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kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

No Ports or Too Far?

Hey all.

I've been trying to get internet service for my home out in a smaller town and Frontier's online maps show we can get DSL. Now, I called Frontier several months ago and they said they would go ahead and set it up. They sent the modem/router and when the install date came they claimed they couldn't give us service due to ports not being available.

About a month ago, I called to check for service again and they said ports were available and that we could get DSL. They sent another modem/router and when the install date came they came back with a "too far" statement. I called customer service and after the rep checked into it he said that wasn't right and there was no way I'm too far out. He said he'd have another tech come out for the install and that he'd "touch base" after. The next day, the tech came back with a "too far out" claim again and the rep didn't call back.

I'm pretty sure this house used to have Frontier or Verizon DSL so I don't know what the problem is (moved here about 6 months ago). After speaking to another customer service rep they were telling me that they didn't want to give a poor quality service and tried to get me to sign up for satellite.... I know the DSL quality won't be great but I'll take it over nothing (or satellite)....

I may just use Sprint's cell service out here but in the meantime I'd like to know why two different reasons were given. It seems like if I was really too far out then they would have said so the first time they sent a tech. I'm just a bit confused is all.

Hank
Searching for a new Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-05-21
Burlington, WV
ARRIS NVG443B
Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M2

Hank

Premium Member

You did not mention where you live so try this web page:

»frontier.com/helpCenter/ ··· r-member

Fill in your zip code then hit "Go" and it should display contact information for the management team for your area. They should be able to give you an answer or have someone actually check on availability of ports and the actual line to see if anything other than actual line is the cause for the distance issue.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

Thanks, I sent an email to the general manager for my area. I'll update when (if) I get a response.
kirbyte

kirbyte

Member

I got a call from Frontier and they explained that while they're willing to provide DSL, the speeds won't be great. I already know that but at least they took the time to call.

Now I'm just weighing the two options between Sprint 4G and Frontier (maybe bonded) DSL.

Hank
Searching for a new Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-05-21
Burlington, WV
ARRIS NVG443B
Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M2

Hank

Premium Member

Yes, for me cost is a big factor. Bonded service at a distance may not work, it doesn't for me. I have the second connect and have used it with a dual wan router in a load balance configuration. I had numerous problems with my service so now I use them as independent lines, one for me and one for the wife.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

I haven't asked if bonded lines are available here which is something I should have done. I admittedly don't know much about that and load balancing; what problems did you face when you were balancing?

The main thing for me is unlimited service. Sprint would probably be my preference if they weren't so vague about when they might throttle for too much usage. That and cell providers in general going back and forth about providing unlimited data. I would like to think Frontier would have the reliability advantage, though from some of the topics here it seems like that may not be quite the case.

pjsutton
join:2013-06-25
Kempton, PA

pjsutton

Member

as someone who lived with a Sprint hotspot (on 3G, no less) for two years, at least give Frontier a shot and see what the speed is. Even if it is 3 Mbps, that's more than enough to do some Netflix, one HD stream at 3 Mbps will work fine. That's what I have.

At any rate, the Frontier won't have a cap (or at least not one you will blow through so quickly).

Sprint is very good and they do have a 30 GB plan for $110. When you go over they will just charge extra, they won't throttle.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

Will Frontier try and attach fees for leaving if it's too slow though? If not I'll gladly give it a shot. It is very likely that even the slow speeds would be okay anyway, but I wouldn't want to be locked in if they're exceptionally low.

Also I was under the impression that Sprint has an Unlimited single-line plan for $60 - »www.sprint.com/landings/ ··· dex.html. With their disclaimer saying:
quote:
Usage Limitations: Other plans may receive prioritized bandwidth availability. To improve data experience for the majority of users, throughput may be limited, varied or reduced on the network.

pjsutton
join:2013-06-25
Kempton, PA

pjsutton

Member

That only applies to phones. You'd want to get a mobile hotspot. They also have a Netgear LTE router that looks interesting.

Hank
Searching for a new Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-05-21
Burlington, WV

Hank to kirbyte

Premium Member

to kirbyte
Frontier does have an early termination fee it applies to internet as well. Frontier does not have caps. I am not certain what the current second connect price is but I pay $15 a month for the second line, that includes telephone and internet.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

I went ahead and tried ordering through online chat as I figured having a chat log would be a good idea.
said by Hank:

Frontier does have an early termination fee it applies to internet as well. Frontier does not have caps. I am not certain what the current second connect price is but I pay $15 a month for the second line, that includes telephone and internet.

I asked about line bonding but I don't think the rep knew what that was. They did say getting another line in the future should be fine though. $15 for another line seems very reasonable to me. Regardless, the install is set for the 8th so I'm hoping they keep their word and go through with it this time.
said by pjsutton:

That only applies to phones. You'd want to get a mobile hotspot. They also have a Netgear LTE router that looks interesting.

Ah makes sense. I'm guessing they'd get suspicious of tethering around that... not really worth the risk I suppose.

Thanks guys, I'll post back again after the (hopeful) install.
kirbyte

kirbyte

Member

Getting the too far thing from techs again and customer support is trying to sell satellite (no way, I'll take the pain that is cell service any day over satellite). They tried to say DSL service will be better and available in a couple months but I know how that goes.

Any way to call the manager instead of email? Also, any way to verify the house had DSL installed at one point besides calling the previous owners?

Hank
Searching for a new Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-05-21
Burlington, WV

Hank

Premium Member

Try this:

»frontier.com/helpCenter/ ··· r-member

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

No phone numbers with the search results there; but you can sometimes find a phone number by Googling the person's name.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

Yeah the contact page only has emails but I did find the number through Googling. Now for more waiting...

Cantremberpa
@sbcglobal.net

Cantremberpa to kirbyte

Anon

to kirbyte
Just because it had DSL before, does not mean it will be connected again. Some places, at times, installed DSL at distances that should have never been attempted. Those ended up being a constant drag on resources and customer dissatisfaction. Many areas are now enforcing strict distance's from the DSLAM. Some of these prior locations were well over 20kft. Some where set at speeds as low as 320k. As you all know, that don't work anymore. If the techs are telling you something's going to happen in a few months, their probably right. Good luck.
kirbyte
join:2014-11-06

kirbyte

Member

I understand distance isn't a small issue. My main problem is them (after emailing the general manager) saying they'd go through with it. The poor quality on my end isn't a big deal so if they're fine installing it knowing that then I'd be satisfied even through some really bad speeds and lag. If distant customers negatively affect the performance of closer customers (as happens with wireless) I'm a little more sympathetic. That said, caps are disgusting and I don't want to deal with them anymore.

I hope the techs are right.... I have a tendency to not trust anything at all from ISPs though.