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Review by kochin 
UPDATED: 31 days ago
member for 8 years, 83 visits, last login: 29 days ago
 Englewood Cliffs,Bergen,NJ
 $60 per month (12 month contract)
 about 16 days
 Verizon
 "Fixed IP; once had been reliable"
 "Reliability is gettting worse these days; tech support not helpful"
 "Ready to switch"
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I have stayed with Covad for more than 6 1/2 years. Their DSL service was very reliable during the first 5 years. Then something happened about 2 years ago, and I started experiencing increasing number of disruptions. Recently I have to at least reset the DSL modem twice almost every day.
When I called Covad tech support, they told me there was a equipment change about 2 years ago. The connection problem I am having probably due to either my DSL modem not fully compatible with the new equipment or modem failing. I asked for a free modem replacement, but Covad refused even though it may be their device causing the problem. It seems Covad doesn't at all care about their existing customers. (Or, maybe they just want to get rid of old customers.)
With Covad unwilling to resolve my connection problem, I am definitely looking around to switch. Now I just wish FiOS was avaliable in my area.
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As I mentioned in my own response to this review, finally my Covad DSL modem arrived on 1/22/2003. The whole transistion lasted 16 days since I placed the order. During the transition, I lost my DSL connection for about 5 days while waiting for Covad's DSL modem.
Once the modem arrived, I simply plugged it into my phone jack, then properly configured the modem and my router. In no time I started surfing Internet again with faster speed I got from DirecTV.
To be fair with Covad, I must say that the whole transition was mostly smooth except for not receiving the modem before they switched the wires.
For now I am still taking a wait-and-see position. I will use line monitor on dslreports to see how stable the connection is. I have done the speed test several times. The results range from 1025~1247/326.
One thing I don't like about Covad's TeleSoho service is that their static IP is not a reall static IP in a sense that it uses PPPoE for connection. It just alwyas got assigned to the same IP address.
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I was a DirecTV DSL customer. As every other DTV DSL users, I was scrambling to get a replacement. After much consideration and help of dslreports, I ordered Covad TeleSoho service on 1/6/2003, and was told that I may have only 1 or 2 days outage during the transition.
On 1/18/2003 my connection was switched to Covad, and I got disconnected from Internet. The problem is that Covad did not send me their DSL modem ahead of time. Therefore, even though I am already receiving connection from them, I can't get onto Internet because I don't have their DSL device.
For some reasons, Covad doesn't want to send out DSL modem until telco tells them the connection has been switched or installed. I would understand that if I were a first time DSL customer. They have to be sure the connection is possible before they send out the device.
However, I ordered Covad service from their DirecTV user switching page on their site, they should be aware that I already have connection installed. They could make the whole transition smooth by sending out the DSL modem before telco switched the wires.
Now I am told it may takes 5 to 7 days for the delivery. That means I am not going to have DSL for about a week. It really sucks.
For other DirecTV users thinking about switching to Covad, my suggestion is to ask them to send you the DSL modem before the switching over takes place.
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Review by scallywagsf
UPDATED: 202 days ago
member for 3.2 years, 13 visits, last login: 191 days ago
San Francisco,San Francisco,CA
$49 per month (12 month contract)
about 24 days
Covad
"nothing"
"reliability, connectivity, customer service, billing, speed"
"SUX!"
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Just don't go there.....
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Review by sfwhip
UPDATED: 347 days ago
member for 9.9 years, 118 visits, last login: 4 days ago
Oakland,Alameda,CA
$64 per month
about 15 days
AT&T
"uhm.....hmm....lemme think about that.....nope can't think of anything good"
"Customer service is useless. Miscomunnications between customer service and the installers cost me several hundred dollers."
"If you can find something else then do it."
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I would suggest - if you can - to find another solution. Covad's customer service communication with their installers is poor. One mistake cost me several hundred dollars. Go elsewhere if you can. Cost is outrageous, $64,94 for 1.5M down, 384k up. BUT if you pay $300 more a month you can have that "extra" 1.7M up. What a rip off.
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Review by miron
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 8.6 years, 131 visits, last login: 7 days ago
Brooklyn,Kings,NY
$75 per month
Verizon
"good initial setup"
"bad tech support, don't know how to fix problems, not treating customers right"
"pricey for the service you get, not reliable, not nice"
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I had Covad for several years.
They used to be very good and reliable. For a long time they knew what they are doing if some problems occurred.
After they outsourced tech support oversea there is no way you can get any help. They just follow the book that of course is not any helpful.
Beside their on-site technicians don't seem very knowledgeable if the problem is not straightforward.
Technician replaced my modem hoping to fix the problem but he 'forgot' to mention they would charge me $150 for something that you can buy online for $35.
They also charged me $175 for repairs in my apartment, while the problem was outside within Verizon lines.
Later Covad customer support didn't want to refund my money for these charges.
Basically they charge you for repair and parts they permorm because they don't know what they are doing.
Eventually I canceled the contract with them and lost money.
You can get really good local service like Acedsl for much cheaper and with tech support that knows what they are talking about.
When you look for dsl provider look for somebody who is reliable when things break down.
Everybody is good when things work.
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Review by cliffp
UPDATED: 1.1 years ago
member for 1.1 years, 2 visits, last login: 303 days ago
San Francisco,San Francisco,CA
$50 per month
AT&T
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DSL line is sometimes painfully slow. DSN resolution sometimes takes a
long time and sometimes cannot resolve a valid DSN address until try it
a couple times. Line connection drops every couple days. I would not
recommend them.
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Review by sswanson
UPDATED: 1.1 years ago
member for 8.9 years, 53 visits, last login: 1 year ago
Washington,District Of Columbia,DC
$89 per month
Verizon
"Installed 3.0/768 - unable to maintain without high error rate"
"Slippery practices"
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Installed 3.0/768 - unable to maintain without high error rate. Techs unhelpful in getting lower error rates. Had to be put into "safe" mode at half speed, but full $s. Have now canceled and they required 30 days to terminate. They say the contract requires 30 days, however, that would be 30 days at 1/2 speed. I have disconnected and am not using service.
Sorry company- stay away.
»covadsucks.info
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Review by coopzach
UPDATED: 1.5 years ago
member for 1.5 years, 7 visits, last login: 1.2 years ago
Seattle,King,WA
$60 per month (12 month contract)
Qwest
"Tech support"
"Looking to leave"
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Been with Covad for about 3 yrs now, DSL, BritePort modem. Added my own router over a year ago, configured it myself without too much trouble. Then in March of this year, Covad apparently was bought out. Email notification said only the name was changing, no mention of buy out or different packaging, etc. Lost Internet connectivity and tech proved to me that the DSL was fine, it was the router. Bought a new router. Have yet to get a configuration that works, despite talking to Covad techs and Linksys router techs. They've had me try static IP, auto-DHCP and PPPoE configurations to no avail.
Covad apparently does not run a CRM package that allows searches by customer name as they ask for account number or circuit id, however one tech was able to find me by address. Seems kind of odd that name is not a searchable condition, but okay, I can see requiring an account number.
Come to find their tracking database is off, too. Tech was under the assumption that I had their router. I questioned his responses and said I had the modem, he said database indicated I had their router.
Not many options available to me in inner city. Looking like Clearwire may be in the running, Comcast and Verizon are not.
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Review by peharris
UPDATED: 1.5 years ago
member for 7.1 years, 142 visits, last login: 7 days ago
Indianapolis,Marion,IN
$49 per month (12 month contract)
about 20 days
AT&T
"Price, will be 21.95 1st 3 mo."
"Modem & tech supp. Modem tweaked by Covad no telnet to modem"
"Except for when it was in safe mode it's been pretty good"
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4/24/08 COVAD is TERRIBLE, line does not drop but speed is horrible. My speeds drop to 256 regularly. Call COVAD, speak to people you can't understand they then re-provision the line the speed goes back up to about 1.5. Then it goes back down soon. Call COVAD same stuff. Then COVAD gives me some excuse about I am to far from the CO.blah, blah, blah, and the want to put me in safe mode and they can guarantee that I will get better than 256 but not 1.5. NO WAY.
I switched to ATT, much better. BETTER deal and better service.
-Ordered 1.5/128 get abt 1.3/108 for $21.95 fro 1st 3 mo and $49 afterwords.
-Abt 20 days from order to finish installation (it could have been 15 but I was involved in a big audit at work and did not have time to mess with self install kit). I also ordered through a 3rd party but Covad is my clec.
9 days from order until self-install kit was shipped. It was shipped on a Friday and was sitting on my front porch when I came home from work on Monday night.
-Eq sent: Zyxel Prestige 645 modem, but Covad has it tweaked to not allow telnet to it. I have to update firmware.
-Dynamic IP w/ PPPoE. That silly Enternet300 loads up every time I reboot my computer which is annoying but I can live with it.
Service so far has been good except that some of the tech support you get on the phone I'm not sure if they know what they are doing. I'm glad I found DSL reports or I would have been lost w/o the people in the forums here.
I some how for a couple of days was put into safe mode by Covad, I'm not sure why or how. Just did speed test and I was 1221/107. so this is 81% of my rated sownload speed so I'm very happy.
-Using a Netgear MR314 router and Netgear wireless card. Tech support no help with that, of course they wouldn't be.
Overall very satisfied as long as I don't get into safe mode again.
Pat
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Review by Gnawme
UPDATED: 1.6 years ago
member for 2.7 years, 57 visits, last login: 112 days ago
Downey,Los Angeles,CA
$72 per month (12 month contract)
about 366 days
Verizon
"OK when it works"
"Tech support will blame you and try to sell you their gear; drops frequently"
"No wonder they charge an early termination fee"
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I had Covad via EarthLink. I optimistically ordered 6.0Mbps, but was later told that 3.0Mbps was tops for my location. I never had speeds above 1.5Mbps for the first month of service. I would go DAYS without being able to connect. Thankfully, EarthLink screwed up and left my old 768kpbs service (Verizon via EarthLink) running, and I was able to limp by with that.
To top it all off, their Indian tech support would blame my router (a D-Link DGL-4300 -- a better than average router) and try to sell me their crap. Also, I could NEVER get tech support to send a Covad tech out to look at my wiring.
No wonder they charge an early termination fee; I would have quit and asked for my money back after the first month. But my year is up; EarthLink/Covad are history as soon as I finish shopping for a new ISP.
Followup comments:  
Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:
| Wrong Review Area. You are an Earthlink customer and your review should be under EL DSL instead. Since you do not buy any services directly from Covad and do not pay anything to Covad, you are not their customer. Earthlink resells ADSL from many companies like SBC/AT&T, Covad, Bellsouth/AT&T, Verizon, Qwest, Etc. and all EL reviews do not go under those providers. They go under EL DSL instead.
--
What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? | |
| | Gnawme
join:2007-02-17
Downey, CA
 ·Covad Communications
| Re: Wrong Review Area. Given that I can't move the review, and I apparently can't remove it, all I can do is say -- my bad.
But, given that Covad provides the physical layer, and that aspect has unfortunately been bad, future readers can take my experience as a caveat. | |
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Review by ICS
Posted: 1.8 years ago
member for 1.9 years, 22 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
Hartford,Hartford,CT
 Business customer
Contract price not specified.
AT&T
"none"
"Line never worked (at all), horiffic support"
"Avoid at all costs"
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Decided to switch a clients ISP after experiencing support issues. Covad seemed to offer good price/speed balance. Ordered on 12/20, line was installed on 1/9. At that time supposedly the local telco had left a "short device" on the line and were called to remove. Coved tech allegedly was onsite 1/17 and reported that the line was operational (he never was actually in the building though). Called tech support on the 18th to try to turn up the line and after about an hour they determined that there was an issue at the telco CO, which should 'resolve in a couple of hours". Tried again to turn up a week later, and after another painful hour long session of unplugging cords it was ruled that the router was defective. The tech did offer to dispatch a truck, and the account maintenance rep. even graciously offered to not CHARGE for that techs trip! The support folks were not very knowledgeable at all, and could not deviate at all from script. Was not allowed to speak with a manager or second tier support. Even the account maintenance dept. seemed unwilling to try and save the account. It was promptly canceled after learning that the last truck roll might be charged even though the line had never worked.
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Can't wait until our Covad contract is up..