Comcast Business Class : All reviews | DSLReports.com, ISP Information

03/23/2011:

I just got my new Comcast Business 12/2 connection with a /29 static IP block up and running yesterday.

It has only been operational now for two days, so I can't really make an accurate assessment on reliability, but so far I have had no connection problems. In the past, I have had problems with Comcast not being able to survive electrical storms and/or power outages. If at a future date I should see this problem is still present, I will update my review accordingly. For now I am hopeful that with the D3 upgrade, and Comcast now being a telephone company, that they have taken measures to keep their service live during storms and power outages.

The only "problem" I had with getting on-line with the new service was with my Cisco RV082 router, not with the Comcast service itself or their required/supplied SMC router. It seems that when I just changed the router's mode from load balanced dual WAN operation to a single WAN/DMZ mode, that something in the existing config interfered with connectivity (the WAN connection kept bouncing, but the SMC router indicated that there was no problem with the connection. A push button initiated factory default reset on the RV082 followed by entering the new config parameters manually fixed that problem.

Update 03/25/2011:

Well, last night and today I just ran into my first thing that used to work with AT&T DSL, but does not work with Comcast HSI. My Vonage fax line can no longer send faxes (but receiving faxes still seems to work, and voice service still works well). The call connects, and you can see and hear the fax modem attempting to establish a data connection, but it just fails to do so. I swapped the fax modem and I also moved the fax line to another ATA, but nothing helped. Calling either Vonage or Comcast support would have just been a waste of time because past experience told me that they would just each blame the other for the problem. I just signed up for a Ring Central fax service because I am not going to reward AT&T by getting a POTS line, nor am I going to reward Comcast for deliberately interfering with competitive VoIP by getting CDV.

Update 01/01/2012:

Nothing much new to report, but the DSLR update bot is bugging me for a review update.

Overall, the service has been quite reliable, and except for one outage shortly after I started using the service (caused by the install tech not doing his job properly), I have only had a few middle of the night "scheduled maintenance" outages. On a side note, after a recent firmware update in the SMC gateway, I can now send and receive faxes again using a Vonage line, but I am not yet convinced that it will be reliable enough to terminate my RingCentral dedicated fax line.

My only complaint is that the Comcast firmware in the SMC gateway (which I am required to use) does not give me access to its firewall logs, and I can't find anyone at Comcast willing to set it up to send the logs to my syslog daemon (even though that capability is present in the SMC gateway).

Update 08/11/2012:

The DSLR update bot is bugging me for a review update, so here it is:

Not much new to report (except that I have moved my previous Comcast HSI review to this Comcast Business Class review forum because I was not previously aware that this review forum even existed).

The service still works well, and I have no major complaints. The biggest "problem" right now is that Comcast still has not released a workable IPv6 firmware for the SMCD3G-CCR gateway, and AFAIK, still has not decided how they are going to handle IPv6 for their static IP customers.

Update 09/10/2012:

A few days ago I dropped my /29 static IPv4 block and I am now using my SMCD3G-CCR in bridge mode. I can still get five IPv4 addresses, but they are dynamic instead of static. Using the DynDNS service has made that a relatively painless changeover. An added side benefit is that Comcast does not currently support native dual stack IPv4/IPv6 on static IP accounts, but it does support it on dynamic IP accounts (if you are are not using an SMC gateway in gateway mode).

The only problem I have encountered after changing to use dynamic IP addresses is with my SamKnows box that does not seem to like not being behind a NAT router. But I may have resolved that by just putting it behind the Netgear WNR1000v2 router that was supplied by Comcast. The SamKnows box can't monitor my directly connected server boxes in that mode, but it seems to be working OK again now that it is once again behind a NAT router.

My primary reason for doing it was financial. I am both a cheapskate and a retiree living on a relatively limited income, and now that Comcast will either put the SMCD3G into bridge mode or allow the use of an SB612x modem on a business class account, I decided to keep the $20 per month I was paying Comcast for the 5 static IPv4 addresses (and I will probably also buy my own SB6121 modem and pocket the $7 per month modem rental charge as well).

Update 10/09/2012:

Last week, I installed a purchased Motorola SB6121 and turned in my leased SMCD3G-CCR. I did so partly to save the $7.65 monthly modem rental fee, and also because some Comcast CSRs were causing problems for me by resetting my SMCD3G-CCR and taking it out of bridge mode (which would disable my entire network). I was able to do a self install and on-line activation (which surprised me because I thought that Comcast Business Class required a tech visit for a modem swap), and there were no problems with the changeover. After discovering that Comcast Business Class allowed modem self installs and activations, I experimented and found that I could also activate my old DOCSIS 2 D-Link DCM202, and it also worked on the business class service (even though Comcast says only the SMC gateways and the SB612x modems are officially allowed). So I now have a hot swap spare already activated for emergency use just in case my new SB6121 goes up in smoke (the DCM202 doesn't support native IPv6, but it would keep my connection up until a replacement SB6121 was available).

SamKnows, Vonage, and IPv6 Update 01/14/2013:

SamKnows Update: I continued to have problems with the SamKnows TL-WR1043ND box intermittently locking up my entire network, so I contacted SamKnows, and terminated my participation in that program about a month ago. The box apparently just could not handle my multiple public IP address connection.

Vonage Update: I was recently able to once again start using Vonage to send and receive faxes over my Comcast connection. For details on how I did this, see my review update comment at: »Update on solution for using Vonage for VoIP faxing (this should also be visible in the "comments" section at the end of this review).

IPv6 Update: I have been using Comcast's native dual IPv4/IPv6 implementation since I changed from a static IPv4 account to a dynamic IP account back in September, and Comcast's IPv6 implementation has been working as advertised. I even invested in a new IPv6 compatible D-Link DIR655 router because it had the capability of syncing multiple IPv6 devices with the DynDNS service (and that also seems to be working OK).

However, since I have been using Comcast's native dual IPv4/IPv6 stack I have started noticing that many mainstream sites (who are now starting to use IPv6) would often be very slow in loading, and sometimes would just time out altogether until I did multiple refresh/reloads of the balky URL (and even that did not always work). I found that usually when this happened, a site would be attempting to use a CDN or round-robin DNS selected server that was using an IPv6 address. and that server would be either very slow in responding, or would simply appear to be dead. In such cases, if I simply disabled IPv6 in the PC that was trying to access the balky site(s), the site(s) would work with no problems with only IPv4 active.

I have posted an example of this IPv6 vs IPv4 symptom in a review comment at »IPv6 vs IPv4 reliability through my Comcast connection because I needed to use imbedded code and the review update script does not allow imbedded code.

This problem had kind of slowly crept up on me, and I had almost forgotten how fast my Comcast connection used to be. I have therefore reluctantly reverted to using Comcast's 6to4 IPv6 tunnel in both my primary and guest routers, and my network is now using IPv4 as the primary protocol stack once again (but the 6to4 tunnel will still allow me to access IPv6 sites if needed). I will occasionally (and temporarily) enable Comcast's native dual IPv4/IPv6 stack in my (isolated) guest router to see if the rest of the Internet has caught up with Comcast before I permanently turn native IPv6 back on again.

Sometimes the leading edge is also the bleeding edge.

IPv6 problem update 02/12/2013:

It is possible that the IPv6 problems I was seeing have been (at least temporarily) fixed. The problem may have been related to my DIR655 sometimes getting a "/60" and sometimes getting a "/64" PD prefix assignment combined with a CMTS bug. See NetDog]'s post »Re: [IPv6] Comcast IPv6 Address Assignment/Delegation for details. Since that announcement, I have only been getting the "/64" PD prefix assignments, and I do not currently see the problem with CDN and round robin IPv6 servers frequently not responding.

Comments:

NetFixer
From my cold dead hands
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join:2004-06-24
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Reviews:

·Vonage

2 edits

Update on solution for using Vonage for VoIP faxing

I am providing this update to my review by using the "comment" feature instead of using the "review update" procedure because I want to include some images, and the review process does not seem to allow that.

I was recently able to start using my 16/3 Comcast Business Class connection for sending and receiving faxes using the Vonage VoIP service (I can even do both at the same time). I did this by replacing the SMCD3G-CCR gateway device with a Motorola SB6121 modem, and adding a ZyXEL GS105S gigabit switch with advanced priority based QoS.

Shown below is a screen capture of a Comcast speed test that was done while I was simultaneously sending and receiving a multi-page high resolution graphic fax.

Shown below is the page that was being both sent and received during the above test (and this image is the received page...not bad for a fax):

Shown below is a graphic diagram of my current network:

If anyone else is having problems with VoIP quality (voice or fax) from a VoIP provider other than Comcast's CDV, I recommend that you try using either a ZyXEL GS105S or GS108S switch with your VoIP ATA connected to the green High-Priority port (although it might not help as much if you have a WiFi router or cable gateway in front of the switch if your gateway/router does not also have a good QoS implementation).

Link to the GS105S product page: »www.zyxel.com/products_services/···html?t=p
Link to the GS108S product page: »www.zyxel.com/products_services/···html?t=p
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.

permalink · 2012-12-30 00:31:41 · Print ·

NetFixer
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Reviews:

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1 edit

IPv6 vs IPv4 reliability through my Comcast connection

I am posting this example of the IPv6 vs IPv4 reliability on my Comcast connection as a comment because the official review update will not allow imbedded code (which is needed to illustrate my point).

Shown below is a prime example of the problem. This is of course, not Comcast's fault; it is just an indication of the current state of IPv6 implementation on the Internet (and it does not just occur with Yahoo!):

C:\>ping l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103] 
from 2601:5:c80:a1:e291:f5ff:fe95:beac with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103: time=24ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103: time=23ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103: time=40ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103: time=24ms
 
Ping statistics for 2001:4998:f00d:1fc::c:1103:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 40ms, Average = 27ms
 
C:\>ping l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101] 
from 2601:5:c80:a1:e291:f5ff:fe95:beac with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101: time=49ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101: time=46ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101: time=44ms
Reply from 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101: time=50ms
 
Ping statistics for 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1101:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 44ms, Maximum = 50ms, Average = 47ms
 
C:\>ping l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1103] 
from 2601:5:c80:a1:e291:f5ff:fe95:beac with 32 bytes of data:
 
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
 
Ping statistics for 2001:4998:f00b:1fb::c:1103:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

An attempt to access http://my.yahoo.com during the above time frame (with native IPv6 active) results in an extremely long delay (like several minutes) in loading the Yahoo! start page, or a browser timeout. And once again I will reiterate that this symptom also happens on sites other than Yahoo!.

Shown below are repeated successfull IPv4 pings to the same host name:

C:\>ping -4 l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [206.190.56.191] with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
 
Ping statistics for 206.190.56.191:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 33ms, Maximum = 34ms, Average = 33ms
 
C:\>ping -4 l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [206.190.56.191] with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
 
Ping statistics for 206.190.56.191:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 32ms, Maximum = 33ms, Average = 32ms
 
C:\>ping -4 l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [206.190.56.191] with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
 
Ping statistics for 206.190.56.191:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 31ms, Maximum = 32ms, Average = 31ms
 
C:\>ping -4 l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [206.190.56.191] with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
 
Ping statistics for 206.190.56.191:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 33ms, Maximum = 35ms, Average = 33ms
 
C:\>ping -4 l.yimg.com
 
Pinging ds-fo-anyycs-l.ay1.b.yahoodns.net [206.190.56.191] with 32 bytes of data:
 
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=54
Reply from 206.190.56.191: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=54
 
Ping statistics for 206.190.56.191:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 32ms, Maximum = 33ms, Average = 32ms

--
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.

permalink · 2013-01-11 14:20:46 · Print ·

NetFixer
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Reviews:

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1 edit

Re: IPv6 vs IPv4 reliability through my Comcast connection

It is possible that the IPv6 problems I was seeing were related to my DIR655 sometimes getting a "/60" and sometimes getting a "/64" PD prefix assignment combined with a CMTS bug. See NetDog

's post »Re: [IPv6] Comcast IPv6 Address Assignment/Delegation for details. Since that announcement, I have only been getting the "/64" PD prefix assignments, and I do not currently see the problem with CDN and round robin IPv6 servers frequently not responding.
--
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.

permalink · 2013-02-12 12:07:38 · Print ·

your comment..

Forums > comments on review of Comcast Business Class

Review by EverythingPC

member for 8.2 years, 507 visits, last login: 42 days ago
lodged 63 days ago

Charleston,Charleston,SC
Business customer
$95 per month
(24 month contract)
about 10 days
"Service for the Price (given local choices)"
"Honestly all has been ok with service. Always could use more speed for the money ;)"
"I recommend Business Class to my customers."

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings match consensus)

Monthly Price includes : Basic 16/3 tier ($59.99), 5-block of IPs ($19.95) Really Basic TV ($4.95), Gateway Rental ($7.00) and usual taxes and fees.

I've been a customer with this account at this address for 12-months on a 24-month contract. Think I had experienced one outage (to my knowledge) and it was at the end of the work day so it really didn't impede me (was heading out the door and saw the modem was not sync'ed, was ok within an hr when I got home and remoted into the office).

I have used Comcast Business (at two other locations) prior to this account (total of 5+ years with them overall), so I knew what to expect and what to watch out for. I have a good sales rep that I deal with regularly so was able to get what I felt was a good deal. 2yr contract (my choice to lock price) & free install.

I was a little disappointed by the increase in price for the static block (think I used to have 5-block for $10/mo) now at $20/mo. But from the sounds of it the limited number of avail IPs has driven this cost up across all ISP's. (long be the days of Static IP's to all by default).

Speed has been good. I'm on 16/3 now (recently area received upgrade from 12/2 to 16/3 on basic tier). I did have 22/5 (now 27/7) but found for the extra $40/mo it wasn't justified for my use.

Where choices where limited (in my office now it was either Comcast Biz (which had to have lines pulled to my suite) or AT&T DSL it was a no brainier. Of course I could have gone with a T1 or MetroE but for my price point it was limited to Cable or DSL.

Our office park is strange in that Comcast services my side but Knowledgy + Time Warner service the office accross the parking lot from me. When I was inquiring on services Knowledgy and Time Warner both said my address/suite was not serviceable and offered no option for a build out. IMO Comcast is the better choice anyway, but was shopping around.

Comments:


your comment..

Forums > comments on review of Comcast Business Class

Review by keason

member for 10.9 years, 2477 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 64 days ago

Ann Arbor,Washtenaw,MI
Business customer
$100 per month
(36 month contract)
about 7 days
"Fast, powerboost, hosted exchange accounts, static IPs, good service"
"expensive install on 1 & 2 year contracts, monthly fees for faster tiers"
"Expensive but works well"

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings match consensus)

My Other Reviews

I ordered the 22/5 service with static IPs. It took about a week after the order was accepted to installation. Comcast gave a 4 hour windows and arrived about 1 hr later than scheduled. Hint: (Don't schedule an afternoon installation if possible!) It took less than an hour for the install, most of which was spent waiting for static IP assignment. The installer carefully matched signal strength and installed a 2 way splitter for future use.

Ping times showed a different distribution than with the dynamic residential service I had previously. Pings around Chicago averaged 25-30ms, Atlanta 60ms while Michigan were closer to 70ms with west coast pings close to 100ms. Comcast employs some strange routing logic.

Speed tests were positively inconsistent with powerboost. Downloads ranged from 55-85 Mb/sec, while uploads ranged from 5-6 Mb/sec. Sustained downloads average about 24Mb/sec, slightly better than advertised.

Comcast included an DOCSIS 3.0 SMC cable modem, configured in bridge mode. A separate box is used for a telephone connection. It worked perfectly with my firewall, unlike the Motorola 5100 DOCSIS 2 modem which was provided in a previous installation.

Overall, it worked as promised with no hassles.

Update 6 Jan 2011 - Comcast credited my account $20 for the late appointment (unsolicited). The CS in business is much better than residential. So far no glitches, drop outs, or speed issues. VoIP has worked flawlessly, and the modem has remained stable.

Update 12 Jan 2011 - Had our first outage. Called at 6pm, it was fixed at 9:30am the next day. Tech was on time and professional. It turned out that a different tech had disconnected the cable at the pole

due to a residential disconnect order. The two divisions are not well coordinated. The performance difference was very noticeable compared to our ATT DSL backup - ATT constantly lagged, web pages did not load correctly, and VoIP occasionally stuttered .

Update 6 Feb 2011 - No problems or slowdowns. Speedtests have been averaging 85-95Mb down/ 5-6 Mb up at all times of the day. Sustained transfers 25Mb down/5.5Mb up.

Update 20 April 2011 - No hassles or glitches. SMC router has been very stable. Only a few momentary dropouts during the past 2 months, and no outages. Speedtests range from 15Mb/3Mb to 75Mb/6Mb depending on server used. No noticeable slowdowns during peak usage time

Update 21 May 2011 - Comcast came out again and tried to disconnect service due to a residential disconnect order. I intercepted the tech at the pole. Comcast now claims that their system is clear and it won't be disconnected again. Amazing that one outage and one near outage were caused by no communication between residential and business groups. Otherwise service working fine, powerboost still inflates speedtests. No slowdowns during peak periods.

Update 13 June 2011 - I was experiencing severe packet loss and slowdowns. Reported Sunday, was fixed on Monday. Squirrel had chewed the line.

Update 21 July 2011 - We now have upstream channel bonding. Speedtests average 80/35, and powerboost is uncapped. Uncapped powerboost is a great feature - VoIP traffic, browsing, and even some streaming services (which mostly transfer multiple small files) work very well even during long capped downloads, and we don't see much of a spike in latency when the connection is in full use.

Update 15 Jan 2012 - Well, the good stuff didn't last. Upstream bonding disappeared, Comcast started charging $7/mo for the formerly free modem (even while in contract!) , and speed is down to 15-25 down, 2-5 up on speed tests during peak hours (about 40/6 off peak). I change the 'Pre-Sale" ranking to worst as Comcast lied about the modem pricing - it was free only for the first 12 mo in a 36 mo contract! Latency is also higher during peak times. To cut costs I dropped the Static IP's and bought my own modem, and now use Dynamic DNS. Bill dropped from $127 to $100 after returning the modem and purchasing a Moto SB6120 (the only other supported modem for business class)

At least the service is still uncapped and VoIP works well. It would be nice to have the higher upstream bandwidth back.

Update 2/27/12 : Comcast added a $34 fee to switch to my own modem. They credited upon protest but acted surprised that I wouldn't pay it. Lame.

Update 6/1/12 : Comcast restored upstream bonding (4 down, 3 up) , Upstream speed tests are a little better . Used to get 80/40, then 70/8 with no bonding, now 70/12 is typical. Have had several outages but each was resolved within a few hours after calling in.

Update 2/1/13: Comcast upgraded the connection to 27/7. The increase in upload speed is much appreciated. Apart from a modem failure, connection has been pretty solid. In high use times, latency rises a bit and speed tests drop, but so far continue to exceed the 27/7 promised. Most times speed tests show around 70/30. Support has not been too helpful in diagnosing problems if you don't have their modem.

Comments:


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Forums > comments on review of Comcast Business Class

Review by Chester2

member for 12.4 years, 1081 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 66 days ago

Menlo Park,San Mateo,CA
$75 per month
(24 month contract)
about 7 days
"Fast, static IP's for my servers, Free Norton, No bandwith caps!"
"Expensive, no USENET groups"
"Worthwhile step up from DSL"

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings match consensus)

My Other Reviews

·VOIPo

·DSL EXTREME

10 years ago I had Comcast internet and really liked it but when I moved Comcast wasn't available in my new neighborhood and I had to go with DSL. For the last 9 years I've had DSLExtreme 3000/512 DSL service. I've been needing more speed and was on the fastest service DSL could provide me. Enter Comcast.

I have a home office, actually 2 since my wife also has an office in our home. I need static IPs for my servers so Comcast residential was out and I had to get Comcast Business Class. My understanding is that the business internet connection is the same as the residential connection. The difference being that you can get static IPs, there are no bandwidth caps, support is supposed to be better and you get some business goodies like free MS Outlook 2007, free webspace, free domain name.

When I made my first call to Comcast Business inquiring about service they tried a hard sell on their VOIP phone service. I was actually ready to sign up then but they got me researching VOIP services to see if theirs was worth getting. Their "deal" was $25 a month for Comcast Voice service. It's big plus is that it runs separate from your internet so that big downloads won't affect voice quality. I ended up signing with VOIPo.com for about $7.50 a month. Comcast Voice is just too expensive.

I choose their basic 12000/2000 service for $60 a month. I wrangled 5 static IPs for $10 a month and got hit with a $5 equipment rental. I paid $99 install with a 2 year contract. I could have got the install for $49 with a 3 year contract and while I will probably keep the service that long I hate being tied down, especially with all the new technologies coming down the road. I'm paying $20 a month more than I was for DSL but am getting 4x the speed!

I signed the contract on Monday and was told I'd be called to arrange installation. When no one had called by Wednesday afternoon I contacted my sales rep. and he got someone to contact me Thursday. An install appointment was made for 10-2 the following Monday.

The installer arrived Monday at noon and promptly went to work. I had already installed structured wiring (phone, ethernet, coax) that junctions in the garage. From there he tested each cable line running into the house and found one that was bad. I pulled the cable running from the wall to the TV and replaced it with one the installer cut to fit and all was well. He also determined that I didn't need the amplifier that had been installed in an attempt to fix a weak signal years ago. One less thing to be plugged in made me happy. I was given a SMCD3G Docsis 3 router/modem. I was glad to get this as most people with 12/2 service get a lesser model. The installer told me that they try and use the Docsis 3 modem on all installs even though they are not suppose to. The installer changed the hardware on both ends of the drop, at the house and on the pole. He also installed a little note on the line telling residential technitions not to disconnect the line as it has business service on it. I found it amusing that when he called Comcast to get my static IPs he was on hold waiting for an operator for quite some time. What does that say for priority business support? Once the modem was up and running the installer showed me all the line readings and did a speed test and showed the speeds with and without Powerboost. He handed me a sheet of paper with my network settings and was off. No mention was made of setting up any of my network. Once the Comcast modem/router working the rest is up to you. No residential hand holding here. Fine by me but some people may be surprised when the installer leaves without connecting their computer.

I've only been using the service for 3 days so far but the speed increase is very, VERY noticeable. I'm very happy. Plus, I am at the lowest speed tier. All I have to do is make a phone call and mail a bigger check for more speed. Until now I've been paying $60 a year for 3 Norton licenses. With Comcast Business I get 25 copies of Norton so that saves me $5 a month. I also get a free domain name and some web space which I will do some thing with.

So far I am very happy with my new Comcast service. I'll post updates if I have to use support for anything.

-- UPDATE 9-8-2011 --

I've had the service a little over a week now and the main thing I have to say is, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" Speeds are as advertised even when PowerBoost is taken out of the equation. PowerBoost does skew the most of the speed test results.

»www.speedtest.net/result/1472885855.png

»www.pingtest.net/result/46584646.png

Beyond being faster everything seems snappier. I click and bang web pages appear without the hesitation that I had with my DSL service. From pages on the web to my routers config. page, all are much quicker to load. It's not DNS because I've always used OpenDNS. I like it.

I've installed the Norton Business Suite on all my computers. It is a re-branded Norton 360 that comes with all the features of 360 except the cloud backup storage. You can still use the backup feature you just have to do it to a local disk. The software has many more features than the Norton Internet Security retail version I had been using. Upgrading was a piece of cake in that Norton gives you the option of saving all your settings when you uninstall their software so that they can be used when installing the Business Suite software.

Comcast gave me a welcome packet with a stack of business cards with their 1-800 support number on them. I taped them to all my computer equipment but haven't had reason to call yet. So far the service just works. I keep looking for things to complain about but can't find any. I should have something to complain about it is Comcast after all.

One place the service comes up short is Usenet access. Every ISP I've had in the past has included Usenet access. Comcast doesn't. I did find a free Usenet service that is almost as good as the one provided by my last ISP so I won't bitch too much about Comcast not offering it.

-- UPDATE 1-31-2013 --

I've had my Business Class Internet for well over a year now and am still quite happy. A few months ago Comcast upgraded the speed from 12/2 to 16/3. My speed tests show that I am actually getting almost 20/4 speeds. I'm very happy with the speed I'm getting for the price.

I move lots of data and it is nice to not worry about bandwidth caps. What they are and/or if they are enforced or coming back.

I've read a number of bad reviews of the Comcast Business Class service because the people state that they didn't know they were locked into a contract that is expensive to get out of. My contract had varying installation fees depending on the length of contract you signed. You want a free install your locked in for 3 years. I don't know how you could miss that.

Unless something dramatically changes I'm planning on sticking with Comcast after my contract runs out.

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Review by evmoy15

member for 66 days, 13 visits, last login: 31 days ago
updated 66 days ago

Federal Way,King,WA
$95 per month
(24 month contract)
about 17 days
"Reliable, speed is alright, only one on my tap so no congestion."
"sales rep was slow in getting my appt set up"
"Good reliable service, phone is crystal clear."

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings match consensus)

My Other Reviews

·CenturyLink

I moved from Eastern Washington to the Seattle area and needed an internet connection. I had Comcast business previously, and save for some crappy SMC 8014 modems, it was rock solid. I gave them a call and they offered the starter 12/2 internet and phone service for 99$ a month and they would waive the $300~ install fee. The Sales rep did not mention the ETF, but I digress.

Now. Getting the service installed was a nightmare. I was supposed to get a callback in a day or two. Never happened. Sales rep ignored my calls and emails, save for one saying I would be called.

There was about 2 weeks to get it installed. Once the date was set it was great. The installers were very knowledgeable and professional, and were willing to work with my odd setup. (5th wheel trailer). They ran a new drop from the tap of the park, and installed the SMC 8014 modem and Arris EMTA, testing the speed. I am getting over my package because I am the only Comcast user on the node for my 300+ space park, maxing the 8014 at 20/5 at times.

The initial price was 99.95 a month, but Comcast offered me a 5$ discount when Verizon talked of rolling FiOS. I will be upgrading to the 27/7 plan very soon, and expect to see speeds up to 50/5, as I did on that plan with the D3G in eastern wa. The service has had one 2 hour downtime, and Comcast called me to let me know.

I use this as my primary connection in conjuction with a CenturyLink DSL connection, with a Firebox 550X hardware firewall, and it works great.

The Comcast DV has been great as well with the Visual VM, dial up modems sync great and fax works awesome.

My only gripe is the online billing system. It uses the xfinity site, and the Comcast biz portal and xfinity login are different.

Comcast also has no complaints of my usage or my hosting.

I will post a speedtest later this evening.

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Review by blamblam

member for 69 days, 2 visits, last login: 64 days ago
lodged 69 days ago

Concord,Contra Costa,CA
Business customer
Contract price not specified.
"you get internet"
"turn it off? not so fast. for 60 days you still have to pay"
"AVOID... It is pretty much a scam."

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings below consensus)

BEWARE

When you sign the agreement, there is a link to a web site. So they say you are agreeing to what is on the paper you are signing *AND* whatever they have or put on the web page (how is this legal to have a contract be something as changeable as a web page?)

So then when you call up to cancel, they say "GOTCHA!!! WE ARE GOING TO CHARGE YOU FOR 60 DAYS!!!" and you say "Wha?" and they say "BECAUSE YOU SIGNED!!! YOU SIGNED!!! and you say "This simple document that says you are going to turn on service?" and they says "HA HA HA HA... you missed the web page link!!! It is 20 pages of stuff that is not actually in the contract you signed, but is on a web page!!! HA HA HA!!! SO PAY US FOR 60 DAYS".. and you say "But my service is off, how are you charging me for it?" and they say "HA HA HA HA HA"

Avoid Comcast Business Class... should be called Nigerian Business Class.

Comments:

tkdslr

join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL

Reviews:

·T-Mobile US

·Speakeasy

1 edit

RE: Beware... Comcast Business...

This theme seams to repeat.. over and over again..

Getting nailed for just 60 days, which isn't as bad as it was before.. A couple of years ago, it was 75% of the outstanding contract terms.. for zero/nada service.

Here's what happened when I tried to get Comcast Business to live up to their verbal promises (about an undefined "specific performance" guarantee).

»[Business] Commercial Users.. Beware Comcast's hidden contract t

oh.. be sure to check out the terms of service when you signed up.. Those are the terms you agreed to.. anything else changed later is not enforceable in court..

»business.comcast.com/smb/terms-c···ve/.aspx

permalink · 2013-01-28 15:50:00 · Print ·

blamblam

join:2013-01-28

Reviews:

Re: RE: Beware... Comcast Business...

Something like a disconnect charge, that Comcast can cancel a service but they are going to still charge you for it, should be on the document you sign, not buried in a link on a web page.

Plus, the link that is on the contract you sign, doesn't even have the 60 text on it. That is another document that is linked to from that link. I'm not even sure a link to a page that then has another link to a totally different document is really part of a legal contract.

The fact is, they just need to be honest with people and not hide the fact that they are going to continue to take your money 60 days after you canceled. There just is no reason for it and I'm amazed it is legal.

Imagine if you switched electric companies and the previous company kept on billing you? Never would happen. How is this allowed to?

permalink · 2013-01-29 09:50:56 · Print ·

calibax join:2000-12-08 Sunnyvale, CA Reviews: ·Comcast Business..	Dumb, just dumb You really need to read stuff before you sign it. Really. Or get someone you trust to read it and look for problems. Companies don't write contracts for YOUR benefit. You have nobody but yourself to blame if you agreed to a contract and didn't read it and all the stuff it incorporates by reference. No sympathy at all.
	permalink · 2013-04-05 13:33:30 · ·

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Forums > comments on review of Comcast Business Class

Review by calibax

member for 12.3 years, 446 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
lodged 98 days ago

Sunnyvale,Santa Clara,CA
Business customer
$155 per month
(36 month contract)
about 5 days
"Easy to order, trivial install, speeds generally in excess of promised"
"Nothing"
"Excellent service at a reasonable price"

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings above consensus)

I switched to Comcast Business Class about 10 months ago. I have a nominal 27/7 mb connection with a /29 static CIDR block. The quoted monthly cost also includes telephone service. I generally get data speeds higher than contracted (sometimes much higher).

Both the internet and telephone connections have been almost rock solid. Nagios has reported 4 outages in the 10 months of service, all between 5 and 15 minutes. This is substantially better than my experience than my previous service. I'm able to specify reverse DNS info for my web facing systems. Inbound and outbound VPNs are solid. There are no restrictions on running servers and no data caps (at least nobody has contacted me about either issue). On the few occasions I've needed support I've had excellent help from knowledgeable techs based in the USA.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with my data connection and the support provided by Comcast.

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Review by I2C

member for 180 days, 0 visits, last login: 180 days ago
lodged 180 days ago

Charleston,Berkeley,SC
Business customer
$77 per month
(36 month contract)
"Internet Connection Once Set Up Worked Fine"
"Pre-Sales Agent Did Not Disclose Contract Terms Over The Phone"
"READ the FINE Print - Recommend Using Another Company"

Pre Sales information:

Install Co-ordination:

Connection Reliability:

Tech Support:

Services:

Value for money:

(ratings well below consensus)

If you're even thinking of signing on with Comcast Business Class, don't allow yourself to be swindled with a 3 year contract. I signed up with a Comcast Business sales agent and only needed internet for six months and when I went to disconnect was told I had to pay a $1,700 disconnect fee. The sales agent had put in fine print within the electronic Docusign contract 36 months. Not once did the sales agent ever disclose over the phone a disconnect charge or that I would be signing on for a three year contract. I'm still disputing the illegality of the charge. To say the least, I've lost all trust and confidence in Comcast Business Class and will never use or recommend their services to another business.

Comments:

wirelessdog join:2008-07-15 Queen Anne, MD kudos:1	Contract Why would you sign a contract before reading it?
	permalink · 2012-10-09 19:43:51 · ·

Chester2 join:2000-10-17 Menlo Park, CA Reviews: ·Comcast Business.. ·VOIPo ·DSL EXTREME	Contract Length Comcast is very upfront about the length of the contracts. They offer 1, 2 and 3 year options. Your "disconnect" fee is the balance of the 3-year contract you signed up for. You can move your service to another location without breaking your contract. -- Craig »CraigHarris.org My BLOG on Motorcycles, Computer Stuff & Deals.
	permalink · 2012-10-11 19:10:08 · ·

Raven @spcsdns.net	Comcast contracts Im a former sales rep for Comcast and if I had a dollar for Every contract I put in for 3 yrs without Telling the customer - id be a very wealthy Man !
	permalink · 2012-10-19 22:39:53 · ·

calibax

join:2000-12-08
Sunnyvale, CA

Reviews:

No Sympathy at all

Contracts are important. Companies write them to favor themselves, not their customers, and you have to read them as an adversarial documents.

Unfortunately there are far too many long and complex agreements out there, particularly on the web, and most people can't be bothered to read them. But if there's some serious money involved you have to know what you are agreeing to do (or not do) so you have to spend the time to understand what's in the agreement. In this case, a casual reading of the agreement shows the length of the contract (I signed one after reading it).

I guess it's like doing backups - a precaution against something unexpected. Many people think backups are an unnecessary overhead and don't realize their value until they lose something important. Likewise, many people don't read legal agreements until they have a contract go wrong. In both cases, there's no substitute for experience.

permalink · 2012-12-30 16:12:56 · Print ·

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Forums > comments on review of Comcast Business Class