Selected ISP Support > Speakeasy > Speakeasy Backbone Being Dismantled?

Speakeasy Backbone Being Dismantled?

Another example of the customer losing when these mergers happen. The support queues are often jammed up now, too.

Innovation and improvement rarely occur without competition, despite Microsoft's longtime mantra about "Freedom to Innovate".

I support an NYC client on Speakeasy, who as of this morning, had his static IPs stop routing over his Speakeasy DSL circuit. Several hours later, the issue is only partially sorted out.

So, something is definitely going down today. And it's not being handled well, IMO.

Don't know it it's related but woke up to a "synch-no surf" situation today and had to reboot the modem. Haven't done a tracert to see if anything has changed.

Just did a tracert...all covad until it hits Level3 about 5 hops out.

Something is going on that is very suspect:

Sent 2/18
Emergency Network Maintenance Event that may impact your MegaPath Broadband service(s). On Saturday evening, February 19th, and Sunday evening, February 20th 2011, we will be performing emergency maintenance on the Detroit, MI Point of Presence

Sent 2/9
Network Maintenance Event that may impact your MegaPath Broadband service(s). On Monday evening, February 21th through Tuesday morning, February 22nd 2011, we will be performing scheduled maintenance on the Detroit, MI Point of Presence

Sent 2/16
a Network Maintenance Event that may impact your MegaPath Broadband service(s). On Tuesday evening, March 1st through Wednesday morning, March 2nd 2011, we will be performing scheduled maintenance on the Chicago, IL Point of Presence

Megapath has given no information on what they are going to do with Speakeasy customers.

I got 3 emails for maintenence Events late January as well.

Mid March I was switched off of the Speakeasy net and over to Covad. Latancy and what looked to be throttling of streamed media suddenly became the norm. Calls to support got me nowhere. Done. I switched to Comcast small business cable. I was a customer for 9 years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall Speakeasy every having a network of their own. Everything is run over Covad's last mile (and long-haul) networking.

Speakeasy (now Megapath) resells Covad last mile, but Speakeasy used to have their own long-haul network. Used to peer with 11 backbone providers, etc etc. And in those days, did it ever perform well. But those days are gone, now it's on Covad's long-haul and the performance is far worse.

Problem is it is very expensive to have 2 long haul networks. Adding a bunch of users to the SE long haul probably would have needed more hardware and Covad's is likely setup for far more users. Personally - I have not seen a huge change (if any) in my service.
--
Brian

"It drops into your stomach like a Abrams's tank.... driven by Rosanne Barr..." A. Bourdain

reply to valderost
Well after being a Speakeasy customer for 14 years it looks like its time to move on. As of this week I am now on Covads network instead of Speakeasy's private network and my first hop ping went from 10 to 50. My bandwith has been cut by about 15% as well. Where Speakeasy used to run everyone on fastpath Covad and Megapath have interleaving on by default and that probably accounts for the difference. All good things come to an end as they say and it looks like that end is here.

Our apartment building has been told that Verizon will begin wiring it for FiOS on July 1st. Once it's available, I'll also end my many-year relationship with Speakeasy. Some business school student should do a case study on how to ruin a great brand.