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Review by TehGayGeek See Profile

  • Location: Tucker, Dekalb, GA, USA
  • Cost: $125 per month
  • Install: about 90 days
Better picture, more channel choices, cheaper, watch/record 4 channels, watch recorded shows on any tv
Missing some channel guide features (Minor)
Best switch we made

We switched to U-Verse end of Oct. 2009. Installer was prompt, courteous, clean and answered ALL our questions. Install took approx. 4 hours. Our TV picture is clearer in both SD and HD. Our prior provider, Comcast, had a ton of pixalation and artifact on HD.

Initially our internet was slow. We were suppose to have 6 down/1 up, but were only getting 1.4 down/1 up. After a painless online chat with customer service this was remedied and we have had consistent speeds, never going below 5.75 down/95 up.

The ability to watch/record up to 4 channels at once, record from any tv and playback on any tv are HUGE plusses.

We do miss some of the channel guide features we had such as reminder(ATT supposedly working on it) and certain search functions, but these are very minor.

Our cost is approximately $20/month cheaper as well.

This was a great decision for us. The only regret we have is we didn't do it sooner!

member for 21.4 years, 4042 visits, last login: 1 day ago
lodged 14.1 years ago

dolmar4
join:2004-01-16
Beverly Hills, CA

dolmar4

Member

Left out some Key facts

You can record 4 channels at 1x with a limitation of either 1 or 2 HD channels max depending on distance from Vrad currently and you can not watch more than a total of 4 streams in your whole household with the same limitation unlike both Direct and Dish network DVR which allow you to record 4 channels each at 1x with all 4 being HD channels and you are only limited by independent streams by the number of boxes you have.

I am not knocking U-Verse just saying you should have mentioned that limitation when saying you like the ability their DVR can record 4 channels at once. When I order U-Verse that fact was not mentioned at all by the sleaze door to door salesman and I was not aware of it till the installer told me before my installation. As he saw I order 3 extra boxes and when he arrived and noticed I had all HD TV and was with Dish Network currently.

If the current 4 streams per household is not an issue at or works with your current TV viewing habits and the current max 2 HD streams per household is not issue either them U-Verse is a viable options but people with more than 1 HD TV or more than 1 person in the household might find the current limitation unacceptable.

MinATL
@sbcglobal.net

MinATL

Anon

Agree with reply above - simultaneous HD viewing not explain

I've been on Uverse 200 package for about 1 month now - it's (almost) exactly what i thought it would be... I do have better SD picture quality, love the multi-room DVR, no issues so far with Internet or phone.

BUT...it was never made clear that the simultaneous HD viewing had limitations of any sort. It's almost never a problem for me, since i only 3 HDTV's and in most situations only have a max of 2 of them on. But frequently i'll have 2 TV's off and go to my 3rd TV, flip to an HD channel and get the "all HD are in use - choose another program or interrupt a TV". Pretty annoying - mainly because i wasn't really made aware - but also because i'm still not clear on which other TV's (or ATT boxes) are using the HD signal since i'm not watching the other TVs. I'm sure i could figure it out - but it's not been a priority.

Just be aware. Other than that - i love my Uverse and it's cheaper too. Especially with the $400 triple play cash back offer.
dolmar4
join:2004-01-16
Beverly Hills, CA

dolmar4

Member

Re: Agree with reply above - simultaneous HD viewing not explain

If you are recording something in HD on your DVR that counts towards the 2HD stream limit.

Review by BearTracker See Profile

  • Location: Ypsilanti, Washtenaw, MI, USA
  • Cost: $134 per month
  • Install: about 7 days
Service seems very reliable, install techs did a good job
nothing really at this point
it is doing its job and doing it well.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

Had AT&T DSL (3.0) and phone service and had been debating a bit on switching up to uverse. Got a call from AT&T and finally gave in to the pitch. Got same DSL package (3.0), unlimited voice and the u200 package. Like the phone features alot and television is working well. So far, so good.

Installation went well, though they had to call another tech to fix something on the box for our connection, but they got it done in the same day.

After 2 weeks, not seeing any errors, I was looking at the modem stats, and noticed that the errors seemed high (in the millions for corrected and in the 100k for uncorrected), but I wasn't sure what was normal. After looking at another post in the forum, I decided to drop a note to uversecares and ask them their opinion (that was on a Friday). Preston from uversecares answered my note and did some testing. On Monday (holiday weekend and I know they are busy), I sent a note to him asking what the status was. He asked me when I was available to be home and setup a dispatch for that day. Tech came out and after looking things over, we rerouted the homerun to the RG to route it away from some lights. He also checked the setup at the box and cleaned up some of the wiring. After that, monitoring of the errors seemed to show it was cleaner.

Happy with the service.

member for 19.5 years, 528 visits, last login: 12.9 years ago
lodged 14.1 years ago


Review by topherv See Profile

  • Location: Marietta, Cobb, GA, USA
  • Cost: $98 per month
Nothing Yet
Installation has fell through twice
Still waiting for AT&T to get their act together
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:

I decided to make the switch from Comcast to AT&T for monthly savings and DVR functionality. I am starting to think there is some some strange force telling me not to switch.

- My first install was scheduled for Dec. 30th 1PM-3PM. The tech shows up at 5:45 and spends 20 minutes outside to tell me there is not enough signal at the house. I even asked before scheduling if my house would be tested prior to install to make sure this would not be a problem, and I was told that they would. His plan was to grab dinner and be back once the lines were fixed (yea right). Never heard from him again.

- I gave AT&T 1.5 days to reach out to me to address the issue (it would have been nice for a call). I finally had to call them to make sure the installation was canceled and I was not charged. They ended up talking me into a free month, and I was assured that the issue was resolved at the house.

- I went ahead and scheduled another install for Jan. 7th (this time from 9-11AM)...lo and behold-no call, no show. I called that afternoon to figure out what was going on and the response was "our system has automatically canceled the installation because of line work needed to be done before installation. I can assure you the work has been completed by now and we are ready for install."

I have never experienced a company so incompetent through the sales process. If installation requires this much hassle, I would hate to experience their customer service for existing customers.

THIRD ATTEMPT = another failed install. Rescheduled once again, missed appointment once again. I am done with this company.

member for 14.2 years, 3 visits, last login: 14.1 years ago
updated 14.1 years ago

brand1999
join:2008-09-28
Bakersfield, CA

brand1999

Member

Talk to a superviser

When you call AT&T, ask to speak with a superviser and get thier name. Then describe the problem you are having. They may even give you a better rate for your trouble. :]
xchpstang5
join:2007-05-20
Turlock, CA

xchpstang5

Member

I thought Charter installers were bad...

I had the exact same experiences as Uverse installers could care less about your time. If you have Comcast as an option I would go back to them. I may make the move back to cable as I've had enough of their junk TV service.

Atlanta User
@fhlbatl.com

Atlanta User

Anon

My AT&T guys do a better job

Maybe the country air is better over here in Alpharetta, but my AT&T techs show up on time, are VERY courteous and helpful, and do the job right. I had a DSL issue and the guy knew what he was doing and solved the problem the first time. I'm upgrading to Uverse and my only concern is that they might trip over my DirecTV dish near my power meter . Of course I may let them have the pleasure of hauling the dish out attached to their truck bumper.

Review by Lighting Guy See Profile

  • Location: Berea, Cuyahoga, OH, USA
  • Cost: $117 per month
  • Install: about 14 days
Good all around service/ideas
Limitations for FTTP because of FTTN
Its a growing service, it can only get better!
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

This service was installed Aug '09, just writing the review now in Jan '10. I currently have U300 with Max 12 internet, which I will drop both down if the "price isn't right" after their promotions are up.

Built a new house in a newer development (street is less then 2 years old at the time I think). Because of this we are Fiber to the Premises (FTTP). I was thrilled about this, and hoping this neighborhood would be able to support Uverse. Where I moved from it was TWC, and TWC only to provide cable and internet. Only had their very basic lifeline cable, and lame internet, which was pretty lousy. HD was pretty good though via clear QAM.

Our sales people/builder had a contact name for ATT right here, so I called him. He actually set us up with a commissioned salesman, and we met and ordered the service. They were able to come that weekend (about 4 days out I think), but we wouldn't close for 13 days, so we scheduled it for 14 days out. About 3 days later I got a call confirming my appointment for the 4 days out from order install. I said no, it was never that date, it should be the following weekend. Ok, my mistake the guy on the phone says. Then the real reason he called, he offers me the next higher internet (elite) and TV package (U300) for free for 6 months. I say sure. Zooming ahead real quick that discount ended up discrediting some of my $250 of rewards I had coming to me. After I waited the 4-6 weeks with service and nothing appeared, I called, and got it taken care of pretty painlessly. In fact, I think I came out ahead a little bit with credits, rewards, etc.

The day before the install I guess a "line tech" came out and ran the fiber from the curb to the ONT he installed. Didn't trench the cable, but I noticed on every house after mine that had ATT, they didn't trench that fiber either. I had my builder do it. My house was pre-wired in every room I would need a tv/wired computer for Cat5e. This made the installers job cake. He called ahead on day of install, and arrived well within the 2 hour timeframe. I've been reading how nice and friendly everyone's prem tech's have been, so was really looking forward to " talking shop" with him as I went along the install with him. The exact opposite. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't friendly either, and seemed to be bothered by me kind of following him around confirming things. Since it was so long ago I can't be sure, but he was probably there for about 3-4 hours, because he had to wait for an i and r tech to come install the ONT power supply inside. Why he didn't knock on the door the day before when they ran the fiber is beyond me, as my wife was home all day.

Service was up and running on all tvs and computers. About a week or so in, my wireless on my laptop just plain sucked. If it would load speedtest sites, I would get less then 1 down, but up was always the advertised 1 (.97ish).

I contacted Matt off these forums (so glad I found these forums pre-uverse), and we were on the phone for about 30 minutes trying to fix it, he determined it was the RG, he scheduled a tech to come out the next day. Great.

He replaced the RG, wireless is now good! I also commented on the occassional freeze/macroblocking on the tv, and he noticed that the DVR was hooked up coax. There was Cat5e there, but it was being used for the Xbox360, and I guess there was no way my first prem tech would just throw a switch in there for me. This second tech was different, and put a switch there, clearly all for Cat5 over coax for this service. I was happy; I actually moved the 8 port switch he left me into my basement where my RG is and now all my data cables are plugged into my RG, and threw an old router with everything disabled (read, switch) into my entertainment center for the DVR and Xbox.

Now after about 6 months, I'm still happy with the service, however this 2HD limit is starting to get to us (mostly me, wife doesn't care if its HD or not, haha) There was only two of us there, but if we are recording one or two things, only one or neither of us can watch HD then. We've also started getting some freezing showing up again, but I'm ignoring that since I haven't seen it for a few days, unless it comes back. I really wish that ATT would create a different "service" for us FTTPer's, because I would love to use at least more of the fiber's potential. The only plus so far is unless the fiber is actually broked outside, any problems have to be inside the house (and so far have just been ATT hardware). I don't even want higher internet speeds, but I would love more HD streams, and less compression. Then this service would get an A++ from me.

If you have any more questions just ask, I'm sure I didn't include everything!

member for 14.6 years, 151 visits, last login: 12.5 years ago
updated 14.2 years ago


trekker ed
@bellsouth.net

trekker ed

Anon

Clear QAM

Glad to know that AT&T UVerse is working for you, but can you use Clear QAM with their service?

ILpt4U
Premium Member
join:2006-11-12
Saint Louis, MO
ARRIS TM822
Asus RT-N66

ILpt4U

Premium Member

Re: Clear QAM

There is no QAM, so there is no Clear QAM

The TV Streams are Switched Digital Video delivered as IP Packets aka IPTV

Each TV needs a STB running Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software to decode those IP packets & render them to a viewable Stream of Video

Marine1775
@sbcglobal.net

Marine1775

Anon

router

how is the range on the router?

Lighting Guy
join:2009-07-24
Berea, OH

Lighting Guy

Member

Re: router

I don't know how to put a number on it, but my RG lives in my basement, and I can get at least 2 bars on my laptop up in my bedroom on the second floor. My iPod Touch also gets a constant signal in my bedroom, as well as outside in my driveway. Hope that helps.

Marine1775
@sbcglobal.net

Marine1775

Anon

Re: router

it does, thanks

Review by clnupman See Profile

  • Location: Chicago, Cook, IL, USA
  • Cost: $120 per month
Sound technology, picture clarity, great internet speed
Poor(at best) installation coordination efforts/tech willingness to
Good product; terrible, laughable-even, installation/dispatch service and efforts
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

I've been an AT&T customer for more than 10 years now, with a one-year break in-between back when Sprint/MCI offered home DSL service. I recently converted from a home phone, DSL, Dish package to the digital phone/Internet/U300 U-Verse bundle. So far, I've been in contact with 10+ CSRs, 2 Billing Reps, 1 Supervisor, and 8 different install/line techs for this conversion order! A "very heart-felt" letter is in progress and will be sent to Corp regarding their lack of competency with install coordination efforts and overall customer service.

Original installation date was 12/28/09. Tech1 showed up to begin, but couldn't complete due to lack of signal to the premises. He setup a dedicated phone/DSL box and coax connection for the service; cutting some work for the next tech. A ticket was entered for a line tech to come out to correct this(RG out of band was the note on the ticket). Figured this wasn't that big of a deal at first. Family and I were scheduled to head, not far, out of town for the next 3 days; we were under the assumption this would be done in one(silly me for thinking this!). NOTE: with every new order, a disconnect order is entered to sever previous services.

En route back home on Thurs, New Year's Eve, I phoned the company and checked the automated system for the status of our trouble ticket; it was said to be completed successfully, but another technician still needed to come out to complete the installation; this was scheduled for 1/5/10. In the meantime, I figured I would survive since we still had our previous services--WRONG(somewhat)! Phone and DSL were disconnected, partially. I could dial out, but not receive calls because the number wasn't ported over yet(why is beyond me since the service is by the same provider). DSL was disconnected at the CO. Phoned in about this and another trouble ticket had to be entered for this to get resolved. Tech (tech3) came out New Year's Day and noted that everything was fine at the premises, but told this to my wife over the phone instead of knocking on the door to tell me and I was at home before he left. Called Repair only to have ANOTHER trouble ticket entered. Keep in mind this is the holiday weekend also. First helpful tech(number 4 at this point) came on Sat, Jan 2 and made sure he checked every related piece of equipment in the area before stating what was wrong. Problem was at the CO; they needed to reconnect me there for DSL, but this wouldn't occur until Mon, Jan 4. This was really pointless since the UVerse tech would be out on Jan 5 to complete the install, but it was put through anyway.

1/4/10--DSL still not restored and phone service was never restored properly.

1/5/10--UVerse tech(tech5) arrives to only perform 2/3 of install as the phone wasn't completely done. I must commend him also because the signal-to-premises issue STILL wasn't completed. He found the issue and made the connection from the line/terminal to my home; finally, someone that will go beyond his level of responsibility to help a customer! Trouble ticket entered to resolve. As of that day, I had the TV and Internet going. Pleased with it.

The next few days, I wrestled with Repair, CSRs and Level 2/3 support to figure out what was so hard about the number being ported over. Instead of making this a priority, I was tossed to the next available port-over date, which was 1/13. Some billing credits were given to compensate for the mishaps, but it's not enough and we're not done yet.

1/13/10--Tech6 notes port-over completion b/w 1-3pm time window. I get home, not only to find the phone not working, but the TV and Internet are down now. Several reset attempts on the RG proved useless. They suggested it had to be replaced since it couldn't be contacted by them. However, the admin/mdc web interface on the RG shows "DSL signal not found" on the Broadband Link/Diagnostics page--hmmm?!?! A couple of personal days and vacation days have been used thus far and another tech had to be deployed.

1/14/10(today)--Tech7 was supposed to be out b/w 8-12pm. While gathering all Dish equipment to be sent back, I noticed an AT&T truck outside a few doors down from me. Figured he/she was out servicing another customer, so I didn't go to the truck. Called to check status of appt an hour later only to find that my tech WAS that guy and he, supposedly, knocked on the door and no one answered. Everyone involved with this mishap knew to have any tech contact my cell phone because the home phone WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM! He couldn't route back so they prioritized my appt in the 12-4pm time window; know where this prioritization got me? Several afternoon techs were "behind schedule", but Tech8 would definitely make it to me tonight to resolve.

In closing, it is now 10pm CST and no technician has arrived. Called Repair and they got with Dispatch only to find that no other jobs would be serviced this evening and I needed to have another appt scheduled. I told the Repair rep to hold off on that and to make sure a supervisor(or higher) speaks to my wife and I tomorrow to determine what will be done to help retain our business, if that's even an option now. Thanks AT&T for letting me know just how valuable my 10+ years of service and dedication, to YOUR products, has meant to you!

member for 21.7 years, 72 visits, last login: 4.5 years ago
updated 14.2 years ago


David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

We can work on this if you wish...

Can you post the details in the direct forum?

»AT&T Direct

clnupman
join:2002-06-28
Chicago, IL

clnupman

Member

Re: We can work on this if you wish...

Doing so now. I just got a call from dispatch about the reschedule also. They'll be out tomorrow morning from the 8-noon window; first ticket to go out. But I was told that yesterday also.

bdshumate
@mycingular.net

bdshumate

Anon

Re: We can work on this if you wish...

Interested to see how this turned out for you. I am having the EXACT same issue. Except at first I could not dial out for a week (they hooked it up wrong on side of the house). Now I can call out but not receive.

UGH! Mine has been.....
2 weeks, 1-1/2 days off work, 10 hours on the phone/Computer with tech support. PLUS.... I originally signed up for the package (TV, Internet, VOIP) which had a $300 VISA card rebate offer. They couldn't do the VOIP on the day of the INternet/TV install because of "porting issues" (which I too think is lame since I was with AT&T land). They moved the VOIP to a new order (so they could "look good" on their metrics for installing the Internet and TV order. By doing this, it negated teh package deal. My rebate was only $200 and they have a charge of $149 on my bill for the VOIP (which is still not working yet). I told them to correct both or they can rip it all out! They said they would. We will see. I actually like U-verse TV pic quality and internet service is fine. It's just this VOIP Install and the billing issue.

clnupman
join:2002-06-28
Chicago, IL

clnupman

Member

Re: We can work on this if you wish...

So far, service has returned to normal, but the Voice Provisioning was not completed correctly; issues were due to porting and provisioning and have been escalated to the network guys. 98% of issues have been corrected so far.

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David to bdshumate

Premium Member

to bdshumate
We can work on yours too.

clnupman
join:2002-06-28
Chicago, IL

clnupman to David

Member

to David
All matters have been resolved as of 1/18/10. Now, I need to speak with Billing about compensation for everything gone wrong.
sativa7
join:2009-10-23
Beloit, WI

sativa7

Member

Re: We can work on this if you wish...

att sent me a fat check for half month services after my phone/dsl was disconnected switching over to u-verse. been very happy since, looking forward to negotiating new deal feb. when promo expires

Review by ChrisPC2 See Profile

  • Location: Hermitage, Davidson, TN, USA
  • Cost: $150 per month
  • Install: about 8 days
Lower price, lots of HD, no contracts
Limited area, extra house wiring
Much cheaper than cable
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

U-verse finally rolled out in my neighborhood, and I ordered 3MB internet, unlimited long distance, and the U200 TV package. It took a couple of days, but my appointment finally showed up on their website. It was scheduled for 8 days later.

The installer showed up on time, and called first. He was very polite, and answered all my questions. About 3 hours later, he was finished. Everything was very neat and clean.

The TV service is good; the HD compression is a little worse than DirecTV, but much better than cable. Using the component output provides a slightly better picture than the HDMI output. The receivers are very fast, though. The channel selection is equal to DirecTV, if not better in some ways.

The phone service sounds very good, and is in fact louder than my old analog line. The internet and wireless works very well, and seems to be faster than my old DSL line, even though it's the same speed. The 2Wire gateway provides a very good signal, and has no problems with my network.

member for 22.1 years, 517 visits, last login: 13.8 years ago
lodged 14.2 years ago


Review by enichols See Profile

  • Location: Muncie, Delaware, IN, USA
  • Cost Contract price not specified.
Everything: Superior TV...Broadband is excellent.
Can't find any yet. We went online with U-verse in October, 2009.
Not expensive for what you get. Cheaper than Comcast and Dish Network together which is what we had for many years.

We find AT&T U-verse the best offering for all services. (We do not have their VoIP, we use Vonage.) We had satellite TV from 1994. The digital picture was always clear, but the U-verse picture is even clearer. U-verse is not subject to the weather and their Net is only as expensive as you want it to be! All-in-all AT&T U-verse is fantastic for us. We live in Muncie, Indiana.

member for 19.8 years, 787 visits, last login: 8 years ago
lodged 14.2 years ago







Review by gregshap See Profile

  • Location: Austin, Travis, TX, USA
  • Cost: $80 per month
  • Install: about 5 days
Cheaper, Faster than Time Wornout
had it three days with three service calls.
Lets wait and see.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

I left TM for U-Curse service because of pricing, speed and curiousity. I have had it three days and everyday a technician has been here. Not that I don't like having company, but if you are going to send someone over everyday to get it right, please send a chick next time ! I will update after I see how it goes. But so far I haven't "cut the cable".

Ok, 2 weeks in and the service has been fairly stable. The only "Gotcha" is that they don't tell you that port 25 is blocked by default. That made my email servers dead for a few days as far as sending mail. The problem is that its not in the modem where its blocked, its at the ISP so I couldn't see it. They say they will remove the block,....lets see.

member for 23.3 years, 430 visits, last login: 4.7 years ago
updated 14.2 years ago


ATTrelative
@pacbell.net

ATTrelative

Anon

U-verse marketing and availability

AT&T keeps offering u-Verse in my area. I think it would be a good service IF it were available.

Since late summer, I have scheduled 4 installers and have suffered thru no-shows and equipment malfunctions.

The last installer plainly admitted that the signal is not strong enough to support more than the phone and 2 TVs at my location.

I am giving up and looking at Comcast.

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

You can also let matt know

just contact the direct forum as well. mmay149q See Profile can get it unblocked but it's a 2 party effort (you and him) because you have to reboot the RG in order for it to take effect.

Review by gto4ben1 See Profile

  • Location: Torrance, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $45 per month (6 month contract)
  • Install: about 10 days
Solid Sync. Straightforward installation. Able to keep same eMails
RG's slightly higher power consumption = higher electrical bill
A good value for the same or higher bandwidth
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

Uverse Internet is working much better than my previous ATT ADSL service. I ordered the 18/2 and I am getting the maximum rate they are advertising. It is stable with plenty of noise margin and hold sync tighter than a Gila Monster on your finger.

The installation took the whole day. The morning was occupied with the new modem replacement and outside wiring upgrade. The modem is 2.5 times BIGGER since there are more electronics for the triple play ATT wants to sell (voice, TV, internet). The 2-wire 3800HGV Residential Gateway (RG) power draw at the power supply was rated at 12V @ 2.9A which is a little more than the previous 12V @ 2A drawn by the 2-wire 2701HG-B. No coax needed to be installed since the RG can use either coax or POTs on the WAN side so it was an easy install. I already had CAT-5 wiring from the NID to the modem location.

The outside POTS wiring upgrade consisted of replacing a straight twin pair with twisted pair. This should have been done with my previous DSL service since I needed the noise immunity.

A second technician arrived in the afternoon to remove splices on the signal path at the telephone pole's junction box. This box is made of lead back in the 30’s and required an air impact wrench to jar the 12 bolts loose, not easy when you are hanging on a telephone pole. These splices act like stubs which will cause reflections and degrade the signal. This improvement resulted in a 3 dB attenuation reduction as indicated by the RG modem’s telemetry. Why they did not do this for my previous DSL service is beyond my comprehension. It was funny that the service trucks air hose did not reach the back of the house so I volunteered my compressor.

I've had the 18/2 service now for about 1.5 months and am very satisfied. The -$10,-$10 discount online (only) for 6 months persuaded me to make the change since the net cost is only $5 more than my previous DSL Dry Loop. I may make a speed reduction when the promotion is over to keep the cost the same since my budget would be pressed to spend the normal $65 price. I heard they may be reducing this tier to $55. Perhaps there will further promotions in the future.

member for 23.5 years, 4151 visits, last login: 130 days ago
lodged 14.2 years ago


Review by jlintegra See Profile

  • Location: Bakersfield, Kern, CA, USA
  • Cost: $172 per month
  • Install: about 10 days
Price for All-in-One is really good. No contract, More channels than Cable (NFL Network)
Router/Modem is probably the worst.(Set up sub-net). HD pic is very compressed.
Overall, for most people, a really good deal. For seasoned IT Pros or A/V Pros will have to overlook some flaws for the price.
Pre Sales Information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:

Let me first state that I own a local company that specializes in home automation and A/V integration (bistec.net). I had a few clients order the service and we had some hang ups. So I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger and try this in my personal home. As I have a full IP based home automation system.(Control 4). And there are no contracts with the ATT service. I have been a Bright House customer since RoadRunner first started locally. (I was one of the first 50 in the city to get it). I have been disappointed with the TV service of BrightHouse for the past few months. Especially pertaining to the new (super slow) GUI that they implemented. So what I ordered....

Internet - Max 18 (18d/1.5u)

VOIP - 2 Lines

TV - u200

Distance from Fiber Trunk 2800 ft. (Max 3300 ft.)

Internet - It has been stated that this is the weak point and I have to agree. Coming from a Cable modem service to a form of DSL is a big jump for me. Latency is very noticeable even on the Max 18 service. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the distance from the Hub that my house is. Also the main box that they set up in the home is a 2-Wire piece of junk. The DHCP server is horrible as well as the Firewall is way too restrictive.. I ran my automation system on if for all of 2 days as it would not stream my Rhapsody or Netflix.. I then put my Cisco/Linksys RVS4000 back on as a Sub-net. And just setup the 2wire to recognize the Cisco router as a DMZ. TIP: Make sure you use the DNS address that the 2wire uses other wise you will have major problems. Also their WiFi is marginal at best. I always suggest a separate WiFi centrally mounted in the home for best coverage.

TV - Well seeing that I am a DirectTV dealer and having had cable for some time as well I can easily see that the HD is very compressed. Probly the worst picture between OTA broadcast(best), Sat(Better), Cable(Good), and IPTV(OK). But for 95% of consumers they will not notice the difference. We are on our second Main DVR box as the previous keeps loosing the picture for a few moments but the sound stays. (I have seen this before with Cable SA boxes and this is due to a bad card scalier). And now this box is starting to do the same. So I will need to call for service. The u200 is what we have now as we don't watch much TV in our house anyways. But they have more HD channels than BH especially the NFL network has been nice this past season as there were some really good Thursday Night games.

VOIP - Well I have messed with Vonage and others and this is probably just as good. Initial setup was ok but they swapped the #'s I have in the order I needed the and also forgot to turn on the caller ID. But a simple phone call to support fix those problems.

Install - Seeing how I had already put in a wired and wireless network with a Structured Wiring closet with home runs to everything, the install went fairly simple. The only hicup was the original 2Wire Modem/Router craped out right before install tec left Put a new one in and reregistered the account. And we were in business. Tech was some what knowledgeable and admitted he would like to learn more but it was a new process for him and I respect that. But for the most part I tried to stay out of the way.

Wish list:

- Let me have a Modem so I can control my own firewall. (Of course that is essentially what I turned the 2 Wire into) or dump the 2 wire to another brand like a Cisco or Netgear and make it gigabit switch.

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updated 14.2 years ago