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Review by pog  UPDATED: 4.4 years ago member for 5.4 years, 2720 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
Kihei,Maui,HI
$30 per month
about 3 days
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon (ex GTE)
"Steady connection, semi-stable-yet-dynamic IP address, no peak period slowdowns"
"Unreliable DNS servers, bizarre email configuration, high latency to mainland"
"Best bang for the buck on Maui!"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I originally signed on when it was GTE and got the 1500/128 package (at a premium). This was on DHCP via frame relay via a Fujitsu Speedport modem. Last year, when the new pricing/speed structure went into effect, I simply kept my higher speed and got my price reduced.
However, I was unable to get the latest speed upgrade (to 1500/384) and had to switch to DHCP via ATM via a Westell modem. Sadly, tech support and billing were not knowledgable enough to point me in the right direction and I wasted a lot of time teaching them some of the basics. Once I figured out I had to get the ball rolling via sales, things proceeded very well.
On 5/21/2004, sales issued me a complementary dialup account and transferred me to the team that handles cancellations. The cancel order was not consummated until 5/26 @ 10pm (lost connectivity) and 5/27 @ noon (lost sync). I placed my reorder 5/28 and was told the ready date would by June 7.
I have sync today (June 2nd 2004) and am getting full speed (nominal 1500/384, actual 1250/370). That's 3 working days, I believe (Memorial day, doesn't count!) In fact, the new modem hasn't even arrived yet (VOL is billing me $12.95 for shipping). I'm using a Westell 2100 I scrounged from a computer recycling event last January.
Ping times to the last Hawaii router are 12-13 ms. The next hop (to the mainland) adds 100-120 ms. I realize, of course, there's a lot of distance involved here... and it's a *lot* better than what I saw with my frame relay hookup.
I ought to address the rest of the bad points I mentioned: The 4.2.2.x set of DNS servers have (had) a history of high latency... even non-responsiveness. I get around this by running my own caching server (BIND) from my FreeBSD box. Treewalk DNS (ntcanuck.com) is also a good/easy alternative for Windows machines.
The bizarre email setup I'm complaining about is the way VOL handles incoming mail. The bottom line is that legitimate mail is/was often rejected. It's not as bad as it was... but my preference to use my own domains for email means I'm not as affected by it as others are. The problems only surfaced last fall when VOL implemented sender verification. They've tweaked it considerably since then and, I presume, there's an extensive whitelist in effect. Still, there are people complaining in the private VOL newsgroups.
The only other ISP I would consider on Maui is possibly Maui Sky Fiber (edit: RIP)... not for their great bandwidth or low prices, but for their portability. Roadrunner (and 3rd party cable ISPs) is more expensive and, from what I know, less reliable. 3rd-party DSL providers are all much more expensive and offer inferior service (in my opinion).
There... that's a lot of words for what amounts to my 2 cents!
Added 6/4/04: Per the Westell diagnostic, snyc is 1792/448
Added 11/1/04: Upgraded to 3000/768 plan. Painless phone call to billing, service upgraded almost immediately on my end. New sync is 3360/864. Actual throughput as monitored on my end is 2680/760 ... the best DSL reports test today was 2503/706. I was told that my new price is $31 and change. My old price (with bundle discount) was $29.95. We'll see what's what come next bill... LOL!
Added 6/6/05: Things are mostly the same. No significant outages for at least a year. Speeds are as advertised. Of note, Verizon Hawaii (the phone company) no longer exists and, in its place, is Hawaiian Telcom... it wasn't clear at first but now it's official the Verizon Online will still provide ISP services. I'm not sure how things will work behind the scenes, though. The soundbites above still apply.
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Review by SammyBK  UPDATED: 4.5 years ago member for 9.2 years, 2258 visits, last login: 2 days ago
Tualatin,Washington,OR
$29 per month (12 month contract)
about 3 days
Verizon (ex GTE)
"Great Speed, DHCP, Fast install, Price"
"No Dial Up"
"Great basic broadband service"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I got fed up with being stuck on Frame Relay from Earthlink and paying $50/month for 768k/128k DSL. I ordered Verizon DSL on a Sunday night and was told 6 business days until the service would be up. Wednesday the Modem and Router (free after rebate) showed up. I plugged in the modem and it synced up fine.
Ordered new 1500/384 Tier from Verizon for $29.95/month, speed tests show about 1250/360. I was very happy to finally be free of frame relay.
Somehow Verizon mishandled my credit card information and billed someone else's router, in addition to my own, to my credit card. It took at least 8 calls back and fourth with Verizon and my credit card company to get the second charge reversed, but after a couple weeks it was off of there.
Overall I am very happy with the new connection. I do miss having dial-up for business trips, though.
------------------------------Update 5/2005----------------------------------------------
We were able to get the free upgrade to 3000/768. It went through within a number of hours, and we now cruise at about 2900/720 or so. Our line was switched to interleave because of the upgrade, and it took about four calls to technical support to find someone who was willing to submit a ticket to repairs to get the line switched over to fastpath.
One problem we have been having is disconnects on the router. It looses its IP address and the only way to get it back is to power cycle it. This happens 2-3 times a day, and only seems to have started after the switch to the 71.xx.xx.xx ip block.
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Review by scoobaspeaz  Posted: 4.5 years ago member for 5.2 years, 24 visits, last login: 2.1 years ago
South Webster,Scioto,OH
$29 per month (12 month contract)
about 7 days
"Reliable service and great speed. Wonderful price!!"
"Horrible Level 1 Technicians. They are like warm bodies used to answer the phone."
"Great service and you cant beat the price!!"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I had a small issue at first with having 768/128. I was supposed to be getting 1.5mb down. After going through many level 1 techs who were not very knowledgable i finally was put in contact with someone on the network side of verizon-west. The lady i spoke to took care of my problem...then a few months later called me up on the phone to let me know my speed was changed to 3mb/768k!!!
To this day she still calls to check on my service making sure it is going smooth. Im very happy with Verizon Online. I suggest this service to anyone in the southern ohio area.
The service was 1.5mb down 368k up (later upgraded to 3mb/768k). Price: 29.95 Install Process: Smooth without issues other than the minor speed issue that was later fixed. Home Equipment: Sent me a Westell Wireless G Router/DSL Modem. All the filters and perfect instructions to install. You have a cd thats included that is hard to screw up.
Ip address type: PPPoE
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Review by (hidden by request) Posted: 4.5 years ago (review was emailed from domain neo.rr.com)
Erie,Erie,PA
Contract price not specified.
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon (ex GTE)
"when connected, good service"
"Poor tech knowledge, bad serivce, lies, poor callbacks, denial of company responsibility"
"works good when working, get better tech support from the guy next door."
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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We received Verizon DSL a couple of years ago. For the first couple years I had no problems except the occasional loss of service for a second or two. Then about a year and a half ago I started having trouble. Every time it would rain I would loose connection with them. My modem would constantly reconnect to them for the whole time it was raining. After the rain stopped and everything dried up, the DSL would work fine. After this happened a couple time I called Verizon tech support. That day it happened to be a short rain and after listening to their drag music for over a half hour they finally picked up. By that time the rain had stopped and everything dried up and I had connection back again. I was informed that they saw no problems and to call back if and when I have the problem again. I had the same problem again and again, but every time that I would call it would always be the same thing. It would always take them so long to pick up that by them my service was back on.
One day after months of this routine, I finally got a hold of there tech support while having the problem. I told them everything that I knew and then they did all the normal stuff, reboot the modem and the computer, renew the IP address, etc. I even tried a completely different phone jack and cord for the modem to plug into, but could not get any connection to my PC. Not one bit of data could they see going through. The logical choice was that there is bad insulation somewhere on the outside of the house, but not in Verizons experts view. Since they knew that it only happened when it rained, you would think that they would send someone over to check the lines, but no, instead they decided to change me over to a different circuit in their office. My thoughts about this point in time were "It is happening only when it rains so something must be getting wet, right??" After all, if it was a bad circuit, wouldn't it happen all the time and not just when it rains!? What can I say but obviously it did not fix the problem. I did learn one thing about the whole experience though. Do NOT trust any time frame that they give. They told me that they would have it switched over in 2 days. 3 days later it was switched. That is 1 day longer then they said, but at least it was done.
With the problem continuing, I called back time after time. I was told everything from "call back when you are having the problem" to "The problem is that you are not using the factory cord that came with the modem". I still have not figured out what not using the factory cord had anything to do with me loosing connection only when it rained. This went on for over a year and still the same problem.
One day the people moved out from an apartment 3 houses up the street from me. And then someone new moved in. After Verizon came down and reconnected the service to the house, most of the problem went away. I still had small problems with their server every now and then, especially when we had a really heavy rain. After thinking back on it, the major problems started about the time that the last tenants for that apartment moved in and the phone service was connected. I called Verizon tech support back when I was having trouble again and told them what I had thought, but did they send someone out to fix it? NO!
After a few more calls, they decided to try out their new service and take me off of the packet switching service. I was also told that with the new service I was able to get 1.5 meg download speeds, which was double what I was currently getting so I was kinda excited. They had me call up to switch the service after I got the new modem in. I did as instructed, but wouldn't you know it, miraculously I was still having the same problem. But now I had one more problem. When they put me on the 1.5 Meg download spend, my speed actually dropped in half! So back on the phone to tech support again I went. I got the same old story and same old explanations. But I did find out one thing. I found out that they are now telling me that I was not able to get more then the 768K download speed because I was too far from there equipment. "What??" I thought. I was lied to!? Why did this not surprise me? After all, it was not like it was the first time I was lied to by them! So back to the 768K I went.
A few weeks later, on a Wednesday, we had a bad snow storm go through. Depending on where you were depended on how much snow you got but an average of anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of snow that day came down. I was somewhere in the middle. On that day when I woke up I had almost no service at all. I could get a connection but it was very slow. When I say slow, I mean VERY slow. I did many tests and got an average of .6 K download. That is one tenth of dial up speed. Its bad when I could get 10 times faster of a connection with a slower dial up connection. So I called up Verizon again. I was told that since there was a storm gong through, that I should wait till the following day and call back if I was still having the problem. Isn't this suppose to be "Always on" I thought?! And if it is then isn't there a problem somewhere? I figured, do as they say and give I till the following day.
The next day I still had the problem. As soon as I got up, which was about 9:30 AM, I saw that I was still having the same problem. I went through the same routine rebooting the computer and stuff again. They then finally decided to make a home visit to try to find out where the problem was. They said that they would call to make an appointment with 24 to 48 Hours. I stayed home all of Thursday and Friday until about 4 PM. Wouldn't you know it, they called about a half hour after I left. About this point in time I am thinking that they must be watching me and waited till I left so that they could use that as an excuse not to come over. After all they did call. Once! And it only took them about a year and a half to make the first call. After I got home I got the message on the answering machine and called them back. The message was left maybe a half hour before. I tried putting in the priority number that they gave me and wouldn't you know it, it didn't work. Surprise, surprise!! So back to regular tech support I went. They said that they would leave a message for them to call me back again. After I was done with tech support I asked to talk to the billing department. They transferred me.
While talking to the billing department I told them about the problem and about how long I was having the problem. I asked for a discount on the bill because of the problem and was told "NO!". Not only would they not fix the problem, but nor would they give me a discount!
Saturday came and I called to see if there was any progress. I must have been high or drunk to think that they would have actually done something. Problem with that idea was that I don't drink or do drugs so of course there was no progress. Sunday came and I called again but this time I was told that they would call me back with 24 to 48 hours again. Monday came and I gave them a break from all my calls, but the problem still remained. I was still getting speeds of 10 times slower then dial up.
Tuesday came and the cable company came in and put in high speed internet through the cable. I had called on Thursday of the previous week to get cable high speed internet access in case the DSL did not get fixed. And it was a good thing too. Tuesday came and went and still got no call from verizon. But wait.. Wasn't Verizon going to make a appointment with 24 to 48 hours from Sunday. Wednesday came and I called Verizon to have them disconnect the DSL.
I have been On Road Runner through the cable company since then and have had no problems with it. It may be a couple dollars more a month but I am getting reliable service, and as an added bonus, I am also getting up to 5 Meg download speeds. That is about 6 or 7 times faster then my max speed through verizon.
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Review by aszure3  UPDATED: 4.5 years ago member for 9.3 years, 1935 visits, last login: a few minutes ago
Wenatchee,Chelan,WA
$32 per month
about 8 days
Verizon CLEC party: Verizon
"it is ok"
"not fast enought"
"They need to upgrade there network"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I could be better depending on your needs go with fiber
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Review by jabbawest  UPDATED: 4.6 years ago member for 8 years, 631 visits, last login: 51 days ago
Wylie,Collin,TX
$30 per month
about 9 days
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon (ex GTE)
"Ease of Installation. Westell Router with 802.11g. FIOS optional in certain areas."
"Nothing"
"Tech Support is Better. 3.0/768 for $30. Unbeatable!"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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Verizon was really helpful and responsive to the need for me to transition from the now defunked Directv DSL. It took just 9 days from the time DTVDSL was disconnected to the time I had a Westel B90 modem in my hands and was connected to Verizon West.
(However. I was promised by a senior service manager at Verizon that the modem was to be delivered via overnight the day before the DTVDSL disconnect. After four un-returned voice mail messages to this person the modem was delivered via 2nd Day air 9 days after the aforementioned promise. I never got an answer as to what happened.)
As for speeds. I was receiving 768/128 with a static IP DTVDSL connection. I'm now getting 650/135 from an advertised 768/128 dynamic IP Verizon connection. Both connections via a NIC card, a CAT 5 home run line and using DrTCP for tweaking.
Location is the same, so is the hardware I'm using, except for the modem.
I used the online help chat system to ask what the deal was and I knew I was in trouble when 4 out of 4 service assistants didn't know what a home run line was. :-(
Having to chat with 4 different service assistants during one session also stinks.
The 3rd, after the initial contact all said; "Your service ticket has been given to Joe Blow. I am reviewing you information. Is there any other information you can provide me regarding your issue?"
One other complaint. The software installed, which Verizon uses to provide them with a means to monitor your connection and provide connection assistance when you ask for it, will bug the hell out of you and your firewall for ICMP requests, not to mention using system resources because it always loads at start up!
I would have liked the option for a custom install. I had to use a free tool called 'Start Up Control Panel' to keep them from loading.
That's about it for now. I'll continue the review when or if I upgrade to a 1.5Mb package.
Upgraded to the free 1.5/128 Dynamic IP package. Actual speed is 1.2/140 which is decent even though I'm around 8000' or less from my CO but I don't really expect anything better because of the age of the lines and equipment in Wylie.
Happy for now.
4/13/05 Update:
Upgraded from 1.5/128 to 3.0/768 for the same $29.95 a month. Upgrade took less than 24 hours. (Not sure why they offered this package because I had considered FIOS. No need now.)
Tech support is much better.
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Review by Noah Vail  Posted: 4.7 years ago member for 4.9 years, 1460 visits, last login: a few hours ago
New Port Richey,Pasco,FL
$30 per month (12 month contract)
about 18 days
Verizon CLEC party: Verizon
"Better than throwing rocks at a rabid wombat."
"But not much better"
"Better than Florida Digital Networks, uh, that's about it."
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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My 2 latest experiences with Verizon DSL. First was my mother in law. I hooked her up with Vz because Road Runner was $15/mo more if you get the 1yr contract deal with Vz. It took 2+ weeks to provision the line and get the modem to us.
I tried to bring the DSL up on her computer without using the factory disc. I hate all the implanted marketing that goes along with those things. It didn't work because they had gone to PPoE instead of std.Dynamic IP. After 3+ hours with Vz tech support the system began to issue an IP address w/ no auth, which was cool, except that it revealed that there was serious attenuation on the lines in the area. So, it's another 3 or 4 days while they get that debugged.
The modem is also a firewall and G wireless router. That've been allright except that port fowarding wouldn't work so I couln't help her remotely. I put my own westell and wireless router in place and that solved that.
Now we have the problem that 4 out of 5 emails are not arriving. It's from a variety of domains so I don't think it's a blacklist problem. That looks to be a pain to straighten out.
My other is a satellite office of a large auto dealership. They require a static IP to maintain the VPN to their database. After 3+ years of service Vz kills the static IP and says it'll be 10 days to reallocate another one. This is a serious problem as it shuts business down there. An advocate was no help so I called Road Runner and if they would expedite a static IP installation. I made that call at 4:30p. By noon the next day I had RR broadband installed with a static IP. I had 5 guys from 3 different companies hustling to get it done ASAP. Fifteen minutes after they were done, I got a follow up call from the head of business services to check up on the install and see if I was satisfied.
This was today. Man, did RoadRunner ever make me look good.
NV
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Review by W7PSK  UPDATED: 4.7 years ago member for 8.9 years, 1959 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Everett,Snohomish,WA
$39 per month (12 month contract)
about 120 days
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon (ex GTE)
"Speed very good so far (on occasion). Tech support is Getting worse, getting by the Card reading drones is nearly impossible"
"They have people and software problems. Sales and customer service are clueless and read from scripts. Speeds vary now"
"IM NOW ON COMCAST"
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I just changed to COMCAST. Ive grown tired of the Customer Support being NIL and if you call technical support you need to wade through 7 layers of Script Readers and MAYBE you will get help.
PLUS THE FEE's are a JOKE\
No change
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Review by gsuburban  Posted: 4.7 years ago member for 9.7 years, 37 visits, last login: 1.7 years ago
Glendora,Los Angeles,CA
$30 per month (12 month contract)
about 65 days
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon
"DSL Speed"
"Poor On Line Employees and Managment of On Line Issues"
"Average....Cable is better"
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Had 768/128 Frame w/Fujitsu Modem $34.99/month. Ordered 1500/384 w/ Westel 327w Versalink $29.99/month. First told "no problem, we'll switch you in 24 hours". No response or faster dsl after 48 hrs. No one called from Verizon. Called, told there was no record of my order. Put in order, told 2 weeks to be switched. 2 weeks. No changes, no calls, no email, no anything. Called, told I can't have the 1500/384 as I'm on the old frame relay, "you've been a long time customer of DSL". Yes, I have...about 5 years. Are you sure I cannot have the service? I live about 5,000 ft from the telco office. Oh, let me check again. Put in the order. Wait time, 7-10 days. 10th day, nothing. Called and got a really bright male on the phone and he said all thats been done is they gave me the "new price" but did not put in the ATM request which involves cancelling DSL, then re-ordering DSL as a brand new customer. "Scott" said to make the change is involved and most of the people at Verizon don't know about this. He spent about 20 minutes on his keyboard doing whatever then said, I will have a new modem shipped to me, then once receive to use the temporary dial up service to check on-line or check it from work or a friends place for a start date. Once the webpages state I have connectivity, install (plug in the modem) and you should be going with DSL. (they were to guarantee me my existing email name and log info, the purpose of the dial up)
Got the modem, got a start date, intalled and had great down speeds, but lousy up speeds while sending email only. I say this as all the speed testing websites and other testing base your upload speeds off of port 80 which is your web browser port. Email works off port 25 as well as Verizon's netmail.verizon.net.
Anyway, to this date Feb 24th (got service Jan 19th) emailing via outlook express or on netmail.verizon.net is limited to 192/kbps, not 384 kbps and the rate jumps around from zero to 300 then down to 80 then back up to 250 then back down to 0 or 100 and up to 200 or 380 then back and forth. I'm still talking to Verizon about this as a phone tech at the house said this was not proper and to continue to work with the Verizon people on the phone as the hardware to my house is plenty fine. Today, I find speeds acceptable but if it rains again, maybe that will change. Everyone at Verizon except the people who need to address this problem agree Verizon hardware is faulty.
I feel like Verizon should be sending me a 1099 pay check as all I do is call them to let them know "they" have issues with their email servers. Whatever, who can I go to? Verizon own all of the lines !! Good luck whoever you use...they all seem to want the fast buck deal.
02/25/2005 Here is the latest qualityof Verizon: »/quality/nil/1664719
03/03/2005
Update...I am connected with Verizon On-Line which is their ATM circuit vs the frame relay that gte used years ago. All of the older GTE frame relay customers are going to be moved to the ATM soom.
The ATM circuits are also going to be switched through fiber optics of which Verizon is hevily persuing now big time in Orange County, CA. (not far from me) One of the VOL tech's told me once they get the fiber in, there should be only one hop from my computer to the "CO" then right onto the back bone UUNET etc.
As far as using the hotmail feature, that is not reliable since Microsoft has all types of trend micro etc virus scanning software going and I cannot send attachements (zip, rar etc) without one of the files being shreaded because "unable to identify file" and it kills my emails.
If Verizon DSL provides 30 MB of email sotrage and up to 8.3MB attachment sizes, I should be able to send via verizon.net rather than change the yahoo and hotmail's. I do know the issue is that Verizon is not providing the right bandwidth on their email servers as a tech said they are over burdened and have to keep the speeds limited. So, if port 25 (SMTP) sending mail is limited, why is port 110 (Incoming) not limited?
Going to Verizon netmail via web browser and logging on to my account their does the same thing as well. Log onto Yahoo or Hotmail and the speeds are 400/kbps upstream. Revert to Verizon via web browser or outlook express and the speeds are about half.
You should hear the responses I get from Verizon, most people don't complain, no one hardly uploads, we don't have any complaints from other customers etc. True, many computer users take for granted that Verizon is giving the 384/kbps upstream at all times. Not true with the email servers. So, how about this scenario with the electric or water utilites? How long will that go on before the attorneys get involved, force new rules on the cheaters at Verizon and ruin the internet (on it's way).
All I want is no less than 90% of the stated bandwidth I am paying for. I can't get it in email. Every time I call about email, "we can;t help you" is the reply. If I call on internet browsing speeds, they look into it.
Sounds like they already know its a dooms day request to me.
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Review by BIG b  UPDATED: 4.7 years ago member for 7 years, 3043 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Connersville,Fayette,IN
$39 per month
about 22 days
Verizon (ex GTE) CLEC party: Verizon (ex GTE)
"VERY FAST AND ROCK SOLID"
"Took a little time for the install"
"I would advice anyone to use this."
| Pre Sales information: Install Co-ordination: Connection reliability: Tech Support: Services: Value for money:
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I have had Dial-Up, DSL (from another company), Satellite, and now Verizon DSL.
The speeds & pings are rock solid...
I'm glad to see Verizon finally come to Connersville, Indiana. I am served by a remote terminal 6 miles west of town.. So there is hope for you that are in rural areas of Fayette County.
3000/765 service ROCKS !!!
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