel quite confident you are lying about the technician saying he would have had a NIC if he were a "residential installer" but if this were true IP obviously knew this was a residence why would they have sent out a business tech then? Does that mean business customers dont get NIC's installed that there techs dont carry cards? Why would a business not get the option of a NIC if what you say is true they are certainly paying more then a residence? If you ask me your full of it and you just like to whine. I would be willing to bet nothing anyone could do would make you happy. Your the exact type of person that has absolutely no business with DSL. You need to go back to your little dial up and leave high speed internet access for the big boys.
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: just curious

To begin, you are assuming that I approached AccessUS to be my DSL provider. I am actually a transfer from MPower to AccessUS. That means that I am afforded the same level of customer service that was originally provided by MPower. (MPower sold their lines to AccessUS). Under the MPower contract both the bridge and NIC were their property, and that property transferred to AccessUS per their agreement with AccessUS. (and IP Communications, a subsidiary of MPpower and AccessUS agreed to comply). Actually I called IP Com to discuss another matter (one of their "supers" in charge of the transfer answered my call) and he asked if the rollout to my house was successful. When I got to the part that the tech said "it was either the NIC or my setup" he said "Well, we will overnight express you a new NIC". I said "Don't do that, I already got one at Best Buy for $16" and he said "OK, we will see that AccessUS reimburses you for that, especially since it costs much less than another installer rollout." And yes, the guy did actually say (the guy that physically came to my house) that he was a business problem shooter, and that was why he didn't have a NIC on him.
System

Anon

Re: just curious

I recently had a IP tech in my office and I remembered your post, so I asked him about the whole NIC card situation. He told me that none of the field techs carry NIC cards with them. He did say that IP and ISP's occasionally contract other groups to do the inside wiring. If the ISP agreed to be responsible for the NIC cards, then they would be responsible for sending someone out who would replace the NIC card if needed. It's possible that the "super" you spoke to at IP knew that. But the tech was positive that it would be the contractor doing that -not IP.

So, in a way, you both were right.

Hope this helps shine some light.
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Re: just curious

Actually, you are correct. I found out after that post, when I called IP about another matter, that they contract out the work here in Independence to another company. Also, I was told that the residential techs for that contract company do carry NICs with them to replace defective ones, per the agreement when MPower transferred thier customers to AccessUS. Thank you for the follow-up, hopefully it will help others out who are caught up in this botched transfer.
foistboinder9
join:1999-12-28
Saint Louis, MO

foistboinder9 to Anon

Member

to Anon
>
> Why in the world would you want PPPOE vs a static IP
> address thats just plain stupid.
>

PPPOE is the work of the Devil. I bestows no advantage
to the user.

LiquidFriend
The Mooninites
Premium Member
join:2001-12-08
Raymore, MO

LiquidFriend

Premium Member

...

Try looking in the PitchWeekly. They have a lot of ads for local DSL services in it.
tertl
join:2000-10-05
Springfield, MO

tertl

Member

Up to specs again! Finally!

OK, MAYBE they finally got it right. My bridge took a "hit" from a lightening strike and got wasted it seems. It took 20 phone calls (three of them LD) to get a tech out (finally) from IP Com. to look over the equipment (after Bell said the line was OK). During this time a tech finally said, "Yes, the download problem speed-wise is on OUR side", contrary to what I had been led to believe after several calls and e-mails when my bridge was working. So, I bought a bridge on-line (using my dang AOL 56K dial-up), hooked it up and...WHOA!!! BACK TO 1Mbps + download!!!! YEAH! The upload is still only 110kbps or so, but, I usually just download,,so..whatever.
Bottom line...I do not know whether it as the change to a different brand of bridge, or a (finally) upgrade/fix on Accessus' side, but my speeds are back up to where they were with MPower (YEAH!). And that took what...a year? to get back to the access (pun NOT intended) that I was used to? Staying with them for now (or at least until they sell out to another company) because I just don't want to take the time to change since I (finally) have a decent download rate.

Review by Jeffr03 See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 30 days
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
  • CLEC party:
Good value if it actually worked
Imcopetence knows no bounds within the organization.
Hit or miss. Roll the dice on this one, if it's good-it's great, if it's bad-welcome to hell.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

AccessUS's apparent incopetence knows no bounds. The company has the feel like they've outsourced EVERY bit of service and customer interaction they have. One hand doesn't know who's ass the other one's thumb is up. Doesn't matter one bit if your service works and you don't ever need support from them, unfortunatly for me, I did. I started service with AccessUS after my Phoenix Networks SDSL line finally died with Northpoint. This would have been around May of 2001. 1.5 by 384 for $49.99 a month, $39.99 introductory rate for a couple of months, and about $250 for nessesary equipment, installation and whatnot. My father about 1/2 a mile away had the same deal, and to date his still works flawlessly with the exception that (despite contract) they have since capped his up to 128K. My circuit was a whole other ball of wax, one sprinkled with dispair and pain.

The tech didn't arrive when he was supposed to, things had to be resheduled. Line was finally installed and worked great for about a day. Speeds were slow as the Speedstream box continued to negotiate lower and lower connection speeds due to line noise. No problem I thought, I'll just call a ticket. Despite all their efforts over the months, and all my calls, I never received a stable circuit. It would often go down for hours at a time and was available maybe 1/3rd of the time in any given day. They had been out to my house several times, and despite always "finding the problem" apparently they hadn't, because it was always a matter of a few days before things would start back up again.

Now being that I'm a pretty understanding guy, and that by trade I too work in information technology, I was quite content to fiddle with it, call in tickets, and work the system as intended. It seemed I could always get it to work when I needed while I was home. However, in September of 2002 my circuit went down for the final time. I called a ticket in, and after 7 days received neither a response nor a working circuit. I called to cancel service. With old service canceled I ordered new with Speakeasy.

Today I continue to be billed by AccessUS. Numerous contacts with AccessUS billing staff have failed to remedy the situation. Faxes to Mr. McAnally as requested have also failed. Today is January 3rd, 2003 and I've just received a bill for $310.59 for service from September 2002 that I have not received and requested cancled. Funny how a $49.00 a month service costs nearly twice that when you don't even receive the service. I've filed a complaint against AccessUS with the Better Business Bureau today.

member for 21.2 years, 3 visits, last login: 21 years ago
lodged 21.2 years ago


Review by WATYF See Profile

  • Location: Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (12 month contract)
Fastest Connection for the Money... Period.
Connection problems here and there....
Overall, I wouldn't go with anyone else...
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Alright... here's the deal.. I'm readin' all these horrid reviews about AccessUS, and up until a few days ago, I was a little cheesed at them too... but now I feel like stickin' up for em...

Let's just get this straight... EVERY SINGLE ONE of the bad reviews (that I noted) was from a former MPower customer who had conversion issues... so.. if you are a former MPower customer who needs converting.. (which there are no more left of) then sure... I'd stay away... (or else cancel out Mpower totally and start fresh with AccessUS, but hey... hindsight is 20/20) anywhoo..if you are NEW to DSL and want the best bang for the buck,... then go with AccessUS.

And here's my story just so you don't all come back with, "well.. I hope you never have to use TECH SUPPOT!!"

I signed up with AccessUS and they said it would take about 7 working days to get it set up... that was great... after they had already set up the appointment, I had an issue that made me think I might be moving to a new apartment, so I called them and had to cancel my install... well... a day later I found out I didn't have to move, so I called back and they were very prompt to reschedule. On top of that, I don't use SWBell for phone service (cause they're evil ) and so they had to install a second line in my house just for DSL... all of this was handled just fine, and the total cost of the install was 50 bucks (cause of the second line thing,.. it would have been free otherwise).

Now... I also was planning to serve (both web serve and game serve) so AccessUS's connection was the most attractive to me. I consistently get 1000/1400 down connections (once I clocked it at 1.59Mps.. whoo hoo) and 325/350 up... which is perfect. There is no other provider that offers 1500/384 for 50 bucks a month, except for Earth Link, but they charge you 15 bucks a month MORE for a static IP, which Access includes for free. So... thus far we have the best bang for the buck,... and great speeds... my online gaming is insane... with dial up I had 300 avg ping (on a good day).. now I go on some servers with 40 ping... 40 PING!?!?!?! that's just crazy... anywhey...on to the problems.

I've had my line go down for a few hours a couple times... once for almost a day. But fairly sporadic. Most of the problems happened within the first month and since then have been fairly smooth. Now.. each and every time I had a problem I called tech support and got through RIGHT AWAY to a live person... I don't know what friggin' line you people are calling, but I have NEVER once had to leave a message because if I get that "please leave a message" thing, I just hang up and try again. Now... One time I had an connection problem and they, in attempting to fix it, thought that maybe my Router was bad.. so in the span of ONE HOUR I had THREE PEOPLE call me... one from AccessUS tech.. another from AccessUS customer service who wanted to send me a new router.. and another from IP communications explaining why I had the problem. All this was corrected within the day and I didn't need the new router.

A little over a week ago I had my line go down on a Saturday... unfortunately, AccessUS relies on IP Communications for their hardware tech support... so if something happens on a weekend (when IPC is closed) then you might, under certain circumstances, not be able to restore service until Monday... which is what happened.. My service was out all day Saturday and Sunday... and I called during that time to report it... (and talked to a few people and opened a trouble ticket) well.. when I woke up Monday it was on... apparently IPC went out a FOUR IN THE MORNING and fixed the thing... BUT... they had to reconfigure some things, so my upstream bandwidth was stuck at 128 temporarily.. (still had great downloads)... then later that week they changed my upstream back to 384,... BUT... then the download speed was screwed up (really slow and choppy).. it ends up there was a Card fried at the CO... and so IPC went out and fixed that... I am now back to my blazing fast speeds that you can't get anywhere else for 50 bucks a month.. and just so you all know.. the WHOLE TIME that little scenario was going on... I called repeatedly as each problem came up and was ALWAYS able to get through to someone... and my problems were always taken care of... 2 days downtime is the longest I ever had, and that was cause it was on a weekend. Other than that, I'm very happy with the service... You MPower whiners need to cancel your DSL service altogether and just start over with AccessUS under a new name... it looks like you'll get your service just fine then...

WATYF

member for 22.4 years, 21 visits, last login: 18.5 years ago
lodged 22.4 years ago

System

Anon

56k pings you had sucked :)

Im still on 56k,but read this to see how it will be when DSL comes here. I get around 140-180ms pings in games online with my 56k.

markOpoleO
WATYF
join:2001-10-09
Fenton, MO

WATYF

Member

Re: 56k pings you had sucked :)

140-180??? How the hell did you manage that? I don't know of ANYONE on Dial-Up that can get those pings... but hey, if you can.. more power to ya man...

but I still prefer 40....

WATYF
System

Anon

Former M-Power

I am one of those former M-Power customers. I've been trying to get reliable DSL service from Accessus since August. I can't get it. Sometimes I get as much as 384/110 but most of the time it's 100/100 or nonexistent. Sometimes it will work fine for ten minutes then the network connection will drop and that's it! I would say that my DSL works (at over 200k) about 25% of the time. This is after a flawless 24/DSL from M-Power for over a year. You correctly state that there is no support for DSL weekends but there isn't any in the evenings either.
If it works for you I'm happy for you. It doesn't work for me. What telephone numbers are you using where you can get through to a person and actually get help?
WATYF
join:2001-10-09
Fenton, MO

WATYF

Member

Re: Former M-Power

The number I call is the old 1(800)638-6373 number. If you hit "6" for Tech Support, a message just tells you to call the new 24/hr 1(866)271-7001 number, but that isn't for DSL support... so I just ignore the message and hit "0" instead and get a real person.

Honestly, I was sort of being facetious.. but hey... I wonder what would happen if one of you MPower folks totally cancelled your service and then signed up for AccessUS like a brand new customer... Maybe they totally dropped the ball on MPower... or maybe they're having trouble converting the connections that MPower used to use.. or whatever... all I know is that I have a smokin' line and they've always been reasonably prompt in fixing any problems... this whole "2 weeks with no service" and "it only works 25% of the time" stuff amazes me because of how relatively smooth my service has been and how relatively simple it's been to get problems corrected... but like I said.. I'd like to see someone try that and see if maybe it's a "MPower only" type of problem. I mainly wanted to stick up for them a little, because new prospects might be coming along thinking that they can't provide DSL for shiatz, but I personally think it's just an issue with MPower conversions. I wouldn't think that new customers would have anywhere close to the same problems as you poor souls...

WATYF
WATYF

WATYF

Member

Yet another example....

Well... my line went down again... Actually.. it went down and then came back up but the connection was very bad... I had huge packet loss and a very intermittent connection. So... once again.. I called.. and got right through.. (admittedly, it did take 2 whole times to get to someone... but if you can't handle dialing a number two times, then you got issues) and once again... they logged it... and a few hours later when I got home from work... viola.. my line is back up and running just fine...

I dunno,... maybe they just like me...

WATYF
foistboinder9
join:1999-12-28
Saint Louis, MO

foistboinder9

Member

The problem is not MPower


EVERY SINGLE ONE of the bad reviews (that I noted) was from a former MPower customer who had conversion issues

There are some negative reviews that have nothing to do with MPower.

... so.. if you are a former MPower customer who needs converting..

FWIW, I didn't have problem with the conversion (other than Access US sent out incorrect info on the conversion process, and the hassle of getting through to someone with the correct info). I had a working connection with Access US for about six weeks after the switch. Then I had an outage that Access US was unable or unwilling to fix.

(which there are no more left of)

Which is why you seem to be able to get through to tech. support.

then sure... I'd stay away... (or else cancel out Mpower totally and start fresh with AccessUS, but hey... hindsight is 20/20)

No thanks. I switched to a different provider that provides better service for about the same money.
WATYF
join:2001-10-09
Fenton, MO

WATYF

Member

Re: The problem is not MPower

Hey man.. I never said the problem was MPower.. they don't even exist anymore.. I'm just saying.. that of all the complaints out there, almost ALL of them are MPower people who had to convert... the people who posted before the conversions had mostly good things to say about it.

And whatever works for you man... that's great... I'm just telling you that I don't see a problem with the service when you start from scratch.. and I have no problems with tech support. That's just my observation and personal experience... so obviously AccessUS can't be the "spawn of Satan" that you're painting it out to be.

WATYF
foistboinder9
join:1999-12-28
Saint Louis, MO

foistboinder9

Member

Re: The problem is not MPower

> I'm just saying.. that of all the complaints out there,
> almost ALL of them are MPower people who had to
> convert... the people who posted before the
> conversions had mostly good things to say about it.

FWIW, pre 6-25-2001, there are 2 negative reviews and 3 positive - hardly overwhelmingly positive.

BTW, why does it make a difference whether negative reviews came from MPower customers? It still shows Access US royally screwed up. After all, we were paying customers. The only difference between us and other Access US customers is we didn't actually choose Access US.
wispagod
join:2001-06-28
House Springs, MO

wispagod to foistboinder9

Member

to foistboinder9
Dude... TRY and GET PUPLIC IP's from AccessUS you wont get them, they give you a router with a IP and expect you to NAT off it, cause Savvis pulled back alot of IP's. Also, there billing is a nightmare.. there not the ISP to use, but I'd promote them over SWBell cause i dont belive in PPPoE.

Review by wispagod See Profile

  • Location: Festus, Jefferson, MO, USA
  • Cost Contract price not specified.
  • Telco party Southwestern Bell
  • CLEC party:
Fast Connection
No Ip (NAT) Expensive.. Few Experienced Techs
Use this ISP as a last resort!
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I ordered iDSL from AccessUS i was told for $169 month (what i sined the contract for) i would recive 2 ip's.. well time wen on (6 weeks) i reffered other friends witch got on in a week they got there ip's and all and are happy... Well i had my own equipment so they still sent me equipment when i didn't need it.. so i humored them and hooked there's up the DSL did not wrk the blamed it on IPC when the router was sync'd to IPC i called them and asked if the router was bad/misconfigured they said not possible.. so IPC get;s out here a week later and the ROUTER IS BAD! like i thought.. they gave me my authenication stuff and setup my router i had something i asked Access to do a week before IPC ever came out. Well i get it up and running i call them for y ip's and they tell me i cant have my ip's i have to NAT behind my router!!!! I'm like Screw you i want my damn ip's.. Cause Net Phones and stuff dont work nat'd. and i'm in contract to get my ip's. So i'm not paying the bill till i get them that's what i sined the contrat for.. So basicaly there liers, and they make you seem special till it's in and it screw you.. there not even a ISP there a reseller in AT&T's building downtown... There routing is screwed.. Luckily www.brick.net can offer iDSL Cheaper with a 4 block of ip's and stuff so screw them.. they can rebuild my IPC line to them.. so AccessUS can lick my a** as far as I care! I go outa my way to send them bussiness and i get the shaft... the other people i set up are OK for now.. Just as i said.. use this ISP as a Last resort... i would say for DSL there still better than SWB.. cause a friend has them and there PPPoE software only works when it feels like it.

member for 22.7 years, 250 visits, last login: 16.5 years ago
lodged 22.5 years ago

System

Anon

You are a moron

Man you should use a spell checker, seems you just don't know how to get DSL hooked up..

markOpoleO
wispagod
join:2001-06-28
House Springs, MO

wispagod

Member

Re: You are a moron

When I type fast and in a bad mood i tend to spell wrong.....

Review by MasterGeek9 See Profile

  • Location: Edwardsville, Madison, IL, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month
  • Telco party Ameritech
They lasted two months before shutting down
No communication whatsoever (ok 1 email return after over a month)
I will warn away everyone I know not to ever use Access US
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I started with Primary.net, then MPower took their DSL service over and finally Access US agrees to trade DSL modems and do another "install" in a couple of weeks. Instead, they shut the DSL service down without warning and had no intention of telling me anything. Seven or eight emails and six phone calls later, I get this lame excuse for their incompentence. I would like Mr. Waller to buy a clue. Does he even know what HTC is? I don't. Is there anything called customer service at this company?

Companies like this in concert with TELCO's outright distaste for allowing access to their CSOs will doom xDSL for sure.

From: James Waller
To: "'mastergeek@juno.com'"
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 12:10:26 -0500
Subject: DSL
Message-ID:

Mr. Stein,

Despite months of working with MPower/Primary, Ameritech, and HTC, it
does not look like we are going to be able to provide you with DSL service.
If you have any questions about your billing, please call 800-638-6373 ext.
225. Sorry that it turned out this way. Let me know if there's anything
else I can do for you.

James H. Waller
Access US
www.accessus.net
(800) 638-6373 ext. 212
Fax: (314) 655-7701

member for 22.8 years, 9 visits, last login: 19.2 years ago
lodged 22.5 years ago

foistboinder9
join:1999-12-28
Saint Louis, MO

foistboinder9

Member

Hmmmm...

I'm thinking they actually don't want the MPower/Primary customers. It seems they don't even bother fixing problems for them as they occur.

If you had working DSL at some time, then there should be no technical reason for you not to have it now. Have you tried checking other providers in your area?

wheelert$93
T L C

join:2000-06-01
Lynden, ON

wheelert$93

(topic move) try PLANTnet DSL!


System message: moderator action (wheelert)
--------------------------------
This entire topic was moved to the forum Post Jail

click here to follow it.