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grefcon
join:2003-07-13
Vashon, WA

grefcon

Member

CenturyLink Modems?

I have had CenturyTel, now CenturyLink 6 Meg DSL for several years now and have gotten close to 6 Meg downspeed most of the time. (I live within 3 block of the C.O., fortunately) Last week I upgraded to their 10 Meg service, but after rebooting the Netopia 3341 a number of times that CenturyLink has been providing for free of charge, the fastest speedtest that I could get was 6.84. I contacted them and was told that the Netopia 3341 doesn't support 10 Meg. Their solution is to now rent me a Westell 6100 for $3.84 a month! What a rip! From what I can see on line, the Westell 6100 is 3-4 year old technology. I asked them to email me a list of compatible routers and this is what they sent:

10Mb connection..

The following devices are compatible:
Westell 6100 - E90
Westell 6100 - C90*
Westell 327
Netopia 2241

My question is: Can I buy one of these routers, or even maybe a newer generation and get it to work on my 10 Meg DSL?

Thanks to anyone for help!

tstolze
Premium Member
join:2003-08-08
O Fallon, MO

tstolze

Premium Member

Yes you can purchase your own modem. If you choose a modem Centurylink doesn't use, tech support can be an issue. Look for a modem that is ADSL2+ capable.

Although the 6100 has been around for some time, it has gone through many revisions that have enabled it to work with today's ADLS2 technology.

I use a Dlink DSL-2640B, it's an all in one, modem, router, wireless access point.
civicturbo
join:2009-11-08
USA

civicturbo

Member

I was specifically told at the tropicana centrylink location today that I MUST rent their modem and that someone elses ADSL2+ (thats what I called it)would NOT work on their system! Short middle aged brunette that helped me.

RVAguy
Premium Member
join:2006-01-05
Richmond, VA

RVAguy

Premium Member

She was flat out wrong.

tstolze
Premium Member
join:2003-08-08
O Fallon, MO

tstolze to civicturbo

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to civicturbo
said by civicturbo:

I was specifically told at the tropicana centrylink location today that I MUST rent their modem and that someone elses ADSL2+ (thats what I called it)would NOT work on their system! Short middle aged brunette that helped me.
Now if they were expecting you to get the higher tier with pair bonding(when/if it's available), then I would expect them to tell you this.

bbbc
join:2001-10-02
NorthAmerica

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TP-LINK DSL modems, like the TD-8816 / TD-8817, are great cheap beasts. They are available at Fry's from time to time for $20 AR.
mworks
join:2006-06-13
Rose Hill, NC

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ADSL2+ is an international specification. No such thing as a special version. If everyone had their own version it would be a nightmare for modem makers.

Pooka
@centurytel.net

Pooka to grefcon

Anon

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Better check to see what CL has your line set at. I increased from 1.5 to 10 but could not quite get 6. Then I was told (after many calls and conflicting information about modems) that my Westell modem was fine but that my line was set at 6 megs because I am too far from the CT office (one mile). OOOOOKAAAAA, but after a brief flirtation of one day at 5.8, I have since been getting less than 2! Been through the help protocol until I could puke. No one knows anything, and everyone has a different conclusion. The right hand does not know what the left is doing. But I know what I am doing — canceling the 10 meg (errr 6 meg, errr, 1.3 meg) service! Truth is, CL can't deliver.
Inky
join:2010-03-30
Springfield, MO

1 recommendation

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Right now, I'm an unhappy customer with CenturyLink (formerly CenturyTel). Bear with me… I’ve got some background info to share before I get to my point. If you want to skip the rant and explanation, skip down to the last couple of paragraphs…

Have been with them for a few years and had had – until recently, when they got bought out - good service. Had a regular non-wireless modem up until about 4 months ago, when because of (what we found out later) a bad modem we had to have a C-Link repair guy come out.

I’m no techie, just a basic computer user, FYI.

My spouse & I share two Dell pc's on one modem, so we had a LinkSys router with a non-wireless (Speedstream… I think?) modem. Worked quite well up until we upgraded from 3mpbs to 10mpbs, then we had constant problems – dropped connections, slow speeds (not much more than 3mpbs), and the modem just seemed not to be able to handle it. Tried to trouble-shoot several things over a several-week time period… just never got the speed we were paying extra for. So, we called Customer Service.

Repairman showed up on time, looked at our setup, and said we’d have to upgrade modems to get full speed. (Why didn’t customer service tell us we’d have to do this???) He told us he’d hook us up with a better modem, and the upgrade would be at no cost. YEAH, RIGHT.

The first bill after this we got had a $15 shipping charge for the modem – even though the repairman brought it out with him when he came out. We were also charged a repair visit – even though we have the inside wiring/repair monthly contract agreement. We were charged an additional amount of about $3.90 extra fee above what we were paying on our old modem. Yeah, so much for “at no additional cost”! I called customer service, and they did give credit for everything… although it took a couple of billings to show up. That was in December 2009.

My current configurations are both Dell pc’s wired into the Westell Wireless DSL modem/router (D90-327W14-06, mfg 11/2008) via Ethernet from the ports on the back of the router/modem to each computer. We have a 10+ mbps download speed and a 75+mbps upload speed (yeah, upload speed has always sucked, and C-Link says nothing they can do about that). I have a wireless card in a Dell laptop that is in my living room (about 40 feet away), and seems to get “average” connection wirelessly - although because of the Westell modem, this is why I think my Netflix connections keep dropping off the laptop. I have tried moving my modem around to try and fix that issue, but no joy there.

Since the middle of January 2010, we’ve had modem issues with the *new* modem, the Westell D90-327W14-06. There was a red light that came on, and it wouldn’t come back on for several tries. I unplugged it, plugged it back in a couple more times, and it came back on. I’ve done this a few times since. I’ve also noted that our Internet speeds have intermittently dropped off, and have gone as low as 3.5+, and typically were around 6.2+ mbps instead of the 10+mbps that we should be getting (and have been paying for). I’ve called customer service a few times, and each time they’ve walked me through the steps to reset it – often enough that before I call (when it won’t reset & get back up to speed) I try to reset it myself. The last time I called (earlier this month), they were supposed to have a repairman out. He never showed up.

Because both my spouse and my work depend on continuous and high-speed connections (which is why we upgraded modems and have been paying for the higher speed), we needed to get this resolved so it didn’t continue to happen. Called customer service back again today as the speed was back down to 6.2. Went through the reset steps, and as usual after resetting the 3rd time the speed went back up to 10+. I expressed my concern to the customer service rep that my modem was again going out or going bad, and would they send out a replacement modem? I also expressed concern that I would lose time and money if the modem were to go out again (like it did another time before) and I’d be down for a few days until they replaced it. The rep put me on hold for several minutes, then came back and said they couldn’t replace it if it wasn’t bad. I told him it apparently was going bad, and that I’d gone from an owned modem to a leased modem for this specific reason: that if it goes out, C-Link will replace it.

People, I was on the phone with this rep for an hour trying to get him to understand that I LEASE the equipment so when it goes bad I can obtain a REPLACEMENT if/when it goes bad within the first year. That’s the reason for LEASING. He kept suggesting that if I were so concerned about the modem going out, that I get a backup modem AT MY OWN EXPENSE. While this may be a good idea in theory, my feeling is that if they don’t want to replace my unit when it needs to be replaced, then WHY ON EARTH WOULD I CONTINUE TO LEASE???? He put me on hold again for a long time, then came back on and said that he could, after all, send me out another “one time” replacement modem. I asked him to define the “one time” replacement, as I didn’t want to worry about the replacement going bad and them not replacing it again. He said that no, if it goes out within the 1-year warranty period, it would be replaced (at no cost to me). I said, well, that is the way it should be.

He again suggested that I buy my own modem. Short of that, he said, if I wanted it (the replacement), then I’d have to pay $22.95 for shipping. Of course I didn’t expect to have to pay for shipping! I said I believed I was within my one-year warranty period. He said I had to agree to the $22.95 shipping fee if I wasn’t in the warranty period, so I asked him to check and see when my warranty period was up (I didn’t think it had been a year… but I have “oldtimers” and can’t remember time very well anymore). He said he couldn’t do that. I said, well, put me on hold again and contact whatever department he needs to in order to find out. He did so, and put me on hold again for almost 15 minutes.

When he came back, he said he found out that I was only into my warranty for about 4 months, but they still had to have me pay for shipping. WHAT?!? Why the change now, I asked? He said that the department he checked with said that because the modem “wasn’t really ‘bad’,” that I’d have to pay for shipping. I told him that it was apparently bad, based on how it was (or was not) performing. He disagreed. Apparently if you get any connection at all, be it slow, intermittent, etc., they still consider the modem “good” at CenturyLink! He went on to say that he could, however, send out another repairman. I said what good would that do if he comes and finds that the modem happens to be working when he gets here?? He put me on hold for another few minutes, then came back on and said the choices I have are to pay the shipping, have a repairman come out, buy a new modem myself, or deal with the modem I have. I said I could buy a used modem like the one I have off Ebay for the same price as I’d pay for shipping – especially since they apparently don’t replace them when they go bad if they’re leased – and it would cost them (C-Link) more in a tech’s or repairman’s time for someone to come out, so yeah, I’ll have a repairman come out. I suggested it would cost them much less to have a replacement unit shipped to me for free than it would for them to have to pay wages and expenses to a repairman to come out. No comment - I guess he didn’t get that analogy… or he just doesn’t care what it costs them to send out someone! Argghh! And then they wonder why the cost of everything keeps going up?!?!

The rep said the repairman would be here in 24-48 hours – he would not provide a day or time specifically. I said, so I have to stay home and wait, not knowing when they’d show up? He said, yes, they’d show up in 24-48 hours. I said okay; he said would that be all? I said no, I’d like to speak to a supervisor. It was another 8 minutes before he came back on and said he’ll transfer me to a supervisor… and another 6 minutes before a supervisor came on the line.

I went through with the supervisor the basics again; told him what the modem was doing, about our dropped speeds, my calls to customer service, my previous modem problems, etc. and how frustrated I am that despite my being a good customer, paying my bills on time, etc., that I can’t get a replacement when I need one even though I pay for it by leasing, etc. He said that instead of my having to pay for shipping, the repairman will bring a replacement with him when he comes out (in 24-48 hours, of course), and that if he deems it needs to be replaced, he will replace it at no extra charge. (Naturally I’m thinking, “yeah, right” on the ‘no charge’ statement, LOL!) I said that would be fine. And it’s not like they have to go very far to get the friggin’ modem – the C-Link’s field office/repair junction is less than 6 blocks away. Geesh.

I’m determined that I’m not going to have them continue to put me off on my replacement, one way or another. Last time I was put off on a lease like this, the lease period expired and then I had NO recourse for replacement… and I believe that is what they are trying to do here again: to put me off long enough that the warranty expires. NOT! I have decided that I’m no longer going to LEASE from them if this is what I have to look forward to, and I will buy a new modem myself. It just pisses me off to know that I’ve spent almost $300 in leasing costs for basically nothing.

So, my point after all this ranting and explaining is this: What are the fairly new and/or recent makes/models of DSL wireless modems that will work with CenturyLink? I had asked the customer service rep earlier - since he kept telling me I should buy my own modem - what make/model wireless DSL modem should I buy? His response was, “Any DSL modem will work”. Well, after researching as I have now after our conversation, I understand that that is absolutely *not true*.

I know the one I have will (I currently have the Westell D90-32714-06 wireless) – well, kinda. Perhaps it’s like my other one (Speedstream?) and doesn’t do well at high (10+ mbps) speeds? Or perhaps it’s just going bad, I don’t know for sure.

I have looked into the D-Link DSL-2640B that was mentioned in another post in here, but after researching have discounted it due to the high heat factor inherent in that model. It also was reviewed as having “not that great” connection for wireless (which I definitely need for my laptop I use in other rooms). I do want a modem that will do good wirelessly, as we do plan on going 100% wireless in the next few weeks.

What are you other CenturyLink users using, and how old are your models?

I would appreciate any feedback and specific information you might give. Thank you!
BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI

BigVe

Member

Read what's posted above and do some homework with Google(reviews) I am using 2 modems 1. 2Wire 2700HG 2. Westell 327W also a Netgear that had to be sent in for warranty repair(3 ports gave in)
Inky
join:2010-03-30
Springfield, MO

Inky

Member

said by BigVe:

Read what's posted above and do some homework with Google(reviews) I am using 2 modems 1. 2Wire 2700HG 2. Westell 327W also a Netgear that had to be sent in for warranty repair(3 ports gave in)

Thanks - regarding a Google search, I have done that (that's how I found this forum), but unless you have a specific modem to search for, not much in the way of modem models comes up necessarily, or if they do I'm unsure of how old they are.

One item that came up was the 2-Wire that you noted here, but I didn't realize that it was a make/model... thought that "2-Wire" actually meant a "2-holer" ... as in for the number of router ports for ethernet - so thanks for that! I'll Google it...

And you have the 327W too? What speed are you at, if you don't mind my asking? Are you capable of doing 10mpbs on that... and maintaining it? I ask, thinking if you are, then maybe my 327W is just faulty.

Thanks BigVe - I'm grateful for the feedback.
BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI

1 recommendation

BigVe

Member

The best we have for speed here is 1500/256 so i can use any modem for that.The 2Wire, 327W are both ADSL2+ modems but unfortunately i will never be able to run those speeds due to Centurylinks policy to never do higher speeds here where i live.No competition means slow speeds and high prices

BankerMama
join:2009-03-10
united state

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IMO, competition has nothing to do with it. 5 or so WISP's and Comcast pumping out 10meg near the same price as CTL's 1.5
we have competition in my area and they still won't provide more than 1.5/512
BankerMama

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BTW, we have new dsl equipment in 3 RT just waiting to be turned up, but engineers are either overwhelmed/too lazy/or getting their jobs held due to money pinching.

so I think these reasons are why faster speeds don't happen in all areas also.
emo110
join:2010-06-24
Lake Dallas, TX

emo110 to Inky

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I was looking at problems with my Westell VersaLink modem (D90-327W14-06) and it does not appear to be a supported on the Westell Support site (»www.westell.com/technica ··· html)!?!

And I use the term "support" very loosely here; appears the only thing you can do there is request an RMA # for return and/or repair. But how are you supposed to do that if your model number is not even listed?!?

I am in a small town in Texas (Lake Dallas) that is surrounded by Verison customers but it appears only CenturyLink is available to us. Based on the comments here, it appears I am not the only one having problems with their DSL "service". I am paying for "up to 6MB" but never get any more the 3MB (when it's working).

Lately the DSL has been going up and down like a yo-yo and I am getting tired of it. Calling "support" does little good; just the same old "make sure all your phones are using a filter", "connect the modem without a filter" (which means I can't have a phone in my den). Of course, it starts working for 5-10 minutes after I hang-up. Then it drops again for no apparent reason.

This happened two days ago and when I called them back there was a recorded message saying they were working on the "problem" and all DSL users should try resetting their modems. Apparently, the "support" people answering the phones did not know where was and "problem"... As others have said before, their right hand never seems to know what they right hand is doing.

Maybe if I complain enough they will send me a newer modem, one that is actually supported by the manufacturer...

joebleed
join:2002-05-28
Tarboro, NC

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You may just be better off getting any wired adsl2+ modem, bridge it, and pick what ever soho wireless router you like.

I've been seeing more of those integrated dsl modem/router combinations. It is about time they become more wide spread, but i don't have any experience with them or i would let you know.

In the old embarq territory we were being handed those ZyXEL (sp?) 660 modems. Think they had some wireless router models available too, but you can probably pick those up cheap. I have 2 of the older 640 and 2 660 modems. They use to hand them out at the drop of a hat even when i told them i was really sure it wasn't a modem issue. Sad it sounds like it is backwards now and on top of that they "lease" modems now instead of at least giving you your first modem for free.