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drewphish
@videotron.ca

drewphish

Anon

Monthly Reliable High Speed Internet Plans in Montreal Without Contract?

Created a thread here recently but cannot log into acct because i forgot the password. Im from the usa and came to montreal to live for few months and rented furnished apartment that includes high speed internet. Internet had the problem of it going out every night at 2:40am and coming back at 3:05am... big problem b/c many time i need to be online, i play online poker so some days i will have to be on. It seems like this cannot be fixed.

Okay well the internet that im currently using now is having problems. I recently bought an ethernet cable to connect it to the router... router is few floors downstairs and i connected a 50 ft ethernet cable and internet rarely had any problems except of course it goes out every night same time. Today im having a ton of internet problems during the day and im going to go and get my own internet now and want some advice on which company to go with and other questions.

Does anyone know which internet company i can sign up here in montreal for that does a monthly internet service and that i dont need to sign up for 6 month or 1 year contract? I want something that is monthly and want it for 2-3 months because i will stay here for another 2 months to 3 months.

I assume since im not doing a contract and thus only 2-3 month... then i will have to pay for the installation charges etc? Do i have to pay for the modem or do they rent it out to you for x amoutn per month?

In NYC where im from, we paid for road runner internet at 39.95 per month and if we wanted to rent the modem it was like 4.95/month so i just bought a new modem instead, no pt of paying 5 per month when buying a modem was 60. But of course here... i only need it for very short term as internet is my number 1 priority here.

I googled and there is an internet called distributel cable but many ppl say its very bad and not reliable? I need 100 percent reliable fast internet so i would want cable internet. I dont want dsl or as you call it here asdl b/c back in NYC i had verizon online dsl and it had tons of problems such as when it rains... internet would go very slow or not work and when you pick up the phone, internet goes out everytime and then i got road runner and rarely any problems.

At the moment, the building here has videotron internet and i connected a 50ft ethernet cable to the router downstairs but sometimes it does have problems such as today and the weather looks to be raining and it was extremely slow at times.

I have heard about bell and rogers. I assume these are the only two i should go with? But the problem is i read both of them require 1 year contracts?

My most important thing is it has to be reliable and can't have much disconnects. I honestly dont even care about the speed b/c i dont download movies or watch youtube or any of those stuff. I just cannot have these disconnects during the day or night. And i can definitely not tolerate any type of lagging.

If this isn't an option for monthly plan, i assume i have to just do a 6 month contract even though i would only be using it for 3 month?
InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError

Member

In Quebec, contracts on just about all consumer telecommunications services have been history since the introduction of bill 60 which caps early termination fees to $50.

Bill 60 does allow carriers to charge for the residual value any conditional freebies so if you do not want to get retroactively billed for those, don't take any freebies that may be tied to maintaining service for some number of months.

While you could go with a 3rd-party ISP, they often have longer lead times than incumbents due to the wholesale process having extra middlemen and things that can go wrong during the order/install process so if you cannot afford install delays, Bell and Videotron would be your best bets.

drewphish
@videotron.ca

drewphish

Anon

Hi. IM not sure what bill 60 is and im just pretty confused at your post.

By having delays etc... how long would the delays be? By things could go wrong during install process you mean they install it but it doesnt work or something like that?

The other thing is the internet that is provided in my apartment complex is videotron. So wouldn't me getting videotron myself be just the same almost? Because this apartment complex shares wifi but has 3 apartments who connected an ethernet cable to the router so we are all using wired internet.

So that means bell would be my only option then? But problem is i read bell doesnt even offer short term contracts so i assume i have to do a contract and then cancel after 2 or 3 month eventhough i know i wont be using it for longer than 3 mmonth max since i will leave montreal by then?
drewphish

drewphish to drewphish

Anon

to drewphish
okay i just put my montreal postal code in rogers.com and apparently they dont have rogers in this area. So what can i do now then? Bell i read they don't even do monthly internet plans. So that mean there isn't any option for me?
drewphish

drewphish

Anon

so i just contacted bell and they told me they do monthly plans. They said 15/10 plan is 46.95/month plus tax which is around 54 dollars per month. And a 49.95 activation charge so if i have it for 3 months, its basically 54+54+54+49.95= 212 roughly so around 70 per month. However, i checked and i only get 75gb of data only. IM not used to this as in the usa we have unlimited internet usage.

Is 75gb even a lot? Thing is i do refresh internet pages a lot and also go on youtube a lot and listen to songs. I have no idea how much data i use a month but i figure i use quite a bit.
markie58
join:2009-04-24
Chateauguay, QC

1 edit

markie58 to drewphish

Member

to drewphish
Question one are you the only person having these troubles in your building not hard to knock on a neighbors door and ask.
Videotron is very reliable have you asked the landlord or his building rep to do a reboot of the main Videotron router? Pull the plug 15 secs.
If he has did you ask him to contact Videotron to check the signal.
Your 2:40 am disconnects have been addressed in your other topic so I will not rehash the responses.
Third party Cable ISPs use the Videotron infrastructre so if you are convinced it is a Videotron problem you will be in the same boat.
I am not convinced it is a Videotron problem but more of a lack of IT knowlege on the part of everyone involved, lanlord,building rep and maybe a little of you (no insult intended).
Third party DSL ISPs use Bells infastructure it might not even be available in your building. If you do not have a Bell phone ask your landlord if Bell is available. Calling Bell is futile it is outsourced best way to check what is available from them is on the website Bell.ca choose internet services and then find and enter your address the next page will tell you what if any speeds are available to you.
I have been a happy Acanac customer for 7 years both DSL and now Cable (over 2 yrs) without any problems. Acanac offers unlimited on a choice of 1mth,3mth,6mth and 12mth terms. Terms meaning no contract no ties cancel whenever you want before the end of the term.

randomadvice
@bn3t.de

randomadvice to drewphish

Anon

to drewphish
Try »www.teksavvy.com/en/resi ··· internet its all prepaid without contract (not sure for the modem part though, you can your own cheap too). Whether you take Cable or DSL is up to you, there are various prices and speed tiers ( »www.teksavvy.com/en/why- ··· e-notice ).

Check things out for your area, sometimes you can find really cheap provider for small areas (e.g. Colba.net, tech support is awful but otherwise everything is fine if it works for your line).

drewphish
@videotron.ca

drewphish to markie58

Anon

to markie58
Hi im just having internet issues today when wired connected to the router. This is the first time so it got be bothered. Thing is i cannot tolerate any internet problems at all unless its like a power outage or something like that.

Right now the internet seems to be a bit better and doesn't have those issues like earlier.

I had went and did the reboot of the router though i only did it for few seconds.
drewphish

drewphish

Anon

When i did the reboot it still was like it. However later on i dont seem to have this problem. Im guessing it might be the weather? Then again its cable and not dsl.

Hmm
@videotron.ca

Hmm to randomadvice

Anon

to randomadvice
said by randomadvice :

Try »www.teksavvy.com/en/resi ··· internet

I wouldn't bother with a reseller in your case due to this:
said by drewphish :

My most important thing is it has to be reliable and can't have much disconnects. I honestly dont even care about the speed b/c i dont download movies or watch youtube or any of those stuff. I just cannot have these disconnects during the day or night. And i can definitely not tolerate any type of lagging.

A reseller has zero control over anything. If you have speed problems, lag, or disconnects, they *email* bell or videotron, wait 48-hrs for a reply from them, and then don't even bother to inform you of anything. You have to call them back to find out what's going on 3 days after you complain of anything.

Then if Bell or Videotron doesn't get back to them, or if Bell or videotron say they see nothing, and if you still have problems, then you wait another 48-hrs for them to *email* Bell or videotron again to ask them to relook at the situation.

Now a week has gone by just in trying to find a problem and seeing what can be done.

Let's say they tell you a tech will drop by. Bell and Videotron are giving priority to their own customers (per the filing at the CRTC CNOC/Teksavvy made), so chances are you will get to see a tech when Videotron or Bell feels like it. They make appointments and they never bother to show up. Then you have to call again, book another appointment and start over.

Meanwhile, you are paying for this type of crappy service.

So no. In your case you should go direct to Bell or direct to Videotron due to what you stated. You will get the service you want and need from Videotron, Bell is a different story. And since you are from the states and don't know Bell, then take my word and just don't take them. Not worth the garbage they give you and the run-arounds.

Matter of fact, you have 3 months left. Deal with it. Or go to the Regie and demand a rent decrease for non-functioning services that you are apparently paying for that's included with your rent (as you have been told before).

tl;dr
1) In your case, do not go with a reseller for the 3 months you have there, and for what kind of service you expect. It doesn't exist.
2) Call videotron for an install
3) or do nothing and live with it for the lousy 3 months.
markie58
join:2009-04-24
Chateauguay, QC

markie58 to drewphish

Member

to drewphish
People jumping all over the place rather than basic troubleshooting I again ask.
Question one are you the only person having these troubles in your building not hard to knock on a neighbors door and ask.

shrugs
@videotron.ca

shrugs

Anon

said by markie58:

People jumping all over the place rather than basic troubleshooting

laff, why waste your time?

did you not even read what he had to say? There are 3 other apartments (not necessarily 3 other people, could be 7 others for all we know) that share that one internet. And, "I just cannot have these disconnects during the day or night. And i can definitely not tolerate any type of lagging"

I mean... come on. But hey, trouble-shoot all you want and waste your time.

It disconnects like clock work around 3-am. And now that he went wired it's random disconnects? Either his cable is defective or the people who have the router disconnect him.

Now feel free to trouble-shoot that for him. It is of no use. He needs to get his very own connection, and definitely not with a reseller.

vitesse
join:2002-12-17
Saint-Philippe, QC

vitesse to drewphish

Member

to drewphish
you can look at »electronicbox.net/

They do offer fast connection and with plenty of gb, even un limited internet.

Going with Bell is probably the worst thing you could do. This is one of the worst company in canada, years after years. The support is non-existant. And you will get billing error even after you will return to USA. It always take few month to remove all billing error.
InvalidError
join:2008-02-03

InvalidError

Member

said by vitesse:

Going with Bell is probably the worst thing you could do.

If he cannot afford to wait for weeks from order to install and live nor having to wait for several days from problem to resolution, going directly with the incumbent is usually the fastest and most reliable option.

With incumbents, you can often get next-business-day installs or even same-day installs if you order in the morning and get lucky. With TPIAs, it usually takes 5-10 days. When you have problems with incumbents, you can often get next-day tech visits while with TPIAs, you usually need to wait 2-3 days due to how the tariffs work.

For someone who is only going to be around for 2-3 months, going with TPIAs may not be worth the risk of wasting so many extra days... and the up-front costs with incumbents are often lower, offsetting a fair chunk of the higher service rate.

vitesse
join:2002-12-17
Saint-Philippe, QC

vitesse

Member

said by InvalidError:

For someone who is only going to be around for 2-3 months, going with TPIAs may not be worth the risk of wasting so many extra days... and the up-front costs with incumbents are often lower, offsetting a fair chunk of the higher service rate.

If he goes with Bell he will still fight for the right price on is invoice well beyond is trip back to USA. If your in doubt, simply read their forum here. We have that kind of report every months

drewphish
@videotron.ca

drewphish

Anon

To those of you who are telling me to ask if other ppl in building are having these internet disconnection problems... the thing is no one would know or notice because no one is awake at 2:40am in the morning. Everyone here sleeps pretty early.

And the thing is if im having problems... everyone is because when i go and check the routers... they are both powered off at that time and thus there isn't any wifi connection avaialbe. Thus when i use my ipod touch to check for wifi connecftions there isn't going to be any at that time either since my computer doesn't even detect anything and of course when you see the router is off that is obvious.

The person i spoke to again today mentioned that videotron had problems so because of that they do this reset every single night. I asked so if this happens only in this area of montreal and was told it happens throughout the whole montreal. If that is true... that would be a huge negative complaint since its a 28 minute disconnect from 2:40am to 3:08 am every night for ppl who are online that late.

I was also told the person who owns the building mentioned says there is no timer or anything like that that should cause this internet disconnect problem every night so unless that person has no clue what a timer is... then it isn't a timer issue.

I then asked so if i call videotron and get my own internet... woudl this still happen and i was told yes... Then i said okay so if i get Bell would that solve my problem and i was told you dont want bell because they are not good and not reliable and that is what ppl on this forum seem to all say.

If its not a timer issue then i assume it might be a router self reboot every night and only way to fix this is reset the router and need to get username/password? Someone in another forum mentioned
this router doesnt seem to have the reboot each night setting in its configuration. Then again remember theres 2 routers there so it would be extremely unlikely this would be the reason as both go out at the same time as well...

shrugs
@videotron.ca

shrugs

Anon

said by drewphish :

1. The person i spoke to again today mentioned that videotron had problems so because of that they do this reset every single night. I asked so if this happens only in this area of montreal and was told it happens throughout the whole montreal. If that is true... that would be a huge negative complaint since its a 28 minute disconnect from 2:40am to 3:08 am every night for ppl who are online that late.

2. I then asked so if i call videotron and get my own internet... woudl this still happen and i was told yes...

3. Then i said okay so if i get Bell would that solve my problem and i was told you dont want bell because they are not good and not reliable and that is what ppl on this forum seem to all say.

1. The guy lied to you. The guy is treating you like an idiot and you are falling for it.

2. Again he is lying to you and treating you like an idiot.

3. Finally, something true.

It's quite obvious the guy full of crap. If this were the case the entire forums would be flooded with videotron complaints and people cursing. Use your head and stop being played for an idiot.

Just move as soon as you can, then get your own videotron connection. Wait it out.

rednekcowboy
join:2012-03-21

rednekcowboy to drewphish

Member

to drewphish
1. That is complete BS.
2. If it weren't BS and actually true, the router would remain untouched and just the modem would reboot. The fact that both are off means it has nothing to do with Videotron. Videotron could care less about equipment that doesn't belong to them....
3. If it were a router problem, then the modem would remain up.

The outlet is on a timer, plain and simple.

What is it with people coming on this forum lately and posting multiple threads about the same issue and not accepting the facts for what they are? Starting to get extremely annoying.

drewphish
@videotron.ca

drewphish

Anon

Can you tell me why they would lie to me? It makes no sense at all if that is true. The thing is the person told me if i get Bell... they said dont b/c of all the problems and its bad and everyone here mention its true. Do you think the person was given bad information by someone from videotron?

rednekcowboy
join:2012-03-21

rednekcowboy

Member

I have no idea why people do anything, including this whole nonsense thread all over again. You've been told by Videotron customers on here that it doesn't happen to them, you chose to ignore that. You've been told basic common sense stuff, you chose to ignore that.

FWIW, I was with Electronic Box (Videotron lines) and this never happened to me, not once a day, not once a week, nothing regular at all. In fact the whole 1.5 years I was with them, I think the modem rebooted itself once (and my router remained up).

Also, I'm with Acanac right now (Bell lines) and have absolutely no issues, though DSL is tempermental. There are many factors that contribute to whether or not Bell service is good.

shrugs
@videotron.ca

shrugs to drewphish

Anon

to drewphish
said by drewphish :

Can you tell me why they would lie to me?

Since you even question this, I'll be very blunt, it appears you're a sucker.
drewphish1
join:2013-10-19

drewphish1

Member

Okay so i just contacted videotron and told them about this. They laughed it off and said no way would internet go out every night at same time and that being standard. I mentioned that the routers are powered off as well.

I actually found out where the modem was... its a motorola 5101 modem and when it works... the activity is orange and works but of course when the internet goes out.... i no longer see the orange blinking thing. The other 4 lights are powered on though and are green. So basically what i learned was the modem was in an apartment in that floor where a chord goes from the router to it... i had assumed that chord was an ethernet cable to someones apartment but thats the main modem. Does this mean anything that the modem is still turned on with the 4 buttons that are all green yet the pc activity isn't orange? Because shouldn't the modem be powered off all of them thus no green lights at all? I found this part confusing.

I told videotron support this and they said it could be a router issue but when i said the routers both go out when this happens and you cant power it on... they said that means it has to be the timer.

I will contact that person again but they said there is no timer and i cannot open that thing b/c theres a lock in it. I asked videotron support and said okay so lets say i have it opened and i see the timer... will it be easy for me to remove and they said that goes beyond technical support. I will ask to have that thing opened but would someone be able to help me with it if i have it opened and then tell you what i see in it?

The other thing was i contacted videotron and said if i get my own internet is there anyway i could have this problem in my apartment and they said it shouldn't and if so you use another power outlet but is there any chance that outlet is connected in this building where the timer would affect even my own internet? Yes i know this question sound stupid but i dont want to have the internet install in my apt only to have the same issue b/c its due to this building or would this be no way 100 percent?

Thank you.

sbrook
Mod
join:2001-12-14
Ottawa

sbrook

Mod

Does your computer turn off? Do your lights turn off? No. You reported that the modem itself doesn't turn off. But the routers do.

As an aside, I do have to wonder how you waste time and money on online poker so religiously. It doesn't make sense. This problem looks like it's a good reason to get help with a gambling problem!