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Review by gmar777 See Profile

  • Location: Colton, San Bernardino, CA, USA
  • Cost: $53 per month (12 month contract)
3 years of great service
over sold bandwidth
If not corrected soon I have to go to cable
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

My DSL was flawless for 3 years at 4000+kbps but recently I was slowed to 400-700 even after paying for the experts package. I was told the Redback 26 router in Irvine CA was the culprit as it was maxxed out on bandwidth. It has been a month and everytime I call they tell me to wait a little longer for new routers. My connection is so slow in the day hours it takes 1 minutes to download 1 megabyte. One would think they couls work faster to care for customers that have had there service for years.

member for 18.1 years, 26 visits, last login: 7.5 years ago
lodged 18.1 years ago

dan02
join:2004-01-28
Hacienda Heights, CA

dan02

Member

red back and exhausted router

Hi,

I'm in the same situation for more a month already... does anyone know how to do further besides calling and getting no where...? Many thanks.

BTW... the tech came over and after 3hours, he discovered that I'm on an exhausted router... and nothing being fixed yet for more than a month...

nbfree
join:1999-10-25
Los Angeles, CA

nbfree

Member

Re: red back and exhausted router

I have been in the same situation since I first signed up with the Pro package (1.5 to 3.0) back in July of 2005. I get 768 or 450 between the hours of 5:30PM and 11:00PM at night.

I finally got a tech to come out. After a few tests and calls, he told me I was on an "exhausted router". There was nothing he could do, they would be moving me with in the next few months. Well I called and asked for a refund of the Pro-package back for 8 months. It took a while but I got the credit applied to my bill.

Everyone needs to do this. You shouldn't pay for something you are not getting. Especially when they advertise speeds of 1.5 to 3.0 mbps. This is an FTC and State Attorney General issue as well.

Review by cb85282 See Profile

  • Location: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $29 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 30 days
Prices have gone down lately.
Evil privacy new policy "your personal information belongs to us"
I'd go with someone else
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

I had perfect service for 3 years... we also upgraded to the 3Mbps service, and got a consistent 2.5Mbps/350kbps up for months... and now.. all the sudden, it's HORRIBLE. There are times where I have gotten less than dialup speeds when I get home from work. I refuse to speak to anyone in India about my DSL. I call ASI direct.. even they are clueless. The tech came out..he saw exactly what I was complaining about. Speed tests anywhere from 30kbps down and 50kbps up (I actually had to connect my USB cable to my SprintPCS phone and DIAL UP to them to get online and do anything productive) to about 800-1000kbps down... and he was just clueless. He left without giving me any answers at all, and then all I get when I call them back is "you have a clean 3Mbps circuit." We were on the month-to-month agreement when we were on the Express package.. and since we've been here for years.. I decided to agree to a 12-month term when we upgraded to Pro. Now, we are getting the worst internet service. 'Bait and switch' comes to mind. They have clearly are having an issue where they are either oversold on bandwidth.. or have a problem at their end on their routers. They don't seem to want to admit it though. I will be calling them daily until my service returns to where it should be.

member for 19.1 years, 168 visits, last login: 12.8 years ago
lodged 18.2 years ago

agenthunt
join:2006-01-19
India

agenthunt

Member

Give tech support an Oppurtunity

Hi,
Completely agree to what u sayin, but have u ever given tech support an oppurtunity, doesnt matter the call lands in india or wherever it may be, the main motto is to get the issue resolved.. There many things that can be done, and the problem can be in basic settings in the Computer, like DNS or Filters and when the DSL service is upgraded from Express to Pro generally it takes about 15 days to adjust, and gradually the speed keeps on increasing.
Call tech support and surely you would not regret, just don rush and be a little co-operative. We are here to help you.
From -
Anon
A proud SBC Tech support Agent from India.
Lamerville
join:2005-10-21
Pasadena, CA

Lamerville

Member

Re: Give tech support an Oppurtunity

I have been going thru the same issue..
Going on 3+ weeks now of troubleshooting..
After 3+ years of excellent service..
I am waiting on my 2nd replacement modem..
And I fear once again this will also result in the same problems...

Cable modem here I come
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

1 recommendation

93388818 (banned) to agenthunt

Member

to agenthunt
said by agenthunt:

A proud SBC Tech support Agent from India.
Yeah right, and I'm Ed Whitacre.

Is your first name Mike?

Cat_6
join:2003-07-09
USA

Cat_6 to agenthunt

Member

to agenthunt
Well you now have confirmed what exactly has happened to me... I too call every evening whether I have an active trouble ticket or not, they too are clueless.

I Just had a data tech out last night, he was the first to actually experience my problem, the funny thing is the ASI teach called prior to coming out asking (clarifying the issue) which I thought was strange so I started taking speed readings and from the time I hung up the phone to the time the tech arrived (8 min) my speed went from 780 kbps to 1640 kbps and was climbing, fortunately I took screen shots of different speed tests from several speed sites.

He also had no real answers to why I get 2.5Mbps all through out the day and @ 4Pm things just hit the fan... He claims he had me moved to a different (new) Red back router and also checked to make sure that my profile through the router matched my dsl pipe cap (my modem says I'm connected @ 3008/512) but the actual speeds are no where near those readings during 4Pm on... He claimed that my dsl pipe cap was set correctly @ 3mbps/512kbps, but my profile through the router was still @ the express package setting... Oh joy problem found, turns out he was just blown smoke up my ass, because, though the problem still exists the slow period seems to recover around 9:30/10 O-clock rather than midnight.

Yeah, it's clear where the problem lies, hopefully this is just a temporary situation as they (SBC & AT&T) intermingle and expand their network to accommodate the influx of new customers just recently.

ftthz
If love can kill hate can also save
join:2005-10-17

ftthz

Member

...

feels like cable with peak hrs at times

Cat_6
join:2003-07-09
USA

Cat_6

Member

Re: ...

said by ftthz:

feels like cable with peak hrs at times
Yeah, that thought went through my mind, "are they sharing my DSL service?" I even asked ASI that very question, and was assured that can't happen, not completely convinced of that.

My speed slowed again tonight, but not as bad, lowest reading I got was 1431 on the down, upload seems to be fine. Started around 7:30 PM and just recovered @ 10:45 PM

There is definitely a huge overhead occurring around theses times, I suspect a lot of on-line gaming!... Tech assured me this shouldn't effect my throughput since I have a dedicated pipeline into the system... His words, not mind.

I did see some improvement from their effort though, I stayed pretty much @ around 2495-2341 Mbps down and 438-322 up from 8AM to 7:30Pm, which is an improvement from what it has been, but no excuse for the extreme slow down period.
dslguy45
Premium Member
join:2002-08-26
Jackson, MO

dslguy45 to Cat_6

Premium Member

to Cat_6

Re: Give tech support an Oppurtunity

When the tech was out, did he check for T1, daml or other interferes on the line? Also did he do any packet loss testing on the line? Are you on a RT or Co dslam?
cb85282
join:2005-02-10
Tempe, AZ

cb85282 to agenthunt

Member

to agenthunt
said by agenthunt:

Hi,
Completely agree to what u sayin, but have u ever given tech support an oppurtunity, doesnt matter the call lands in india or wherever it may be, the main motto is to get the issue resolved.. There many things that can be done, and the problem can be in basic settings in the Computer, like DNS or Filters and when the DSL service is upgraded from Express to Pro generally it takes about 15 days to adjust, and gradually the speed keeps on increasing.
Call tech support and surely you would not regret, just don rush and be a little co-operative. We are here to help you.
From -
Anon
A proud SBC Tech support Agent from India.
What you have just typed here, is exactly why I won't talk to you fools in India. Did you not read? I said I have had Pro for MONTHS with solid 2.5Mbps/300kbps throughput. So that 15 days for speed to adjust crap you just said is worthless. The last thing I am going to do is waste my valuable time with an idiot 20,000 miles away reading some script. There has been a serious problem with slowdowns at SBC over the last month for MANY people in the Southern California area -- just read the forums. Basic computer settings and DNS server entries and that crap is not really going to affect a speed test, or cause your connection to crawl to a standstill like from 3mbit down to 30kbps down. Also, I have already said that I've had an ASI tech in my house, and he himself is clueless.
attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay

Member

Re: Give tech support an Oppurtunity

Ya not the only one with this problems, I too get bad speed from 4pm and up. It's seem school children are sucking up the bandwidth.. peace out.

Cat_6
join:2003-07-09
USA

1 edit

Cat_6

Member

Re: Give tech support an Oppurtunity

Cat_6

Cat_6 to attsbcisgay

Member

to attsbcisgay
said by attsbcisgay:

It's seem school children are sucking up the bandwidth.. peace out.
Yep my thoughts as well, not sure if we'll see a fix anytime soon. if it continues for too long I'm requesting a billing adjustment!
Expand your moderator at work
jordanair
join:2000-08-15
Saint Louis, MO

1 edit

jordanair to agenthunt

Member

to agenthunt
And that is exactly true, if you don't give India a chance you wont talk to the 2nd tier support, try it if they can't find the problem at least you will have some history with the problem then keep calling and asking for 2nd tier every agent has a different level knowledge so you may find that one that has been doing this long enough to find a solution to the problem.. I have a direction you might take. if you are having a intermittent problem like you describe it is most likely not a problem with line it may be an interference problem, if for instance there is a business with a Hicap circuit in the same cable bundle as you and they kick some sort of data process during that time this may be the root of the problem. A T1 and DSL line don't coexist very well. You know everyone wants their particular issue solved on the 1st call and within 5 minutes but you really can forget that, also you should try to be part of the solution like it or not part of that solution is talking to the lowest service level 1st and that mean offshore centers. You may have a direct line to someone in ASI I doubt it though but even they only have a portion of the DSL pie. Use the tech support.
maczippy
join:2004-07-24
Capitola, CA

maczippy

Member

Re: Give tech support an Oppurtunity

To answer your post I have talked to everyone everywhere, and I'm getting the feeling that I'm now being filed under the "oh well, one more who we'll let go as it's easier..."

Maybe if there's enough of us we could do something "bigger" perhaps, to get some notice?

I mean, if everyone is coming here to complain, I'd imagine that for each one of us who are having these issues there are 10 more who have no idea what's going on and are just living with it...
dslguy45
Premium Member
join:2002-08-26
Jackson, MO

dslguy45 to agenthunt

Premium Member

to agenthunt
If you just upgraded to a higer speed and the problems just started, the problem is more then likley a IW issue, have a DSL Tech visit and check speeds at NID and line cord on inside/ If there is more than a .5 meg speed change from the outside to the inside have a nid splitter installed and the problem will be fixed.

coronaca
@dsl.lsan03.pacbell.n

coronaca to agenthunt

Anon

to agenthunt
It is not a tech support problem on the end-users side. I too have noticed the issue. I have had DSL here in this location since DSL first was available to the public. My building is less than 1000 feet from the central office. I have always had the fastest available speeds with no drops/disconnects/lag/hi pings or other problems. Never!

Ever since AT&T merged with sbc-yahoo it has been a major problem.

I have had the dsl expert plus packate (up to 6MBdown) and have always had >600kbps downloads. Ever since the merge I only get between 450-550 on off peak times and right now at 4:23pm 2/2/06 I am getting 140kbps from the same sites I normally get +600kbps.

THERE IS A PROBLEM!!

If it is not fixed soon I will be going with comcast which I have at home and it has been pretty good lately.
murakoshi
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Oakland, CA

murakoshi

Premium Member

SBC

I had the exact experience 2 years ago. Switched to Sonic.net and have never, never had any problems. Have their pro package 3000/512 - tested out at 2600/420 consistently. Have not had any downtime or slowdown since I started with Sonic.net. Customer service is local and usually answers within a few rings. Call them!!
59126125 (banned)
join:2006-01-21

59126125 (banned)

Member

Modems in other states causing the problem?

I have discovered that an unknown number of self-install dsl modem packages have a flaw with the vpi and vci settings. Basically modems sent to other states have the vpi and vci set for the wrong area (i.e. California) and assume are using the bandwidth allocated for that area. I have been dispatched on several trouble reports here in Wisconsin of slow speeds around 4pm and changing the vpi and vci to the correct setting resolves the problem.

Cat_6
join:2003-07-09
USA

Cat_6

Member

Re: Modems in other states causing the problem?

Hey Shortbus28, I did mention that to ASI on my first call to them after installing the new modem VPI=0 and VCI=35, I was told it was set correct for my area (southern/west California).
san_jose21
join:2006-01-22
San Jose, CA

san_jose21

Member

Yahoo DSL issues in San Jose

I was surprised to see this many posts similar to my problem and hence registered for this forum.

I have had SBC yahoo DSL for the past 8 months and the service has been excellent!

However during the past 7-10 days the connection dies down at around 5:00pm in the eve and comes back up at 10:00 am next day which makes it horrible as that is the time when I use it. I have called tech support almost every second day and get replies like the problem could be at my apartment. But clearly its a problem outside my apatment if others are having the same problem. I wish someone told me that when I called the first time. That way I wouldn't have wasted all these hours and frustration calling them! Hope they fix it soon.
maczippy
join:2004-07-24
Capitola, CA

maczippy

Member

Re: Yahoo DSL issues in San Jose

For me this has been going on for almost 3 months since I first initiated the calls....

It cleared up for a few weeks but the issues have returned with a vengeance and it appears that no one wants to resolve it except have me run through more, "unplug modem" check your machine routines.

We had techs come to our home, for inside and outside wiring (nice people, very helpful) but in one instance it turned out that some port/card whatever or another was wrong somewhere in the chain of command and it was fixed (apparently), however, I guess the card/port whatever, has gone belly up again and so I'm back to getting diabolical speeds...

...and calls from tech support....

Cat_6
join:2003-07-09
USA

Cat_6

Member

Re: Yahoo DSL issues in San Jose

said by maczippy:

For me this has been going on for almost 3 months since I first initiated the calls....

It cleared up for a few weeks but the issues have returned with a vengeance and it appears that no one wants to resolve it except have me run through more, "unplug modem" check your machine routines.

We had techs come to our home, for inside and outside wiring (nice people, very helpful) but in one instance it turned out that some port/card whatever or another was wrong somewhere in the chain of command and it was fixed (apparently), however, I guess the card/port whatever, has gone belly up again and so I'm back to getting diabolical speeds...

...and calls from tech support....
Yep I was told the same, that the port/card (D-SLAM card) may be bad, a request was submitted to change my port, but apparently changing ports is something that they don't like to do because it could screw someone else up in the process, "AS I'M TOLD"

I think the individual that made a reply here stating "over saturation of the DSL services" nailed on the head with the proverbial hammer. Just keep calling demanding the problem fixed.

I've gone as far as threatening to drop my DSL service and go with DSL Extreme... I just got a chuckle on the other end of the line and they just stated "that won't change anything because it still has to go through our (SBC's) switch"... I just said "I don't even know how to respond to that statement!!!"
maczippy
join:2004-07-24
Capitola, CA

maczippy

Member

I agree...

I have been in the same boat. perfect service for ever, then one day last year it went downhill. I called and called until I ended up in the department that deals with difficult problems.

Well, after umpteen techs, inside outside, Rudy in Socal, Nathan in Texas is was resolved - momentarily I guess.

Now, I'm back down to 600-800k down. The up is okay at 500 but the down is appalling. Now I'm getting the run around again, and even the guy in Texas is not answering my emails.

I'm getting very tired of all of this.
cb85282
join:2005-02-10
Tempe, AZ

cb85282

Member

Re: I agree...

I've had several people at ASI admit to me that there is a problem in SoCal with overloaded routers. They have severely oversold their service. They are VERY careful about admitting it. There has been an internal memo about it.. as one ASI tech told me. She told me there were at least 40 routers people are on in SoCal that are completely maxed out... causing our problems.. The next person at ASI I talked to, told me that the last person 'had told me too much'. Curious.
Lazarus666
join:2006-01-23
Martinez, CA

Lazarus666

Member

Does SBC have serious routing problems?


Here is a typical TraceRoute from my BUSINESS CLASS 384/symeTRICK simulated SDSL that got bait and switched to an actual ADSL at installation. Note that I am paying $89.95 a month for this "service", having made the mistake?? of cancelling my old 144K IDSL which I had with Covad since 1999, now that SBC is in my neighborhood. This traceroute was taken at about 5 pm yesterday afternoon.


C:\>tracert yahoo.com

Tracing route to yahoo.com [66.94.234.13]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1


Headed out of the house to go to a night class that I am taking, and ran some pings at about 6:15 pm. STarting to bog down and lose packets. If I call my brother on the phone about this time and ask him to ping one of SBCs Pleasanton IP addresses, or use someone elses DSL, this packets will usually get lost or have bad routing problems at around this time -- if you can get dial up to work - TRY IT YOUSELF - and you will see that SBC may actually be having serious routing problems around this time of day, and nobody in India is going to tell me to delete all of my cookies, reformat my drive, reinstall XP/Linux, etc, and have that fix SBC's rotting (I mean routing) problems, which might be in addition to static on my line?



C:\>ping 151.164.184.70 -n 10

Pinging 151.164.184.70 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=844ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=290ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=708ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=79ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=221ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=467ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=629ms TTL=126
Reply from 151.164.184.70: bytes=32 time=92ms TTL=126

Ping statistics for 151.164.184.70:
Packets: Sent = 10, Received = 10, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 19ms, Maximum = 844ms, Average = 338ms


Return from my night class, and try some pings and traceroutes at just after 9PM. This would be a good time to try dialup or another method of access. Last time I tried any of the IP's that appear in my path to Yahoo, "by reverse traceroute", I found that the packet loss in Pleasanton was just as I expected, suggesting that SBC has serious routing problems in house. Usually it starts as a sluggish ping once every 30 seconds or so, in the late afternoon, which becomes progressivly worse, untill the whole mess is unusable for between two and six hours a night. Now one of the few things that I know of that exchanges data every 30 seconds is RIP. Is it possible that SBC has RIP problems, and that their routers are choking during prime time?


C:\>ping 151.164.184.70 -n 10

Pinging 151.164.184.70 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 151.164.184.70:
Packets: Sent = 8, Received = 0, Lost = 8 (100% loss),
Control-C


Note that as packet loss approaches 100%, I can log into my business class "router" and obtain the following information:


ADSL Line State: Up
ADSL Startup Attempts: 1
ADSL Modulation: DMT
Datapump Version: DSP 4.2.1.0, HAL 4.2.1.0
Downstream Upstream
---------- ----------
SNR Margin: 31.00 21.00 dB
Line Attenuation: 17.50 10.50 dB
Output Power: 4.58 3.27 dB
Errored Seconds: 0 0
Loss of Signal: 0 0
Loss of Frame: 0 0
CRC Errors: 0 1
Data Rate: 416 416


While I am not a DSL expert, I suspect that 31db of S/N is pretty good, and there is no indication of loss of signal. Which says that the lights are on, but nobody is home as SBC.
ricardog62
Premium Member
join:2006-01-15
Woodland Hills, CA

ricardog62

Premium Member

SBC Slowdown - Call CA Public Utilities Commission

None of the explanations I've seen here is even remotely correct! The explanation for the slow down is simple: SBC does not have server capacity suficient to deliver the bandwidth they advertise during peak periods. I have a 3Mb service and the line consistently tests out at 6 to 7 Mbps while receiving data at a rate of less than 30 MBps! Therefore it doesn't take a genius to realize that the soure of the slowdown is upstream of the central office. That leaves 2 possibilities (1) the internet backbone or (2) the SBC network. If the problem was overload of the backbone all ISPs would be experiencing the same problems at the same time. This has clearly not happened. Therefore the problem is with SBC and is most likely due to insufficient resources to keep up with the traffic it picks off the backbone for delivery to the subscriber. THEY WILL NEVER ADMIT THIS!!! I would encourage anyone reading this to contact the California Oublic Utilities Commission and launch a complaint. If the PUC gets enough complaints maybe they will look into the matter.

Review by ricardog62 See Profile

  • Location: Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $39 per month (12 month contract)
  • Telco party SBC
Nice but incompetent Tech Support.
Connection variability - 10 to 1 speed variations.
They have over-subscribed their infrastructure, you don't get what you pay for and I suspect fraud.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

SBC DSL service is a sham. The overwhelming number of slow speed complaints on this site is testimony to the fact that something is very wrong with the service being provided. The simple-minded sync tests they perform to measure the transmission quality to one's home from the Central Office proves only that the connection can support a given bit rate. That is a necessary but not nearly sufficient condition for a user to be able to download information at an acceptable rate. If packets are being delayed because SBC's pool equipment is overloaded then the fact that the connection will support a bit rate means nothing if SBC can't "fill the pipe" fast enough. SBC does no tests to determine whether it is their equiment or internet congestion that is causing the slow down. Therefore one can only assume they fear such tests will show they have oversubscribed their infrastructue and that they are charging for service they are NOT providing. My advice is for current subscribers to continually complain to SBC and to write to the California Public Utilities Commission demanding an investigation! If you don't yet subscribe - find another provider.

member for 18.2 years, 15 visits, last login: 9.3 years ago
lodged 18.2 years ago


elvey
Spamassassin
join:2001-02-17
San Francisco, CA

elvey

Member

Bottleneck

I wonder where the bottleneck is.
Why not switch to another ISP? SBC isn't the only DSL provider; each provider uses its own ATM circuits...

These days, I find SBC speeds in the SF area to be good, but I remember not being able to watch 50kbps video over a 1.5mbps (sync rate) PacBell DSL, years ago.
59126125 (banned)
join:2006-01-21

59126125 (banned)

Member

Re: Bottleneck

I have found that an unknown number of self-install dsl modem packages have a flaw with the vpi and vci settings. Basically modems sent to other states have the vpi and vci set for the wrong area (i.e. California) and assume are using the bandwidth allocated for that area. I have been dispatched on several trouble reports here in Wisconsin of slow speeds around 4pm and changing the vpi and vci to the correct setting resolves the problem.
attsbcisgay
join:2003-03-18
Beverly Hills, CA

attsbcisgay

Member

IT'S NOT A FRAUD

You get what ya pay for... Just be glad you even get dsl at all. dialup users would drop their balls for this.

jamez818
please hold during the silence
join:2000-09-18
Sunland, CA

jamez818

Member

Help is out there

Try posting a test or give us sync readings at least something we can work with so we can help.

Review by madeEASY See Profile

  • Location: Modesto, Stanislaus, CA, USA
  • Cost: $24 per month
Great Speed
Bad software software
Don't get it
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:

my life with SBC Yahoo DSL; after 10-15minutes of browsing internet i have to restart my computer in order to get my internet connection back. what only i have not tried to fix it. unintalling their yahoo software and using windows XP's PPPoE helped a little, but connetion problem is still there.

the worst is their software, SBC Yahoo DSL. with that software I had all kinds of problems with my Internet Explorer untill I uninstalled SBC yahoo software. I have Windows XP, so i use XP's PPPoE.

The speed is great at this point, but the fact that i have to restart my computer to fix my connection problems, don't give me much value for the money. BUT, i am looking to resolve that issue and I'll post an update if something works.

-----------------------------------------
just like to say that I tried out same modem and service on a different computer that has Windows 2000 with IE 5 sp3 and it works great, no problems so far. Just need to figure out why I'm having this problems with XP.

member for 18.3 years, 3 visits, last login: 18.3 years ago
lodged 18.3 years ago

ChiTang
MVM
join:2002-08-23
Alhambra, CA

ChiTang

MVM

B4 SBC Broadband

Have you tried another bradband carrier?
In all fairness, you may have problem in your own computer. Try updating your IE to IE6 with SP1 to start.
madeEASY
join:2005-11-15
Modesto, CA

madeEASY

Member

Re: B4 SBC Broadband

i have IE 6 with SP2
donbil
join:2005-11-16
Encino, CA

donbil

Member

Re: B4 SBC Broadband

I am on a mac G3. I have IE 5.1 for mac. I have the same problem. The only thing that helps is to power cycle the modem (unplug the wireless router turn dsl modem off, wait a minute or longer, turn modem back on, wait for lights to lock in, plug in router, relaunch IE. That works for a while (1/2 hr. sometimes less, sometimes more) and then it happens again. connection drags down to the point it just seems to freeze and I have to force quit IE and do it all over (often having to reboot computer).

Someone said it was the modem (WESTELL WireSpeed), but SBC hasnot confirmed that. They have run checks on the line, etc. and tell me it is OK. Not from my end of the line it isn't.

I am open to suggestions too.

Review by johnyee1 See Profile

  • Location: Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, USA
  • Cost: $30 per month
  • Install: about 14 days
The promo price seems good... but don't be deceived... you get much less than you think your paying for.
Internet is flakey and techs are complete idiots
Don't make the mistake in getting into a contract with crappy internet and having to pay for it.
Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
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The truth about SBC and how it went to crap.

Three years ago the internet was just fine with hardly any problems at all with maybe 1-2 days out the whole year. In 2005 every month there will be a couple days where the modem will keep losing sync and that goes for about half of California if you look in the forums. The tech support is a complete joke, these guys completely read off a script. They must be some of the stupidest techs out there and one of the techs told me that I needed to contact my routers manufacture for support when I'm not even using a router since the syncing started. As this goes for like half of California its the day 3 of problems for October and the stupid techs are still telling people maybe they have a virus... when in fact half of Cali has the same problem which they just continue to deny and cause more frustration to people who actually buy into these idiot techs. But me... I know its SBC having problems since this isn't the first time and it's not just a lone person having problems in a area... It may seem like a good deal since they have a promotion for $14.95 a month but its definitely not worth being binded to a 1 year contract with a termination fee of $200 because the service is complete crap. Ever since the promo and partnership with yahoo, problems began... SBC was once good but as you can see the ratings on it aren't good and they are lucky they still have old ratings in the mix because those are the only good ones these days. For the vets of SBC who aren't binded to a contract and pay $30 for this crap internet, SBC is just lucky their internet is so flakey that it takes 5 minutes to load a page and isn't worth the hassel to find a BETTER isp. For the many people who did get SBC DSL recently, I hope it gets better for you because SBC is very flakey and are going to lose many vets who pay $30 a month.

member for 19.6 years, 84 visits, last login: 9.2 years ago
lodged 18.4 years ago


Review by Hollaway See Profile

  • Location: Salinas, Monterey, CA, USA
  • Cost: $24 per month (12 month contract)
  • Telco party SBC
  • CLEC party: SBC
Up time
Speed cut in half.
Beats dial up, and available long before cable.
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Well, HAD 2.4Mb PRO DSL for a while. All of a sudden, it dropped to half! Now running at 1.3Mb with NO explination.

Called over a week ago to switch from 1.5 Mb std dsl to PRO at 3.0 Mb. Was suppose to switch on the 2nd. Now I'm waiting for them to deliver.

Finally delivered when they routed me to the people who actually perform the work. He did it in 2 minutes with me on the line.

member for 22.3 years, 202 visits, last login: 15.6 years ago
lodged 18.6 years ago


Review by fschutzman See Profile

  • Location: Woodland, Yolo, CA, USA
  • Cost: $24 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 1 days
  • Telco party SBC
called back
were not truthful about dsl pro
dont trust them
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Convinced me to upgrade to dsl pro. Charged me $49 for slower line. Offered DSL pro special for $25 a month, I was happy. After 2 weeks could not log on. Line test showed my line was not good enough for higher DSL ,adviced me to go back to lower DSL. Question? Why did they talk me into DSL pro in the first place. Didn't they test the line or did the line go bad( I have not logged on DSL for three days now.) Either way I am disappointed.

member for 21 years, 13 visits, last login: 13.9 years ago
lodged 18.8 years ago


Review by dr dread See Profile

  • Location: Anaheim, Orange, CA, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 21 days
  • Telco party SBC
  • CLEC party: SBC
less then none
zero support, bait n switch, slow as a snail, expensive
last resort if dialup is unavailable.
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I went with pacbell, it was dsl, what could go worg??? Bad move. After being with them since 2002, sometime in July of 2004 they decided to lock me into a new contract without telling me. To make matters worse, unknowing about the *new* contract, I signed up for DSL Extreme. Guess what, now I'm paying for both. Neither will release the contract but both are eager to take my money. Go figure. Sign me up for the class action.

member for 18.8 years, 5 visits, last login: 17.8 years ago
lodged 18.8 years ago


elvey
Spamassassin
join:2001-02-17
San Francisco, CA

elvey

Member

Contact the Public Utilities Commission?

They can't extend your contract w/o your permission. Have you complained to the CPUC (»www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/f ··· aint.htm )? Can you offer more details? Did you rerate? When I rerated, they did make sure to tell me I'd be locking in for a year over the phone and in a confirmation letter. With me this time (for a change) they were honest. Other times, the CPUC has helped beat them into submission.
grantsbc
join:2005-06-14
Houston, TX

grantsbc

Member

sbc dsl

dsl slow? inconsistent connection/out of service? have you checked you speed setting with the dsl provider from sbc called ASI? or asked how well your line looks? have you asked your line condition or about your error report? if your dsl has a problem get the attention your paying for and the below doesnt apply. make em give it! aside from that... poor speed average speed... dont think so. price/performance is fantastic. a T1 connection still costs MAJOR money and is slower usually. set up is a snap! your still putting pppoe software on your computer??? you have got to be kidding, get a router. NO software required no cd no load 5min install..... two contracts from sbc??? you are in error. spreading such foolishness should be fined. its not possible for one phone line to be running/billed/built out/set up/implemented its just not possible on the same phone line and yes we are pushing to hard on sales thats how the people on the interior make money(to bad we do that) but two dsl bills to one line isnt possible. and the question of getting the bill taken care of is a snap on that the second bill(IF it exists) will be removed. If you didnt agree it the new contract say so if theres no recording OR signature theres no bill....... ME on the other hand.... charged for a dsl repair trip 60$ I checked at the box outside the night before(I am an sbc dsl tech) and when I came home it was running. THEN got the bill.... no one would take it off and tell truth the phone line it was on was not acceptable by any standards from sbc. it couldnt support a fax machine! and that was after the installer didnt install it and the fourth tech came out didnt fix it either! I cut off my line and didnt pay... the next place I had service(three blocks away) two install techs out didnt install it and the one repair guy didnt fix it! I ended up putting it in myself after asking my boss about it. well anyway thats my rant. sbc dsl fantastic deal good speed but dont settle if your line has issue fix it! ask what your speeds are and line conditions. if its not right get er' done!

Review by frammis See Profile

  • Location: Mountain View, Santa Clara, CA, USA
  • Cost: $50 per month (month by month)
  • Install: about 60 days
  • Telco party SBC
  • CLEC party: SBC
nice, polite employees
utterly incompetent organization
stay away!
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We were early adopters of the Pacific Telesys ADSL service. It took them eleven visits to our home, over a two month period, to get it working.

The upgrade to pacbell.net/prodigy was automatic and effortless.

The switch from pacbell.net to Yahoo Mail or SBC or SBCglobal or whatever the heck it is now has proven to be IMPOSSIBLE. Apparently parts of the prodigy email service and its related help desks have already been shut down. If you were still using it, you're screwed.

There is no way to reset a lost POP3 password, and they lose it as the first step of the forced transition. Therefore, all your saved and incoming mail is lost with no possibility of recovery. If you talk to the SBCglobal/Yahoo help desk, which is the only one still working, they have never heard of the pacbell/prodigy service, and don't know what to do. Depending on which Indian or Philippine contractor you happen to reach, they either think they are resetting a pacbell/prodigy password or they are sure no such service has ever existed. This company is full of competent, dedicated workers, who really want to be helpful, but as an organization, SBC is utterly incompetent. The workers don't have the tools they need to do the job, and they are kept so in the dark that they don't even know the actions they are taking are not having any effect.

This probably explains why SBC is now the #2 spam support company in the »www.spamhaus.org listings. If the abuse department is as disorganized and helpless as customer service, they are completely unable to police their own network.

What a shame. Pacbell.net, before the SBC takeover, was one of the best.

member for 18.9 years, 2 visits, last login: 16.1 years ago
lodged 18.9 years ago


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

David

Premium Member

Can we help??

Like my title says.. can we help?

Tech-2005
@dsl.irvnca.pacbell.n

Tech-2005

Anon

Yahoo is ok, it's the install software that stinks

The migration to SBC/Yahoo was kind of a hassle but I didn't find it too difficult. The worst thing about it was the installation of a few annoying connection monitoring programs like the client foundation program, self support tools and the browser program. I simply uninstalled some of these unnecessary programs after the migration process. I have found the Yahoo premium services and email filtering options to be far superior to the older Prodigy system. The only thing I really miss from the Prodigy email filtering is the "overseas-mail" filtering option. Most spam that gets through the spam filtering is from overseas and it would be nice to completely block overseas addresses unless they are part of your personal "accepted or non-spam email list". It would also be nice to have an option to allow emails from your accepted list ONLY and have ALL others go into bulk but for some reason Yahoo doesn't have their system set up for that option.

Boricua
Premium Member
join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua

Premium Member

Re: Yahoo is ok, it's the install software that st

I personally use Mozilla Thunderbird for my e-mail client. I believe it has the best spam filters. I have monitored what gets through and found the e-mail software to be near 95% accurate.
PacCoast
join:2000-11-24
San Jose, CA

PacCoast

Member

Yes and No

Yes it sounds like you got serious problems going. BUT it's just not accurate to trash the whole organization given that, IMO they have improved greatly since the start of the DSL era and I think most users are having good experiences.

I was an early adopter of DSL also, and before that I was an early adopter of ISDN, and before that I wrote to the FCC and supported Pacific Bell in their quest to even offer high-speed internet services. SBC DSL has gone from three guys coming to my house to do an install years ago and scratching their heads while they figured out a bunch of problems, to a system where they mail the install kit to you and a high percentage of the time it all goes smoothly.

Review by pockypimp See Profile

  • Location: Montebello, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Cost: $49 per month (12 month contract)
  • Install: about 60 days
  • Telco party SBC
  • CLEC party: SBC
It didn't blow up my computer
Unstable, Poor Indian Tech Support, Worse Local Support
Get someone else
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I originally signed up years ago for the 1024/768 speed. I found out later that those speeds wont even be possible for me because I'm 3 miles from the CO. Of course nobody mentions this when I try to sign up for service. It took 3 tries to get the correct equipment sent out (twice sending usb modems rather than the ethernet one I requested). After installation my connection speed was a lowly 20kb/s, roughtly 1980 kbps. I called multiple times to get a technician out, after hearing "have you power cycled your modem?" every time I called. It was finally decided to install an external line filter. This was done, and all was good, speeds increased to 80kb/s and the connection was relatively stable. Then cut to recent events, my connection drops anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours. The new Indian tech support that SBC uses is less useful than PacBell's old local group in SF. It's taken me a week and a half to get support out, and they were scheduled for service 3/16/05 between the hours of 1pm and 5pm. Technician calls at 2:45pm, saying he's enroute and leaves his cell number. At 3:45pm I call him wonder where he is and I get no response. I call back at 4pm and I get an excuse of "oh I got held up at another location, can I reschedule you for tomorrow?", this is after I've made other arrangements just so someone could take care of the service call.

The DSL connection itself isn't bad when it's working, it's the support service you get that is horrible. It's like you're paying them to mistreat you.

member for 19 years, 43 visits, last login: 11.8 years ago
lodged 19 years ago

artlovr
join:2005-03-17
Marina, CA

artlovr

Member

Dsl Pro upgrade HaHa!

Going through the same thing trying to upgrade to pro. Supposed to have been upgraded on the 17th of march, checked up and down on the 18th still at express speed. Call support which said i was at pro speed until I told them I was currently doing a check while i was on the phone with them. Then they turned around and said I wasnt upgraded. What a bunch of Bozo's! Hang in there, I'm trying to!
pacbowl
join:2005-02-12
Riverbank, CA

pacbowl

Member

Re: Dsl Pro upgrade HaHa!

kiss my A**