Bellsouth DSL Rant

[Yuri_Rage]

In my opinion, they broke the contract by not living up to the installation appointment agreement.

I mentioned that during the course of my conversation, but I would've had to take them to court to get them to give up on the early termination fee.

 

[disaffected]

Sounds like you negotiated yourself a nice deal, Yuri. I tried to get postfix running with dovecot for POP and especially to have an IMAP server on my own LAN running on a FreeBSD or Linux server. I ran into the same kinds of problems you did. Port 25 blocked, and on top of that, I was trying to use a dyndns.org IP with my mail server since I don't have a static IP.

I still feel that if I devote enough time to it, I can work through the issues. I just don't have that much time to spare.

But, for only $179 per month, I could get business service with static IP and all ports unblocked. Uh, what a deal?

In my opinion, the ISPs are offering residential customers a dumbed down and restricted internet service that doesn't allow normal people to get the full advantage of the net.

 

[alemonkey]

Just wait until the ISP's start offering tiered service, like they're trying to push through Congress. What a bunch of crooks.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I currently have DirecTV because of the NFL monopoly.
I want to get DirecTV's Hi-def service, but the only way to get a good deal (it seems) is to switch to COX cable for awhile and then switch back.

They give all kinds of stuff away for new customers.

Unfortunately, a "new customer" will not be you.

I had DirecTV before I went overseas, sold my house and left the machine with the new owners.

After 5 years out of the country I was still not considered a "new customer". What every "new customer" was getting for FREE from Best Buy I had to pay $299...screw that...I have DishNetwork.

 

[Dude]

Well, sometimes it pays to be a royal dick.

After spending hours on the phone trackingown the *********s at the local DTV install office, I got a hold of the main supervisor and finally got something done. I just said my install got screwed up by your company, and I want it fixed. I told him I should be number one priority over all the other jobs because of it. The supervisor balked and balked some more--and the next thing I said hit home I guess. All I said was if my DTV isn't installed by tomorow afternoon (Sunday), my next call was going to be to the Virginia Attorney General's office, and I'd explain to them about what happened Friday, and I'd love for them to come sniffing around your offices.

He called me back in 20 minutes and said a crew would be at my place NLT 9AM on Sunday morning.

Guess what? The installer is here right now getting started.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Oh the stories I could tell you about BellSouth if I removed that voluntary memory block! I used to work for DirecTV's DSL Division a few years ago, and we HAAAAATED dealing with the BellSouth LEC. They would be slow to dispatch, uncooperative, constantly tell us it our lines instead of their lines. One time a customer was getting intermittent service because the phonebox was getting full of RAINWATER and shorting everything out. Their solution? Drill drainage holes. Every other LEC we dealt with was friendly, sounded like human beings on the phone, and even though some networks seemed to be made out of bubblegum and baling wire, they at least TRIED. BellSouth just didn't care at all.

I also hate DirecTV with a passion because when they closed the DSL Division (went out of business) they killed the network, called us all into a room, told us we had an hour to collect our things and GTFO. This was two weeks before Christmas too. Wonderful! I knew I should have stolen some workstations while I had the chance!

 

[todd_k]

Anyone with Direct TV have their DVR service? Do they give you a free DVR and service or just the DVR?
I'm planning on calling Comcast soon to "cancel" my service due to my upcoming move and I would like to try and weasel free DVR service out of them. My argument would hinge on Direct TV's DVR being free but I'm looking for free service too and if Direct TV doesn't offer that then I don't have a very good argument.

 

[Dude]

Anyone with Direct TV have their DVR service? Do they give you a free DVR and service or just the DVR?
I'm planning on calling Comcast soon to "cancel" my service due to my upcoming move and I would like to try and weasel free DVR service out of them. My argument would hinge on Direct TV's DVR being free but I'm looking for free service too and if Direct TV doesn't offer that then I don't have a very good argument.

I have 2 DVRs, and I have to pay the fee. You pay the same flat rate DVR fee every month, no matter how many DVRs you have. You do however pay $4.99 for every receiver you have.

 

[user 574]

<bump>

Anyone seeing those Jack My Price Up cable commercials? Yea, new year & another higher Comcast cable rate. I need to consolidate and upgrade. Right now I get analog basic extended channels with Comcast & DSL and local phone service through Qwest. I got static IP that I can use ( Walker) but am sick of servers in the house and am going to hosting services from now on. So; today I pay:

$88 a month DSL + local phone service.
$54 a month for analog basic extended cable.

That's $142 for older crap. I can get bundle deals from both providers but I'm a bit confused when you get into the digital realm of either cable or DirecTV (offered thru Qwest phone).

Do both tv providers require that a receiver is at every TV? I thought I heard not required for digital cable if you didn't want to do on demand etc.

It looks like a full qwest phone/internet/tv package is cheaper but I'm not so sure yet. I don't have an HDTV yet but plan to in the coming months. So now I also read on DirectTV that you have to pay up to get a HD receiver to get high def? Is that the same with cable?

And if all things being equal price wise which would you prefer for the tv feed?
What a friggen game and I have a feeling my questions aren't done yet.

 

[Cheesefood]

Just wait until they have 100% video rental on-demand and Blockbuster goes out of biz. The cable companies are HURTING from the fiber optics debacle of 99/00 and still trying to reclaim the money they lost. Add to it that we're still at only about 65% capacity for broadband and that satellite broadband is going to make all that pretty FO technology pretty much worthless.

US is so far behind in broadband that it's pathetic. S. Korea, Japan, and China already dominate in the BB market.

 

[homebrewer_99]

We need a "rant" forum...RANT ARGH! RANT

We need a Political forum too! We have a secret one, why can't we have a no-hands barred forum? We're all, OK, most of us are, grown-ups and we (kinda) respect each other pretty much (unless you're a certain Marine... ).

End of rant...I know kinda pansy-like, huh?

 

[the_bird]

Incidentally, where the hell has Walker been? He's not going El P on us, is he? Did Bellsouth find this rant and kill his internet access?

 

[user 574]

US is so far behind in broadband that it's pathetic. S. Korea, Japan, and China already dominate in the BB market.

Thanks for the feedback cheese; with that knowledge I choose to move to Japan for the fresh sushi.

 

[todd_k]

We need a Political forum too! We have a secret one, why can't we have a no-hands barred forum? We're all, OK, most of us are, grown-ups and we (kinda) respect each other pretty much (unless you're a certain Marine... ).

End of rant...I know kinda pansy-like, huh?

we all seem to be friends, lets not ruin it. if Brett Favre can start problems then politics would really get people mad. I'd be all for it but I now what would happen.

 

[todd_k]

<bump>

Anyone seeing those Jack My Price Up cable commercials? Yea, new year & another higher Comcast cable rate. I need to consolidate and upgrade. Right now I get analog basic extended channels with Comcast & DSL and local phone service through Qwest. I got static IP that I can use ( Walker) but am sick of servers in the house and am going to hosting services from now on. So; today I pay:

$88 a month DSL + local phone service.
$54 a month for analog basic extended cable.

That's $142 for older crap. I can get bundle deals from both providers but I'm a bit confused when you get into the digital realm of either cable or DirecTV (offered thru Qwest phone).

Do both tv providers require that a receiver is at every TV? I thought I heard not required for digital cable if you didn't want to do on demand etc.

It looks like a full qwest phone/internet/tv package is cheaper but I'm not so sure yet. I don't have an HDTV yet but plan to in the coming months. So now I also read on DirectTV that you have to pay up to get a HD receiver to get high def? Is that the same with cable?



And if all things being equal price wise which would you prefer for the tv feed?
What a friggen game and I have a feeling my questions aren't done yet.

I had analog Comcast too. For $1 more per month, they gave me a digital cable box with the same cable package. Now I have On Demand and lots of free movies like Young Frankenstein. :rockin:

Verizon's FiOS should be here soon so things may get interesting....

 

[user 574]

Why do I have this wierd feeling my questions are getting buried really fast .

Oops, got a response. Let me read...

 

[user 574]

I had analog Comcast too. For $1 more per month, they gave me a digital cable box with the same cable package. Now I have On Demand and lots of free movies like Young Frankenstein. :rockin:

Verizon's FiOS should be here soon so things may get interesting....

So is the HD feed part of it with comcast or does that take something extra like it seems with DirectTV?

PS - as for broadband rants, I really don't care too much about that since my company pays me for that, but if I can reduce everything else at their expense...

 

[todd_k]

So is the HD feed part of it with comcast or does that take something extra like it seems with DirectTV?

PS - as for broadband rants, I really don't care too much about that since my company pays me for that, but if I can reduce everything else at their expense...

I dunno, I don't have and HD tv. I believe they offer some shows and networks in HD like Sportscenter or MNF but if you want all HD channels you have to order an additional package.