The @Home saga -- How I got my Cable Modem
Written: May 03 '01 (Updated May 03 '01)
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Pros: Very fast... downloads speeds at least 300kb/s, upload at least 100kb/s
Cons: Poor customer service, bad installation... even for a cable company
The Bottom Line: If you want some cable modem and have no problem playing the waiting game, you have found your ISP.
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| dan9993's Full Review: Comcast@Home |
As I type this I am looking straight at my cable modem from @home and loving the fast speeds. I am downloading a 550mb file and a 30mb file right now and they are both going at blazing speeds (now I just need a bigger HD). But how did this magical service finally make its way into my house? Lets find out.
The saga begins in the early summer of '99. I am pretty high tech, and when in PC world I first read about broadband, I wanted some of that in my house. So I went to the DSL website for bell atlantic, and submitted my phone #. The website popped back in a few seconds DSL will be available in your area August-September 1999, if you would like to pre-register please input your information below. Damn! I have to wait a few months for broadband, I want it NOW.
Well I diligently waited and waited, and finally it was August. Even though I had submitted my phone # every day hoping for news, I thought now that it was August I would have my broadband in a few weeks. The website loads and tears shed from my eyes as I read that August-September has changed to September-December. What a hassle, now I have to wait another few months. I am reminded of that song "the waiting is the hardest part," because I want my broadband and I dont want to wait till December!
But somehow I did, and soon December comes, and guess what, they dont even give a date anymore, they just say that it will be available in the future. Now right about now you are wondering what the hell this has to do with @Home, but you'll see, im just setting up the story. So I call bell atlantic and ask them, 'when the hell will DSL be available to me?'. Then my heart broke as I heard the response, 'sorry you are too far away from the station, you cant have DSL'. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The humanity of it all.
*fast forward 8 months*
Jones communication, the cable company is overtaken by Comcast, and they are providing cable modem. OOOO YEEEAAHHHHH!!!! Well I am immediatly on the phone, and cable has been ordered. Well we didn't have cable TV, so we schedule a day for them to install the line into our house. That day comes, and I diligently anticipate my cable being installed, but instead all I see are tumbleweeds passing by... no cable company. Well im sure it was just some mistake, ill call back. 'Im sorry sir, but we need a different company to install the line, we dont have the right equiptment.' Damn!
*fast forward 2 months*
Aha... the line has been installed, although the yard was dug up and who knows how much buried treasure the cable company stole, but I dont care, I have my cable line! Now just a quick call to the cable company and ill have my broadband, right? So I give them a ring-ring, and we schedule a time for the guys to come. Now what happened next surprised me beyond belief. The cable people came, ON TIME, and installed the cable jacks in the wall correctly and timely. Now its smooth sailing to the internet at light speed.
So we call the cable company again, 'ok, I got the line, I got the cable jack, now hook me up with a modem.' And yet again, the cable people arrive on time. My cable modem is installed, and I am added to the system. I pop on the computer, but wait a second, where is the internet? Not on the computer. I call the cable company and they tell me 'O, this is a common problem, give it 24 hours and it will work.' Yeah... sure
*fast forward 1 month*
Now finally the technician comes back, and replaces the cable modem. And I pop on the computer, and I am on the internet, at light speeds. O YEAH!
I know what you guys are all wondering now, 'why the hell did you recommend comcast@home if the installation was so crappy?' Well its pretty simple, since the installation woes, the actual internet connection has been pretty much flawless, and ive been running a server 24/7 which is technically not allowed (and im uploading about 100kb/s non-stop), and comcast@home doesn't seem to care or hasn't found out yet. And anyways, ive had the service for so long I cant even remember what it was like to go back to dial-up, and frankly, I dont want anybody else to have to deal with dial-up. So I recommend this so people get broadband. And just a tip- Call instead of email, because they respond faster (if at all), and if needed visit the cable place to get the ball rolling on the installation.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300
Version Number or Year: Uh... I dont know
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Epinions.com ID:
dan9993
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Reviews written: 5
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