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Rawben's profile

Mentor

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35 Messages

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 4:13 AM

Potential NEW U-Verse Customer

We're looking at AT&T internet (Only internet) for our son at college. We're told DSL isn't available, but U-Verse is. Originally we were told DSL promo would be: Promo Rates Basic $14.95 up to .75 mbps Express $14.95 up to 1.5 mbps Pro $14.95 up to 3.0 mbps Elite $19.95 up to 6.0 mbps Today we received a call that U-Verse is the only service only available at his studio. The corporate store sales person said all the services are the same costs between DSL and U-verse, but when I looked here on AT&T's website I see 7 options for U-Verse. I'm not sure but don't think these are promo rates for U-Verse (update, they are Promo I found the actual prices and I'll list below in ($) next to the other rates. Basic $19.95 (none listed for U-verse) Express $19.95 (non listed for U-verse) Pro $19.95 ($38) Elite $24.95 ($43) Max $29.95 ($48) Max Plus $39.95 ($53) Max Turbo $49.95 ($63) So I have two questions. 1) Does anyone know what the "high speed internet equipment fee is that applies", per the U-Verse page here on AT&T's website, and is this a monthly fee or a one-time equipment fee? 2) We were told by the corporate store sales person that the DSL Pro or Elite would handle streaming videos, but upon looking at the graph for U-Verse, that's not the case. Streaming video doesn't come in on the graph until Max Plus or Max Turbo which is a lot more than they quoted or told us at the store. Does anyone comfortabilly use the Pro U-verse for streaming video? In his studio, he will be the only person with U-verse - he won't be sharing with anyone. I've seen so many pros and cons on the forums I'd like to know what I'm up against first before getting locked into a contract. Thank you!

Contributor

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2 Messages

12 years ago

If this is for collage, he must be also watching YouTube and downloading files from school.  This means he needs at least 6MB download, I would go ahead with Uverse and get the DSL package with a 12.00 download and a 1.5 upload.  This way he can download files faster and watch YouTube flawlessly plus if for some reason you were also at home or at the location with him then you would be able to do stuff together (stream videos, check email, etc) and still dont have to worry about too much buffering.  

Tutor

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5 Messages

11 years ago

I realize I'm reinitializing a year-old thread here, but since the subject matter is the same, here's my situation (and potential dilema):

 

I currently have SDSL service from a competitive aggregator, which gives me a max download speed of 768kbs, fine for general Web surfing and streaming audio, but totally inadequate for streaming video or just about anything else.  The trouble is that the high-nosed community in which I reside put the brakes on SBC/at&t placing any new digital multiplexing equipment in any neighborhoods beyond where they already have cross-connect cabinets (under the pretense that it "interfers with beauty of the surroundings and would make things cluttered").  Well, they finally got the city to back off of that nonsense and are now allowing a limited number of new fiber build-outs along with the electronics necessary for U-Verse service (at decent speeds, anyway).

 

So, I've been noticing installers going around to pedestals in the backyards around here, doing grounding and bonding work in preps for the new service.  And I've also seen directional boring equipment down the street, so here goes.

 

But here's the questions, which I have been unsuccessful getting answered anywhere within the pale of the SBC/at&t "zero-touch," menu-driven environment:  

 

1. My existing set up consists of the DSL line that simply runs on top of the 4khz voice band single twisted pair, through the run-of-the-mill NID, and terminates to an old Broadxent DSL modem.  This modem has four RJ-45 jacks for ethernet interface and so I've wired the house with CAT-5 cable for the necessary devices.  Does SBC/at&t still install a modem like the 2wire 3801 that allows for ethernet as well as wireless interface?  I really don't want wireless and I don't want to change the existing ethernet arrangement.

 

2. Does their device have a voice gateway?  And by this I mean a way that I can keep all my cordless POTS phones (which are run to a single central 66-block) and run a single wire to a VOIP gateway?  Or would I be forced to change everything to VOIP phones?

 

3.  What, if anything, needs to be done on the outside of the house?  Can the existing NID be kept or do they have to install something like the 2wire 3812 out there?  This might sound like a picky question, but we just spent a small fortune a couple of years ago having the house re-sided with fiber cement and I have no desire to see a bunch more holes drilled through it (which is why I've refused to get Comcast service, cause I KNOW what they're going to do).

 

 

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

11 years ago

"My Thoughts" - thanks for the reply and good info.  It's what I was looking for.  Yesterday I saw an installer working at the cross-connect box down the street as I was biking past so I stopped to chat with him about it.  He was working another guy on the other end of each pair, verifiying and testing for loop length.  Later on the installer who had been working on the other end stopped in front of the house and went to the pedestal, which in our neighbor's back yard.  So I went to chat with him, too.  He told the guy at the cross-connect that he was talking to me and that installer remembered our earlier discussion.  He tested my pair and informed me that I was 1.2k/ft from the cross-connect (where the VRAD will be installed later this Summer).  So I should be in good shape for just about any of the services.  I look forward to seeing where things go from here and how long it'll take them to pull in the new fiber and install the VRAD.

 

Upgrading the intrance wire from the 2-pair that's there now to CAT5 is a good idea.  I think I'll pull some in ahead of time to save some steps.

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

10 years ago

Well, here I am again, 5-6 months later, still no U-Verse.  I carefully observed as much of the entire process as I was able, beginning in June, with the cable crews who went around from pedistal ot pedistal doing bonding and grounding work, to the customer loop verification and acceptance crew, to the VRAD installation that took place in October/November, to the reconfiguration and upgrade of the co-located cross-connect box with CAT5 wiring, to the electrical connection by the power company.

 

Now, here we are about to turn the calendar over to a new year and still no U-Verse.  In fact, I still get flyers in the mail from AT&T offering to sign me up for 3mbs DSL and DirectTV service.  Just how long does it take for the new VRAD to get fired up and the provisioning and sale groups to get up to speed with the fact that I can now get U-Verse offerings?

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

10 years ago

OK, I finally just ordered U-Verse service a couple of weeks ago.  After receiving my on-line order I was almost immediately hit with an e-mail from the ordering group saying they could not provision U-Verse to my residence because an existing service would need to be disconnected first.  They're going to be rolling my local service (with AT&T) over the the router for VoIP so that's not an issue.  What they're referring to is the fact that I currently get Internet access via the same local AT&T twisted pair from an Internet provider called Megapath via DSL. So they're telling me that has to be taken out of service first.

 

I'm not doing that because it would leave me with a gap in Internet access between whenever Megapath orders their disconnect and whenever AT&T gets around to working my U-Verse order.  What I can't understand is why I can't get AT&T to work the U-Verse order first and then I can contact Megapath and tell them to discontinue service.  After all, AT&T owns the local facility to my house, right?  I and I control what Megapath does over that facility, right?

 

Now I'm at a total standstill with a threat to discontinue the U-Verse order within 10 days if I don't get the DSL disconnected.  And, by the way, the next day after I received the e-mail saying they couldn't work the order I received a follow-up e-mail saying,

 

"... AT&T Internet, Voice Phone Service Information:

 

The conflict with working service at the address for your new service has been resolved. We are in the process of completing your request for service. You will receive an email with your account number and activation date shortly.

 

We do not require any additional information from you at this time, but should you have any questions please call our Web Sales Center during the hours below...."

 

Then, today, a week later I get this again,

 

"... While processing your order, we determined that additional information is required to complete your request.

 

Please give us a call at 1-877-833-5989   (Mon-Fri 8 am to 10 pm, or Sat-Sun 8 am to 5 pm Eastern Time) to provide the necessary information we need to complete your online order.

 

To prevent an automatic cancellation of your order, it's important we hear from you within 10 days.

We look forward to hearing from you and to completing your order..."

 

So I called 'em to find out what else they needed, waited in queue to get someone to answer, and when they finally did they informed me that they couldn't complete the order until the service was disconnected.

 

So help me, is there any way to get ahold of someone over there who knows what they're doing and can help me?

 

 

 

Master

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4.1K Messages

10 years ago

Regretfully, AT&T can't re-provision you rline for U-Verse as long as it is in use for DSL.  This is why you have to disconnect the DSL service first.  If your DSL service was from AT&T, they could possibkly work around this because they know the service disconnect would happen when they re-provision the line tof U-Verse, but they can't control the Megapath service, and can't risk trying to send Megapath DSL service over the same pair as U-Verse.

 

You can try contacting AT&T to see if they would offer you a loaner Wireless hotspot to use in the interim between when your DSL is disconnected and your U-Verse is activated.  I don't know if they offer this service or not, but it never hurts to ask.  I have some friends in WI who got one while waiting for their service activation...

Tutor

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5 Messages

10 years ago

Geekboy - thanks for the reply and the info.  However, the arguement I have with the ordering people is one of "can't" (re-provision) vs. "won't".  For one thing, there are many variables in the way an aggregator, CLEC, etc. interconnects with an ILEC's local facilities.  Depending upon the collocation arrangements, this could be a simple jumper from wiring block (that extends an interconnection cable from a collo cage) to the local MDF.  In such a case, it would amount to an easy disconnect of said jumper so that the "last mile" could be provisioned from the VRAD (e.g., "flash cut").  Another thing that might be considered would be to use a spare pair out of the copper distribution cable back to the VRAD to get everything set up for U-Verse.  Once everything is up and working it could either be left working that way permenantly or swung back to the original pair once the disconnect order with Megapath has been worked.

 

To me, it's just one more chapter in the "not invented here," "not in written our bible that way" syndrome that makes doing business difficult.  I'm willing to gamble that it doesn't get treated like this for business customers - they wouldn't stand for an outage of an undetermined duration.

Professor

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3.9K Messages

9 years ago

They say it is self install, and they send you a box with a modem and connectors and an instilation cd, but unless yuou already have it, they need to install a dsl connection jack inside your network interface box for the DSL to work. (that is the box on your home, where the phone wires go to, before the final run to inside your house.)

Needless to say, that part you can't install yourself.

But hooking up the modem, coneecting your phone wires, pluggin in the filters, and installing the setup software,, you can do yourself. Mind you, not everyone can do it without a little help, but that is what they mean by self-install.

Since I used a third party modem, i sort of HAD to install it myself, as they offer little in the way of suport on stuff they did not provide.

Anyways, it all works great, and does what I want, so am happy with it.

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