Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:
1 edit | reply to jcricket
Re: [Split] Fax, Modem or Alarm System, LPV Proble
Wow, I'm sorry to hear that it did not work out for you and I fully understand as you have very succinctly detailed the missing POTS functionality/shortcomings of the new LPV service. Sorry that you ended up as a test subject with these issues that, In My Opinion, should have been worked out in the Beta trials which are over as I understand it. Apparently it's still beta. 
Regards,
Doctor Olds
--
What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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jcricket
join:2002-08-30
Seattle, WA
| Bingo. If it's a beta, advertise it as such. Instead it was advertised as "available in limited cities". I checked with both pre-sales and technical support, who gave affirmative answers as to my questions about full-POTS functionality before I ordered.
Then, once I get the service and find out none of these things work, they suddenly start claiming ignorance, "beta issues" or spouting inaccurate advice for their other services. |
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tquan
join:2001-09-13
Mountain View, CA
2 edits | reply to jcricket
said by jcricket  :•Pay ADT another $100 up-front and $5/month to get cellular alarm monitoring •Sign up with eFax and buy a scanner •Buy new phones for the VoiceMail indicators to work •Hack my DirecTivo so that it makes "calls" over the Internet An alternate view--I guess I'm a bit more tolerant/have less stringent requirements than jcricket, because I'm happy with the service. I'll take his objections in turn:
•ADT alarm monitoring. I've decided to go with cellular monitoring. As I mentioned before, I've set myself on using VoIP (local phone service is relatively expensive for what you get in my area) and all other VoIP services would face the alarm problem. I went ahead and had the cellular based monitoring device installed yesterday.
•I don't have to deal with fax (I think fax is an anachronism, but I understand it's still important in many businesses nevertheless)
•Never used the voicemail indicators on my phones. I'm almost constantly logged into e-mail, so the e-mail notification of voicemails is more than good enough for me.
•DirecTiVo. probably jcricket doesn't know this, but DirecTiVos work absolutely fine even if they never call in on the phone line. The only thing that happens is you get a warning in the TiVo menus that the TiVo hasn't dialed in recently; there's no functional loss. The regular TiVos (standalone for services other than DirecTV) of course can be configured to connect back to TiVo via the Internet without hacks.
I'm willing to deal with the minor (to me) flaws in the service right now because it provides DSL speeds beyond anything my local phone provider can do, and with better overall internet connectivity than my local cableco (Comcast) does even with their sky high cable modem rates. I do agree though, that Earthlink should not advertise the service as a drop in replacement to POTS. |
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jcricket
join:2002-08-30
Seattle, WA
| I do actually know about what you say regarding the DirecTivo, which is why it's low on my list. Basically, no fax and no alarm system connectivity where the deal breakers. The voicemail notification lights and DirecTivo "nag warning" were secondary.
Again, it's not POTS replacement. It's faster-than-usual DSL and VOIP without a TA in your house. |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN | reply to jcricket
Re: [Split] Fax, Modem or Alarm System, LPV Problems
I would consider the DirecTivo problem a flaw with DirecTivo. Why aren't cable boxes, tivos, and satellite boxes using networks cards and the internet to communicate. Dialup is so archaic. |
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RWS
join:2001-10-03
Ashburn, VA
| reply to jcricket
I do not believe faxing will work unless Covad can manipulate the fax data. Some device's like a mediatrix you have to change the codec on the individual port to G711/PCMU or T.38. If that's the codec Covad is using then I'm at a loss. But those codec's do use less compression and must be used in business voip model to get faxing to work. When configuring Cisco Enterprise Gateways you must also put in specific commands in the VOIP dialpeers to flag fax so unless they are specificlly using those codec for the voice traffic I do not think faxing will work. |
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jaxdomino
join:2001-12-01
Jacksonville, FL
| reply to tquan
Re: [Split] Fax, Modem or Alarm System, LPV Proble
I was wondering why no mentioned NextAlarm as an alternative to the over priced/poor service that ADT provides. I have NextAlarm and pay $8.95 a month for monitoring via VoIP. They actually send you a ATA that connects to your home network and it is a dedicated VoIP circuit. They are awesome. they test the system once a week automatically and send me a page that everything is OK, when it's not, I know about it right away via a SMS sent to me cell phone or my wife's cell. The only up front cost came from paying I think $99 for the ATA. I also paid for 3 years in advance, but unlike ADT, I can cancel at anytime and get back the remaining monies paid already. Can you say NO CONTRACT!? I have tripped our alarm several times on purpose to test them and they have never gone passed the 60 minute window in reaching me to see if everything is alright. Now add the $100 for the ADT wireless backup and the $60 a year on top of the $25/month monitoring fee = that's $460, the first year alone versus the $421.20 for 3 years. BTW I had to add another network drop to the control panel for about $50. No match. Everything is backed up by UPS in the network closet and the alarm box. I was without power last year for about 1 hour and had no problems with my VoIP using a cordless phone system. Now the fax issue is annoying. I have looked for network faxes that our cheap. You can send the docs out via the Internet, but not receive them. Although you could setup Internet Printing Protocol. I guess the issue would be that some people would still need to dial a number to fax to you. Dang, that's a good one. |
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tquan
join:2001-09-13
Mountain View, CA
| reply to insomniac84
Re: [Split] Fax, Modem or Alarm System, LPV Problems
said by insomniac84 :I would consider the DirecTivo problem a flaw with DirecTivo. Why aren't cable boxes, tivos, and satellite boxes using networks cards and the internet to communicate. Dialup is so archaic. Standard TiVos have long been able to do this. The problem with DirecTiVos is that DirecTV is so afraid of "signal theft" that they have refused to allow TiVo to enable the functionality on the satellite boxes. |
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abarson
join:2006-01-31
San Jose, CA
|  reply to jcricket
The posting by 'jcricket' has been very helpful. A codec configuration problem was found that prevented all modem-based telephony devices from operating on his line. A subsequent sweep has corrected this issue for all LPV end users. If you have experienced problems with fax, alarm system, etc. on LPV, please retry those devices now.:D |
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Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:
| said by abarson :The posting by 'jcricket' has been very helpful. A codec configuration problem was found that prevented all modem-based telephony devices from operating on his line. A subsequent sweep has corrected this issue for all LPV end users. If you have experienced problems with fax, alarm system, etc. on LPV, please retry those devices now.:D That is great news!! Anyone successful now?
Regards,
Doctor Olds
--
What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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tquan
join:2001-09-13
Mountain View, CA
| said by Doctor Olds :said by abarson :The posting by 'jcricket' has been very helpful. A codec configuration problem was found that prevented all modem-based telephony devices from operating on his line. A subsequent sweep has corrected this issue for all LPV end users. If you have experienced problems with fax, alarm system, etc. on LPV, please retry those devices now.:D That is great news!! Anyone successful now? Regards, Doctor Olds I'll be retrying it as soon as I get home. |
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jcricket
join:2002-08-30
Seattle, WA
| reply to Doctor Olds
I can confirm that in the few hours after abarson fixed the problem that I still had LPV, my fax machine worked.
I still stand by my experience and am glad to not be an Earthlink customer. Earthlink support was abysmal (when I could even get through in a reasonable time). The only reason anything got fixed is that someone at Covad reads DSL Reports. Who knows if the next person will be as lucky with the next problem they encounter.
No one at Earthlink seemed capable, willing or able to escalate my issue to someone who could get in touch with someone at Covad. No reason for me to give my money to a company like that.
This is the opposite of my experience with Speakeasy. who have been willing and able to get in touch with Covad when necessary (rather than giving me the runaround). They've also been good at keeping me informed of what's going on, even when Covad is doing all the work to fix whatever my problem is.
I rely on my DSL access too much to trust a company like Earthlink with it. If, down the road, Speakeasy offers DSL2+ and LPV, I might consider switching back. But no more Earthlink for me. |
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tquan
join:2001-09-13
Mountain View, CA
| reply to tquan
yes, alarm and modem were successful for me as well after I got the note from abarson. I'm following up with him to check if the other minor issues (caller id timestamp off, voice mail notification not working) are fixable as well. But those issues aren't severe enough to keep the service form being usable
I understand jcricket's frustration (he should not have had the experience he had), but I guess I have more tolerance here because I work for a company much like Earthlink. New product rollouts from personal experience are difficult things, it's often problematic to get everyone in the company on the ball right after the start. I am happy that Covad is providing the underpinnings of the service, like jcricket, I've felt that Covad always does a solid job and that makes sure there's some base quality there. |
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jcricket
join:2002-08-30
Seattle, WA
| And, of course, even though I cancelled before my 30 days was up, and received assurances that I would not be charged for the next month of service, I just received an invoice for that month. So now I have to spend another 30 minutes on the phone getting this resolved. If you view time as money (as I do), I've more than spent the "savings" this package was supposed to provide.
I realize that big companies can have problems with these sorts of rollouts. As a senior project manager, I regularly coordinate rollouts as large as this at work. I've always made sure that the support people get their questions answered before launch and have direct access to the launch team for a period of time after launch. Earthlink's lack of such coordination and abysmal service (which I'm sure isn't limited to this service) does not bode well for any dealings I might require with Earthlink in the future. If Earthlink had said, "Aha, that sounds like problem with the line, which Covad manages" followed by "I'm going to escalate to them, here's a ticket # to track" or "let me transfer you to Covad line support" this would have been different.
Frankly, besides abarson, the other Covad techs mentioned that they didn't have access to the LPV testing tools, so they couldn't help out even if they wanted. Remember that the person who helped resolve this issue is a Covad representative who read a customer rant on a online forum not officially supported or promoted by either company. I don't like relying on unofficial support channels for services that are vital to my ability to keep working. If this weren't DSL, and was, instead, a problem with XBox Live or some digital camera I bought, I wouldn't have such high expectations.
Again, many thanks for abarson for getting this fixed. He really went above and beyond. I don't blame any of the other Covad techs who read these boards for what they could not do. I'm also glad that others won't go through what I did. Although perhaps there was some more testing to be done (like testing alarm systems, analog faxes, caller ID time-stamps, voicemail notification etc.) before launch to catch these kinds of problems  |
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jinjimbob
Troy Mcclure
join:2001-11-13
| reply to jaxdomino
Re: [Split] Fax, Modem or Alarm System, LPV Proble
said by jaxdomino :I was wondering why no mentioned NextAlarm as an alternative to the over priced/poor service that ADT provides. I have NextAlarm and pay $8.95 a month for monitoring via VoIP. They actually send you a ATA that connects to your home network and it is a dedicated VoIP circuit. They are awesome. they test the system once a week automatically and send me a page that everything is OK, when it's not, I know about it right away via a SMS sent to me cell phone or my wife's cell. The only up front cost came from paying I think $99 for the ATA. I also paid for 3 years in advance, but unlike ADT, I can cancel at anytime and get back the remaining monies paid already. Can you say NO CONTRACT!? I have tripped our alarm several times on purpose to test them and they have never gone passed the 60 minute window in reaching me to see if everything is alright. Now add the $100 for the ADT wireless backup and the $60 a year on top of the $25/month monitoring fee = that's $460, the first year alone versus the $421.20 for 3 years. BTW I had to add another network drop to the control panel for about $50. No match. Everything is backed up by UPS in the network closet and the alarm box. I was without power last year for about 1 hour and had no problems with my VoIP using a cordless phone system. Now the fax issue is annoying. I have looked for network faxes that our cheap. You can send the docs out via the Internet, but not receive them. Although you could setup Internet Printing Protocol. I guess the issue would be that some people would still need to dial a number to fax to you. Dang, that's a good one. 60 minute window? Are you sure that isn't 60 seconds? They could empty your house in 60 minutes.
I have ADT with cell backup, mainly just for the cell backup. Never ever put all your trust in VoIP or even just a phone line, too many things can go wrong. If someone is going to break into a house, the first thing they do is cut the phone and cable lines.
A Cell backup is needed no matter what system or alarm company you use. |
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belawrence
It's All About The Games
join:2000-08-06
Santee, CA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Cox HSI
| reply to jaxdomino
said by jaxdomino :I was wondering why no mentioned NextAlarm as an alternative to the over priced/poor service that ADT provides. I have NextAlarm and pay $8.95 a month for monitoring via VoIP. Because transmission of alarm signals via VOIP is not UL certified and if your homeowners insurance knew of this they may void any discounts you were getting for protection devices. I have three VOIP lines coming into my home but my alarm communicates via AlarmNet radio only. BTW, your pricing for ADT's services aren't completely accurate.
--
Obviously you're not a golfer - Jeffery "the dude" Lebowski |
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jaxdomino
join:2001-12-01
Jacksonville, FL
| reply to jinjimbob
said by jinjimbob :said by jaxdomino :I was wondering why no mentioned NextAlarm as an alternative to the over priced/poor service that ADT provides. I have NextAlarm and pay $8.95 a month for monitoring via VoIP. They actually send you a ATA that connects to your home network and it is a dedicated VoIP circuit. They are awesome. they test the system once a week automatically and send me a page that everything is OK, when it's not, I know about it right away via a SMS sent to me cell phone or my wife's cell. The only up front cost came from paying I think $99 for the ATA. I also paid for 3 years in advance, but unlike ADT, I can cancel at anytime and get back the remaining monies paid already. Can you say NO CONTRACT!? I have tripped our alarm several times on purpose to test them and they have never gone passed the 60 minute window in reaching me to see if everything is alright. Now add the $100 for the ADT wireless backup and the $60 a year on top of the $25/month monitoring fee = that's $460, the first year alone versus the $421.20 for 3 years. BTW I had to add another network drop to the control panel for about $50. No match. Everything is backed up by UPS in the network closet and the alarm box. I was without power last year for about 1 hour and had no problems with my VoIP using a cordless phone system. Now the fax issue is annoying. I have looked for network faxes that our cheap. You can send the docs out via the Internet, but not receive them. Although you could setup Internet Printing Protocol. I guess the issue would be that some people would still need to dial a number to fax to you. Dang, that's a good one. 60 minute window? Are you sure that isn't 60 seconds? They could empty your house in 60 minutes. I have ADT with cell backup, mainly just for the cell backup. Never ever put all your trust in VoIP or even just a phone line, too many things can go wrong. If someone is going to break into a house, the first thing they do is cut the phone and cable lines. A Cell backup is needed no matter what system or alarm company you use. Ask your police office how many calls they get from ADT and if it is a priority to answer them. I know in Jacksonville, ADT is major problem for our PD and they will get by your house when they get around to it. Yes I meant 60 seconds. Also, NextAlarm guarantees the signal as long as your Net connection is up and running. Also, most thiefs are too stupid to cut your cable, they wil cut your phone phone line first, which in my case wouldn't help them in the least. |
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jaxdomino
join:2001-12-01
Jacksonville, FL
| reply to belawrence
said by belawrence :said by jaxdomino :I was wondering why no mentioned NextAlarm as an alternative to the over priced/poor service that ADT provides. I have NextAlarm and pay $8.95 a month for monitoring via VoIP. Because transmission of alarm signals via VOIP is not UL certified and if your homeowners insurance knew of this they may void any discounts you were getting for protection devices. I have three VOIP lines coming into my home but my alarm communicates via AlarmNet radio only. BTW, your pricing for ADT's services aren't completely accurate. The pricing for ADT is 100% correct. My wife used to work for them, she left less than a year ago. Also, what does UL certified have to do with anything? All the devices themselves are UL certified. Also, the last time I checked with Allstate, they never specified that you HAVE to have an alarm system monitored via a POTS line, just that it has to be monitored, which is why cell backup is allowed. |
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brand x
join:2006-02-01
Seattle, WA
| reply to jcricket
We installed Earthlink's new ADSL2+ line powered voice product earlier this week. To date, the voice/phone aspect has been perfect--including sending of faxes using a good old fashioned brother fax machine via the phone jack half of the modem filter (no #99s &tc).
The jury remains out regarding internet access--we're having some issues (upload speeds are consistently ~830kbps, but download speeds have varied between 3,300kbps and 6 (yes, 6) kbps. The point, though, is that faxing works from a ~2002 Brother MFC 8500. |
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