Review by pt48503 Location: Pigeon, Huron, MI, USA Cost: $35 per month (12 month contract) Install: about 7 days Good connection...always up. Latency gets bogged down when alot of weekenders are in the area. Price is high for the speed 512k for $35/mo. still cheaper than cable.

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

AVCI is the only DSL provider in the Caseville/Pigeon area. The price is a little steep for the 512k package. But is still cheaper than cable. The system seems to get bogged down on weekends when alot of weekend residents come to town. This provider is ony available in the Sand Point & Pigeon service area.

UPDATE for 2016: Now offers 3Mb for $35. Connection is very reliable compared to cable. Up to 6 or 8 Mb now available for a price.

In the Caseville area Frontier (formerly GTE/Verizon) exchange now offers DSL within the 2 or 3 mile area of the Caseville central office.

And Comcast Xfinity service is also available in both the Caseville/Sand Point, Pigeon area now.

your comment..

Review by GH Location: Gladwin, Gladwin, MI, USA Cost: $100 per month (36 month contract) Install: about 15 days This is a 4G LTE technology which is the fastest most reliable connectivity in my area. Price is high relative to cable/dsl I am vey happy to pay the extra money for a reliable connection with decent speeds.

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

On October 23rd MiSpot sent an email stating that they are shutting down the service on November 30. MiSpot WAS the best service available in my area and I'm disappointed that the service is being discontinued. They did not state the reason for closing the service. Looks like I'll be forced into an expensive low data cap plan from Verizon or a Satellite provider. :O(

4G LTE connectivity under the MISpot brand.

The package deal that signed up for is $99.99 per month for 250GB. I am approximately 6 miles from the tower so I was required to place an outdoor antenna on the house. This was the priciest of the receiver options but cost me just $50 after signing a 3 year contract.

The installer came to my house on the initial appointment to test signal strength. Due to low signal strength with their wireless device a second appointment had to be scheduled so they could install the outside antenna. Overall it was about 2 weeks from the time I requested the service until I was online.

This connection has worked very well for our family. The speeds have been good and we were able to recoup some of our monthly costs by dropping our landline an signing up with a VOIP provider. I would recommend this service to anyone who does not have cable or dsl connectivity available to them.

your comment..

Review by PlagueX1 Location: Twining, Arenac, MI, USA Cost: $45 per month (24 month contract) Install: about 7 days Fairly Reliable, low pings Advertising, price gouging due to lack of competition, lack of technology upgrades Not worth it.

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

I just got their DSL service and its been great so far. We had a problem at first when the modem not wanting to sync but we ended up finding out we just had DSL on the wrong telephone line inside :\ . Download a bit slower then what were supposed to get.
:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Connection is:: 797 Kbps about 0.8 Mbps (tested with 579 kB)
Download Speed is:: 97 kB/s
Tested From:: »testmy.net/ (server2)
Test Time:: Wed Dec 28 2005 13:22:36 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Bottom Line:: 14X faster than 56K 1MB download in 10.56 sec
Diagnosis: Looks Great : 9.78 % faster than the average for host (avci.net)
Validation Link:: »testmy.net/stats/id-0MA19G2RF

:::.. Upload Stats ..:::
Connection is:: 332 Kbps about 0.3 Mbps (tested with 579 kB)
Upload Speed is:: 41 kB/s
Tested From:: »testmy.net/ (server2)
Test Time:: Wed Dec 28 2005 13:23:36 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
Bottom Line:: 6X faster than 56K 1MB upload in 24.98 sec
Diagnosis: Awesome! 20% + : 87.57 % faster than the average for host (avci.net)
Validation Link:: »testmy.net/stats/id-5ZKQFG6HX

Pinging www.l.google.com [64.***.***.***] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 64.***.***.***: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=242
Reply from 64.***.***.***: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=241
Reply from 64.***.***.***: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=241
Reply from 64.***.***.***: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=241

Ping statistics for 64.***.***.***:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 37ms, Maximum = 39ms, Average = 38ms

::Update::
Download speeds are much slower then what we are paying to receive. Right now we are getting 500~Kbps download. We are paying for 1~Mb. The uploads are generally what we're paying for.

Update*****************

They increased there speed a couple of years ago by 3 megs. Service is also much more reliable. Getting 4 mbps down evenly or more at times. They've surpassed their former service by far. Still expensive for what your getting, but it is much much better than what it was. 45 dollars for 1 meg down was ridiculous. They new plan allows for a 5 dollar increase in price for an extra 1 mb down, totaling 5megs down. Which isn't bad considering it is only 5 extra.

:::.. Update
The service in many areas is still the only solution available. They have kept the same prices even as technology has allowed much faster speeds to come along. They gouge people out of their money fiercely. The speeds are 5mb for 44.95. The service still goes down numerous times. These people will do anything to keep competition away. After all, they get their money due to no competition.

your comment..

Review by basacis Location: Lexington, Sanilac, MI, USA Cost: $35 per month (36 month contract) None Horrible Pre sale experience I had 3 weeks of my time wasted to find out I could not get service

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

NOTE: I put in the wrong company name. This review is for AVCI wireless. I can't figgure out how to edit the company name of my review though.

After having my call dropped by their phone system several time I finally got someone on the phone who told me I could get service in my area. I asked if she was sure since the tower was five miles away. I was assured that many people in my area have their service. I got signed up and prepaid my first months bill before they told me there was a four week wait for installation.

Three weeks later I got a letter in the mail stating that they tried to install while I was not home and could not get a signal. I tried to call and ask why they never called to tell me or even let me know they were going to do my install. So far their phone system has dropped my calls or left me at a voice mail which never seems to get returned.

your comment..

Review by maximus57 Location: Deford, Tuscola, MI, USA Cost: $35 per month (36 month contract) Faster than dialup, when and IF it works Connection fails, very slow at times Only worth it if it is your only other option for high speed

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

I originally got AVCI wireless in September 2004. 3 year contract for 34.95/mo, 512kb download and 128kb upload speed. I believe I am about 9 miles from the tower. I live out in the middle of nowhere, and other then satellite it is my only choice for a high speed connection (trust me, I have looked). I was told right up front that it was not as reliable as land based internet (they were not kidding). I also asked if it was dedicated, or if it slowed down when more people were using it. I was told that it did not slow down, that my speed would stay the same. I think I was misinformed on that one.

When I first got it, I had trouble with it going out in mornings and evenings. It would go out for hours at a time. The problem seemed to clear up in a month or so, and it worked good for the most part. But then when the weather got warmer again the problem came back. I had called and they said there wasn’t anything they could do, that they were looking into an interference problem that was affecting people like me. I notice that it seems to be related to the moisture in the air and the dew point. And by moisture I am not talking rain… it works just fine if it is raining out. However, after it is done raining it is a crapshoot. Or if it is foggy out. It was terrible all spring, summer, and fall of 2005 until it got cold and dry out. Then worked good again all winter. Mind you, it goes out in the mornings and evenings and late at night, which is exactly when I want to use it. Only time it seems to not go out is in the middle of the afternoon, although I am not on it much then to know for sure.

There were a few other problems the first year. If something happened to their server or whatever it was and it was after 5 on a Friday, it would be down all weekend until Monday morning. They do not have any technical support after hours or on weekends. They were nice enough to give me a week or so of double speed after one such incidence. There is one good thing about all this… they give a backup dialup connection. So when the wireless broadband fails, I can still use the good old phone line to at least get online.

Spring of 2006 brought the same problems all over again. I finally called again and asked if there was anything they could do. To my amazement, they were actually doing and upgrade and I had called the day before I got the letter telling me to call and make an appointment. So I got my hopes up. So in June came the equipment upgrade. And it seemed to work better. Sort of. Now instead of going out completely for hours at a time, it would go out intermittently during the problem times, teasing me that I might be able to load the next web page or so. And go really slow. So it did not solve the problem, just made it a little different. I called and complained again, and they did do a nice thing for me. They decreased my monthly payment for a few months, I am not sure how long it lasted.

Now I have definitely noticed something else too. It slows down a lot with more users, sometimes to the point that it is barely faster than dialup. Slows down on weekends for sure. And dies on major holidays. I would say that their system can not handle the number of users they have. I have been doing online speed tests, and most of the time it is not up to full speed at all. It is supposed to be 512 down and 128 up. It is usually in the 200-300 range for down, although I do have to say that I seem to be getting an equal upload speed that is not limited to 128. But sometimes it is just slow, in the 100s sometimes lower. On occasion it is actually in the mid 400s, which is where it should be. But that is only on occasion.

Now it’s 2007 approaching spring, and the weather is starting to get warmer again. Had a few warm days this week, and guess what. It has gone out twice that I know of. Here we go again. Only good thing about winter is my internet connection works, go figure. Unfortunately I still have not found a better option where I am at. So I deal with it.

So if it is your only choice for high speed internet in your area, and you are like me and can’t stand slow dialup speed, then AVCI is an option. I have even heard others say they don’t have any problems at all. But beware, you may not be one of those lucky ones.

Update 4-18-07

On the 3rd of this month they started doing some frequency upgrades or something. Since then it has been so slow of a connection I have been using the backup dialup most of the time. The only time the broadband is worth anything is in the early am hours when nobody else is online. I have been calling on a regular basis and am always told they are working on it. They admit there is a problem and that I am not the only one affected. It has been a full two weeks and my connection still stinks. I am waiting for them to find that miracle that makes it work like it is supposed to.

Update 5-5-07

It has been totally down for the last 2 weeks. This is the worst it has ever been, they are going backwards. They tell me they are still working on it. I have to rely completely on their backup dialup. I have been calling them on a regular basis. I have been told that when my service it working again, to tell them and they will credit my account for the time the service was down. I am beginning to wonder if they will ever get it working at all again. I hate dialup.

Update 7-17-07

They say they are still working on it, which seems to be an empty promise. Customer support doesn't seem to know what is going on for sure. I still have to use dialup most of the time. At least they did put me on a no-pay. So basically I want high speed internet, but am getting free dialup. The dialup is not always that great either. I am looking at getting satellite internet, wildblue looks very good right now (as soon as I read some reviews LOL). AVCI has proven they can not perform as claimed.

Update 7-18-07

Called and talked to someone higher up the food chain. I was basically told that there is no resolution in site at this time. The equipment they are using is used in Europe all over and works well there, but not here. There is too much interference here for some reason. Experiment gone bad. Looking into other options now.

Update 8-10-07

I called and canceled yesterday, a month short of my 3 year contract. They have no problem with it. They will come and get the antenna off the roof when they are in the area (no schedule for it). I have to drop off the modem at a local affiliate. I have switched to Wildblue satellite, which I will write a review in time (a whole new can of worms). GOODBYE TO AVCI

your comment..

Review by moetrucker Location: undisclosed location Cost: $49 per month (36 month contract) Install: about 40 days They answer the phone... You get the runaround, excuses and weak promises... Should have waited for Speednet to get in the area...

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

Ordered the best service that AVCI had (1 meg) in August 2006, site survey was done, and service was installed in September 2006. It ran at our expectations for a couple of months, then became very erratic. A phone call to them was placed this spring, and within a day or two, service was back where it should be - too many customers on our sector, or so they say. After a while, it became erratic again. I'm an OTR truck driver, and when my youngest some complained, I gave him full authority to call Tech Support. He called several times over a couple of months, but got nothing but excuses. The last time he called, early in June 07, they said it would be back to normal by summer. By the looks of the following speed tests, they lied...

These are our speed tests we've taken:

6/5/07 6:40AM
Download Speed: 994 kbps (124.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 412 kbps (51.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/5/07 7:33PM
Download Speed: 126 kbps
Upload Speed: 50 kbps

6/5/07 10:31PM
Download Speed: 118 kbps
Upload Speed: 108 kbps

6/6/07 12:30AM
Download Speed: 730 kbps
Upload Speed: 136 kbps

6/6/07 6:41AM
Download Speed: 806 kbps
Upload Speed: 189 kbps

6/6/07 4:58PM
Download Speed: 206 kbps
Upload Speed: 133 kbps

6/6/07 6:00PM
Download Speed: 200 kbps (25 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 61 kbps (7.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/6/07 8:10PM
Download Speed: 136 kbps (17 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 75 kbps (9.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/7/07 3:33AM
Download Speed: 971 kbps (121.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 372 kbps (46.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/7/07 3:37PM
Download Speed: 442 kbps (55.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 193 kbps (24.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/8/07 6:44AM
Download Speed: 942 kbps (117.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 382 kbps (47.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/8/07 6:20PM
Download Speed: 151 kbps (18.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 56 kbps (7 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/9/07 4:33AM
Download Speed: 714 kbps (89.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 286 kbps (35.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/9/07 9:29AM
Download Speed: 318 kbps (39.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 219 kbps (27.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/9/07 5:36PM
Download Speed: 951 kbps (118.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 321 kbps (40.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/10/07 2:05AM
Download Speed: 531 kbps (66.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 276 kbps (34.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/10/07 12:28PM
Download Speed: 690 kbps (86.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 202 kbps (25.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/12/07 4:00PM
Download Speed: 505 kbps (63.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 337 kbps (42.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/12/07 11:44PM
Download Speed: 260 kbps (32.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 91 kbps (11.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/18/07 10:45PM
Download Speed: 259 kbps (32.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 62 kbps (7.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/19/07 12:44AM
Download Speed: 642 kbps (80.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 173 kbps (21.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/19/07 2:08AM
Download Speed: 693 kbps (80.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 289 kbps (21.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/19/07 8:50AM
Download Speed: 342 kbps (42.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 121 kbps (15.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/19/07 1:40PM
Download Speed: 464 kbps (42.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 226 kbps (15.1 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/20/07 10:53PM
Download Speed: 95 kbps (11.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 44 kbps (5.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/22/07 12:58PM
Download Speed: 836 kbps (104.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 292 kbps (36.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/22/07 3:39AM
Download Speed: 877 kbps (109.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 391 kbps (48.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/29/07 4:25AM
Download Speed: 508 kbps (63.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 147 kbps (18.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

6/30/07 6:17AM
Download Speed: 649 kbps (63.5 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 213 kbps (18.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/02/07 11:02PM
Download Speed: 209 kbps (26.1 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 118 kbps (14.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/03/07 11:40AM
Download Speed: 221 kbps (27.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 138 kbps (17.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/09/07 9:11PM
Download Speed: 208 kbps (26 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 147 kbps (18.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/09/07 10:12PM
Download Speed: 123 kbps (15.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 83 kbps (10.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/13/07 7:00AM
Download Speed: 353 kbps (15.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 93 kbps (10.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/15/07 10:13PM
Download Speed: 123 kbps (15.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 56 kbps (7 KB/sec transfer rate)

Update: 7/19/07
I have 2 more speed tests:

7/17/07 3:38PM
Download Speed: 203 kbps (25.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 122 kbps (15.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

7/19/07 3:40PM
Download Speed: 155 kbps (19.4 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 47 kbps (5.9 KB/sec transfer rate)

We just got off the phone with AVCI Tech support. They say they have people working on the problem, and they also have a new engineer, whatever that means. They said they will give us a $40 credit on our bill.

But, it all boils down to the contract we signed: 1 meg. service.
I just filed a complaint with the Michigan Attorney Generals office. We'll see where that goes...

your comment..

Review by (hidden by request) Location: Carsonville, Sanilac, MI, USA Cost: $35 per month (36 month contract) I want to thank Paul and Kevin for the neat and tidy work that they did. They were friendly, neat, and efficient. the signal seems to have a momentary stumble, (slow down) it seems to recover quickly I can now go from site to site and page to page quickly. My level of frustration is greatly reduced.

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

Well; we've been hooked up to AVCI for a week now and I must report that, so far, I am very pleased with the 1/2 meg service that we chose.

It is a great improvement over the dial up service that I had tolerated for so many years. While occasionally the signal seems to have a momentary stumble, (slow down) it seems to recover quickly. I am now able to quickly send pics to my family and I can download pics and video clips without leaving the room while I wait for the action to be performed.

It is so much easier to search the web for information. I can now go from site to site and page to page quickly. My level of frustration is greatly reduced. I have purchased a webcam for my computer and I am axious to get it hooked up so that I can video conference with my daughter in Baltimore, MD.

Lastly, I want to thank Paul and Kevin for the neat and tidy work that they did. Thay were friendly, neat, and efficient. I think that this "new relationship" will work out well for Sheree and I. Thanks; So far, so good.

Carsonville, MI

your comment..

Review by Superfly3 Location: Caro, Tuscola, MI, USA Cost: $34 per month (36 month contract) Install: about 60 days Good service for a couple days. Service never works, lying customer service, horrible connection! Never even consider this company!

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

I got AVCI installed at my house in January 2007, 2 months after I signed up. Sales person cancelled on me 3 times and then finally showed up. My connection was good for about two weeks at about 200k, not the 500k I should have got. Installers messed up on install so they came back to fix it after about another 2 weeks of spotty connection. Connection down 90% of the time from mid April to June when I finally cancelled. When they came back to get their equipment they blamed it on the trees "in the way."---- B.S. Why did they install it there then? Just another lie! They offered to provide me with free service until the problem was fixed. I e-mailed them 3 times and got different excuses everytime and them always saying " We are working on the problem."

After almost 3 full months without service I went to Wildblue and I am very happy. Bottomline, if you like to be messed with and lied to and you don't care if your internet ever works this is a good option. Anyone in their right mind would crazy to get this service.

Keep in mind I am a very patient person and am happy to have anything but dial-up where I live. Unfortunately, this is way less reliable than dial-up!!

your comment..

Review by uncleduby Location: Deford, Tuscola, MI, USA Cost: $34 per month (24 month contract) Install: about 21 days they are kind to you when you call them they lie about the service they should not have the right to enforce any contract for service they can,t provide

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

I joined in January 06, I went with the 512 / 128 plan.

had i known about this site I would not have singed with them. spring / summer 06 they said they where updating their system, it was down more than up. they also said i would be given credit for the days i went without service, that never came.

this year on good Friday the speed went all over from .5k to 171.0k. IN the past year my speed has always been around 30.0k to 50.0k, so i never had high speed. after reading other reports that some people complained about 200.0k .

this year when it went out i was told that i had to have virus and spyware problems. after an hour on the phone the girl said they were working on the system, and that may be the problem. they do not have 24 hr tech support, they say they do , but nobody can ever help you. you have to call during their office hours. so long story short i have all same problems as last year. they said i would receive credit for the days without service. so if my bill is 34.95 this month i will file a report with the better busines beauro. the dialup service is not always up either, when it is up i get about 10.0k or less on it . this company should be avoided at all costs. after reading reports from back to 04, they apperently can not provide internet connections.

your comment..

Review by caseville Location: Caseville, Huron, MI, USA Cost: $27 per month (24 month contract) Chepaer then a T1 Cost, stability, support, etc. If you don't want to spend T1 cost, but need somthing faster the dial-up, go for it.

Pre Sales Information: Install process: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:

WISP: AVCI.net

Caseville, MI

We have a 2nd house located in Caseville MI. While searching for a Broadband
provider in this area, we found zero options. Finally we decided to get some
quotes on T1 options, as we needed something faster the 56k dial-up.

After a long list of providers and quotes, I thought I would call a local ISP
up, and see what type of rates they had on full T1. After 4 days, 4 calls, 4
voicemail messages, and 2 e-mails, I get a response back from their sales
team, who informs me, the ONLY person who can give a T1 quote is the General
Manager, who will not be available until tomorrow.

He calls me back, and we discuss my options, he told, me in Mid May they would
be launching a WISP service, and can give my location service via Wireless. I
thought, Great, this will be cheaper then a T1.

So I call back around the 20th of May, to schedule a Site Survey, and get some
quotes on speed packages.

Again, many days go by with no return calls. Finally when someone did call me
back he said he would go out and do a site survey in the next few days and
call me with the info. 1 week later and I still never heard anything.

Finally I get a hold of someone, he told me my location gets a good signal,
and told me the service they offer is up to 1.5m up and down, depending on the
# of people on line.

He also stated that they can place a "governor" type device, to allow
businesses to have a minimum speed, where it would give you speed, and take
away from residence if needed. I said that would be great, as I need at least
500k up and down. (I do work on this line, and need a stable speed)

He informed me, they would give me a quote based on this.

Great, so I wait for the quote.

another week goes by, nothing, so I call back, and was informed, my info is
sitting on the GM's desk, and it has been for a few days now, so I wait
another day, and still nothing. I call back, and was then informed the GM has
just left for a week due to a Family emergency.

So now, I MUST wait another week just for a quote.

Finally a new sales person contacts me, and tells me a 512k/512k connection
will be $75/month. she also told me our line will be 512k MAX, and will go
down from there based on users. So now I'm paying double what a residential
user pays, for slower speed, ok? (residential is $34-39.94 for 1.5/128k, but
no with min speeds (different then what the first guy told me))

BUT, the sales person tells me, I can bump up to a 1m/1m line for $125/month,
let me jump on that one

Anyway, I need a connection so I place the order, install takes about a week,
and is done on a Thursday.

Friday, I arrive at the house, to a dead connection. The Modem will not sync
to the tower. It is about 7pm on Friday, after hours support (which is a 3rd
party company) says, "well, we can try and reach a admin, but I have no idea
how long it will take"

Great, about an hour later the head installer calls, works on a few things
with me, but still no go. He then drives back to his office to reboot
something, but still nothing. It is now about 10pm, and he offers to come out
to my house and look at my ant. I said no, lets do this first thing in the
morning. I don't want you climbing a roof in the dark.

About 30 minutes later, I notice the modem now is talking to the tower. BUT, I
have NO IP info, and they don't use DHCP. So I have a connection, but no IP.
So I call the support #. I tell them what is going on, and they say, ok, We
will call AVCI. 10 minutes later I get a call, "sir, you need your IP
address?" Yes, "OK goto start" Sir the computer has NO IP info in it. "Sir,
goto start, command, type IP Config" I state again, The computer has NO IP
INFO. Now he gets mad, and tells me to do as he says. I do, and laugh while I
do it, and he then says, "Sees the numbers on the screen, that is your IP
address" HMMM so it is 0.0.0.0

So I figure someone from the ISP will call me shortly, or at least the
installer is coming first thing in the morning.

Well no call, and no installer in the morning. about 1pm I call support, and
they said, well I can TRY and reach someone, but I can't make them call you back".

So about 5:30pm, the installer calls me back, and says, oh by the way, your
connection is up. Then I tell him, that an IP would help, and it was like a
light bulb went off in his head.

Then I ask about the ant. as it is NOT grounded, this is a 6ft ant, at the
PEAK of our roof.

He stated they do NOT ground any of their ants. I asked about any legal
requirements, and he was unaware of any laws stating you need to ground a
device. I explained to him, that I know for a fact a little 18" sat dishes
must be grounded, so I find it odd a 6ft pole doesn't

Anyway, he is going to look into that, hopefully before the house burns down
due to a lightning strike.

Bottom line, 2 months of pre-sales, 1 week to installation which it WRONG.

The connection, about 400k/400k all for a low low price of $75+$7.50 modem
rental/month

Not the best service I have had. (Not even good service)
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Update: 7/3/04

Well the ISP finally came out to ground the "lightning rod" we have on our roof. But now, every morning we lose synce with the tower. The ISP blames it on noise in the air. and the issue happens every morning until about 10 am.

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Update: 8/20/04

About a month into having service, I contacted the GM, to talk about my connection. He admitted the tower I am on does have issues, and they are looking for funding to take care of them. It appears the Issue is from a TV station across the state that at times, affects the connection I have with the ISP tower. (This really only happens late at night, or early in the morning, at clears up around 10-11am (Once the dew, and mositure evaporates)) The GM had agreed to bump my package down to the basic speed, and price until issues are resolved ($34.95 512k/128k)

Billing was still billing me for the higher package, but a few phone calls, got that resolved.

This morning the GM called me, because someone at his company saw this review. Again he confirmed they do have issues with my tower, but they are trying to get the funds to resolve the issue. In fact stated he has a meeting with a state broadband board to get the funds, and has the hardware supplies standing by, to make all the needed upgardes, as soon as the funds are approved.

He also stated starting Sept 1, Myself, and all other users on this tower will only be billed $19.95/month until the issues are resolved. So that was a very nice offer.

The GM seems VERY concerned about this product, and his comapny, and wants everyone to be happy. Unfortunalty, I feel they launched this wireless product a bit early. Overall, the GM has been very helpful since the connection has been installed.

The connection just needs to be more stable. In fact the line has been down all morning. it is almost 11 am, and still no connection.

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Update: 6/16/06

The ISP came out 3 weeks ago, and changed equipment, and re-point the equipment on the roof, They also had to use a longer pole (now probably 10-15 feet). While doing so, the Tech removed the cable they installed in 2004 to ground the huge pole on our roof. So now we have a bigger lightning rod with zero "real" grounding.

I called them about this (Friday Morning). The person who answered to phone had no knowledge of the set up, and stated the Customer service Rep was out of the office, and would call me back, So far 48 hours and no call back.

This afternoon, I noticed some delay in loading pages, so I ran a speed test, and showed a number of results in the 200-300k/80-100k range (We should have 512/128) Then I ran some pings to Goggle, WOW! 38% packet loss and 7000ms (Not a typo, 7000ms) results.

Doing a trace route showed an issue with a T3 router on the ISP's network, before getting to Qwest, their backbone provider. So I decided to call their 24/7 tech support. (Figuring they should already be aware of an issue on THEIR network.)

Upon calling I'm greeted with 20 minute hold time and the call gets dropped on their end. So I call back in, 15 minutes later I get a rep, who has no desire to listen to the problems I'm having. In fact he makes up his own problems. "So is you are having xyz issues?" No, again, I said I have packet loss, and high latency.

So the rep puts me on hold for 10 minutes, and comes back and says everything is fine, but yet I'm still seeing packet loss at the ISP's T3 Router (5 hops from me)

The Rep stats he will pass a note along to the ISP. Because he works for a 3rd party tech support company, and has ZERO connection with my ISP.

So in 2 years, service has not gotten better, calls are not returned, and support is still non-existent.

I will be exploring other options, as this is just poor business, I can get better service from a national ISP, you would think a smaller local ISP would care about users problems.

Plague1231 @12.34.x.x Plague1231 Anon 2004-Aug-13 9:38 am AVCI the worst I currently have AVCI dialup access(which sucks) The most unreliable connection ever I believe. It goes out about every month for a few days, most of the time we cannot even connect due to the fact it says our password is incorrect. They also never reply to any of their e-mails. I have been waiting for over a week or so for them to reply to my e-mails, still no response, there probely just trying to avoid me because im asking about high speed. I stated on the e-mail tho we will be moving over to DirecWay if they do not get any high speed connection in our area. Today, we will be calling DirecWay up to sign up for their 56-60/500-2000 up/down satelite connection. Im sure it will be faster then dialup( what isn't faster then dialup) I give AVCI a 1.5/10, go to DirecWay if the ADSL and cable lines are not in your area, just like there not im my area. 2004-Aug-13 9:38 am: · hey mods ·
	Bill Esch AVCInet @avci.net Bill Esch AVCInet Anon 2004-Aug-20 7:24 am Re: AVCI the worst Dear Plague1231, I apologize for your difficulties. I wish I could help you, but since you have posted anonymously, I can only hope you will call our office, toll-free, at 1-888-282-4932 and speak with our technical support department. You do not state where you call to connect, so I cannot speak to your specific problem. However, I can address some common issues with connectivity. First, if you're getting an "invalid password" message, you may be typing the password with caps (our system using all lower case) or with spaces or character keys. Secondly, if you were having difficulties connecting, I would question if your computer is actually sending email properly. We may not be getting your mail at all. Just like the U.S.P.S., sometimes mail does not get delivered. That is one reason we encourage our subscribers to call our office and speak with someone directly to address the problem. Third, regarding the broadband service. I regret that broadband is not available in your area. We're working on coverage to a wider coverage area, but as with all projects, it just takes time. Finally, if you are not satisfied with the service you get from our staff, you can always ask to speak to a manager. Again, I regret your dissatisfaction with our company. Sincerely, Bill Esch, Marketing Manager, AVCI.net 2004-Aug-20 7:24 am: · hey mods ·
		user121 @tband.net user121 Anon 2004-Aug-25 4:42 pm Re: AVCI the worst whats up with the crappy dial up service and making wireless customers sign a contract? no other wireless provider in the area makes customers sign a contract. 2004-Aug-25 4:42 pm: · hey mods ·
		PlagueX1 Plague join:2004-08-27 Twining, MI 4 edits PlagueX1 to Bill Esch AVCInet Member 2004-Sep-16 8:27 am to Bill Esch AVCInet Yeah, I understand the time and the problems YOU have to go through to do this also. I dialed into number 867-4900. I already canceled service from your company a few months ago. If you do get any higher speed connection into our area (hint...hint...DSL or T1 would be great) I would be willing to sign up for it soon. Also, with the Invalid Password Error, I DIDN'T put it in all caps, it had to be a problem on the COs side. OH yeah, I have a question, does Arenac Eastern School get broadband from AVCI? One more question, From the Co in Twining, I know that has to bring T3 to Arenac Eastern, now what I want to know is how fast and what kind of line it is that plugs the Twining AVCI CO to Pigeon, Michigan. Hope you will get DSL or T1 in more areas soon. Good Luck With Your Company. Im sure you guys would get more satification if you had more broadband lines. :P You can e-mail me or whatever at plague@direcway.com (thats my MSN messenger name and my e-mail) Oh yeah, and check out my website (its unfinished yet, but post on the forums or something) www.geocities.com/technet15/ 2004-Sep-16 8:27 am: · hey mods ·
	Chucky S @ameritech.net Chucky S to Plague1231 Anon 2004-Aug-20 9:15 pm to Plague1231 What would solve all your problems is just dump the crappy service. Legally they can't make you pay disconnection fees if the service is so poor that is barely works. I have a cottage between Port Austin and Caseville and I have a company out of Bad Axe called E-Choice. I have been with them for a year and my service works great 24/7. I only pay $40 per month for a 128/990 connection. There is no login as Mr. Esch posts is a problem. The best part is they don't even have me on a kind of a contract and there is no modem rental. There service is great and I would never switch. I would call them Monday if I was you. 2004-Aug-20 9:15 pm: · hey mods ·
NoVA_CoxUser Stand back from the cage -- The RF bites Premium Member join:2004-07-06 Alexandria, VA NoVA_CoxUser Premium Member 2006-Jun-22 12:16 pm Grounding Requirements Re: ... I asked about any legal requirements, and he was unaware of any laws stating you need to ground a device ... Boy, this outfit sounds like a real quality service provider -- NOT. Anyway, you might refer him to the National Electrical Code (NEC) re: grounding requirements. There's a good overview here: »www.ecmweb.com/mag/elect ··· dex.html Bottom line is if he's got any sort of "license" ... he's required to follow the applicable rules. 2006-Jun-22 12:16 pm: · hey mods ·
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