Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
| reply to stenman
Re: Sprint MBB vs. ATT DSL Basic
but they have chosen to pass the buck. This hardly deserves our praise. How so? Sprint and Verizon have already slammed their hand on the table. Either conform or be kicked off their networks. Millenicom cannot do one thing about it. In some cases Millenicom established new (unlimited) accounts for some but that can't be expected for the masses.
This hardly deserves our praise? You still are a Millenicom customer that says a lot in itself. |
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stenman
join:2007-03-07
Salinas, CA
 ·Verizon Wireless B..
| reply to Jack_in_VA
When I signed up with Millenicom there was no cap. I received a email last month stating that they were instituting a cap for all customers. If I go to Sprint, with much lower data throughput in my location and pay an extra $10 a month, I can get back to where I started - though with a net loss of service level.
Millenicom as a major reseller is in a far better position to influence Sprint and Verizon than the subscriber, but they have chosen to pass the buck. This hardly deserves our praise. |
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powerspec88
Premium
join:2007-03-11
Harrisonville, MO | reply to Mce Saint
Congrats! What modem did you get, the 2wire (the all in one modem/router) or just the modem? |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
 ·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
***Update***
Got ATT DSL Basic up and running, but for reasons unknown to me, I never got faster than .32Mbps down/up. DSL modem showed max speed as 384Kbps - nowhere near the advertised 768Kbps down that it should have been. Told I had to wait 10 days from installation to "let the computer determine the maximum speed."
After about 2 weeks, I called back to see whether I could get bumped up at least 1 service tier higher than "basic" (to Express with max download of 1.5Mbps). Got THAT approved and installed a few days later and voila!! getting 1.26Mbps down on DSL.
In sum, I found ATT's "basic" service to be *steady/constant* with the down/up speed, but not generally as fast as Sprint Mobile Broadband.
The "upgrade" to ATT's "express" service (max down 1.5Mbs) has been holding steady at 1.26Mbs down - which is waaaaayyy faster than the SMBB I was getting at the house. I even played around with a Xbox Live Gold membership (free one month trial) and downloading a movie (Zack and Miri Make a Porno).
It looks like I'm probably giving SMBB up - at contract date (January 2010) if not sooner. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to Mce Saint
In an effort to return this train to the tracks, I am a Sprint Mobile Broadband customer who deals with Sprint directly (not via a re-seller such as Millenicom).
Up until a few days ago, the only internet service choices I had were dial-up; satellite; and mobile broadband. I tried satellite (Hughesnet) and it worked out, but the cap was always a concern, cost was high, and, therefore, when mobile broadband became a choice I switched to Sprint (being a Sprint cellphone customer for eons, I deemed it better to keep it all under one umbrella).
At the time I went with SMBB, there was no cap. The imposition of the 5 GB was a disappointment, but - as I said before - I could still use the internet to do everything I *had* to do. I just couldn't do everything I *wanted* to do. I could have dropped SMBB then (when the cap was imposed), but - all things considered - the then alternatives (back to satellite or to dial-up) were not better choices. And - this is no knock against Millencom (or any other reseller) - I just personally preferred staying with Sprint (having one bill, etc.) instead of going with a reseller. In part, because there's a Sprint retail store within 5 minutes of my house AND I've found the people there know there stuff. So I stayed with Sprint
I've been happy with SMBB (read my review of it). No complaints about Sprint, its CSRs, or any gripes about this forum - which has been generally very helpful.
What I gather from some of the responses is that I should expect ATT's Basic Tier (768 up), to be no worse than the speeds I've been posting for my SMBB card.
[For the record, today's speedtest for SMBB was 1.0 Mb/s down, best yet - but it's a holiday so less commuter traffic on my tower (I guess)).
I'm going to hold on to the SMBB for at least a few months (my contract is up in January '10) - in any event, I still have to consider the ETF.
I'll cross my fingers that AFTER I get ATT's Basic DSL up and running, I can get approved (based on actual tests by ATT of the DSL line) for at least a one tier bump (to 1.5Mb/s).
Happy 4th of July to all. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| reply to Jack_in_VA
Re: Sprint MBB vs. ATT DSL Basic
Millenicom fully meets my expectations. And users here are surely happy for you. Now if you wouldn't mind allowing people to discuss their own experiences -- allowing the thread to get back on topic? I don't see anything constructive in the posts in our forums by people lamenting "whining and crying." If the complaints bug you, perhaps don't read them? |
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mooch
No Booing Allowed
join:2001-11-11
Johnstown, OH
| reply to Jack_in_VA
It's unfortunate that you have such a narrow focus on the whole "heroic" use of bandwidth topic that you therefore feel it's the ONLY topic that someone from Millenicom could possibly ever comment on in the forum. You might think about broadening your horizons a bit.
--
ex Hughesnet customer - thank goodness! |
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Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
| reply to mooch
Can you tell us why you feel it wouldn't be a positive step for Millenicom to provide occasional feedback in the Millenicom forum?
What would they be able to offer to the constant whine and crying about the actions Verizon and Sprint are taking to control the "heroic" users? Millenicom doesn't have any control over that. The only service Millenicom serves is the ability to connect to either Verizon or Sprint Wireless Broadband without a contract or having to pay taxes on the monthly service. They resell Verizon and Sprint Bandwidth, Nothing else. When I have a problem I contact their customer service who have been helpful in solving what few problems I've had.
Maybe the ones with a problem should just go ahead and sign up directly with Verizon or Sprint and utilize their customer service.
Millenicom is providing exactly what I pay them for. Nothing more, nothing less. Millenicom fully meets my expectations. |
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mooch
No Booing Allowed
join:2001-11-11
Johnstown, OH
| reply to Jack_in_VA
Why should Millenicom have a rep on this site? Do subscribers really need someone to hold their hand 24/7?
Speaking of "Why"...why do you feel it's necessary to respond to someones valid opinion with the negative sounding "hand holding" comment.
Can you tell us why you feel it wouldn't be a positive step for Millenicom to provide occasional feedback in the Millenicom forum?
--
ex Hughesnet customer - thank goodness! |
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Jack_in_VA
Premium
join:2007-11-26
Mathews, VA
1 edit | reply to nuoldfast
said by nuoldfast  :Amen! to the post prior to this. All things considered, and with the striking lack of confirmed info from Millenicom, I'd at least give AT&T DSL a real tryout. (I know that this is the Sprint MBB site). The continual lack of a Millenicom rep to the Millenicom site and lack of an active blog at Millenicom.com leave many of us to wonder who really is in charge there. The price is too much, the reliability all too often is suspect, and their tech support is not very good. Good luck and please let us know how things proceed with you. Why should Millenicom have a rep on this site? Do subscribers really need someone to hold their hand 24/7?
The price is reasonable when you have no other option, the reliability is great given it is Verizon and Sprint who actually provides the physical network and the tech support has been very good. It's a matter of perception and expectations. |
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nuoldfast
join:2008-05-22
Folsom, CA
·Millenicom
| reply to powerspec88
Amen! to the post prior to this.
All things considered, and with the striking
lack of confirmed info from Millenicom, I'd at least give AT&T DSL a real tryout.
(I know that this is the Sprint MBB site).
The continual lack of a Millenicom rep to the Millenicom site and lack of an active blog at Millenicom.com leave many of us to wonder who really is in charge there.
The price is too much, the reliability all too often is suspect, and their tech support is not very good.
Good luck and please let us know how things proceed with you. |
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powerspec88
Premium
join:2007-03-11
Harrisonville, MO
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to Mce Saint
I would go with AT&T. I would take the basic tier over my speeds just for the lower ping times and constant speeds. The basic tier should be 768/384 and after overhead speeds should be ~700/320. I would open up a thread in the AT&T Direct forum »/forum/sbcdirect (read the rules before posting) just to see how what you can get and how far you are from the CO/RT. And to top it off, no caps and free Wi-Fi at alot of locals, and much cheaper.
--
»twitter.com/powerspec | »netisinc.com | »kcmogaming.net/speedtest
Home Internet: Sprint Mobile Broadband, DSL line: AT&T 6/768
Server: 100Mbps with Cogent/Level3, Work: 550Mbps Total with AT&T and EverestKC |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to mooch
said by mooch :Of course with DSL you dont have to wonder what kinda cap you have to work with...that alone would make it a no-brainer for me. I'll be honest, the Sprint cap hasn't been THAT much of an issue for us . . . . BUT two things:
1. It's a very tough housing market. And, IMO, not having ANY hardwired internet at our house (no cable was laid for our street) puts us at a competitive disadvantage with other homes *on our same block and subdivision.* Our house is NOT currently on the market, but I want to get this straightened out long before we do.
2. You don't miss what you cannot get. I don't USE, for example, Blockbuster's or Netflix downloads because I'd quickly blow through Sprint's 5 Gb per month cap. If I didn't have a cap on my internet service (as I won't with ATT DSL), then there ARE more services (like Blockbuster and Netflix) I'd like to try.
In short, I CAN live within the 5 GB cap . . . because I AM living within the 5 GB cap. I just feel like I'm missing out on the "real" internet by doing so. And I'm paying a premium price ($60 per month) for that. In looking at the housing market and making MY home as attractive as possible I think having a reasonably fast "unrestricted" internet service of some type is going to be a requirement for more and more home buyers in the future. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to nuoldfast
quote:
What speeds does your neighbor realize?
Well, my neighbor was running at 1.0 Mbps down (I forget the up). BUT - and here comes the frustration with AT&T - my neighbor is eligible for 3 tiers of DSL service from ATT (Basic, Express, and Pro). I asked them which tier they had last night, but they didn't recall what tier they had (nice people but not very technically inclined, and they bundle with phone service). Based on their download (I ran the test on speedtest.net for them), I assume they are Express or Pro tier.
In contrast, I've been approved for ONLY the Basic tier (768/200) . . . even though I live right next door (not across the street; no intervening house; and our lot sizes are only 65 ft. wide).
[note: I've been told by ATT's Broadband Customer Care unit that AFTER I get the Basic tier set up to give them a call back and request a "distance/manual loop request" to see if I can go up a tier or two. I'm going to do that and hope for the best - I simply can't believe that TWO tiers of service drop out by moving another 100 ft. +/- down the line, but wondering what I might be stuck with for 1-year (the committment ATT wants for Basic DSL service)]. |
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mooch
No Booing Allowed
join:2001-11-11
Johnstown, OH | reply to Mce Saint
Of course with DSL you dont have to wonder what kinda cap you have to work with...that alone would make it a no-brainer for me.
--
ex Hughesnet customer - thank goodness! |
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nuoldfast
join:2008-05-22
Folsom, CA
·Millenicom
| reply to Mce Saint
What speeds does your neighbor realize?
Run a series of tests at various times of the day over several days.
Pay close attention to results from Friday eve through the weekend.
Utilize different servers available on speedtest.net.
Please tell us of your results and ultimate decision.
And remember that with the AT&T DSL subscription you also have mobile WiFi access at many places!
Good luck. |
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Mce Saint
join:2007-10-03
Saint Louis, MO
·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Well, working with the good folks over in the ATT Direct Forum, we finally (after years of begging thru other channels) are eligible for AT&T's DSL service at our house, BUT only on the Basic tier (768 Kbs down) for now.
[note: next door neighbor whose front door is 65 feet from mine qualifies for Basic, Express, and Pro service thru AT&T so not sure why we're limited, but that's what it is for now]
Actual speedtest.net results for our Sprint MBB (U727 USB card) averages 0.42 Mb/s down and 0.06 Mb/s up.
What speed is reasonable to expect from AT&T's basic DSL service? |
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