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Review by rid0617 
member for 9.8 years, 580 visits, last login: 1.3 years ago
updated 1.7 years ago
 Greer,Greenville,SC
 $39 per month BellSouth "Reliable" "Slow" "Wish we had another option besides Charter"
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Signed up 5 years ago. Was told I could only get 1.5/256 package. Actually receive 600-900 down. Been hearing promises of upgrades for 5 years. Now they don't even charge us the normal AT&T DSL prices. Still being charged Bellsouth higher prices. Won't even tell you when the price will drop. We're the new AT&T but with the old AT&T practices.
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Review by cnoglesby
member for 3 years, 24 visits, last login: 179 days ago
updated 1.7 years ago
- Clover,York,SC
- $43 per month
- (12 month contract)
 about 10 days- AT&T
- "It's internet (just internet)."
- "3 Mbits, and nothing more."
- "Very bad CS, CO only 2 miles away, and better options available."
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***UPDATE on AUGUST 10, 2011 ***
After a while of having AT&T, we are beginning to have tremendous problems. Clear 4G (»www.clear.com/) provides unlimited 4G data and no cap on download, along with 3G for areas without 4G. It is only $3 more than the regular AT&T DSL service.
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Every time we use AT&T DSL, there is always a problem at the beginning of the connection... but it is okay after a week or two. I had 3 problems, namely 768k instead of 3 megabits, sporadic DSL Disconnections, and 1.5m instead of 3 megabits!
We are thinking about switching to AT&T U-Verse or Comporium, our other local telco, but caps are in place for Comporium, but speeds can be at the maximum, 15 down and 15 up!
AT&T U-Verse has 6 Megabit Internet at our location for $43, 12 Megabits at $45, but we haven't decided yet on if we will switch or stay.
Lately, we have been getting speeds of up to 3.30 megabits in the morning, so they might be over-provisioning the speeds at 3547k or 4000k, but I am thinking 3547k for ADSL2+ at our location.
Overall, the service is steady in speed, topping out at 3.30 megabits in the morning, and 3.05 megabits during peak usage, because us and one other person in my neighborhood use AT&T DSL.
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  wings10I Am LegendPremium
join:2004-06-09
South Elgin, IL | ? What does Cellular service have to do with a DSL review? | |
| | | | Re: ? I was just saying that clear is a better choice in certain areas... And you only incur data overages if you are in a 3G only area. | |
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Review by quzar
member for 10.3 years, 9 visits, last login: 1.8 years ago
lodged 1.8 years ago
- Miami,Miami-Dade,FL
- $99 per month
- AT&T
- "Was better than dialup when I first got it"
- "Extremely inconsistent in all ways"
- "Finally have control over this connection and am migrating away"
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Have had this service since 1999. We started with Bellsouth dial-up in 1995 then migrated to their DSL service. A few years ago it switched to AT&T. Thoughout those years there have been near constant issues with disconnections, inconsistent speeds, and poor quality service.
Two years ago the connection finally stabilized after we cut our own line in order to get service to come out. They refused because remote diagnostics said everything was 'ok'. After that they rewired our system and put the DSL on its own two lines (preventing phone interference).
I have seen constant problems that seemed like throttling in the past though, where it may be possible to download a file at high speed, but streaming video of any sort has been extremely limited. There have also been constant problems with their DNS servers.
The last straw was getting a notification of having surpassed the data cap, which I did not know existed.
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Review by maestro7
member for 8.7 years, 35 visits, last login: 177 days ago
updated 1.9 years ago
- Loganville,Walton,GA
- Contract price not specified.
- AT&T
- "Overall, steady service"
- "Lately, something's been physically impacting the line"
- "Can't upgrade DSL, hoping U-Verse becomes available, else have to go elsewhere for service"
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Since we've been at our present address, we've had a few issues with AT&T
DSL, but overall it had been pretty good.
Two strikes against us, though:
1. Home is just far enough away from the CO (Central Office) that we cannot
get anything higher than 3.0MBps downstream;
2. U-Verse is not yet provisioned for our area (though another node -- we
once found it -- is provisioned for it, but on a different downstream line,
though only about 1.5 miles away from the house).
Then, back on 6/15/2011 when major rain storms came through eastern Atlanta,
the DSL sync light on my Netgear router/modem (excellent device, BTW) began
going down every 15 minutes for about 15 seconds and then back up. I called
this in and (probably "of course") they saw no apparent problems on the
line, opened a ticket, and had me call back if the problem persisted.
Then today, with a day off, my son and I attempted to watch a couple of
kid's movies on Netflix, which kept getting interrupted due to buffering
issues. Netflix's customer support was excellent, even letting me know just
how much the download speed was all over the map -- from between 0.5MBps to
2.xMBps. Therefore, I decided to call AT&T about it.
At first, 1 out of every 5 speed tests using AT&T's speed tester came back
with the same types of results as what NFLX saw. After some prodding of the
CSR (though not much, as she eventually volunteered me to the supervisor),
they finally attempted to reprovision the DSL line to a different
speed/sound noise profile (the CSR kept wanting me to reboot my PC in "F8"
mode (Safe Mode), and I kept asking her why, especially when my PS3, my
iPhone and my PC were all showing the same results, meaning it either had to
be the router or the network, per se). They reprovisioned, made the
situation worse, backed down to the original profile, and now my speeds are
affected 50% percent of the time (left worse than to begin with).
They are sending out a tech sometime tomorrow afternoon. I hope this fixes
the issue, as they've had to mess with a local break-out box on a previous
call and supposed had to "borrow" an extra line or channel just to get us
operational again.
Update/new review when the job completes...
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Review by tityler405
member for 2 years, 59 visits, last login: 306 days ago
updated 1.9 years ago
- Mobile,Mobile,AL
- Contract price not specified.
- AT&T
- "mostly stable speeds, very reliable"
- "caps and slow speeds."
- "reliably slow"
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We have been users of Bellsouth DSL since around 2003. We had problems with the service over the years, which were eventually attributed to bad inside wiring. I fixed that recently. Since then, we have had the 3Mb service, and we used to get a downstream sync rate of around 3300kb with actual speeds a little slower than the 3000 we were promised. Latency is around 80ms but we are on a very long loop. For the past 2 months the downstream sync rates have been all over the place... from around 2400 to 3500. AT&T trucks have been all over the place in the neighborhood lately conditioning for U-verse, so this is likely the cause. Despite this, we have had near 100% uptime. We sometimes have problems during thunderstorms.
The caps however, have us searching for alternatives.
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Review by ender7074
member for 6.5 years, 1334 visits, last login: 1 days ago
updated 2 years ago
- House Springs,Jefferson,MO
- $35 per month
- (12 month contract)
- "It allows a little bit of internet use"
- "Just about everything"
- "AT&T is an awful company in both service and quality."
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My wife and I built a new house. Unfortunately, we have to deal with AT&T as there is no other provider in the area. I ordered the service online and selected the $10 internet option with expediated shipping. I never received a modem. I had to buy one from Best Buy and AT&T refuses to credit the modem back to me. More on that later. We moved into the new house and the guy came out and installed the phone line with no problems. The internet is a whole different story. To start off, I was only getting 180k. For about a week it was this bad. I called their worthless support and got the service I expected. The lady in India was extremely hard to understand and basically knew nothing about what she was doing. I asked her initially if the modem was provisioned correctly and she said yes. I also asked a few other tech questions that she was unable to answer as well. To make a long story short, she blamed the router. Now the router wasnt even hooked up but somehow it was causing the problem. I then demanded a sup but all I got was a tier 2 guy. He was marginally better. He did find that the modem was provisioned incorrectly, like I suspected, and fixed that but then proceeded to have me make multiple changes in the modem that caused it not to work at all. I let him go and proceeded to fix it to work again.
So now 2 months go by and I am paying only for the service, as they have still not credited the modem they never sent to me back. I keep getting disconnect notices because I refuse to pay for a piece of equipment I didnt receive. Their billing people are awful. The internet support people are worse. I never thought I'd be saying this but I can't wait for Charter to put lines into my new subdivision.
***UPDATE***
After fighting with the people in billing for 3 months, I waved the white flag and paid for the modem that I was never sent. I did this under duress and with the threat of disconnection. So far, not a single manager I have asked for has called me back and no one is billing will do anything about the fact that AT&T just stole 70 dollars from me. Tech support continues to be a complete waste of time unless you demand a tier 2 tech. The quality of service jumps quite a bit once one of those guys take over. One positive thing is they upgraded my line. I can now get 6 meg up from 768k. Seems ok so far but I havent had a chance to put it to the test yet.
**Update 7/25/08**
Once again, my modem has been reprovisioned. It was tooling along at 4.5 meg (pathetic since I'm paying for 6meg) when the connection dropped. When it came back up it was back to 768k. This is absolutely rediculous. They still haven't returned the money for the modem that I was charged for and never received and this is the 4th time that they have reprovisioned my modem for no reason. I never thought I'd say this but I cant wait to get Charter back. Not once in 5 years of having them did I have these problems. AT&T is awful. I will be filing complaints with the BBB and other agencies about their terrible service.
**Update 5/22/09**
Service is still awful. I end up calling the god-awful technical support about every 4-5 weeks about my connection going up and down. They escalate a case to some other group and they rarely fix it and never answer the phone number that they gvie to get back to them. I've given up on getting back the money they stole from me. They flat out refuse to refund the money and every time I bring it up they just transfer me around to different departments until someone just drops me. I get about 3-4 meg out of my, supposedly, 6 meg connection. Pathetic. I can't wait for the day that I can go to any other service than this pile of garbage that AT&T calls an internet connection.
**Update 3/2/10**
Service continues to be awful. The intermittent connection is getting worse. Instead of getting a few weeks of decent connection (not constant just decent). Online games are unplayable. Constant disconnects prevent any kind of enjoyable gaming experience. Netflix streaming is useless. Even uploading files for school is an effort in futility. Many times I have to go to my parents house and use their cable connection to send in projects that are due. Phone support is worthless. I've had techs out the each claim to fix the problem but then a few days later... well, the cycle repeats. I've looked into other providers but AT&T is all I can get. I need to find a corporate complaint route for AT&T but none seem to be available. This service is beyond awful. Oh, and forget about credit unless you want the transfer run around. Disgusting company with awful service.
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Review by othinn
member for 10.8 years, 2228 visits, last login: 38 days ago
updated 2 years ago
- Natchitoches,Natchitoches,LA
- $38 per month
- about 6 days
- AT&T
- "Reliable connection"
- "Pricing, slow, caps"
- "Slow & steady isn't good enough anymore"
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5/2011--I cancelled my service today due to the new caps and have switched to Suddenlink. I have no real complaints about AT&T aside from the caps and the fact that the speeds available to me have been static since they first introduced the ultra or extreme tiers (I can't keep the goofy names straight) years ago. The caps are a big complaint, though; I won't put up with them if I can avoid it.
2/2011 update--After all this time, 3/384 is still all that AT&T offers in my area, and I'm close to dropping them. I would probably stick with them if the 6Mb service was here if only because I've never had a problem with the heavy downloading I do--something I'm not sure would be true with Suddenlink, which is AT&T's only real competitor around here. I don't know whether to stick with what I know or give cable a shot.
12/13/03 -- Another update. My only complaint is the news service. I stopped bothering with it a few months ago & switched to a premium service. Other than that, everything's great.
5/6/03 -- An update because the site asked for it, but there's nothing much to say. Email goes down every now and then, newsgroup service is sometimes spotty (but there's no download limit so I won't complain). That's about it.
********
The only problem I've had since ordering the service three weeks ago is the confusion, on Bellsouth's end, about my order. In the first week after my order, I received a USB self-installation kit, an ethernet self-installation kit and an ethernet modem all by its lonesome. (I ordered the ethernet kit.) Customer service worked hard, and were very polite while doing so, to keep it from happening, but I guess their shipping department has an itchy trigger finger. It's all straightened out now, with the exception of the activation rebate coupon -- I've still got to call and remind them I haven't received one.
As for speed, I averaged 1250/220 with the USB Alcatel, with the ethernet Alcatel I average 1220/216. I don't know how far I am from the CO -- for what it's worth, about 8000 feet as the crow flies. Good pings. I've never lost connection. The best thing I can say is that I never think about my connection. It's just there. That's in stark contrast to my time with cable, where every day was a crap shoot.
What I don't like is all the software that comes with the installation disk. I installed it at first, but couldn't find any reason for keeping it. I also don't like being forced to install software in order to access Bellsouth's support site. Yes, I'm a rank beginner when it comes to broadband, and most other things, but I don't need to be baby-stepped to that degree.
Anyway, aside from that, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Bellsouth to anyone. (But I've probably jinxed myself now.)
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Review by Airwolf7
member for 8.4 years, 2428 visits, last login: 7 days ago
updated 2 years ago
- Franklin,Simpson,KY
- $47 per month
- BellSouth
- "FastAccess DSL service was awesome when it was run by BellSouth."
- "The new AT&T has run FastAccess service into the ground."
- "The new AT&T sucks! Get Comcast HSI service if you can."
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Come April 25th 2011 I will be done with AT&T. All services cancelled. That is $145.83 a month of my money that AT&T will not be getting.
AT&T has not done a single thing positive since taking over BellSouth. They have run FastAccess DSL service into the ground. They nickel and dime the customer to death now. They have pissed me off for the last time.
April 28 2011: I have left AT&T now. Comcast is looking good so far.
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Comments:
 mikes60My ParadisePremium
join:2001-07-31
Boynton Beach, FL | Have already moved I left a couple of weeks ago after about 10 years with AT&T.
They are going backwards, while the industry is moving forward.
I moved my internet and phone to Comcast, with better, much faster service, and lower prices.
See you on the Comcast forum.
--
--"No good deed goes unpunished"
--"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" (Albert Einstein)
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| | | Your really "F'ed" up with me AT&T I am planning to do the same. I ordered a new modem because lighting had taken out one of the ports on the old one...that work GREAT...I got 6.2 on download. The new modem came today I installed it and it didn't work right..coudn't get the computers to work right on it. When one worked one didn't and my download speeds when from 6.2 to 1.8 and I'm paying money for the 6.0. I am really burning here  I spent about 3hrs on the phone with tech and they told me that the modem was bad. Don't they check these damn things when they ship them in from china. If I have the same issues when the other new one comes in I'm going to comcast where my partner likes it or not. I hate the idea but I'm not going to put up with this crap! AT&T you "F'in" suck! | |
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 Review by NOCTech75
member for 3.9 years, 1691 visits, last login: a few hours ago
updated 2.1 years ago
- Marietta,Cobb,GA
- $37 per month
- about 1 days
- BellSouth
- "When I moved came over with DT, very reliable"
- "Changing email to yahoo"
- "Due to cap and TOS changes moving to Comcast"
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Service has been great, no issues. Thought about Comcast but I knew that the DSL would be reliable so I went with that, may switch to save money but I'm very happy with the service.
Service has been perfect but the new caps and TOS changes is a bit over the top, ok... way over the top. Going to Comcast HSI to give that a try.
Well Comcast has won out, the latest BS from AT&T just pushed me over the edge. In about a week I will be disconnecting all services with AT&T.
Got everything I needed done early, service terminated... to AT&T, piss off.
Comments:
 OneEye
join:2006-04-15
Peachtree City, GA
2 edits | what's a retired gent to do? I've been a BellSouth/AT&T customer since 1965 (the year I got married).
I've had voice, dial up and DSL. Now I'm trying to make up my mind to go with U-Verse Internet. Yet I dispise AT&T and its arrogant manners toward all customers, especially with CAPS and new Terms of Service that really suck.
Yes. I could go with Comcast. But who wants to fight a ring topology network that fails with every car accident that knocks down a telephone pole and with degraded service due to packet collisions.
My need for an Internet fix is really making my life difficult.
Peachtree City, GA | |
| | | | Re: what's a retired gent to do? OneEye:
I may be wrong, but moving to U-verse won't provide an alternate solution to AT&T DSL. The CAPS and TOS are the same. More importantly, the network technology is the same and shared by both services. U-verse is a separate AT&T business unit and allows them to bundle billing for data, digital TV, traditional land-line long distance, and, if your local mini-CO can support it, VOIP telephone service.
U-Verse Internet access, (still DSL), digital TV, and VOIP are all delivered to your residence via the same twisted pair wiring-- just like your DSL service now. The big difference is that U-verse replaces your DSL modem with what they term a Residential Gateway. This is a pretty decent combo modem/router that separates and manages the various services. The twisted pair terminates at the RG which supports:
1) primary internet access,
2) provides a coax I/F to distribute digital TV over your house's existing coax cabling (each TV needs its own U-Verse set top box, for which they charge $7/mo)
3) wireless network support. The wireless capability is excellent with a strong signal. I retired my Linksys wireless router once the U-verse RG was installed.
I was an existing AT&T DSL customer and because tall trees prevent me from going with satellite TV, I jumped at the chance to ditch Comcast, plus U-Verse offered a 6 month promotion which was $30 less per month than what I was paying Comcast. I found that picture quality immediately improved compared to Comcast's. I would have to guess that AT&T's network is superior to Comcast's patchwork held together by duct tape and tie wraps. I really believe it's because Comcast has begun to severely compress its signal in order to cram in another 50 or so home shopping channels over their existing bandwidth. It is far from a lossless compression. You pay for 1080i HD, but you don't necessarily get it. Several lawsuits across the country have been filed because of this Comcast practice.
After the six months were up, I cancelled the U-Verse TV service, installed an antenna and now have only over-the-air channels, FOR FREE. Between those, on-line access, and NetFlix, I'm happy and $100/mo richer. Plus the native 1080i or 720p broadcast signal I receive provides the best picture quality yet. Finally HD TV.
I may be stuck with AT&T. I'll never see any fiber laid in my neighborhood in my lifetime. As bad as AT&T is, Comcast is many times worse. I would NEVER rely on them for internet access or my phone service.
Just my $.02 | |
| | | OneEye
join:2006-04-15
Peachtree City, GA | Re: what's a retired gent to do? You're right on all your points except one: There is a difference in the CAP level for DSL and U-Verse. DSL is 150 G and U-Verse is 250 G.
Regarding Comcast. As long as Comcast and other cable systems continue to deliver content by a ring topology, information will continue to be compress into a digital blob with more packet collisions than actual packet delivery to the home.
I still despise AT&T's arrogant business attitude toward customers.
Thanks for your input, mandogeek. | |
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| OneEye
join:2006-04-15
Peachtree City, GA
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 Review by wizkid6
member for 11.1 years, 1217 visits, last login: 6 days ago
updated 2.1 years ago
- Opelika,Lee,AL
- $48 per month
- (12 month contract)
- about 1 days
- BellSouth
- "Stability"
- "Cap, price per megabit"
- "Best thing until U-verse"
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I ordered DSL on 5/30/02. They told me the self-install kit was scheduled to arrive by the 16th, and to call them if it hadn't. It arrived about 5 days early, on the 11th. I opened it, plugged it in, and tried to install EnterNet 300. No joy. As much as I tried, it wouldn't connect. I finally ended up connecting to my previous ISP (AT&T Worldnet) a couple of times to apply the STH to STP hack, and it worked! Unfortunately, my speed is only about 100k per second. Thus, next week I'm going to do a home run with my father.
---- Update ----
I now have upgraded to the 6meg package and have moved to another state. Everything is great. Can't wait until U-verse comes to town!
---- Update ----
Everything smooth sailing....
---- Update ---
$8 per megabit is outrageous on a $48 bill.
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