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Review by fastasican 
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 8.4 years, 70 visits, last login: 115 days ago
 Atlanta,Fulton,GA
 $49 per month
 about 42 days
 BellSouth
 "It has never dropped in me, plenty fast (video stream is smooth)"
 "Tech Support is something less that supportive, not really 1.5mb/sec, You can't adjust many options on the gateway yourself."
 "I love mine. It works like a charm, but you do have to do your home work."
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1-29-2003
Is there anyone out there who is "ridin' it down" with me. I am getting a faster connection on DirectvDSL now that they are out of business. Humm.
I wonder when the sevice will die all together???
Bye Bye DirectvDSL. It served me well for 2 years.
================== original message ============================
Order Time
The Customer Service Rep. (CSR) built a good rapport, was helpful and seemed interested in having my business.But the deal I was offered in not what I received. So I will have to call back and go through the hassle of correcting this billing problem.
Installation
It took a little while to process my order, in part due to a hold up getting my line released from the now defunct Winfire.
The Service
I have not had a single problem with the service once it came online. The only caveat beingThe tech support people either don't know or are every guarded with answers they give out. As an example when I attempted to reconfigure my gateway from USB to Ethernet as the primary port, I had to have tech support reconfigure the gateway and they where not axious to tell me that is wat was going on. This is not a show stopper, but if you are new to the technology you may not ask the questions that get the answers you are looking for. other that that, you have no contract and the price is comparable to what you would pay elsewhere. You have a 'static IP which can be useful. But the upstream bit rate is a little slow for a serious website. This came as no surprise since it is ADSL and the advertised rate is 128. For a personal site though, it is acceptable (a matter of some philosophical debate).
Overall,
I am very satified.
I run the DSL gateway into a Linksys wireless cable/DSL router with a 4port switch. and have several machines sitting behind it connected to the internet without any trouble at all.
Judging from the other reviews have read, I wonder if I am the only satisfied customer?
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 Review by jabbawest
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 8 years, 631 visits, last login: 56 days ago
Wylie,Collin,TX
$50 per month (12 month contract)
about 45 days
Verizon
CLEC party: Verizon
"Tech Support Tries. They just can't resolve major issues."
"Lower Level Techs are reluctant to move your issues up the chain of command"
"You have to INSIST on resolution of your problem."
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As of 12-29-01 I have now had over one month of solid service. Still capped at the 730/137 range by my Telco, Verizon West. I understand that DTVDSL is working with VW to get the capped raised or removed. We will see.
The one thing I must point out here is that any future issues with my service will never be handled by the Tier 1 phone techs. No offense folks but, when my service started, the technical issues between DTVDSL and VW were just being recognized by the higher ups at DTV. Even before those screw ups by VW I was already on DTV's radar because of some order processing issues. At that time a FAX to the CEO was my last effort, out of the many previous ones, to get them to take notice. They did and now I have some very good contacts behind the curtain. I'm not bragging. I'm just happy I have them if I need real help.
For those of you considering this service I would say. Go for it! Just keep in mind that you may have to walk over some bodies to get the assistance you need.
Be polite, take notes when you call for support. Always take the name of the tech and if you still have problems, make them open a ticket and insist that only one person handle your issue. It really sucks to have to repeat your situation over and over again when you have to keep calling back. Get the name, direct line phone number and e-mail of your tech once the ticket is open. Once it its open do not ask for help from any one else. Things will just get confusing.
Follow these simple rules and you will have a better than 75% chance of happiness with DTVDSL.
As of 5/30/02 all is well and nothing has changed. Speed has been a constant 768/128, so says the Speed Net Dallas Test.
I am considering changing to something faster when my contract is up. Buit for now I'm happy.
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Review by tomredden
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 9.2 years, 2218 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Cornelius,Mecklenburg,NC
$50 per month (12 month contract)
about 12 days
BellSouth
CLEC party: BellSouth
"they closed"
"they closed"
"they closed"
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My broadband connection was prestige/adelphia cable prior to this change to DirectDSL. When the cable internet connection was functioning, the speed was almost always above 2000... that is when it was working. As such, I became dissatisfied and decided to try DSL in spite of the extra $20/mth in cost.
I placed a call to order on Sunday. The next Friday, received an email saying that BellSouth had completed the line setup and the equipment was being shipped. The equipment arrived on Monday as I was leaving town for the week. Upon return, I connected the 3 cables and loaded the software and I was up and running.
I have a small network in the house so over the next couple days, I found the manual to the DLink wireless router, refreshed my memory on setup, logged onto the DirectDSL site to get the IP address for the submask, gateways, etc. I then logged onto the router, loaded the IP addresses and cloned the MAC address of the PC and immediately connected to the DSL through the DLink 713P router.
I considered my DSL choices to be DirectDSL or BellSouth (the local teleco). I selected DirectDSL because they permit and encourage the use of small home networks where as BellSouth does not support.
I've started monitoring the new connection with DSLReports. So far the ping times are very consistent at around 60 ms and almost no latency. Speed test have been very consistent with an average down/up of 1250/120... which is about half of the speed of cable but dependable and consistent.
Net... chose DSL over cable if you don't want to get frustrated about connecting when you want to. I am happy with DirectDSL... at least so far in this process.
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Review by Guinea812
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 7.4 years, 162 visits, last login: 2.4 years ago
Irvine,Orange,CA
$50 per month (12 month contract)
about 10 days
SBC
CLEC party: Covad
"2 Months Free; Super Fast"
"had to tweak my connection to get fast speeds."
"Great ISP"
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When I started to look for highspeed internet I examined all my options. I finally chose Direct Tv DSL because it was the cheapeast and the speed was 1500/128. The software was easy to install and was surfing the web in 10 minutes!! The static IP address was nice because I can host my own servers. I tested my speed and it was at 1275/76. I am very pleased with Direct TV's DSL service!!
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 Review by avantare
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 9.7 years, 1937 visits, last login: 15 days ago
Boynton Beach,Palm Beach,FL
$50 per month
about 25 days
BellSouth
"Screamin' speed, tech support seemed knowledable enough when I had to call."
"None that I can honestly complain about."
"Highly recommend it if you live in my area !!"
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I live in the SW corner of Military Trail and Gateway. I originally had Adelphia 1-way (what a joke on all aspects, speed, tech support, getting billing problems fixed...) I knew that DSL would be offered here soon and kept checking back on DSLReports about once a month. As soon as I saw that BS (I bet you think that stands for BellSouth) has DSL in my CO I knew it was just a matter of time and *CALLED* Telocity every month inquiring when I could get service from them. It took 6 months before they finally said a miniram was put in my area (I'm ~30k ft from CO) and it took them about 3-4 weeks to get me up and running. WOW!!! Now this is speed. 1.1 down and 0.8 up... and still it is this consistant. I ordered the service in March '01. Telocity initially sent me a bad modem but after spending a weekend documenting times I had to reboot it they sent a new one (they picked up the tab on this both ways and I had it 2 days later) and things have been sweet ever since. There was a 6-8 hour time period the server in Orlando was down but, hey these are the ONLY 2 problems I have had.
Speed offered/ordered was "up to 1.5 down and 128 up" for $49.95 per month. Co-ordinating them was easier than I thought as BellSouth (in my past experience) is absolutly the worst for things like this. There may be hope for BS yet! Telocity supplied the modem/router that you have to give back when you discontinue with them. You need to pay to get it and send it back at $24.95 each way, but, hey, with NO service contract I took that and ran with it. They also give you a static IP AND let you host a web site at home as well as let you network your house (up to 5 computers I believe). Oh, they WILL NOT support you with troubleshooting your web site set up nor your home LAN (I wouldn't either if I were in their shoes). Over all I must say the entire experience is a solid 8.5 on a 1-10 scale!
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Review by xistent
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 8.5 years, 340 visits, last login: 37 days ago
Santa Ana,Orange,CA
$49 per month (month by month)
about 40 days
SBC
"It is really easy to set up"
"Suppossed to be 1.5 down the best i have gotten is 360 down"
"Not getting what i paid for"
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I've tried to contact them about my Down speed but i sat on hold a long time. I am close to my upload speed. Install was quick and painless. I have a static IP Generally a good exeperience.
After about 5 months and alot of phone calls they increase my bandwidth. They were capping it at 368 down.
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Review by Smackey4
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 8.8 years, 9 visits, last login: 4.8 years ago
Nashville,Davidson,TN
$49 per month
about 26 days
BellSouth
"Install (from sign-up to surfing) was a breeze, fast speeds, static IP, & Telocity welcomes use of router for home networking"
"Horrible routing problems at times limit access to various sites, have had trouble/delays with SMTP server & outgoing email"
"For the most part I'm pleased, but the network's sporadic routing problems can be infuriating"
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Sorry to see DirecTV DSL go. I had been very happy with their service since they absorbed me with the Telocity purchase. (The routing and email troubles I reported in my original review below dissappeared). I'm now surfing via Speakeasy.net, but Speakeasy's DirectSwitch plan didn't work as advertised and I spent over a week on dialup (thanks to BellSouth, I'm sure). When my DirecTV DSL went down on 1/16/03, I contacted DirecTV DSL tech support the following day through their web site (the only way to contact them now) and was called by a great tech that evening. Although he couldn't authorize any actions on his end that would cost DirecTV DSL any money (frustrating, but understandable I suppose), he was very helpful, patient, and informative in that call and a follow-up call he initiated on the next Monday. In short, if Speakeasy is as problem-free as DirecTV DSL was for me, I'll be quite pleased (if a little miffed for paying $10 more per month for a comparable line connection).
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Thanks to many reviews on this site which (at that point in time) seemed to indicate Telocity was getting its act together, I signed up for ADSL service on 11/18/2000. Communication was great via emails, & the ability to follow the order status on their website was a nice touch. About 15 days after sign-up (seemingly stuck on one of the stages of installation) I did call to check on my order. I was told that the phone company (BellSouth) had a ticket set up for me but, as of yet, no scheduled date to work on the line. But the representative told me "You are closer than you think... your order status on our web page isn't always updated promptly." (I was particularly dubious about this last comment, since the site states it is updated every 24 hours & it had been updating fine on previous steps in the process). But alas, I remained patient.
Then, on 12/9 I received an email saying my account had been established, & it provided all the technical info. It was then that I realized my line had been worked on without me having to take time off from work to meet any technicians at the house, etc. This was very nice. I received an email on 12/11 that the Gateway modem had shipped (the email came complete with a tracking number) and I received the modem the following day.
A few days passed before I had the time to purchase a Linksys router (servicing 2 PCs) & sit down to hook it all up. After correcting a few newbie networking mistakes I made, I fired it all up & the Gateway connected just as it was supposed to. No horror story about connecting to the network, constantly re-initializing the Gateway, etc. In fact, my modem hasn't been offline since, nor have I had to restart it. After one tweak, my download speeds are right around 1130-1190 kbps, with upload varying from 135kbps to 200+. I'm not maxing out by any means, but I'm pleased with the results. Having never talked with a tech, I'm not sure of my "official" distance from the CO.
My only complaints about the service are the horrendous routing issues Telocity is having (as have been oft-reported in other reviews). The majority of my surfing time is trouble-free, but occasionally I'll try to reach a site only to realize that the routing beast has once again reared its head. Traceroutes show multiple hops between multiple Telocity servers before ever getting out into the "open," and sometimes two Telocity servers will just bounce back & forth between each other. I've also had trouble with outgoing emails, at least one of which arrived at its destination 24 hours after being sent & another reportedly never reached its recipient. I've elected not to call tech support for any of these aforementioned issues, primarily based upon the long wait times & lack of assistance I keep reading about from other Telocity customers. But since these claims are only second-hand, I can't directly comment on tech support.
I haven't heard of many perfect DSL experiences, & given the horror stories I've read here, I'd say I'm more pleased than not with my Telocity service. I'm planning to wait out the few problems they are having, hoping they'll continue to improve upon things over time. As far as recommending them to others, I'd be reluctant to whole-heartedly endorse them. I can only share my experience, but other customers have had it much worse. Unfortunately with Telocity, it seems to be a matter of crossing your fingers & hoping you make it through relatively unscathed.
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Review by carey
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 8.7 years, 218 visits, last login: 3 days ago
Kansas City,Jackson,MO
$49 per month
about 32 days
Southwestern Bell
"easy to set up by yourself, no contract"
"gateway they supply needs to be returned if you opt out or else your pay big $$$"
"suggest you be within 2 miles of your CO for reliable hookup"
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it's faster than 56k but not 50 times faster(at least not here yet). Actually the best I've ever got is 320/110, about 6 times faster than 56k. I think being 12,500 ft. from the CO doesn't help matters. Super easy to install(if you follow the instructions, very important), no NIC supplied, they do give you power supply for gateway and phone cable plus USB and Ethernet cables. They also include filters for your phone lines to eliminate the hissing the gateway supposedly makes(I never heard the hissing). You'll need a splitter at your wall jack if you intend to use a phone or fax off the same outlet you hook the gateway up to. good communication from shipping dept on gateway. 8/10/2001 - just raised the monthly fee from $39.95 to $49.95, still slow, thinking about switching ISP's 1/2/2002- still with these guys, can't get anyone to guarantee over 128mbps download so I'll stay with DTV for now.
updated 2/11/2002---even removed the filters and splitter, plugged straight into the wall jack and still not any faster. Have done tweaking too, same story.
Face it, I'm too far from the CO. updated 1/24/2003 DTV is toast, swithched to SBCYAHOO DSL, running about 600Kbps down, 100Kbps up after tweaking, looking for SBC to run tests and set speed at CO.
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 Review by jhd002
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 9.2 years, 37 visits, last login: 1.4 years ago
Charlotte,Mecklenburg,NC
$49 per month
about 30 days
BellSouth
"Great performance, Reliable service, static IP"
"Maybe a lower price."
"I will miss this vendor..."
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Farewell DirectTV/DSL, I will miss you.
Originally signed up with Telocity. Consistently got around 1.2Mb down and 256k up. Over the past several years only one major snafu and they gave me 3 free months for it. Will stay with DSL (switching to Earthlink) because it's been so reliable for me...I just don't trust cable for reliability.
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In looking at the DSL/Cable options I choose DSL for the bandwidth stability and choose Telocity for pricing and a less restrictive usage agreement. I understood from readings here that support would be hard to get.
My Telocity connection was up 30 days from application. (They implemented their 30 day guarantee in the middle of my setup period.) I made one call when it looked like the order was falling behind and it was online the next day. In my first few weeks I experienced one brief Internet outage early one morning and an e-mail server outage that lasted several hours. The mail server was frequently sluggish though usable and it continued to be slow until an upgrade they made about a month ago. Since then it's been working well.
I have been extremely impressed with the performance, around 1.2Mb Down/ 256k Up. Unfortunately, I can't comment on their technical support because everything on their end has been workng well. Overall, I would recommend Telocity to anyone who doesn't feel like they need hand holding.
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 Review by delta_tech
UPDATED: 6.8 years ago
member for 9 years, 209 visits, last login: 3.2 years ago
Suwanee,Gwinnett,GA
$49 per month
about 18 days
BellSouth
"Excellent experience with customer service, love the static IP"
"My connection isn't the greatest, but it wasn't with Bellsouth either"
"Great value for the money, customer service came through for me when I needed them"
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I signed on with Bellsouth originally. Their PPPoA software made my computer crash and the connection wouldn't stay up for more than an hour or two, so I dropped them. I learned about Telocity from a friend that had a good experience with them. I must say that he was right. I have had an extremely good experience with them, also. The only problem that I experienced was that Bellsouth had not done their part. When I called Telocity they asked me when I would be home to do a line test (evidently they thought I had a bad line originally), this was on a Saturday. Much to my disbelief, especially after reading all of the "horror" stories about Telocity and their customer service, a technician called me the next day and said that he had Bellsouth on the line and that he had them complete their part of my aDSL installation (routing). I rebooted my gateway and I was up and running in less than 30 minutes. The technician even offered to stay on the line to assist me with the rest of the installation, which I kindly refused. My only complaint now is that my line is intermittant, in other words, any typical download, while it is plenty fast, is jerky and sometimes stalls for a second or two. Being that this problem existed with when I was a Bellsouth aDSL user, I suspect it to be a physical line problem. At least my connection stays on and the software is friendly to my computer.
UPDATE: 1/22/2003
I switched over to SnappyDSL on 1/20/2003. Will post a review soon for them. Thank you DTV DSL to 2 1/2 excellent years of excellent service.
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DIRECTV DSL (TM) (ISP Closed)
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