DSL is so Swell=)
Written: Jul 15 '03
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Pros: Fast internet access, easy setup guide, inexpensive.
Cons: Some problems may occur during connecting, but nothing major.
The Bottom Line: You should try SBC because they'll do anything to keep you as a customer, and you can't beat the $29.95/month deal they have going on right now.
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| anae428's Full Review: SBC Yahoo |
I purchased my SBC Yahoo DSL in May of this year (2003), and I’m pleased to say that it’s up and running correctly. Although everyone has had their own experiences, bad or good, I’m curious as to why so many things went wrong with other people’s experiences. I didn’t have any problems, and just last week, I got a $99 check in the mail from SBC, a rebate that I didn’t even know was coming (no, I didn’t fill out any rebate)!
BASICS:
Before you have your SBC DSL running, you need to do a few things:
a) Call/order the DSL package. You will also be getting a phone line, duh;)
b) You may need an installer check your phone lines within the next few days (after step a is complete). This applies for apartment renters, mostly. I had to do that to see if there would be a problem down the line with the phone company that owns the apartment’s phone lines.
c) Wait for your package to come in (regular delivery took me 2 weeks).
d) When you called (step a), they were supposed to give you an exact DAY that your DSL would be able to start working. Install your DSL after that day and everything should run smoothly.
INSTALLATION:
Installation for me was simple. Your package (if you chose to do it yourself as opposed to having a tech install it) will be in large box containing the “Home Portal (the house where you plug all the wires in so your computer recognizes the new connection),” a phone and DSL wire, a splitter (which separates the phone cord and the DSL cord), a wall mount (you may not need this), and 4 connectors that sort of look like a tiny box with a short wire hanging out that you put into the wall (I forgot the technical term they used for this. Sorry;)
After you take everything out, have everything in order and label your items so you remember what’s what in “computer terminology.” After this is done, you will notice that SBC has supplied you with complete directions on how to set up your wires, ie. Which sides go into the home portal and which ones go into the wall. Pictures will be given to you to help you figure out what goes where. Invest about an hour to get prepared and to actually have your DSL up and running.
When the wires are connected, install the ׀ Wire” cd they give you into your computer’s cd-rom, and follow the step by step instructions that the screen gives you. The most critical part of this step is passing the Home Portal Connection test. This test is meant to see if your computer recognizes that there is a DSL connection and a Home Portal connected. If this test fails, you need to go back and check your wires to see if they are connected properly. Otherwise, continuing and ignoring the problem will be a waste of time.
After registering using the 2 Wire cd, the last thing you do is check the Home Portal, which is the standing device that flashes certain colored lights to tell you whether the connection was successful. When all of the lights, including the broadband link light, the power light, and the network light, are a solid green color, that means everything is running properly and you have registered properly. It means that you can start using the net!
PROBLEMS:
If the broadband (the middle light) is a flickering green light, that means that the Home Portal understands that a connection is being attempted, but the connection has not been fully made until the color is solid green. Check your wires to see if they are in the wall tightly and that the wires connected to the splitter are also tightly in place.
Sometimes the lights will appear red. That means there is no connection being understood and you need to check the wires again. There has definitely been a wrong turn in the cord-plugging process if there is ever a red light.
Another problem I’ve faced is the quality of reception on my phone line that is hooked up to my DSL. My friends have told me that they hear a high pitched ringing in the background when I use my home phone to talk to them. It’s nothing unbearable, but it’s annoying and it happens usually because you are sharing this line with the internet connection.
Now, I’m not sure if this is SBC’s problem, but I get tons of pop-ups now that I have eliminated by downloading a pop-up killer. Before I got the pop-up killer, I had about 50 pop-ups on my screen when I got home from work at night. That’s 50 in one day! Don’t quote me on the source of the problem, but check to see why this happens. SBC would not explain why or if it’s their connection that does this.
QUALITY AND SPEED:
I have not one complaint about the speed or download time for any software, game, website, or program I have been using. The speed is about 2 seconds per page opening, but this may vary on the age of your computer, it’s quality, and it’s modem. I have downloaded internet games in 2 minutes, songs in about 3-5 minutes, and I open website links in a matter of seconds, all the time!
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
The customer service I experienced was friendly, but they could have a done a better job directing my call to someone who can help me the first time around. You’ll get nice, friendly service, but you may come across people who say, “I apologize mam, but let me direct you to the bla bla bla department because they would help you a bit more than I could. Please hold and thanks for your call.” It’s aggravating, but then again, they are the nicest service I’ve had compared to the AOL service I had last year or the MSN I had recently.
HOMEPAGE:
I left my homepage as the generic SBC log-in page. It’s boring and generic, but there is almost never a problem logging into your account.
HOW YOU GET BILLED:
SBC bills you for your DSL service on the SAME bill as the phone line, so all you have to do is pay 1 bill, which includes your DSL and your phone charges.
DON’T BE SURPRISED….
Don’t be surprised if your first bill after installation is about $150-$200, as there are installation fees, setup charges, equipment fees, and all that junk;) Your next bills will be reasonable though. For this year, I am paying $29.95 for the first year (around $50 after that), which includes my phone and DSL connection.
WHY Yahoo DSL IS SWELL……
1) You can make calls while you’re online.
2) They have a nice deal going on now so you pay only $29.95 a month
3) When you see how much faster it is than dial-up, you will never go back!
4) It’s just too convenient and time-saving not to give it a try.
5) You never lose your connection (I haven’t anyways).
Please feel free to email me at anae428@yahoo.com if you have trouble connecting or need some tips on how to get started. I really want to help, because I feel I’d be of great use to you since I installed it on my own=)
Thanks for reading,
Ana (anae428)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.95
Version Number or Year: 2003
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Epinions.com ID:
anae428
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Member: Ana
Location: Chicago Suburb
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 3 members
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