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Review by nizmoz0 See Profile

  • Location: San Antonio, Bexar, TX, USA
  • Cost: $55 per month
  • Install: about 1 days
Easy to connect. Took less than a few minutes to get working. Have 3-4 bars at my house, and seeing 12mb down and 800-1mb up.
Was a bit hard to pick them up locally without contract, but finally was able too.
Great service for both Home Modem and Laptop. Can't beat that price!
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

So far, it has been great. 3-4 lights on the new modem at the house and always seeing more than 6mb down. Mostly 8-12mb down. Easy to hook up into my current router. We had Time Warner for years, and lately our connection has been dropping multiple times an hour and they keep saying no issues. Paying TW $56 a month for their Turbo Speed wasn't worth it with all the problems. So I got fed up with them, and went to get Clear as there is no U-Verse in my area. I was very hesitate about getting them with all the complaints, but I personally think people are not doing something right as this is really good service. Make sure you all face your modem towards the towers and like anything WIFI, put it up as high as you can. So having two devices for the same price as TW is great!

I will report later how it is going, I haven't tested the laptop card yet as my new laptop has been shipped, so I am just waiting for it to come in.

Edit: 05/16/11 - Sorry been a bit busy lately. This service became terrible after 3 months and I couldn't even get on the web. I have changed this for the worst as I had to finally ditch them for Time Warner again. Will never again use Clear.

member for 15.9 years, 46 visits, last login: 5.6 years ago
updated 12.8 years ago

samo300
Premium Member
join:2009-03-28
Suwanee, GA

samo300

Premium Member

Service in Georgia

I have to agree with you on the pricing and the service. I did not get off to a good start due to an issue with the tower I was associated with here in Georgia. After the issue was resolved my downloads have been 6 to 12 mb.

nizmoz
@clearwire-wmx.net

nizmoz

Anon

Update

Clear had a issue with a tower in my area, and it was a bit slow 3-4 meg down, 1-2 lights for a few days. Now I am getting 5 lights! And speeds of 13mb down and 1mb up. Very nice. See.



Direct link

»www.speedtest.net/result ··· 3577.png

Review by thbarnes See Profile

  • Location: Baltimore, Baltimore City, MD, USA
  • Cost Contract price not specified.
Remove Me
Remove Me
Remove Me
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Remove Me

member for 13.8 years, 3 visits, last login: 12.9 years ago
updated 12.9 years ago


elsilencio
@mchsi.com

elsilencio

Anon

Clear sales persons are scammers

I called Clear wireless to get service from them and everything went great during the entire process. The sales lady informed me that all I had to do was to giver her a credit card number to charge the 1st month $45.99, since they charge for their services upfront. After hanging up the call, I checked my credit card account and it showed that clear had indeed charged me $171.36. I called clear wireless and after being on the phone for 45 minutes, I was told to send the equipment back for a full refund. WHICH EQUIPMENT???? I HAVEN'T EVEN RECEIVE ANYTHING. Customer service did their best on helping me out, but I canceled the service before even trying it.






Review by nycnyusa See Profile

  • Location: Roswell, Fulton, GA, USA
  • Cost: $25 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
In my area, Roswell GA, Holcomb Bridge Road, west of GA 400, they have improved their connection speed and reliability greatly.
Direct Billing. I have had spurious charges showing up on bill from time to time.
Service ok for the money. Random charges may have been a mistake, check your bills!
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Ordered Oct. 5 2011. Still reviewing. Not feeling all that warm and fuzzy yet. More to come.

member for 23.6 years, 624 visits, last login: 173 days ago
updated 12.9 years ago

ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

ArizonaSteve

Member

What Kind Of Random charges?

Shouldn't it be the same $25 every month?

nycnyusa
join:2000-08-03
New Paltz, NY

nycnyusa

Member

Random charges

Started getting billed lease charges recently for a modem purchased in full 6mos. ago. Just started being charged to my credit card with no warning recently.






Review by davidgreig See Profile

  • Location: Mableton, Cobb, GA, USA
  • Cost: $70 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 1 days
quick connect, high DL speed
DL speed has dropped from 8M to 4M in a few months
mobile is convenient and fairly reliable.
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I spoke with a reseller about getting clear (pick 2 unlimited) and was told that the nearest tower was .19 miles from my house, assuring me a good signal. The next day, he delivered my WiMAX modem and USB modem. Testing them out in the kitchen, I was able to get 7-8 down, around 400-500 up according to speedtest.net.

I then permanently relocated the modem in an upstairs window on the side of the house facing the tower. Since then, I regularly get 7-10 down. I have occasionally gotten bursts as high as 18 up. Download speeds will burst to about 700k, but then they drop down to about 300-400 as if some kind of shaping is going on.

Sustained upload speeds have been around 300-400k (as measured by a download from a local site to my IP).

I have had no outages to speak of. My only complaint is that the day after I signed up, CLEAR switched to a plan that was a few dollars more expensive per month but allowed upload speed of 1meg. I asked my reseller and was told that CLEAR would be reprovisioning my line, and not to call support as they would likely try to switch me off of my "guaranteed rate for life" plan. This was 2 weeks ago, and my uploads speeds have only declined slightly.

Mobile access is good. I have been able to get access from the 27th floor in a Buckhead building, and intermittently on my drive home. Granted, my drive is through the back roads, wooded areas, with lots of hills. I have hopes that with time I will be able to maintain a clear signal continuously. Time will tell.

I switched to CLEAR from Atlantic Nexus only because of the potential for both higher speeds and mobile connectivity. Although Atlantic Nexus had superior support, I am happy I changed.

Update:
pings typically average between 50ms and 80ms, tending toward the low end more often.

Update 4-8-11:
Ping times are now up to 100ms. Download speeds average around 4-5Mbps. Just got off the phone with support and was told that as long as I'm getting 4 down, .67 up, they won't do anything, despite the fact that I used to get twice the speed. Response was that there's just more congestion now. I'm in Atlanta, and the above results are for the Atlanta speedtest.net servers. We tried an Asheville server and I got back to the high speeds. So, "ok, you're good." What? I get higher speed going to Asheville than Atlanta and that's ok?

Then tried speakeasy's speed tests. They all yielded around 4Mbps.

Too ridiculous and inconsistent. Bye, clear.

I no longer have speeds fast enough to watch Netflix in HD. It also frequently pauses while playing so that it can buffer the movie. Hulu frequently pauses while playing. I will be switching to Comcast soon unless speeds improve. CLEAR support seems unconcerned about these issues despite my giving them details of the problems I'm seeing.

member for 23.7 years, 626 visits, last login: 12.9 years ago
updated 12.9 years ago

ernliz
join:2001-11-25
Albemarle, NC

ernliz

Member

So you're switching, according to your update ????

Quote: "Too ridiculous and inconsistent. Bye, clear."

And yet you gave Clear a 75% rating??????

This is what skews the percentages. Thanks for nothing.
davidgreig
join:2000-07-19
Mableton, GA

davidgreig

Member

Re: So you're switching, according to your update ????

You bet. That was my initial review several years ago.

Thanks for your courteous note.
ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

ArizonaSteve

Member

I'll take that.

Wish I could get any kind of service that good here. Virgin Mobile and Cricket "broadband" both have 56k dial up speeds with 1000ms ping times in this area and Clear or anything else even remotely fast is not available! Unfortunately Clear will probably continue to degrade there like it's doing everywhere else though.

willmon22
@spcsdns.net

willmon22

Anon

Re: I'll take that.

Do you get slow speed because of great congestion in your area of the service or do you not get that good of a signal? If it is because of a signal then you could try to get an outdoor antenna to increase the range of the device and get better speeds. I have been trying to find out what the signal range of the device is like in dBi so then I could make sure if anyone bought an antenna for the usb device then it would be most definitely greater in range but have had no such luck. If you have a laptop try it outside in different areas and see what speeds and signal strength you get. I am sure you might get somewhere. But you won't get much higher than 300Kbps when you hit 5GBs or 2.5 if you signed up after the limit was enforced. Also there is other services like: www.datajack.com/coverage as well as »www.millenicom.com/ millenicom is unlimited but if you go over 50GBs of use it will trigger an investigative team whatever that means. Well I hope this helps I completely understand as I am in an area with no unlimited broadband just satellite, dial-up, or 3G internet.
davidgreig
join:2000-07-19
Mableton, GA

davidgreig

Member

Re: I'll take that.

I haven't been able to get a response from clear on that. My modem is in a window with a clear line of sight to the tower. That's where it's been for the past 2+ years and I've watched the DL rates go from 10-20 down to around 2.5 lately. I can't really get anywhere with clear first or second level support as they just tell me that as long as I can get over 1.5, they won't do anything.

I also have the USB device, and initially I was able to get at least 7, sometimes 10 from literally anywhere in the house, even in the basement. Of course, initially was 2 years ago when fewer people were using it. Running the same tests from a tower near my workplace I can consistently get 8-9. This USB device is one from several years ago, and seems to have great reception.

Thanks for the response - I think clear is just over capacity in this area or else has some issues with the nearest tower. Who knows...

Review by jmajor See Profile

  • Location: Littleton, Jefferson, CO, USA
  • Cost: $45 per month
  • Install: about 1 days
Speeds are about expected for Downtown area and suburbs
Reading the AUP shows their service might not actually be full speed unlimited
So far well over 5GB and no cap, no text, no email alert... and still seeing those 4Mbit speeds
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

[3 weeks in]
3 weeks in and I'm still seeing comparable speeds that i've had when I started. Might be the honeymoon month but i've gone far over the 5GB limit that others seem to see and seeing 4Mbit+ speeds.

»testmy.net/610ajx2.png

for the moment I'll take it, I can always add DSL or Cable back if it slows.

You have a happy customer Clear.com.

[update for home tests]
Looking good at the house. »testmy.net/ld4sHS.png

I was able to stream all day without interruption at the office too.

I will keep up on this some.

[original review]
I wanted a no contract Wireless Broadband deal that would potentially replace my home DSL that can only get 3Mbps/512Kbps speeds for under $45 a month. I looked at T-Mobile tethering, Sprint/ClearWire and Verizon, some of whom have the listed 5GB limit. ClearWire won out due to cost, no contract terms and other than here I've never seen a complaint (just rumors) about over 5GB wireless broadband limits.

I picked up the 4G personal HotSpot (IFM-611CW) yesterday for $99, no contract terms and 30 day trial. Sales guy was quick to give me free activation, free month and free overnight shipping which isn't (wasn't) available online without contract. I received it today, followed the easy 'quick start' guide and have been surfing at reasonable speeds for downtown Denver (80209). »testmy.net/gZcB4a.png

Setup did require acceptance of TOS and a few others that I read throughly and accepted. then the modem cycled a few times (I think... had to wait for green link again to surf). Other than that, it was plug and go.

I asked several times about the Unlimited 5GB full speed limit most providers put in place before they throttle users, he told me that is wasn't an issue and after a bit of force I got: "might occur during peak times or when congested and the 5GB was arbitrary". My translation: "Go over the invisible ~5GB limit and we might throttle you so others can have a chance at our discretion.". I had planned on using this for replacement DSL since my family averages 20GB a month (we are a dish/cable-less home, streaming video only for a family of 5) which I did mention. I plan on returning the whole deal if I find I do hit that limit. Sales guy did tell me there was a 5GB limit and $.05 per MB over if I were to choose the 4g+ plan and the modem fell on 3g, not 4g connection. I was also told in 30 days I could upgrade to that package and only need to pay the difference of the modem cost.

So far I've been on streaming Netflix and working via VPN without a hiccup -3 hours straight. If this works out and I get great streaming at home too, I'll utilize the 30 day policy to upgrade to the 4g+ hotspot ($225 device and $55 a month) so I can take this with us around town since 4g coverage isn't prime in Colorado but 3g is good. More to come, I hope.

member for 20.5 years, 3 visits, last login: 4.1 years ago
updated 12.9 years ago

ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

2 edits

ArizonaSteve

Member

Fast speeds won't last.

I guess you didn't read the reviews where a lot of others are saying it's really slow? There must not be many users on it yet in your area but wait until a bunch of others jump on it and the speed will be unacceptably slow and you will be stuck with a uselsss $99 hotspot. I watched the same thing happen to Virgin Mobile and Cricket, they were OK at first but only lasted a short time before getting slower than dial-up when they got overloaded.
I was hoping Clear would come here to give us better service but it's already useless in a lot of areas with class actions suits against it and it hasn't even got there yet! It's very disappointing.
Also, 5Gb isn't much and you'll be going way over that if you use it much. I presently use about 11Gb here just for email and browsing the web on wi-fi from McDonalds and it's too slow to stream any movies or TV shows or download much of anything.
BTW, what's wrong with your current 3Mb DSL speed? I wish that was available here in Arizona, I'd jump on it in a second.
jmajor
join:2003-09-04
Littleton, CO

jmajor

Member

Re: Fast speeds won't last.

I did read some of the reviews and won't mind giving them a chance. I think its also good there are 0 (zero) stores in Colorado. Not sure how Sprint/Clear cooperate but I would hope that since Sprint is selling the same deal, I'm seeing speeds within reason.

I want to be able to take this with me as I travel with the fam, which is why I want to get rid of the DSL. Besides, as of this moment, better speeds for the same price, so why pay for both. If I never went anywhere I wouldn't care about the DSL speeds and if I didn't care about cost i'd get cable. All about cost saving and mobility.
ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

1 edit

ArizonaSteve

Member

Re: Fast speeds won't last.

Sprint works nationwide but Clear doesn't.
ArizonaSteve

ArizonaSteve to jmajor

Member

to jmajor
Did you check the coverage maps? Clear isn't available in a lot of states yet and Sprint doesn't share it so you might not be able to travel very far.
jmajor
join:2003-09-04
Littleton, CO

jmajor to ArizonaSteve

Member

to ArizonaSteve
3 weeks in and I'm still seeing comparable speeds that i've had when I started. Might be the honeymoon month but i've gone far over the 5GB limit that others seem to see and seeing 4Mbit+ speeds.

»testmy.net/610ajx2.png

for the moment I'll take it, I can always add DSL or Cable back if it slows.

You have a happy customer Clear.com.
samo300
Premium Member
join:2009-03-28
Suwanee, GA
·T-Mobile

samo300

Premium Member

Re: Fast speeds won't last.

I had some issues when I first started using Clear. It has been good for sometime now. I did have some issues with the service when it was new. The support group is slow to respond to tower issues. Just remember if you have to call, make sure the modem is connected directly to the pc. I have ask before how many times the pc is the problem and I have not received an answer. I think they waste a lot of time trying to make the problem the pc instead of the real problem. I worked in the sireless support area for 26 years and I would not run a support desk like Clear. Maybe they had lessons from Comcast.

Review by MCT4G See Profile

  • Location: Corpus Christi, Nueces, TX, USA
  • Cost: $60 per month (24 month contract)
  • Install: about 1 days
I have had the service going on 2 years now and have had great coverage the entire time!
Not available everywhere.
This is a fantastic service choice
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I have seen so many reviews of poor "Clearwire" service prior to committing myself toward a 2 year contract in April of 2009. But here I am April 2011 and my service is still going strong! I was one of the ones who went through the 3G to 4G change with clear. The downside to this service that I ran into was lack of national coverage. However if you are not a mobile PC tech as I am, and your just trying to enjoy high speed internet for a decent price, Clearwire is an excellent choice! Whether you are in the middle of the city that Clear covers, or out in the country where your only broadband alternative to other providers is satellite internet but Clear covers your area, then Clearwire is definitely the way to go! My near perfect review experience has been from Ingleside, TX 78362 and having moved from there to Corpus Christi, TX 78401, has been flawless. I had a couple minor hardware problems, but outside of that my experience has been flawless! Thank you for reading my review!

A very satisfied customer and Expert PC enthusiast, Levi Patterson!

member for 12.9 years, 1 visits, last login: 12.9 years ago
lodged 12.9 years ago

ernliz
join:2001-11-25
Albemarle, NC

ernliz

Member

Huh?

QUOTE:.... or out in the country where your only broadband alternative to other providers is satellite internet but Clear covers your area, then Clearwire is definitely the way to go! UNQUOTE

Are you serious? The new Clear range is shorter than the older Clearwire coverage and not as reliable. You are lucky for your fine service (or is it something "else"...?) but there are the majority of others, as seen in the Clear ratings here, that don't share your Clear-Love.

Nevertheless, if you indeed are serious, good for you.

Review by ernliz See Profile

  • Location: Abilene, Taylor, TX, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month (month by month)
  • Install: about 1 days
  • Telco party AT&T
Better than dial-up
SLOW speeds, erratic, and horrible Customer Service
This dog don't hunt!
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

31 March 2011

The horrible service continues with no resolution. I'm stuck with this dog, and there's nothing else that can be done, since Clear states that my (averaged) 450 Kbps speed for my 2 MB plan is OK. OK?? Yeah, they say I'm OK. I suspect tower congestion, since there's a college that soaks off the same tower (kids gotta download them songs, and videos, thanks jerks). I'd like to pull off another tower but my modem just won't lock onto it, even though the signal strength is almost as good as my current lobe. Anyway, Clear Support refuses to address my grand 450 Kbps, the local Clear office is clueless -- has been for the past 5 years -- and I'm using my iPhone's 3G capability when I REALLY need reliable Internet. Pitiful.

Nov 2010

The pathetic service continues unabated. I've got 3 lights, good LOS to the tower, several clean, speedy computers; however, d/l speeds are usually below 1mbps with rare bumps to around 2.3mbps. Throttling is obvious on my tower. I actually have to go to the local library to download large Windows Updates and other large files to avoid getting booted to 250kbps. My monthly usage is below 3 gigs so why the throttling, Clear? The local Abilene Clear people are still clueless -- no change there either. But hey, there's hope: my iPhone 4 has good 3G connectivity here, so all's not lost! Bottom line: thanks for nothing, Clear.

May 2010

Here, north of Abilene, Clear continues to disappoint. Many of Clear's customers, me included, are definitely within the "green" Clear coverage, but we get inconsistent speeds and questionable reliability. We cannot discuss this with the local Clear office because they have their heads in the sand. Tech Support at the national level tries to help but they are so script-minded that it becomes frustrating to continue with them. But....... it's better than dial-up, and that's not sayin' much!

PREVIOUS HISTORY:

Sep 2005................

Wireless ISPs in the Abilene, TX area are expensive and erratic. When Clearwire finally came to town, it was a dream come true. For $30/mo. I now get approx 800 kbps down, approx 225 up and it's steady. For $10/mo. more you can get 1.5 mbps down. Setup is extremely easy and the hardware footprint is only a few square inches. IP is dynamic, if you turn the modem off, which is OK. I live way out in the sticks and Clearwire told me I was out of luck; however, I tried anyways, and got top notch broadband. It's also very secure, operates on a licensed freq (2.5+ GHz...). The sales people in town are very customer-friendly and go out of their way to please. Bottom line: why would anyone use dial-up (or the expensive WISPs here) when there's Clearwire! No, I don't work for the company!

Minor update: I've only had the service for less than a month, so things may change. Other users who have had longer service are having no problems. I also haven't experienced the few problems other posters are having -- perhaps I'm just pleased I don't have to deal with the other local WISPs any more. More later, if anything changes.

SEP 2006......................

Major update: one year later, Clearwire is continuing to slide downhill here in Abilene, TX, in terms of performance. Lag times are horrible. When you click on a web link, wait 5 seconds before ANYTHING happens, then half the page will load, wait another 20 seconds, and the rest of the page "may" finish loading. And on and on...... The local people haven't a clue about their jobs nor about the technical aspects of Clearwire, but the Tech Support people at the 1-800 number are still quite good. Download speeds are not as advertised -- mostly due to the horrible stalling. And again, most annoying, there's NO ONE to talk to in the area who will listen or care! Oh well, it's better than dialup, and when nothing else is available, what else can many of us do!

Sep 2007.......

What a difference a year makes. Apparently Clearwire in Abilene, TX has made major improvements in reliability and overall service. I get very steady connections and haven't experienced a down day in many months. Perhaps the upgrade to VOIP has forced them to upgrade the HTTP Internet reliability somehow. In any case, all is well. And............ after reading many of the negative reviews by many, I just wonder if these people actually know how much they can do to improve their reliability and speeds. You ACTUALLY have to CALL tech support and tell them of your problem, work with them, work with the local folks, and "find" the best signal area in your home. It's not that hard to get it right!

August 2009.....

How things change! I've recently "upgraded" to the new Clear WIMAX system here in the Abilene, TX, area and the news is bad. I've gone from 5 lights (signal strength) down to almost 2. My speed, which is supposed to be 2 mbps, and which I'm paying for, is around 450 kbps. I've set up my modem for perfect placement and tested my connection with at least 3 other computers. All show the same speed problem. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do! Clear technical support goes through their script, and that's that! Others are having the same problem, as noted in several Internet blogs. My neighbors are likewise affected. Is anyone at Clear aware of this, and doing anything? I guess not.

August 2009, again...

Please see previous update review from yesterday. This should have been placed in the "Unhappy Campers" side of the site review.

Anyway, today, the Clear speeds are even slower than yesterday: about 340 kbps, although my plan is for 2 mbps speed. Twice when I was surfing (with 2 lights on the modem) the modem decided to start cycling, then finally locked on to 2 lights again. I suspect strongly that this is a tower problem. More later....

member for 22.3 years, 4821 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 13 years ago

hopeforspeed6
join:2005-11-30
Abilene, TX

hopeforspeed6

Member

Service in Abilene, TX

Have to agree with the poster about the continuing degradation of service in Abilene - I live south of town, between the airport and Potosi - have access to two towers, but I cannot tell any difference - both are barely better than dial-up! Within the past couple of weeks, I cannot access the internet at all in the evenings most of the time. I am paying for the higher speeds, but again, at times it is no better than dial-up. Am considering dropping it as soon as contract is up. Very expensive for what I'm (not) getting! Yes, I have spoken to tech support and the folks in the local office.
Clearwire - are you listening?

tobyjoe
@cox.net

tobyjoe

Anon

the deseption of clear wire isp service

i was one of the original customers about 4 day in to abilene. i signed a 2 year contract with this company. gave them my credit card imformation and that was the beggining of the end. thy would charge my card not one time but as much as three time in a billing period after talk with my credit card company. thy block all charges from clearwire. this got there attention . anyone that thinks there great ether works for them are is being payed by them to say it. i drop them in 15 of my location and i am looking for the day the fcc closes thedown
Geddy2112
join:2006-10-01
Albuquerque, NM

Geddy2112

Member

Re: the deseption of clear wire isp service

And you need to learn English!! I couldn't understand a thing you wrote...damn cable shill!

I've been a Clearwire customer for over a year & love having a constant speed all the time. I gave up on cable once I learned that my speed dropped to nil when everyone else on my block decided to get on all at once.
dandm2003
join:2006-12-12
Everett, WA

dandm2003

Member

Fraud - Beware of 7-Day Trial Period!!

A warning to all potential users: Clearwire claims to offer a 7-day cancellation window (i.e. "trail") in which to get out of a signed contract, however they will do absolutely everything to prevent you from canceling!

In my instance, my trial began on 12/2, thus I had until 12/9 to cancel. After working with tech support for 3 days, I went into the corporate office on 12/8 to cancel. They refused to cancel my account. I contacted their customer service dept. Both sales and technical support informed me they could not cancel my account. According to everyone I spoke with, the only manner in which to cancel my account was to contact the "retention" department.

I firmly believe that the retention dept does NOT exist. I called on numerous occasions and waited on hold for over an hour during 4 separate occasions - never reaching anyone. Also, I reached someone on three occasions, only to be hung-up on immediately after the phone was picked up.

During one instance, I called a tech support individual (named Shelby) and asked her to wait on hold with me for a "retention" specialist. After waiting 40 min, she came back and said "it didn't work." She claimed a phone error blocked her ability to transfer the call. She refused to try again.

At one point, I had two cell phones all on hold (1 for retention and 1 for tech support) WHILE STANDING in the corporate office on 132nd street speaking with the manager. They were unwilling to work together to solve the issue. Instead, they asked me to leave. NOBODY would cancel my account and everyone claimed deniability. Also, after speaking with three managers, they all claimed they didn't have the ability to cancel the account.

Eventually, after threatening to gather individuals to protest on the property itself and/or call the police, I eventually convinced a manager to cancel my account. I asked him to send me an email confirmation. He said he did, however after I checked my PDA, I found out that he lied. He stated it must have been "an error" and he tried again. I then received the email confirmation of the cancellation, but I still believe I'll be charged somehow.

This company is baiting customers to sign up with false promises of a cancellation period. I encourage anyone else with similar issues to contact the Better Business Bureau. They are a member.

Dupes
@gci.net

Dupes

Anon

Clearwire service in General

I at one time worked for clearwire as a CSR. I looked into the service and even used it myself. At first the company itself was great and the service we offered our customer good. Then I started to notice some thing. Clearwire is sales based, make sales at all cost. It's reps commonly sell the service outside of the coverage areas. Though, you may get 4-5 lights, the towers do gauge the distance and kick you off. The are several people out there that should of never been sold this service. Then the policy changes clearwire does at it's whim. I personally sat through 4 move policies, 2 cancellation policies, and a policy which basically told our service folks that they were screwed. The whole time, the customer was basically screwed. Clearwire also started shaping it traffic more aggressively, so basically unless you check your email or do minimal web surfing you risk getting shaped. This even affects legal programs such as Napster and Itunes. Though if asked clearwire won't acknowledge any shaping. They'll quote the response of, Clearwire monitors it's traffic to insure best performance. All in all it's a money machine. The founders are great at making money. The service at first had possibilities, but after looking over older markets and seeing them past compacity, and still push sales, knowing that the service they were giving was far below any standards. Getting hold of anyone in the company with any knowledge is near impossible, the 888 line is a mix of out sourced notebook techs and a new call center by clearwire in Las Vegas. The service has many issues. Maybe with time, and a company redirection things will get better.

Bad service
@clearwire-dns.net

Bad service

Anon

Clearwire Poor Service

I have had horrible service with clearwire

Gamer27
@clearwire-dns.net

Gamer27

Anon

Clearwire Sevice

I am very glad I stayed away from qwest. Clearwire i like about them is they are very portable. I live 1000 ft from their towers and had no issue. I wish tho they had a better manual for their modem. Cant find any online. I also am impressed on how well Clearwire is for certain games.

tgunn
@prognet.com

tgunn

Anon

Clearplugs

I don't know how many posters here are single computer households, but I just installed Clearplugs to hook up my main computer downstairs and my son's computer upstairs to a single Clearwire modem, and it seems that it has increased my PCs performance. Pages are loading a whole lot faster, although service is still inconsistent - it varies between just fast enough to really smoking fast. I can't speak for my son's Mac, however. My question is (to whoever might be able to answer it) is whether using Clearplugs increases your antenna size through the wiring in your house. That's what it seems like it has done for me, anyway.

Anon696969
@clearwire-wmx.net

Anon696969

Anon

Clear was a clear choice

I pay for Unlimited speed on clear Wimax in Las Vegas. My average download speed ranges between 4mbs and 5mbs just cancelled embarqs so-called 10mb connection. I do not see a difference in speed between my old dsl and wimax. Works Fine when hooked up with my wireless router and handles games just fine. Could not be happier with this 4g network

Clear SEA
@clearwire-dns.net

Clear SEA

Anon

New Clearwire customer going well

I just ordered the Clearwire service after finding out that my building wasn't served by cable or dsl. I had a few problems at first with the modem but have worked them out. I found a used wireless modem on Craigslist, which is great so now I don't have to lease one. I found what seems to be the best place to put the modem and receive 4-5 stars regularly. I've read many reviews and I can only hope that this great service continues. As for speed, I had cable previously and can't tell any difference from Clearwire, in fact it may even be faster.

One thing that I think sucks about Clearwire though, is that you have to sign a contract. If the service is really good and the company has nothing to hide customers will stay with you. It is a bad policy to trap customers for whom the service no longer works or they have moved out of the service area. I don't doubt that this is a greedy company out only for sales/money. But so are all of the other providers...
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Which Clear?

Which clear are you on? and you do realize there are other providers in your area that use the same technology right?
ernliz
join:2001-11-25
Albemarle, NC

ernliz

Member

Re: Which Clear?

said by hottboiinnc4:

Which clear are you on? and you do realize there are other providers in your area that use the same technology right?
Clear = Clearwire. It's the only service practically available to me. No other service here uses the proprietary Clear WIMAX signal at 2.5 GHz.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Which Clear?

uh. There are 2 networks they operate. Pre-Wimax and then the new network.

Clear does NOT equal clearwire. Know the network your on to give actual reviews.

gconn
@clearwire-wmx.net

gconn

Anon

Re: Which Clear?

I'm on Clear WiMAX getting a download speed of 1.61 mb/s in Seattle. First day of service. All 5 lights steady on the modem. I hope it continues. However not exactly the 3-6mb/s as advertised.

the Guy
@clearwire-dns.net

the Guy to hottboiinnc4

Anon

to hottboiinnc4
the other companys that use the same tech... are leasing Clear's tech they don't have any of their own... Sprint's "4G" is clearwires and so is comcast and mediacom. the only other company with anything even close to it is verizon, which is still in the testing phase and runs on a lower and slow frequency
tjf339280
join:2010-05-25
Middlesex, NY

tjf339280

Member

Re: Which Clear?

You are right that our tech is our own, and we operate on a licensed frequency of 2.5GHz which is also exclusive to us. The microwave transmission of our signal is also exclusively with us. However, the 3g/4g modem we offer is through Sprint, rather Xohm a subsidiary of Sprint. the tech is 50/50, the 4g activity of the modem is ours, but the 3G is sprint's.
tjf339280

tjf339280 to hottboiinnc4

Member

to hottboiinnc4
I happen to work for Clear and can tell you, Clear and Clearwire, are in fact the same company. Clearwire was the predecessor to clear, Clearwire(expedience) service is our limited 2G service, Clear is the new 4G service that will eventually be replacing all of the clearwire markets and looking at total nationwide coverage within 7 years. So, then Clearwire will be no more just Clear.

LUZ
@clearwire-wmx.net

LUZ

Anon

NOT GOOD

BUENO CLEAR ES LO MAS CHAFA K EXITE EN INTERNET TIENE MUY BAJA SEÑAL NO ME GUSTO, APARTE K LOS BENDEDORES TE ENGANAN DICEN K NO TIENES CONTRATO Y A LA MERA HORA RESULTA K FIRMASTE UN CONTRATO CREO K ESO NO ES JUSTO PARA NADIE, YO QUISE CANSELAR Y RESULTA K TENGO FIRMADO UN CONTRATO POR DOS ANOS ESO NO ESTA BIEN K ENGANEN A LAS PERSONAS POR ESO, LO K YO SE K NO FIRME NADA ENTONCES COMO ES POSIBLE K A HORA YO TENGA CONTRATO... CLEAR NO ME GUSTA PARA NADA.

Review by compaqdrew3 See Profile

  • Location: Longview, Gregg, TX, USA
  • Cost: $39 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 1 days
Easy to install
Pretty much everything!
Treat it like a cell phone data plan, not like a wireline internet connection
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

If you're looking for basic mobile data access, this will work just fine. Although you'd probably be much better off with a MyFi or a 3G USB modem or something.

They've got seriously aggressive data caps that seem to me to be "about" 5GB (YMMV) after which you get a robocall saying you're using too much bandwidth. If you ignore that, they throttle you down to 2000ms ping and 56k speeds.

Just like cell reception, getting a good signal in your house can be spotty. I lived on the third floor and I was in the 3-4 bars (out of 5). I got advertised speeds occasionally, and ping was very unreliable. During the peak 5-6pm times, it wasn't uncommon for ping to go into the seconds. It's literally impossible to download files over 100MB or so in size without getting the connection reset, and streaming Youtube ahead of the buffer size is out of the question.

When I called to cancel, they offered to reduce my bill from $40 to $30 and then to $20. Even in the middle of nowhere, you can get a much better deal than "about" 5GB of data for $20/month, so I told them where to get off.

member for 13 years, 12 visits, last login: 2.6 years ago
lodged 13 years ago

ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

ArizonaSteve

Member

Where can you get a better deal?

Care to share?

Review by Jet101 See Profile

  • Location: Pflugerville, Travis, TX, USA
  • Cost: $80 per month
Can work very well if you're in the right place. Fairly cheap.
Business ethics. You just can't run a business this way.
STAY AWAY, unless you're just using email.
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Update 3/15/2011

I originally gave Clear a decent review based on my own experience. Although I continue to get good speeds at my location, I don't use my Clear service for video streaming, or any other high data usage purposes. I use it mainly as a test network for my VoIP business. I really don't use more than 3-5 Gigs of data per month, so I have not been affected by their management system.

HOWEVER, I cannot condone a company that puts out the type of glorious, pre-sales information that Clear does just to get a customer on board, and then turn right around and start throttling them once they start to use the service in ways they promote in all their advertisements. I probably wouldn't be so hard on them if they'd come right out and tell you the limits you should watch for before you start to get throttled (Yeah, I would be too...just too many other problems). This seems to be a secret that's locked up tighter than Coca Cola's original recipe. Sorry Clear, but your business ethics are ranked down there along the same lines as banks, politicians, and lobbyists.

Original Review:

I've had the service in Austin since Nov '09. I have home, mobile, and voice. Got the voice, as I am in the VoIP industry and wanted to compare it to other options. I'd have to say that I am in a good location for using their service, as I get 4-5 bars of signal on the home modem consistently, and almost no disconnects (1.8 miles from tower). My CINR typically runs above 20 dB, and my RSSI is in the -69 to -79 dB range. I still have Suddenlink 10/1 cable internet service, and something to compare the Clear service to.

I run a VoIP server over my Suddenlink connection, and use the Clear for everyday web surfing and email duties. I have tried (with varying success) to run the server over the Clear service, but let's just say, this is just one of those area where their modem could benefit from a bridge mode. My networking (not social) skills are pretty high, so I usually know what I'm doing when it comes to making things work on a LAN.

Let me quickly say that I really like the mobile version. I use it all the time, and I seem to get great signal in many of the places I use it. I'm out in the field a lot and use it on my laptop all the time. It's even saved my butt in a case where I left my cell phone at the office and needed to call a client while mobile. I just used the usb modem to get online and used a softphone tied to my phone server using only the laptop's built in speaker and mic. Worked great.

I don't run the Clear voice very much, but with my signal and their supplied ATA, I have had good results when I did use it. Can't really rate them here, as I just don't use it that much. Works better than some providers I've had experience with, however, it can get a bit choppy at times. This probably relates more to the wide swings in latency and jitter I see at times.

Finally, let's get down to the home service. I'd rate the install a 5 if it wasn't for the fact you need to wander around the house a bit to find the best signal. It's not always the first place that looks good, but you can eventually find the most consistent spot. The home service works great for me for internet surfing and email type stuff. It seems to render pages faster than my 10/1 Suddenlink service. I can't say one is better than the other in that regard.

I think the one thing anyone should do before actually buying the home service is to have a local rep. (whether that be Clear's or an Authorized Reseller), come out and check the signal at your location. Clear's maps should not be the decision maker for you. I've seen great signal in areas that were not supposed to get it, and bad signal in areas that were supposed to have great coverage. GET IT CHECKED OUT! I know you can find a rep that will do this for free in any city covered by Clear.

I would not have the home service, even with great signal strength if I were forced to have only one service. The simple fact is that, since the Clear modem cannot be put into a "FULL" bridge mode, there are some applications that this service will not work well for. On top of that, I've had problems where I was able to get a service running (VoIP server) and then have something stop working for no reason. My suspicion is that the NAT in the Clear modem is not up to par. Either that, or the modems are flaky. No amount of adjusting settings with the Clear modem or my networking equipment was able to cure the last problem. However, putting another Clear modem in place with the exact same settings got it working again. I've seen numerous reports of working PPTP type VPN set ups that all of a sudden stopped working when using Clear also.

Clear can be a great service for some, and just not fit the bill for others. Check it out before you get it and make sure it works for you in your location. After that, just hope your tower is a consistent one, and it does not become overloaded. The concept is great, just needs to mature a little.

Update 6-20-2010:

I was able to get my VoIP server running again with the same modem that quit working previously. Instead of using the dmz settings in the Clear modem, I used the port forwarding and forwarded ports 1-65535 both TCP and UDP to my router. Another poster in the DSL forums suggested the dmz in the Clear modems may be flaky. After changing to port forwarding instead, my VoIP server started working just fine.

member for 14.4 years, 909 visits, last login: 12.3 years ago
updated 13 years ago

curro
join:2003-10-24
Seabrook, TX

curro

Member

Good review!

I really liked your thorough review of the Clear services. Thanks a lot! I am currently in my 14-day trial so I plan on also writting a review later on.

Review by dclee9 See Profile

  • Location: Walnut, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $25 per month
  • Install: about 1 days
cheap iSpot sell for $20 during x'mas promotion, no contract $25/mo, sign up/cancel anytime, no activation fee.
poor indoor reception, slow upload speed of less than 1mbps,
faster than my Verison DSL, Slower than my FIOS, nice price with $25/mo iSpot,
Pre Sales Information:
Install process:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

Shipping: Saw the promotional deal yesterday and ordered it right away, and got my iSpot today, (very fast shipping). I like WiMax's cheap equipment which were due to world wide standard made public by IEEE, and not proprietary LTE.

Download: 5-6mbps down load, that's fair speed, nothing like my FIOS 15 mbps, but much faster than my DSL (1.5 mbps download), I had charter before, but due to too many people signing up charter service in my area, the signal strength got degraded to a point it no longer worked, not complaining my neighbors, they're wonderful, it's charter's poor equipment)

upload: 0.5 mbps up (slow ZERO POINT 5 up) that's slow in any broadband standard as of December 2010. might be consider broadband upload in year 2001 when I had ADSL.

Indoor use: at windows full strength 5 mbps, inside of the house poor signal 2 mbps.

Value: $25/mo, no contract, no activation at anytime, to me that's very fair, DSL is $35/mo, 1yr contract, 1.5 mbps down 256 kbps up, FIOS is $50/mo 15 mbps down 5 mbps up.) I'm comparing only to landlines not wireless because of the poor coverage in Los Angeles and nearby counties that I go to, mainly Riverside, OC, and all the nearby freeways ( covering the major freeways is minimum a wireless service should provide). $20 one time equipment fee + $25 mandatory first month fee + tax + free shipping = $46 is fair for me.

Coverage: Los Angeles very spotty, lots of dead zones, OC, more spotty, riverside only downtown is covered. Hopefully they'll build more towers in the coming years.

Equipment: iSpot, very small, portable, hackable, can be charged via USB port, connected to up to 8 device at the same time. no 3G CDMA backward support. d/l u/l speed cap by Clear, WIFI range is more like 15 ft for me rather than 150 ft as advertised. 4 hour battery life. $20 promotional price is great value, but no way I'm going to buy it at $99+tax.

Conclusion: poor coverage, poor upload, good value on $25/mo no contract plan, better download than ADSL, faster than CDMA and HSPDA.

member for 24.4 years, 1816 visits, last login: 12.8 years ago
updated 13 years ago


SNOOPYXP_SP2
join:2000-05-25
Oakland, CA

SNOOPYXP_SP2

Member

Is the iSpot

only for Apple products? ie I pad? or can this be used with a regular PC?

klear
@nextweb.net

klear

Anon

Re: Is the iSpot

I heard its online for "i" devices made by Apple. (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, etc.) Laptops would benefit from The Clear 4G Spot+.
dclee9
join:1999-10-17
Walnut, CA

dclee9 to SNOOPYXP_SP2

Member

to SNOOPYXP_SP2
said by SNOOPYXP_SP2:

only for Apple products? ie I pad? or can this be used with a regular PC?

It can be hacked, google is your friend.

richard g
@cox.net

richard g

Anon

15 foot range

The default setting is short range on the spot's-- Did you log into the device and check your range on long range mode? The 15 ft radius is a power saving mode feature.
dclee9
join:1999-10-17
Walnut, CA

dclee9

Member

Re: 15 foot range

said by richard g :

The default setting is short range on the spot's-- Did you log into the device and check your range on long range mode? The 15 ft radius is a power saving mode feature.

it's a personal device, not designed for a 1500 SF house, if you want to share the connection of your iSpot, buy a DD-WRT v24 sp1 device and you can share with everyone in the house.

unhappy
@myvzw.com

unhappy

Anon

Clear Wire

Thank you to all that have who have taken the time to do the reviews. My husband is into stocks! Unfortunately for us, we live in a rural area and are not able to get high speed inner-net even though it is only 1/2 mile from our home!!!! I now realize that once Clear Wire comes to our area we will not purchases their service! Again I thank all of you!
dclee9
join:1999-10-17
Walnut, CA

dclee9

Member

Re: Clear Wire

said by unhappy :

Thank you to all that have who have taken the time to do the reviews. My husband is into stocks! Unfortunately for us, we live in a rural area and are not able to get high speed inner-net even though it is only 1/2 mile from our home!!!! I now realize that once Clear Wire comes to our area we will not purchases their service! Again I thank all of you!

i would think give them a chance if they give 30 day free trial. i heard many people are happier replacing their ADSL with their iSpot from clear. if you don't download huge files or watch netflix. i hear if you're using 10gig a month, they will not throttle your speed.

I personally would much like to see WiMax overtake as 4g than LTE, because I recently checked that roaming internationally on WiMax is much cheaper and easiler than LTE, LTE will give you those $50,000 phone bills that you see on the news everyday. but WiMax will usually sell you at a daily rate, 7 days rate, and monthly rate at much cheaper price. usually is $10/day, $30/wk $50/month (USD) from the local WiMax provider. I don't have to worry about all to weird "welcome" text message from a phone company to charge you lots of money when you just turn on your 2G/3G/LTE device.

skype and any VOIP should works great on WiMax

ERam
@cox.net

ERam

Anon

This company totally sucks

I have to say that this Clear company totally sucks, I got the 4G internet for my laptop and it was extremely slow, also the customer service is the WORST!!! I wouldn't recommend it anyone! You're better off with your cable provider. Clear still has a lot of bugs to work on starting with their customer service as I said before. I had to get COX internet and it is working better and faster. Now Clear won't stop calling, WTF!!!
dclee9
join:1999-10-17
Walnut, CA

dclee9

Member

Re: This company totally sucks

I'm sorry to hear about your experience, and it is not the first horror story I heard about a "wireless" provider (not just internet, cell phone as well)

AT&T Wireless, VZW, Sprint, T-mobile are also known for "bullying" their customers.

For me, my solution is try to contact the wireless provider first, (give them the first chance) than 2nd time complain with FCC.
»esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

For me, usually someone from higher up will calling me back in 1 month after FCC filing. Of course, if problem is still not solved, repeat and file complain with FCC again.

I think wireless industry does care regarding to "public" records of their "bullying" practice. because that is the image that will stay with them forever til the end of the time =)

it is a necessary evil to be a smart buyer, make sure you write down your dates, whom you talk to, and the detailed message about the complaint.

after FCC is the one who issue the company frequencies and other rating agencies look at whom gets to be complain the most.