said by cvrep :

Not sure where you get your information about oversold nodes. There are very few places with nodes that need to be split, and most of them are inner-city places where population density is high (Newark, Bronx), and even in those cases there is not guaranteed to be a service issue. There are many reasons, other than over saturation for service issues.

If you have issues, and can verify is is not your own equipment, getting help should not be difficult. If it is, then we are failing on two fronts, and the issue should be escalated.

said by jwersan :

AFAIK OOL blocks ports, except on the Boost level, FIOS does not block any at any speed.So long as OOL oversells their nodes, this will never happen.
What I wish OOL to get smart and bite the bullet. Start monitoring the loads on each node and proactively split them so that the experience is more stable throughout the day.

said by Ice Nine :

I really wish Verizon would just start matching optimum's speeds, pricing and features (like no blocked ports for residential accounts).

I have a business FIOS line with a static IP that sings along all day long at 20mbit with nary a problem - and it's incredibly consistent. I wish Optonline could deliver that kind of consistency.

said by patcat88 :

Ok smart guy, whats the maximum amount of channels you can bind? how many bits were allocated to express the length of the list of channels to use? 3 bits? 4 bits? 8 bits?

said by patcat88 :

Ok smart guy, whats the maximum amount of channels you can bind? how many bits were allocated to express the length of the list of channels to use? 3 bits? 4 bits? 8 bits?

said by patcat88 :

Ok smart guy, whats the maximum amount of channels you can bind?

said by patcat88 :

how many bits were allocated to express the length of the list of channels to use? 3 bits? 4 bits? 8 bits?

Because the maximum number of channels which can be bonded together is not defined, DOCSIS 3.0 channels with data rates as high or higher than 1 Gbps can be created.

said by TheWiseGuy :

said by briankeys :

Woo! I just found out that Ultra was actively being rolled out on a whim and signed up in a heartbeat. I live in a very rural / low income neighborhood and will most likely be the only person with Ultra on my node! I have only encountered one slowdown / loss of service in the past few years so it should be blazing fast! A dream come true!

I simply can't wait for Saturday morning for the Optimum Genie to install my replacement modem! Someone put me in a chemical coma!

said by TheWiseGuy :

As you say it depends on the chip. The Cisco does not seem to be upgradeable to 8 channels. They are working on a new Model the 3212 which will use a Broadcom chip (probably what you read about).

»www.multichannel.com/article/162···Mbps.php

Motorola uses the Puma 5 (but so does the Cisco DPC 3000) and it depends on what version of the Puma 5 is in the Motorola. The newest version introduced in Sept, the TNETC4840, can do 8 channels, so it is possible that Motorola modems are upgradeable to 8X4 but I can not find any reference indicating that chip version is in the SB6120 and I believe certification was for 4 channels.

»focus.ti.com/pr/docs/preldetail.···=sc08113

»focus.ti.com/lit/ml/spat181/spat181.pdf

I have read that the Docsis standards are minimums and therefore in the future a modem could bond more then 8X4 channels.

»www.cedmagazine.com/Article-DOCS···del.aspx

said by RARPSL :

]I think the number of channels that can be Bonded is controlled by the Chip inside the Modem and all the current chips have a 4 Channel Capability (I saw a news article recently announcing a new chip with 8 Channel Capabilities being developed). I think the current modems only have the hardware support for 4 channels so a microcode push would not handle the issue unlike having hardware that supports 8 channels but the microcode only supporting 4 (at the current microcode release).

said by From CED Mag :

Because the maximum number of channels which can be bonded together is not defined, DOCSIS 3.0 channels with data rates as high or higher than 1 Gbps can be created.

said by Mike Wolf :

The specs you are quoting could be outdated by a simple firmware upgrade giving the modem the abilty of more then 4 channel bonding, but there really is no way of knowing unless someones provider actually implements that, or someone from Motorola chimes in. In addition it has been stated both on this forum of 10 channel bonding, but I don't know how true that part is.

said by Mike Wolf :

Yeah I recommend contacting their ISP or checking their providers website to find out what cable modems are compatible with their system. I know that the SB6120 is compatible on Comcast's network as well as the DPC3000. »help.comcast.net/content/faq/Whi···-service

said by Anorexorcist :

I've seen higher transfer rates from Giganews but this is what I was getting about 40 min ago. I've had download speeds hit 129xx KB/s. Speeds from Giganews and/or Ultra will fluctuate a bit but not by much. Huge improvement with Ultra vs standard OOL or OOL /w Boost.

Just ran a speedtest.net test now and got:

said by apo1010101111 :

Only shills that work for Cablevision will boast that it's worth paying $300.00 for some guy to swap modems & change cables.

Peace.

said by Mike Wolf :

This particular modem can support more then just 4 channel bonding, higher then 8 as well.

said by RARPSL :

You're welcome. I am NOT advocating going the buy-your-own route (especially since CV does not charge a Rental Fee unlike some Cable Companies) since by using their modem you get free replacements if something goes wrong with it as well as free upgrades when/if there is a newer modem with better features (such as 8 Channel Bonding as opposed to the current modem's 4 Channel Capability). This is what happened when the new 15/x and Boost tiers were introduced and the standard tier users needed to have their old modems swapped for new ones with 100Base-T WAN Ports (the old SB4100s and non-Motorola modems were not able to support 15/x).

Using a hypothetical 8 channel capable modem has the advantage that you can push more bandwidth through it since it uses less of any one channel and thus there is less congestion even if CV stays at 101/15.

said by briankeys :

Can any Ultra users out there post how fast you can download from Giganews or other usenet services? Thanks! I just can't wait until Saturday!

said by anon name :

NO, they did that for 35 bucks. For 300 they ACTIVATED Ultra on your account.

said by arthurmnev :

As in the message above, my system is installed and running. Here is what cablevision did for $300

1) The tech and the training supervisor showed up (second install in North Jersey)

2) Signal was measured at every point possible (feed, splitter, jack etc)

3) The new modem was installed (2 minutes)

4) Provisioning took time
a) had to "swap the modem"
b) had to call central office for them to manually(!) assign 3 downstream bands to the modem. As soon as it was done, it stopped being a "boost" service and became "ultra"
5) To ensure things work as they should an additional small splitter (2-way), large splitter (9 way) and an amplifier were installed.
6) outside cabling was checked and re-terminated.
7) Measured the performance from the PC, through the router, without the router etc...

Overall, I think this was worth more than consulting fee for the same level of work.

said by StreetSpirit :

I think I'll give it a shot. The $300 dollars is well worth it if it performs as advertised. It would be used in a medical office setting.

said by StreetSpirit :

The 0ms ping is an inaccurate. There;s usually 6-7ms just to reach my UBR's gateway:

said by mforrest73 :

0ms is normal for me on Speedtest with Boost...

said by submrge :

said by Bobcat :

---

need to check your info.
1) Bedminster is served by two cable companies (serving non-overlapping areas).
2) Adjacent towns with Cablevision include Bridgewater Twp and Bernards Twp.

---

I guess on the south side of 78.

said by qteam :

See speed test!!!! Done on 5/14 about 10:00am

said by CallKettleBlack :

"Not cool man... Some of us are at work, others allow their kids to browse selected forums on this site.

I'm sure you're intelligent enough to not needing to resort to obscenities."

Tell that to Bobcat and his earlier comments with the "f*cking b*stards" - that was worse than doing things with donkey parts and most of all when "it's more important to be nice".

said by submrge :

How do you have Cablevison service when Bedminster (and every town that surrounds it) is serviced by Comcast?

said by jaa :

Guess that just goes to show if you are willing to suck donkey balls, you can do just about whatever you want and the customer will say, "Thank you sir, may I have some more?" Enjoy the "service" they are providing to you.

said by mertallix :

To all the people crying about paying $300 for ultra, DO NOT GET IT!!!! Mine was set up, is fast, its great, I do not mind paying for new technoligy, Im a techie so this is what I love.

said by Bobcat :

Yes.

said by submrge :

you live in bedminster and have cablevision?

said by qteam :

There is no extra truck needed, not additional equipment. My ultra service was installed only changing the existing modem from Webstar to Cisco. The new modem is very small, there is not fiber anything and not service needed on the outside pole.

said by patcat88 :

What about upload congestion, the consensus is Ultra's upload is the same channel as Boost's upload. In your case that would only relieve download congestion. But it might be a good idea since I hear more often about download slow downs on this forum than upload slow downs.

said by Bobcat :

Would you piss and moan if they said you were getting a 50% rate increase? Hell, look at all the people pissing and moaning about a ONE-TIME $300 fee for Ultra. Yet CV is raising my rates by $314 EVERY YEAR!

said by Bobcat :

Would you piss and moan if they said you were getting a 50% rate increase? Hell, look at all the people pissing and moaning about a ONE-TIME $300 fee for Ultra. Yet CV is raising my rates by $314 EVERY YEAR!

said by RARPSL :

A quick way and cheap way to reduce congestion on a node

said by SSidlov :

You know, in movie theaters, the money the theater owners make is really made in the popcorn, soda and candy (and now the fast food). With the ever increasing pricing for content by Disney, NBC, et. all, perhaps CV's real profits comes from the STBs, remotes, IO Nav, extras and the rest is just infrastructure and fees collected for someone else... just a thought, I haven't priced out the 'known' costs for a lot of channels, but everyone pays $2/mo to ESPN and $1.50(?) to YES, how much to Disney, Omnivision, FOX, etc.? Can we get to $30/mo?

said by JDolan :

we get it
your pissed
you have been posting about it for over a month
enough

said by Bobcat :

Would you piss and moan if they said you were getting a 50% rate increase? Hell, look at all the people pissing and moaning about a ONE-TIME $300 fee for Ultra. Yet CV is raising my rates by $314 EVERY YEAR!

said by Brm :

Cablevision offered free digital conversion boxes as well. In fact, I'm fairly certain this offer is still available.

said by Bobcat :

They used to have $3.99 boxes, too. Don't know if they're still available.

Verizon also gave FREE boxes to people affected by the analog-digital transition. But Cablevision isn't as considerate as Verizon. Cablevision enjoys screwing their own customers.

said by patcat88 :

Hypothetically, SpiritStreet and J-something were the 2 guys with permanently congested nodes.

Will the tech do a speed test (signals are meaningless), and it bombs at 7dwn/3up, what happens then? and if you a speedtest infront of him and you get 7dwn/3up and refuse to sign the install order, what happens then?

Do you ever get the $300 refunded or not? Or will it be a game of endless drop and modem replacements until you switch to FIOS/stop calling tech support?

said by Bobcat :

Cablevision has priced themselves right out of my household. Soon, I will be giving them $0 per month.

said by Brm :

I'm going to start watching my back when I get out of work everyday. NJ isn't far enough for me to consider myself safe.

said by Bobcat :

Don't know. Can't get Fios here anyway. But if they raised my rates by 50% like Cablevision is, I'd call them bastards, too.

said by Bobcat :

It's nice to see that Cablevision screws their employees and customers equally.

said by Bobcat :

Just give me the boxes for free. It's not hard to do. But they refused. So I'll be giving CV $0. Good riddance to a company run by bastards.

said by Brm :

Well I hear ya there. Unfortunately the 'good riddance' to the analog feeds is a move to gear up for the future, and current demands from TV enthusiasts. Those analog feeds are incredibly bulky, and the idea is that more programming can be offered by removing them. I like that you keep it simple and just want your basic TV, without the bells and whistles. I can seriously appreciate that, and wish that there was more to offer this type of consumer.

said by Bobcat :

Three (3) boxes plus iO Navigation. An extra $314 per year.

said by Brm :

Are you referring to the need to have a box for non-analog feeds?

said by Bobcat :

The product/pricing was acceptable, until CV took away 33% of my channels and said I'd have to pay 50% more if I wanted to keep them. Fucking bastards.

said by Brm :

It does stink to see people getting left behind in all of it though, when current products/pricing can't meet your particular needs.

said by Brm :

Triple play at advertised prices won't save you money?

said by Bobcat :

Cablevision has priced themselves right out of my household. Soon, I will be giving them $0 per month.

Verizon gets approx $120 per month from me (POTS, DSL, 2 cell phones). The majority of that is for the cell phones.

said by Shamayim :

Patcat88, great series of posts!

said by jaa :

There have been no reports of ultra speed issues.

said by Brm :

Well this is why services like DSL exist. I doubt you'll see CV create a lower tier service, but I think that is also because $45.95 for internet is very reasonable. I can certainly understand your point, however.

said by jaa :

There have been no reports of ultra speed issues.

said by jaa :

Ultra is available in all CV areas. This is not like FIOS that is being cherry-picked.

said by Meistergeek :

1) The cost 10 years ago are irrelevant to a DS3 infrastructure today, as the old network has been paid 10 times over.

said by Maczo :

I think the key term here is probably the mention of MDU, which I assume refers to multiple dwelling unit. You may find that the issue is poor internal wiring in the building. Internal wiring for this building is not Cablevision's responsibility, although they are often able to help you out there.

said by Bobcat :

It looks like Brm is gone. Not a surprise.

said by MacDaddie :

Here's an idea, sign up for the service and post the info yourself! Thanks

said by IllIlIlllIll :

can someone post some tests done with 100Mb ports and 1000Mb ports to show the approximate loss between these two ?
also, a docsdiag or snmp screen shots of mib data, photo of the modem and a screen shot of the diagnostics page if accessible, showing signal, channels, modulation type, s/n, and symbol rate.
this info would be appreciated.

said by qteam :

I was the first in my entire area to get Ultra installed on 5/14 works great. I get 80/15. Anyone interested make sure your router supports Gigabit on the WAN port or you won't get above 20Mbps.

said by Anaerobic :

I don't think that's possible (please correct me if I'm wrong). You're either hosting the server, or it's pretty much next door to you if you have a 0 ping.

said by Agent Smith :

Not really i get 0 pings on FiOS sometimes and speed test are the same like speakeasy.

said by Agent Smith :

There is already a speed test proof here.

»Ultra Reviews- Only if you had it installed already!

said by Agent Smith :

There is alredy a speed test proof here.

»Ultra Reviews- Only if you had it installed already!

said by Maczo :

I think the key term here is probably the mention of MDU, which I assume refers to multiple dwelling unit. You may find that the issue is poor internal wiring in the building. Internal wiring for this building is not Cablevision's responsibility, although they are often able to help you out there.

Or, it may not even be a signal issue at all.

If you're going through a router, bypass it. If you've done that, try bypassing with a different computer. If at that point you still have the issue, it is like to be a signal issue.

What I would do, in that case, is call in and have an OOL rep test for packet loss into your modem. Also, have them check your signal levels. If they are out of range, you may experience speed degradation. This will usually require a truck roll, but again, this issue may NOT be CV related, despite your claim.

I think it is fair to say that your modem is not the problem, and in most cases it is not, but ALWAYS make sure you troubleshoot your own customer premise equipment before blaming your ISP, so hopefully you've at least bypassed that router with more than 1 computer.

said by AlanG :

CV SUCKS!!! Let me start by telling all of you lucky folks that are able to afford the $300 that they will have to drop that extortion fee. I would love to have 101M/15M. I am not paying $300.00 I have the regular Triple Play. Currently I am getting 5M/2M. I tried adding Boost. I was getting 5M/5M. I had them remove the Boost charges and I am back to 5M/2M. I called and asked them to fixit. They gave me a new modem and left. I am trying to get the morons @ CV to fix it so that I can at least have 15/2 and maybe order Boost again. These jerks can't even get me 15M/2M service what would they do If I order Ultra? Laugh, charge me $335 and tell me what I can go and do with myself?

said by Bobcat :

If they did that, Cablevision would have gotten $1500 from me over the past 5 years. With their current tiers, CV has gotten $0 from me.

said by Brm :

If said user is able to show without question that the issue of speed is on CV side, then obviously we would want the opportunity to try to fix the said issue.

said by Bobcat :

There used to be a CV exec here (not Wilt, the other guy) who came down hard on techs that started posting inside info here. I forget his name.

said by Bobcat :

Comcast has an "economy" tier of 1M/384k for $24.95. It's perfect for people who just do email and web browsing.

said by LJGoose :

CV would never do that. Here is my idea:

10/1 $29.95 (New Lower Tier)
20/3 $44.95 (Normal Average Tier upgraded from 15/2)
40/10 $69.95 (Boost Customers upgraded from 30/5)
101/15 $99.95 (Ultra Users)

You could add in the -$5 for Triple Play customers.

said by MacDaddie :

they should offer the following tiers

25/5 29.00
50/10 79.00
100/20 129.00

said by Shamayim :

(I have a visceral reaction every time I see someone step up and try to stop civil conversation from carrying on.)

said by Shamayim :

"Truth is Free" is calling for free speech to be shut down. That's rich :)

said by Emannona :

BRM,

I'd check to see if your company has any issues with you posting on the forums and giving out company information. You're being helpful and we don't want you to get into trouble. Last thing we need is an insider getting fired for giving out any company inside information.

I think we're all aware that these boards are visited by representatives from all the companies in the direct forum.

Thanks again for the tips though, I'll be checking out ULTRA ASAP!!

said by IllIlIlllIll :

is it safe to say that part of this "activation" fee is provisioning the modem at the customers residence ?
that there currently is no way to provision this modem on the "walled garden" ?
that there is no provisioning equipment for this modem at the "walk in" stores ?

said by MacDaddie :

Looks like a guy that gets paid to monitor forums by CV?
He's been on ALL day, nice life.

said by kdshapiro :

This thread should be closed down.

said by Tradewind :

No offense Brm but who the heck are you?

said by kdshapiro :

This thread should be closed down.

said by NJOOLUser :

Understood the for profit part.

And how much was your activation fee 10+ years ago when OOL first came out? I paid $100 which included the cost of the modem (I actually GOT something for the money). And I guarantee the infrastructure costs to put in a NEW network (since there wasn't one) were 100x what they paid for the DS3 upgrade (counting for inflation).

Yet there was NO ACTIVATION fee for original OOL.

said by Brm :

I suppose what I should have said was, "The $300 is not an artificial barrier, or is not intended to be so, and is in no way, shape, or form, related to the truck roll or truck roll fee ($34.95)."

said by Brm :

Correct me if I am wrong here, but weren't you also locked into a contract with that? Wasn't that also a pure self-install?

said by Brm :

The risk vs. reward of allowing people to use the service frivolously, as a recent poster eloquently stated, are different than with your original OOL service 10 years ago. Think about business needs here, if you would. Correct me if I am wrong here, but weren't you also locked into a contract with that? Wasn't that also a pure self-install? The last 2 questions are not terribly important for you to answer, but I'm trying to highlight differences here.

If you think these folks upgrading to Ultra are not getting anything for their money, then you are sadly mistaken. You may not getting a piece of hardware, but you are certainly obtaining a service that is well worth the price.

said by NJOOLUser :

Understood the for profit part.

And how much was your activation fee 10+ years ago when OOL first came out? I paid $100 which included the cost of the modem (I actually GOT something for the money). And I guarantee the infrastructure costs to put in a NEW network (since there wasn't one) were 100x what they paid for the DS3 upgrade (counting for inflation).

Yet there was NO ACTIVATION fee for original OOL.

said by Meistergeek :

Last time I checked OOL is a "for profit" company! That means if they wish to charge an activation fee they will. End of Story - no explanation required.

Mind you implementing DOCSIS 3.0 is not just about the costs involved in delivering a modem; there are serious systems/equipment investments at the back-end before the service can be rolled out, and they have to cover those as well. Early adopters will always pay a premium ;-)

said by kdshapiro :

This is way off-topic and is argumentative and combative at best. I personally don't care why they are charging the money, only that they are. Why don't you send a letter off to Cablevision or create a new thread to deal with Ultra financing - truth or fiction?

And Cablevision is not required to discuss their rational. It's very nice that BRM is taking time out from his day to talk about this.

BTW - I've been a Cablevision customer for 20+ years also.

This thread should be closed down.

said by winsyrstrife :

Forgive me if I missed it, but what exactly is the activation fee for? Usually it covers some kind of cost. I'm not asking anyone to divulge private information, but if possible, I sure would like to know what this cost is for.

Docsis 3.0 upgrade? Account activation of Ultra service? Modem? Cablevision wanted to add a $300 activation fee just because? Any of these I'm fine with, I'd just like to know what I'm getting into, should I decide to order the Ultra service.

Was there an activation fee for basic OOL? It's been so long, I don't remember.

said by JDolan :

NJOOLUser,

You ARE acting like a child!
You don't like what you are hearing so you keep asking the same question over and over.

Enough already!

said by Brm :

NJOOLUser,

It's a service activation fee, such as you would see on a cell phone.

Secondly, no one is requiring you to upgrade to Ultra. If you can justify the expense, and the need is great enough, then those are the types of customers which we are gearing this service for. If you feel the activation fee is ridiculous, or cannot justify the expense, then keep the service you have. I don't understand why you feel slighted at this point, when you are not being forced to upgrade.

said by Brm :

Right, CV does incur a cost for rolling a truck

A truck will have to be rolled out.

The $300 is not an artificial barrier, or is not intended to be so.

said by Brm :

Right, CV does incur a cost for rolling a truck

A truck will have to be rolled out.

The $300 is not an artificial barrier, or is not intended to be so.

said by Brm :

Please re-read what I just said. The $300 is not for the tech to come out there and install the service.

said by Brm :

At some point it may very well be possible for Ultra installs to be done without a truck roll, but this is not going to mean the $300 activation fee goes away, it'll just ENSURE that there is no $34.95 truck roll fee

said by Brm :

Please re-read what I just said. The $300 is not for the tech to come out there and install the service. It is an activation fee, not an install fee. As I just mentioned, even if we get the service to a point where we are comfortable not rolling a truck, the $300 service fee will still apply.

said by Brm :

Please re-read what I just said. The $300 is not for the tech to come out there and install the service. It is an activation fee, not an install fee.

said by Brm :

However, CV does still incur a cost when rolling a truck, for any issue.

It costs money to come out and run a new drop and install a modem. You're not pissing money into the wind by having this service installed. We're all so used to having free installs that we're immediately insulted when there is one. Such a sense of entitlement we have for everything. What happens when CV incurs a cost of $250+ to roll a truck, only to have that customer drop the service for any number of reasons?

said by Brm :

You're assuming that the $300 fee is a barrier and to some extent I can see how this could be. There are costs incurred for rolling out a truck, and yes, a truck will HAVE to be rolled out for this.

said by Shamayim :

Hey Brm, I just want to thank you for sticking around and interacting. Even though for months I greatly anticipated signing up I've already lost interest in Ultra, but nonetheless do appreciate your continued input in the forum.

As for me, I've turned my attention to getting CV to once and for all fix this busted Boost I've been tolerating while Waiting for Godot Ultra.

said by NJOOLUser :

What does anonymous have to do with an opinion?

said by NJOOLUser :

So because I choose NOT to register here I can't say what I feel? Show me one point I made that was invalid. BBR is my homepage. I read almost every front page article and EVERY post in the Optimum forums.

I'm sorry that you feel special because you registered with a website.

said by NJOOLUser :

And to the others I am sorry if I polluted this thread but there was what appears to be an actual CV employee replying and I was trying to get them to understand my distaste with being yet another guinea pig. I will leave this to others until these "fees" are gone and self installs arrive.

Sorry.

said by Brm :

Please re-read what I just said. The $300 is not for the tech to come out there and install the service. It is an activation fee, not an install fee. As I just mentioned, even if we get the service to a point where we are comfortable not rolling a truck, the $300 service fee will still apply.

said by NJOOLUser :

Because you're going to charge me $300 bucks for something I KNOW isn't needed.

As I said in a previous post, ALL my drops are NEW and clean and I paid extra for them to be that way. No signal issues.

The tech will come and check, hookup the modem, all will be good and leave. Less than 1/2 hours work. I'd love to make $600 an hour (then I could REALLY afford this fee ;-) ).

$300 bucks for work I can do myself. Just like my original optonline, optvoice, and hd installs.

said by Brm :

Similarly, why wouldn't you want a tech to come out there for this install?

said by RARPSL :

What EXACTLY is the need for the Truck Roll that a self-install will not accomplish (I ignore the personal delivery of the modem and hooking the modem to the existent coax)? If I want a non-Ultra install and the coax exists, I am just handed the modem and I plug it in and go. The problem is that there is no explanation of the need for the truck roll and no-self-install policy being given - Only a "Take It or Leave It" edict. You blew it by springing the $300 feed at the last moment and are still blowing it by not explaining/justifying its need/existence.

said by sandman9r :

$300...damn, bad PR Cablevision...does recession mean anything to you? For a company that puts out commercials bashing "phone company" hidden fees, look who's talking...

Mad props to that first user who said CV would charge $300 upfront and no one believed you. You get the last laugh.

I don't however, like seeing a lot of anonymous non registered users making opinions.

said by Brm :

There is no work that needs to be done at the head end during the install. Prior to the install there are internal concurrences that must be completed, however. This is in no way suggesting that this is where your $300 activation fee is going. In fact, Truck Rolls typically average over $200 for normal services issues and installs.

said by IllIlIlllIll :

i would expect those people who are holding out to start ordering this service irrespective of the $300 "activation" fee once speed/latency test posts have been revealed in this forum. (which is what im waiting for at this point, and i expect many others are as well)

said by sbalea :

Nobody's got it yet. We have a bunch of people who have installs scheduled for the following days, but until then, what would you expect?

said by TruthIsFree :

This thread is titled ...Ultra Reviews! Post em Here!

There are 217 posts to this thread and not a single one of those posts is a review.

All we have is unqualified speculation by a bunch of people who have no facts.

said by blackriders :

guess there really is a demand if there is already a 3 week waiting period to get it installed.

said by TruthIsFree :

There is far more fact and real science in Star Trek than in this cesspool of a thread.

said by Anaerobic :

Just ordered. The earliest they had for me was June 4th.

said by dbmaven :

It might have been you that mentioned it - and I can't find it - that the tech also has some work to do at the head-end?

said by sbalea :

Technically, I could install an OC-3 line to my house, but I might run into a little cash flow problem. I'm talking about realistic scenarios. T1s are too expensive for what they offer. Satellite and 3g are just pathetic, for various reasons.

said by TheWiseGuy :

He is posting from cablevision.com which means it is very very very probable he works for CV.

said by Crypto_Bug :

Perhaps Cablevision should just break up the $300 over 3 months and if you cancel before that point the balance would become due right away. I think that might make it more palettable to some users.

I have been getting a little dicouraged by Cablevisions deceptive press releases lately and their treatment of customers. They really seem to be losing sight of the customers in favor of greed and that will be their downfall.

My current cable bill is about $250 a month and I have $600 credit balance on my account so I am paid months in advance, you would think they would give a good customer a break but like usual with Cablevision its about greed for them.

So I have placed the call and will most likely be dumping my all my Cablevision services, let see what they think when they have to refund me the $600 credit balance on my account.

said by Brm :

It costs money to come out and run a new drop and install a modem.

said by shadowgod :

...I love being the guinea pig for this cutting edge stuff. $300? Who cares, you only live once. I'll deal.

said by StreetSpirit :

Precisely. While most of the forum posters can easily cover 300 bucks, it's the principle of the matter. In this economy, what is essentially a "membership fee" doesn't fly. And believe me, I'd do anything to get off the anemic BOOST, within reason. :) Thanks for the link to the actual cost of a D3 modem.

said by Crypto_Bug :

Perhaps Cablevision should just break up the $300 over 3 months and if you cancel before that point the balance would become due right away. I think that might make it more palettable to some users.

said by Thinkdiff :

Or wait until CV decides they've made enough extra income off screwing customers and drops the activation fee (which they will eventually) :)

said by bronxlcsw :

If all of you stood together in defiance they would be forced to lower that price.

said by majortom1029 :

Technically you have more then one service. you can always geta t1 or satellite internet service or use a 3g connection.

Those stil lcount as competition.

said by shadowgod :

They'll eventually come around :)

said by Brm :

In the region you live in, you have absolutely no reason to complain. You can obtain a reliable 15/2, 30/5, or 101/15 connection, or you have the option of another carrier. Find me a better cable company in the US. You're upset for a technology advance that, yes, costs more money. Good luck.

said by Ignite :

Err your cable company just released 101/15 to try and ward off competition from a fibre to the home deployment and your complaining about lack of competition?!

said by sbalea :

In other words, speed enthusiasts, if you want it, bend over and take it. If you're rich enough, that is. The rest of you don't bother. BOOST is good enough. Thank your lucky stars you're getting THAT.

Don't you just love it that you live in a place where there's no real competition when it comes to broadband?

said by sbalea :

In other words, speed enthusiasts, if you want it, bend over and take it. If you're rich enough, that is. The rest of you don't bother. BOOST is good enough. Thank your lucky stars you're getting THAT.

Don't you just love it that you live in a place where there's no real competition when it comes to broadband

said by Brm :

You're paying an activation fee. You're paying to have a 101mbps ripping connection in your house. In lieu of higher monthly payments, you're paying an activation charge. This is so that we don't have to deal with every speed enthusiast trying the service out, having one of our techs come out (required), and then saying, "nah, no need for the extra speed, just wanted to test it."

said by Brm :

We aren't going to be generating much revenue at all from Ultra residential. The $300 is an activation fee. It is non-negotiable for the time being. It's not money that you're handing CV so that we can pocket it and cackle like madmen. It's an activation fee for a service that we never intended every speed enthusiast would be able to obtain. Again, those that can find a reason or a need to pay the fee will enjoy the service immensely. For the rest, BOOST should meet your needs.

said by NJOOLUser :

I know it's NEW equipment but the basic setup is the same. Yes all new equipment. So are you saying this $300 is PAYING for this new equipment?

THAT I would understand. But be honest and TELL me that's what it's for. Not here's a $300 fee just because.

I know it wasn't magic and there is NO snapping of the fingers and poof there it is. So we are splitting the CV quoted price of $700 per sub to upgrade.

Please just tell me honestly what the $300 is for.

said by Brm :

This is what people are failing to miss. They believe they just need a spiffy new DOCSIS 3 compliant modem in their house and magic will happen.

I can understand people being upset that the activation fee was not mentioned in the original ad. I get that. But you can only complain for so long.

said by Ignite :

Of course, someone at CV clicked their fingers and the present equipment realised it could support DOCSIS 3, no need to buy new CMTS, perhaps E-QAMs, upgrade backhauls, etc.

said by NJOOLUser :

This is NOT new technology just an upgrade.

said by Brm :

Again, at this early point in the stage, if you are not willing to pay the $300 because you think it is unreasonable, then please just consider that the service was not geared for you. I think it is time to stop being angry.

said by Brm :

CV doesn't expect residential Ultra service to make us money. We're offering it because there is a small demand for it, but it is a demand that we respect.

We aren't going to be generating much revenue at all from Ultra residential. The $300 is an activation fee. It is non-negotiable for the time being. It's not money that you're handing CV so that we can pocket it and cackle like madmen. It's an activation fee for a service that we never intended every speed enthusiast would be able to obtain. Again, those that can find a reason or a need to pay the fee will enjoy the service immensely. For the rest, BOOST should meet your needs.

said by Brm :

The $300 is an activation fee.

said by bronxlcsw :

I wonder if after you order and then cancel after 2 weeks of service will they refund your 300 dollars??

said by Thinkdiff :

And your point is?

said by ISA2004 :

Optimum Online Ultra Details
Optimum Online Ultra available only with a subscription to Optimum Online service. One time professional installation fee of $34.95 and $300 activation fee applies. Minimum system requirements apply. Due to configuration of available equipment, Static IP customers will experience speed performance limitations. Many factors affect speed. Actual speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Other restrictions apply. Where available. Prices and terms subject to change without notice. (C) 2009 CSC Holdings, Inc.

said by Brm :

Once again, you are letting the fact that you are upset with the fee get in the way of the fact that from a business standpoint, it is necessary. Stop calling it a baseless fee. You can call it high, and not worth it, but stop calling it baseless. I've already explained the reasoning behind it. Either it fits your needs, and thus makes it a reasonable cost, or it doesn't.

said by Thinkdiff :

The original 99.95/month price was more than worth it. 129.95/month would've also been worth it. Stating the price is 99.95/month and then throwing in a 300 dollar fee at the last minute to pad the bottom line is nothing more than extortion, and I won't pay that. It has nothing to do with the value of 101/15. It has to do with CV tacking on baseless fees.

said by Thinkdiff :

I would make a lot of use of the service. I just don't want to pay $300 for nothing. That's all. I value my money.

said by Brm :

I'd look into your service history and see what was actually done, or what can be done.

said by Brm :

No one loses out because if you can't justify the $300 install fee, then you really don't need the service.

said by baldassano :

2. They are losing the potential thousands who want to take the dive, and effectivly losing out on as much as $99 per household that wants it (more like $40+ since most who want it already have boost)...

said by Thinkdiff :

I know it's not scientific and I was over simplifying things, but I have to take the poll for what it's worth.. 119 people responded, 19 said they'd get it immediately, 26 said in a couple months. I came up with a (I think) reasonable number of 30 for my calculations.

Even if the numbers are off. The point still stands. Everybody loses with the activation fee.

said by MacDaddie :

Thinkdiff,

30 - 40 people from this forum?
NO WAY, NO HOW

great how you just make numbers up!

most here are too cheap to pay for anything let alone 99 for internet

said by Brm :

In terms of offering a contract, I doubt you'll see anything of the sort due to the fact that we're trying to maintain a strict no-contract service.

said by Brm :

It costs money to come out and run a new drop and install a modem. You're not pissing money into the wind by having this service installed. We're all so used to having free installs that we're immediately insulted when there is one.

said by Brm :

If you aren't near your renewal time you pay have to pay the standard domain registration fee. If you are coming up on your renewal time, you can absolutely change it by calling up HOSTWAY.

said by LJGoose :

One other thing. I know this is off topic but I figure I would ask you since you work for CV. I've been a boost subscriber for over a year now. Do you think they would allow me to change the domain name on the website?

I know you all care about the customers and you can tell from the reviews. I have never had major issues with CV and have always had speeds above and beyond what I pay for and for that I am greatful. However the UI on the box stinks like a dirty diaper. :D

said by jwersan :

I beg to differ, if that was truly the case, then Street & myself would have had our issues addressed to our satisfaction and not had CV/OOL just close the service calls we had opened due to poor speed issues, closed without any resolution.

I hope that those who opt to install Ultra do see the majority of the speeds advertised, but I am holding off investigating this service until I can truly believe that OOL is delivering on the advertised speeds.

said by TheWiseGuy :

I doubt it since they would have to change their whole marketing strategy and initially this tier will probably not make them money and only serve a very small portion of their customers, probably quite a bit less then .1%.

In fact
»www.multichannel.com/article/210···vice.php

said by LJGoose :

Do you think they will ever offer a contract with Ultra?

said by Tom Rutledge :

In a conference call with investors in February, Tom Rutledge, the chief operating officer of Cablevision, said the company did not expect much financial impact from the Docsis 3 service this year:

I don’t think ultra-wideband will have a significant impact in the second half. I think it’s a longterm strategy. I think the primary user is small business and not residential in the short run.

said by Brm :

CV does care about customers, I can assure you that.

said by Brm :

LJGoose, I'm reading the reactions, and "in this economy" has come up several times. I was obviously addressing people who made that comment.

As an employee, I can tell you that the knowledge of this service fee did not reach my ears until 5/11, early in the morning when I got into work. It appeared on my end, at least, to be a late decision. I can understand why this upsets people. CV does not make a lot of money from Ultra installs/service fees. Ultra is not going to be a cash cow, even if every P2P junkie has it installed. It was designed to be a cutting edge technology that aims to create competition. CV didn't have to roll this service out to stay competitive. The majority of our users are not bandwidth freaks. The majority of our users are not Boost customers (by a LONG shot). The amount of Boost -> Ultra customers would be even lower. CV does care about customers, I can assure you that.

said by JDolan :

that's the target audience, those that NEED it
the 300 fee is aimed for business users

said by StreetSpirit :

This is a huge mistake by Cablevision, as if I saw decent speeds close to the advertised max, I'd probably keep that service rather than save 40 dollars and have anemic Boost.

said by Brm :

Someone in your situation would certainly benefit from Ultra then. $300 installation fee is very reasonable for this service, especially if you are working from home.

said by Brm :

In this economy why do you need 101/15, heck why do you even need 30/5?

said by Bobcat :

That's why I've been saying that CV needs to offer a slower, low-cost tier, like Comcast does. I would never have switched to DSL if CV had that.

Regarding speed: With my DSL, I still never max-out torrents and I can download a movie from Usenet in 35 minutes. And it costs me a lot less money than OOL.

said by Brm :

heck why do you even need 30/5?

said by La Luna :

Hey, we're a grass roots effort of two! :D

said by MxxCon :

has anyone even tried haggling w/ them regarding this fee?

said by jaa :

Only one, right? From the poll I posted, seems the 40 potential ultra customers got whittled down to 1 by the $300 fee.

said by Thinkdiff :

From the posts so far, looks like the first install on this board is Thursday.

said by RARPSL :

Here is the proof of the price (note that this is Retail - Wholesale would be much less) »www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?ur···&x=0&y=0

No-one seems to list the VoIP SBV6220 version. If I was going to go an buy my own modem (and already had VoIP) I'd buy that and initially use it as a SB6120 Ultra only. Once CV got their act together and offered Ultra+VoIP, they could then just push an new settings file and ask me to return the SB5120 that was supporting the VoIP.

said by StreetSpirit :

I can understand an itemized bill which lists the cost of the modem, ~$100 as people said ...

said by La Luna :

Hey, we're a grass roots effort of two! :D

said by karl_weckstrom :

...
If the $300 fee is designed to be a barrier to entry, then I will wait for Verizon to counter or for the fee to disappear.

The fact that Cablevision didn't mention the $300 fee in any of their prior PR looks to me like they just wanted to have the bragging rights to say "We're faster than Verizon, even if only 5 people order it."

said by Shamayim :

Same here. Not only is CV not going to get our collective $600 up front, it loses month after month after month.

said by La Luna :

As I said before, it's not that I don't have the $300. I do. But I'm not throwing it away on some bogus "activation" fee. Oh well. I would have signed up and stayed signed up (assuming the new speeds are close to what they claim they will be), but the $300 breaks the deal for me.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has the money and would have kept the service, but is refusing to pay this activation fee.

said by patcat88 :

A T1 is 100% pure profit. Its nothing more than a normal DSL or any POTS line installation. ALL T1s are SDSL/HDSL/SHDSL lines, sometimes bonded for distance reasons.

said by StudioTech :

Interesting. Anytime I've seen a Cablevision ad in the paper, they always say that you get free service as a benefit of becoming an employee.

said by La Luna :

As I said before, it's not that I don't have the $300. I do. But I'm not throwing it away on some bogus "activation" fee. Oh well. I would have signed up and stayed signed up (assuming the new speeds are close to what they claim they will be), but the $300 breaks the deal for me.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has the money and would have kept the service, but is refusing to pay this activation fee.

said by MxxCon :

but you are "@cablevision.com"
so as an employee, don't you get it for free or heavily discounted?

said by RickNY :

The reason for the 300 fee is easy -- its to separate the people that plan on trying it for a month and then cancelling (ala Boost) from the people that are intending to use it long term.. I think most people that get this will quickly realize they do not need a 101 Mbps connection and would be more quick to cancel after one month - whereas the people that truly need it will stick around

said by Bobcat :

T1's come with service guarantees that standard DSL and cable don't have.

said by MxxCon :

but you are "@cablevision.com"
so as an employee, don't you get it for free or heavily discounted?

said by patcat88 :

A T1 is 100% pure profit. Its nothing more than a normal DSL or any POTS line installation. ALL T1s are SDSL/HDSL/SHDSL lines, sometimes bonded for distance reasons.

said by jwersan :

I thought that though the modem could do two lines, OOL couldn't..

Let me know if they can't..

said by psilocybin :

I'll loose one modem and keep two phone lines on a single modem and use the internet only on the new modem.

said by Superific :

I plan to order the ultra soon as i can scrap up some cash for the "fee". Granted, it's hefty tag. No doubt it about. But im kinda excited to see what's in store.

said by Jeffrey :

Well, I'm sure they will come. And it will be an interesting read over the next few weeks how the people are doing with the Ultra service. Looks like we have a few sign ups here, so hopefully they can post back their results.

said by Anonymous Coward :

I do recall paying Verizon a grand or two for the install of a T1 line not too long ago...so even for a mid-sized business, $300 in upfront is nothing.

said by StudioTech :

Ironic how this thread now gets shown at the top of the page but there won't be any reviews for at least another 3 days.

said by baldassano :

Sharkfin.. BAH.. I had the original LAN CITY modem back in valley Stream, when i remember the service in its infancy...

I use to like that modem, giant heatsink on top of it you could use to grill a porterhouse...

said by Thinkdiff :

They got all their positive press 2-3 weeks ago when they announced the service and conveniently left out the $300 charge. Only people actually trying to sign up for the service will be pissed off. Everybody else still thinks CV is great.

said by baldassano :

Yeah thats alot, hency why i think wiser heads are prevailing here and instead of all of our initial OMG I GOT TO HAVE IT attitude, we have come back to earth and said, ok DO I NEED IT...

It's amazing what $ does.

said by baldassano :

I wish i could justify it, but a little birdie told me that the install cost is to them justified to keep the monthly cost down.. which i can understand from their end, but also its not like they are manufacturing something.. There just spittin bandwidth..

said by baldassano :

1. The $300 is causing bad public relations (aka these posts in the forums bashing it)

said by RARPSL :

There is one GOTCHA however. It must be a model that they support (in this case a DPC3000 or SB6120). If you try going with a SBV6220 (to keep your current VoIP) they may or may not support it before they start offering their own SBV6220s.

said by Thinkdiff :

I'm quite certain it's to prevent month-to-month'ers from signing up. I don't think it has anything to do with the modem, as it's already been pointed out they're fairly cheap. You're less likely to cancel a service after a month if you just paid 300 non-refundable bucks to set it up.

said by Thinkdiff :

Exactly.

I was planning on sticking with the service from now until at least September. In September, I was planning to make a decision to keep it or downgrade back to Boost. Chances are I would've kept it (giving CV $1200/year), but the activation fee has prevented me from doing that. I guess that's a tradeoff CV is willing to make.

But I just cannot justify laying out $300 for absolutely nothing. No matter how you spin it (spreading the 300 out over a year or two), you're still paying $300 for no technical reason.

said by RickNY :

The reason for the 300 fee is easy -- its to separate the people that plan on trying it for a month and then cancelling (ala Boost) from the people that are intending to use it long term.. I think most people that get this will quickly realize they do not need a 101 Mbps connection and would be more quick to cancel after one month - whereas the people that truly need it will stick around

said by KewlRobd :

They have to, FCC regulations says they have to allow you to buy and use your own equipment.

said by RickNY :

. . . whereas the people that truly need it will stick around"

said by Thinkdiff :

Horrible business model from the consumer's standpoint, but effective.

said by shadowgod :

Does anyone know? It's got to be more than a simple a modem swap for $300? Or is the initial fee so high just so they can keep the monthly price down?

said by Shamayim :

You can buy it but will CV provision it?

said by Anonymous Coward :

E.g. it ensures that not every damn Usenet/P2P leecher (or uploader) orders it and brings the house down on his node with their legally questionable activities - activities that simply are not happening in a business context, for multiple reasons :)

It's also a good way to throttle demand during the startup phase of a new service: the last they want is a hundred techs having to go out on a service call for something that is brand-new to them, with probably plenty of opportunity to screw it up. A not unsubstantial part of that is probably related to some sort of manual step that prevents the service from being self-install today.

said by Shamayim :

Then use UPS to deliver it.

said by Bobcat :

Wow, a $335 fee is one way to cut back on demand.

said by Superific :

Truck is needed, because you need a special modem to handle docsis 3.0. enough with the theories. and no, you cant pick it up at the cable store.

said by Superific :

Truck is needed, because you need a special modem to handle docsis 3.0.

said by Jeffrey :

Thanks, I'll pass until that comes down to $0 activation fee, ..

said by Jeffrey :

Well, that seals it for me. $300 is a deal-breaker. Like others, I would be prepared to pay the $99/month, and perhaps even the $35 "install fee". However, activation fees are pure BS. On top of that, $300?

Thanks, I'll pass until that comes down to $0 activation fee, and 1 modem that handles the Internet aspect and VoIP aspect.

said by majortom1029 :

Wouldnt this install possibly require a new drop to be installed for the second modem ?

said by shadowgod :

My install is set for May 19th. $300 activation fee and $34.95 setup fee. Can't wait.

said by Jeffrey :

Well, that seals it for me. $300 is a deal-breaker. Like others, I would be prepared to pay the $99/month, and perhaps even the $35 "install fee". However, activation fees are pure BS. On top of that, $300?

Thanks, I'll pass until that comes down to $0 activation fee

said by hbk4099 :

static ips are only for commerical accounts, even with ultra residental accounts can not get a static ip

said by blkdrgn :

you get a static ip, and they have to come and deliver and setup a new docsis 3.0 modem, as your current modem will not handle the higher speed

said by LJGoose :

let us know every single thing they do. If that tech sneezes I want to know.

said by baldassano :

Well im definatley dissapointed... Again the use of this at home is really nil (tho i was going to run my own exchange server)..

Outside of that, the only reason to get it os to have Uber net and make people in arkansas cry cause they cant get more then 18 meg Cable.. LOL..

I hope no one gets the service, which will require them to drop the install fee, or do like i said, Say its a $300 fee, but waive it with say a 1 year contract, or say Fee waived at install, so its just a merketing ploy...

For $300 i want the CV tech to vaccum, clean the toilet, do the dishes, rotate the tires on my car, and rake the yard..

GIMME MY $ WORTH!

said by baldassano :

Interesting it requires a truck roll.. why in the world would it need that? Doesnt this run on the same infrastructure, or are they dropping NEW lines to your house, perhaps higher grade cable or something to handle it?

said by Bobcat :

Wow, a $335 fee is one way to cut back on demand.

said by Anorexorcist :

How soon are they actually going to do the install. I'm assuming the $300 fee just gets added to your monthly bill?

said by psilocybin :

Well I just ordered it. $300 Activation fee.

said by iamwarpath :

All services have a crazy upfront fee.

said by sbalea :

I just got off the phone with a sales rep. There's a $300 "activation fee" on top of the required professional install fee. I think I'll be ok with Boost for now.