Anon | reply to Anon
Re: Sprint Not So Highspeed Broadband I fully concur with this statement, and would like to warn any consumers NOT TO PURCHASE THIS SERVICE.
I've had this technology for 10 days, and have had nothing but problems with it. Problems which Sprint refuses to acknowledge even exist, making it difficult to obtain help with.
Speaking with the pre-sales people, you'd believe this was the end all, be all technology. Download rates of 1-5 Mbps, and uploads of 256kbps for only $39.95 a month. Faster than a T-1 and cheaper too. Everybody there you'll speak with has the system, and will report wonderful experiences with it -- sans problems. And they constantly refer you to their website, where it specifically states that users can expect typical download speeds of 1-2Mbps, and that it enhances all aspects of the internet, including online gameplay.
The story changes decisively once you're a customer. The biggest first problem is the installation. Installers don't tweak the system for maximum packet receipt, and don't inform you of the requirement of a firewall for an always-on connection.
The typical speeds I encountered varied principally between 100-200kbps, and the only time I encountered speeds even nearing that which they advertise were on their test ftp server.
The next set of problems I experiences were frequent time outs, and dropped connections in all persistent real time applications: telnet sessions, IRC, instant messangers, etc. Included in this were terrible ping times (5 times slower than 56k dial-up), and frequent disconnections in Half-Life and Team Fortress.
Upon further communication with tech and customer support, I got the following response:
- Sprint broadband direct is NOT configured to allow efficient online gaming, despite it saying otherwise on their own website. In fact, they say their sales personnel are explicitely trained to inform people not to buy the service if they want a game experience.
- Their network is also NOT configured for telnet, chat, or other PING based systems. And since ping packets make up the basis for Windows NT networking, I can't imagine the problems somebody with that OS would have with this technology.
- Sprint Broadband Direct IS ONLY configured for one purpose, and one purpose only: the download of webpages.
So what's my story? After paying 300 dollars for the equipment, I have a system that downloads only 2-4 times as fast as my 56k connection, and only uploads on par with it (0-50kbps). And while Spring claims "our technology delivers the internet to your house or business the way you want it, FAST," I find Sprint's definition of the Internet to only be limited to web pages, thereby effectively preventing you from other meaningful means of internet activity.
I just thank god I am on a month to month payment method. I intend on cancelling the service immediately, and requesting a refund for commercial misrepresentations.
With Sprint rolling this dud of a technology into 20 cities by the end of the year, I urge everyone to be incredibly cautious when considering it. I happily accept my 56k modem and dialup connection over this, and will return to it anyday now.
Sprint Broadband Direct = caveat emptor! |
