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Review by textech 
member for 3 years, 223 visits, last login: 3 days ago
updated 106 days ago
 Highland Lakes,Sussex,NJ
 $78 per month about 14 days "With the 30 Mbps, it is very fast and reliable" "Cost" "If you do not mind cost, very good Cable Internet Service"
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I use the PTD Cable Internet service for our family use. We utilize most of our entertainment using Netfilx Instant Watch, HULU and Amazon On Demand. This Service can handle multiple Users acessing the High Def format of TV/Movie viewing online without a hitch. There was no DSL Service in my area capable of doing this. I tried them all and this Cable Service is the only one that allowed High Def streaming consistantly.
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 | | I agree... but! The 30Mbps service has a 100GB cap. It is unclear whether this is 100GB total or 100GB down and 100GB up. I suspect it's 100GB total. So watch your usage and make sure you don't go over. They say $1/GB over but who knows.
I also hope I live to see the day when we can get more than 2M upload out here. (SE/PTD I hope you're listening...  ) | |
| | textech
join:2009-01-11
Highland Lakes, NJ Reviews:
 ·PenTeleData
| Re: I agree... but! The 100 GB limit is 100 up and 100 down.
I do agree this is somewhat restricting. I say this because my familiy (5 of us) use this Internet Connaction for all of our Entertainment viewing of TV & Movies. Quite often we will be in the 95 to 100 GB range at the end of the month.
Now mind you this is a familiy of 5 all of which may be viewing a differrent Video in the evening during our entertainmant viewing time. And each one is getting a High Def download feed due to the great speeds we get from PenTeleData.
If you do not have a high demand for High Def Video streaming, the chances of getting close to the 100 GB down per month is unlikely from what I have experianced.
This month we have been watching a large amount of Live Olympic feeds in High Def and I am currently at 78 GB. This has been hours of continuous feed for several days in a row. | |
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Review by efithian
member for 1.3 years, 10 visits, last login: 137 days ago
updated 137 days ago
- Orefield,Lehigh,PA
- $55 per month
- (month by month)
- about 7 days
 Verizon- "Fairly high down speed (10Mbps) Cable Modem"
- "Fairly low up speed (0.75Mbps)"
- "Fastest available at present - FIOS is 2 blocks away"
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My connection with SECTV/Penteledata is supposed to deliver 10Mbps down ($55). At off hours it gets about 9.5, but a few hours either side of 9pm it drops to 1 to 3. SECTV does give credit for low speeds, but it is not easy to do this. If you call the nexst day to complain they will not give a credit, since it is no longer slow. You must call while the speed is down, which is usually at about 9 pm. The credit given on the $55 10Mbps speed is $25 per month, but you must call every month. I have been doing this for the past 8 months. The credit is based on the cost of a 3Mbps connection, which goes for $30 per month.
There is also a restriction on downloading too much (?) data during prime time, defined as 5pm to 1am. I believe they frown on downloading more than 80GB per month during prime time. This is usually not a problem since the speed is so slow at this time. Their usenet service also has severe restrictions.
They provide 1GB of space for a web page which can be accessed with an ftp program. There is a size limit restriction of 20mb per individual file, not noted on their web page. This pretty much eliminates putting a video on your web page. Otherwise the web hosting works and it is free unless you go over the 1GB limit, The second 1GB costs $50 additional per month.
Mail is now IMAP.
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 Review by sbhusted
member for 11.7 years, 805 visits, last login: 169 days ago
updated 169 days ago
- Bethlehem,Northampton,PA
- $59 per month
- (36 month contract)
- about 7 days
- "Stable, Good Speeds, No limitations due to commercial agreement"
- "They depend on Service Electric"
- "It has been extremely reliable and stable."
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UPDATE 3 August 2011
I'm now on 6.0 / 1.5 service for $59 a month with a 3yr contract. Ever since they moved me to a new node, by connection has been absolutely rock solid and reliable. I've been very pleased and really have no complaints about the service.
UPDATE 2 August 2009
Two weeks from reporting the initial problem of bandwidth. Earlier this week I got a message that they installed the new router for my area, etc. Today, I got a message stating that they expect to "turn it on WITHIN 30 DAYS". Wow, that's some FANTASTIC service there. I guess my business can just go on hiatus while they sit around deciding when it's time to "turn it on". Although this is more of a Service Electric Cable issue than PenTeleData - my contract is with PenTeleData. It's not my responsibility to deal with SEC.
UPDATE August 2009
Over the last couple months I've noticed my download speeds deteriorating. Nothing major, but I noticed during peak hours instead of the 4.0 I was getting when I first signed up that I was getting more like 3.0 on average. However, over the last several weeks it has gotten worse to the point when doing speed tests using their tool - I'm averaging between 400kbs - 600kbs down speed!! They've admitted that my node is over subscribed but they are waiting for service electric to move me to a new node - which they tell me I'm scheduled for in a 'few days'. However, it's been almost a week and I'm still only getting about 10% - 20% of the bandwidth I'm paying $80 a month for in a Commercial contract. I'm not happy at all with this situation first of all in regards to them allowing it to get to this point, but I'm also not happy with the fact that I'm not getting any concrete time frame for resolution to this problem. I realize they can't guarantee 4.0 at all times... but we're talking about 400-600kbs! That's about 33% of what I was getting with a 1.5 DLS line!
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I was with COVAD via DSL for years - I think close to 8. I always had good service with them, but then they moved tech support to India and it just became infuriating trying to solve the problem I was having with line noise. It was fine for 7+ years but recently began to have issues with upstream noise. I paid $79.99 for 3.0/768 service but I was only getting 384 or so up and would occasionally experience loss of sync when it was pushed. Tried two different modems as well.
I decided to try cable and got 4.0/768 service from PenTeleData for the same price - plus it is a commercial package so I don't have any limitations on it's usage (Within legal limits, etc. of course). I've only had it for a little over a month but it's been a rock and no issues at all. Speeds are almost always at or above advertised.
Installation was great. The installer was very professional and friendly. He answered all questions and did a very clean job on the inside wire running and a fantastic job running the wire outside our house to the pole. You hardly see it. I think they quoted me installation within 14 days but they were there the same week I ordered.
So far so good!
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Review by moresuo
member for 10.4 years, 103 visits, last login: 261 days ago
lodged 288 days ago
- Stewartsville,Warren,NJ
- $50 per month
- "Its available"
- "Incredibly slow uplink speeds"
- "Yesterday's technology today"
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I am in an area of NJ [Warren County] not well serviced by the top tier IT technology providers doing business in New Jersey. I can get poor quality DSL service from Verizon, or PenTeleData cable service through Service Electric Cable-TV or satellite service. All the choices are bad compared to that readily provided in the rest of the state by Time Warner, Optimum, CableVision and Verizon FiOS.
The problem with cable monopolies is known by most. Service Electric has this area all to itself because no one else will bid. It is so bad here that up till four years ago we still had POTS uplink for cable. I have to try to make due with 700kbs uplink speed to service my two internet connected hi-def streaming DVD's [for NetLink and other internet based video, my VoIP phone, X-box, and other standard internet services [email, web, etc]. It's not cutting it.
I miss my Optimum Online service where I use to live, with its 15meg downstream and 2meg upstream connections.
I've called and complained. Service Electric blames PenTeleData. PenTeleData blames Service Electric. Verizon has no plans in the foreseeable future to bring FiOS into this area. In other words, I'm screwed.
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| | Verizon Dsl? Just curious what the Verizon website said about what speed you are able to get at your address? I know they did some upgrades out by you late last year. | |
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Review by missymssy
member for 8.9 years, 4 visits, last login: 1 year ago
updated 364 days ago
- Middletown,Dauphin,PA
- $35 per month
- "convient to bundle with TV"
- "connection always out, speed terrible, caps..."
- "if I had any other options, I wouldn't go with this one!"
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****I am NOT in Dauphin County anymore. Luzerne county!
As I've seen others comment, I also would have to say this is the WORST ISP I've had. It's not worth half the money. I have Skyangel TV (IPTV), which is constanstly "sticking" due to the lousy speed, even though I upgraded as much as I'm going to. Two months after I was in, I also got the infamous "you're over your bandwith limit" letter.
As frustrating as all that is, I wouldn't mind that much if I didn't lose connection altogether ALL the time. Constantly rebooting the modem. By the way, it IS NOT my router, or my laptops. If I reboot the cable modem (that custom service always says is fine), it connects! Hmm, sounds like it's NOT fine.
In short, until something else comes along, I'm stuck with this
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 Review by antiphishing
member for 7.6 years, 879 visits, last login: 290 days ago
updated 1 year ago
- Wilkes Barre,Luzerne,PA
- $20 per month
- about 2 days
- "realible service, very good cutomer support"
- "doesn't support IPV6"
- "worth the money in my opinion"
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PenTeleData / Pro-log offer three tiers (1 meg, 10 megs, 30 megs) of broadband with the 30megs being quite pricey ,but I am sure well worth the asking price . PenTeleData /Prolog uses Motorola cable modems to provide their service. The only thing that I found that I didn't like about this internet provider is that they don't provide
port 443 (S.S.L.) when using a email client. I was told most that their cable broadband ( which Service Electric cable Television uses) utilizes fiber cable up on the telephone poles with coaxial being used on the drop downs to the access points. This would explain the high reliability in their service even during very bad weather conditions.
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Review by flux
member for 1.4 years, 1 visits, last login: 1.4 years ago
updated 1.4 years ago
- Mount Carmel,Northumberland,PA
- $42 per month
- (3 month contract)
- about 20 days
- "faster than dial up (when you are ALLOWED to use it)"
- "hidden caps during PRIME TIME not revealed until you pass them"
- "i have had over 10 isp's over the years, this is THE WORST"
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hello
so i moved to PA from NY, right near centralia (so i can be sure THEY arent hogging all the bandwidth) and needed an isp. i hate verizon since way back when for many reasons so that seemed an awful choice and there was the local company who goes through penteledata so i chose them.
i signed up for their platinum plan 10 down 1 up, it took them over a week to get an installer out with the motorola surfboard modem and a (garbage) free wireless router (this was my first clue that i was in trouble) compared to optimum online i had in new york getting a bucket truck out and running a whole new line from the pole in an afternoon 1 day because my signal was erratic. so finally having it set up i checked my speed, yea it was 10 mb down not 10 Mb...great. well i already signed the contract so may as well keep going and make the best of it.
1 month later right after my first bill i got a notice about going over the bandwidth cap...by alot.. i use the internet for EVERYTHING! i dont have a phone line, i dont get cable tv, i play online games way more than average. so i call them up and except switching to a very expensive business account there is nothing i can do to remove the cap. let me explain this further...
the cap (i think mine was 90 gigs, but i have heard other people have different numbers) exists for "peak hours" thats 5 pm to 1 am- asin the time that the internet is most useful because the most people are on it. thats 1/3 of the day! and this was NEVER mentioned anywhere on their web site or anywhere else! in essence it makes it so i cant stream movies, cant upload movies to my own family members, cant use voip (though that is sometimes an issue anyways because they rate their speed on "burst" not sustained) or play games without tearing through this arbitrary cap. aol, prodigy, net zero, juno, road runner, optimum, or any other never have i dealt with this nonsense!
they are the WORST broadband provider i have ever heard of in the united states, im paying premium prices (considering the pathetic speed they offer) to use the internet when it is LEAST convenient for me! i suppose i am to resort to calling people at 3 am because that is when my isp will allow me the bandwidth to do so? only watching netflix in the mornings? it has pretty much killed my online gaming habits, "sorry guys i cant do anything because my isp is filth".
i can only hope that verizon gets FIOS out here because at that point i will swallow my pride and sign up with them again. if you are taking the time to read this you must be doing your research like a proper consumer, dont get taken.
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| | Cap? What is their monthly cap? | |
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 Review by Sc0tt
member for 11.2 years, 4483 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 1.4 years ago
- Stockholm,Sussex,NJ
- $41 per month
- about 7 days
- Verizon
- "it works. pretty quick when the node isn't saturated by neighbors"
- "there is serious slowdowns in my neighborhood when all the kids are home"
- "if it's all that you can get, it's better than dial-up"
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i am using PTD through Service Electric Cable of NJ. their techs are mostly morons, but there is a rare occasion that you get a knowledgeable one if you call about the same problem enough.
for the most part, it's OK but connection drops out in storms (not PTD, but SECTVNJ's fault). i usually get 8000-9000 down, 800-900 up. when the neighbors are all online, it drops to 4000 down, 300 up.
i'm just riding this out until Verizon actually gets around to wiring us people in the woods. damn---WE NEED FIOS UP HERE!!!
8/15/2010: we still have no choice other than pen tel data for high speed internet. Whorizon has abandoned us. those bastards haven't even wired our CO for DSL, so FIOS is merely a pipe dream up here. PTD's service is also going straight downhill. the kids get home from school, and my connection is shot. the node is seriously overcrowded.
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 Review by fifty nine
member for 9.3 years, 1918 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 2 years ago
- Sussex,Sussex,NJ
- $69 per month
- about 5 days
- "Fast download, reliable service over DOCSIS3"
- "30mbps tier is expensive, 100GB cap, could use more upload"
- "Passable for the only game in town."
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When I moved out here, I knew my broadband options would be more limited than living in a more populated area. But I was willing to accept that. Anyway, between cable from Service Electric/PTD and DSL from Embarq, cable won.
The 30MBps package is relatively new, but I do need the speed for work. 10MBps was the first package I had. This is an upgrade to 30MBps that I am reviewing.
I called up Service Electric, and they told me the 30MBps tier was $79.95/month with a $25 install charge for the truck roll. A bit pricey, but I was willing to upgrade, since I needed the increased upload speed.
Speeds are 30/2MBps. You can also get 10/1, 6/512k and 1/256k. I had 10/1. The lower tiers use a Motorola surfboard modem.
I ordered on Tuesday, they came on Saturday (at my request.) Cable tech was a contractor, as is usually the case for a lot of cable companies these days. He came, toned out my cable line, and told me he needed to run a new home run to the box on the side of my house. That was no problem. He went, opened it up, and I saw that they had run hardline all the way to my house. That was pretty good as it ensured low signal loss. He ran the home run, installed a new DPC2505 Scientific Atlanta modem. The modem has 3 bonded downstream channels and turned it over to me for testing. I ran speed tests on www.speedtest.net, got 28/1.8MBps which is close enough to the advertised speeds. Tests throughout the next week were close to that, and remain consistent.
Here are the parts I don't like. Upload is only 2MBps. I expected more for a $79.95/month service. Cablevision where I lived before (Wayne NJ) had OOL boost for $59.95 (If I remember correctly) and they gave you 5MBps upload, plus unblocked ports 80 and 25. Also, the terms and conditions say that they cap you at 100GB/month. Most people probably won't see that, but if you use a lot of VoD and VoIP you may see that being exceeded, in which case you pay $1/GB over. At least they don't advertise the service as unlimited, which it isn't. Lower tiers have smaller caps, with the 10/1 service for $41.95/month at 60GB/month.
The TOS also limits you to two computers in your house. Of course a lot of people exceed that and don't tell the company, and they do nothing, but I find that to be more than a bit ridiculous. Today, everything comes with an ethernet jack, from your TiVo to even your Blu-Ray player, PS3, XBOX etc. How on Earth are they limiting you to TWO computers? Even the actual computers in my house exceed two - My wife and I each have a desktop PC, plus we have laptops. Under the TOS I can only connect two of them. Ridiculous!
Well, as someone else said, they're the only game in town and they know it. I'll keep the 30MBps tier for a few months then decide if I'll go back to 10/1 and find an alternate means to do my work from home (such as using a terminal services client). Oh how I wish we could get FiOS here... Unfortunately we're stuck with Embarq, and I can only get 6MBps DSL here, yuck...
Update: they have lowered the price by 10 bucks to $69.99/month. Still expensive though.
Update 02/2010: Still have the 30M package. It's nice to have the speed. Still could use more upload, but the speeds are good and consistent, at least where I am. It might even be over provisioned slightly as the speed tests report 31-34 Mbps on occasion. I have had a few outages here (I can remember 3 short ones off the top of my head) and only one long one which lasted about a day. That's in line with what I've experienced with residential ISPs. The price is still $69.99 which is not terribly expensive but still more than nearby ISPs (Cablevision). Unlike some other ISPs they do have a working bandwidth meter and their own speed test page. As far as caps go I have 100GB listed in the TOS they gave me, which is what I believe the cap is, however the usage meter lists peak/offpeak so it may be different for various PenTeleData affiliates such as other Service Electrics or Blue Ridge Cable.
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Review by kgy03
member for 3.2 years, 0 visits, last login: 3.2 years ago
lodged 3.2 years ago
- Hunlock Creek,Luzerne,PA
- $53 per month
- "Extremely fast living in the country 10/7 download/upload"
- "unreliable from month to month and terrible customer service"
- "fast when it works but unreliable"
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I have had Penteledata from Blue Ridge in PA for about 3 years now. During that time I have had to call them many times (i have the number memorized and don't even have to listen to the number options). The customer service is the most stressful part of the deal. They seem to have no idea what they are talking about and can only suggest i restart my computer. Even the techs don't seem to be trained very well. I am currently going to be canceling my plan within the next few weeks because my problem of connection time outs and dial up speeds have gotten the best of me. The techs can't seem to figure it out and the customer service reps don't want to really deal with me.
I must suggest to others to consider another ISP if you can get a better deal.
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