Internet Provider - What to Do?

[Keebler Elf]

So I just discovered for the first time (in about 7 years of service) that my phone line is only capable of up to 1.5 Mbps. Yet I've been subscribing to Bell Sympatico high speed (now called Total Internet service) for $50 a month, with download speeds of up to 7.0 Mbps!

All this time I could have been going a cheaper route, for around $36/month with download speeds up to 1.0 Mbps (my speed never reaches 1.0; it's usually around 0.75 Mbps).

The technician on the phone advised me to drop to the lower priced option but when I checked it out online it has a 2GB/month cap. That's nothing and I'd burn through that in a week. There was no limit listed for my current plan.

So what do you think I should do? 2 GB/month is not enough so that's not really an option. Are there alternatives to Bell? What about Rogers?

 

[cypherpunk]

I don't know anything about Canadian ISPs, but when you say you get .75 Mbps, do you mean 750 kilobits per second or kilobytes per second?

 

[Keebler Elf]

I just ran a test:

732 kbps download (kilobit)

530 kbps upload (kilobit)

Isn't kilobytes just the plural of kilobit?

 

[cypherpunk]

A byte is 8 bits. Those numbers, if given in kilobytes, would be reasonable for a 7MB line.

 

[Papi Chulo]

It also depends which server you use to test your speed.

I just tested mine at www.speedtest.net

13315 kb/s download

945 kb/s upload

I think I have a 160GB / month cap

 

[Hangman]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/213426504.png

That's a pretty neat site. I knew I was fast, but damn!! 23MBps download

Keebler - have you looked at www.teksavvy.com? They have a 5Mbs service for $29.95 with 200Gb. I think they want to charge you for a modem as well, but it may be worth checking out...

 

[Twister]

Primus 20 bucks a month unlimited dl, modem included

 

[Keebler Elf]

Just tried speedtest and results were:

713 kbps d/l

529 kbps u/l

 

[Keebler Elf]

It also depends which server you use to test your speed.

I just tested mine at www.speedtest.net

13315 kb/s download

945 kb/s upload

I think I have a 160GB / month cap

With which ISP?

 

[Keebler Elf]

Keebler - have you looked at www.teksavvy.com? They have a 5Mbs service for $29.95 with 200Gb. I think they want to charge you for a modem as well, but it may be worth checking out...

Very interesting. They list Static IP: $4/month. Is that optional? I'd rather have a non-static IP like Sympatico (useful for d/l porn! ).

 

[Twister]

13315 kb/s download

945 kb/s upload


13315, what are you on fiberoptics?

 

[Papi Chulo]

I am on cable, with Shaw.

I was mistaken. My monthly limit is 100GB.. I don't think I use anywhere near that.

I would love to move up to the Nitro service (25Mb/s)... but it is about $99 / month

 

[raven@mirage]

I am with Rogers, I got bell as a back-up but I know how bell is they will sell you one package and really give you another and claim its your area why your not getting the full service.

Rogers on the other hand whatever package you get that is the speed you get and their cap is 60GB. on their packages.

right now I am on bell 3 months free next month is my last month I am very close to returning th ebox and cancelling my service with them becuase they just always and forever suck.

 

[jan00b]

I'm with rogers:

 

[jwmorrice]

I'm with Primus DSL:

Download 5211 kb/s
Upload 584 kb/s

jwm

 

[Anynym]

Rogers HighSpeed (Ottawa): d/l 6899, u/l 505. In the summer, I've experienced significant fade-out issues, with the modem receiving only -21dBm on the hotter days (it's spec'ed only down to -15dBm, so bless its poor little electronic heart for working at all with only 1/4 the minimum required signal strength).

 

[bobistheowl]

Teksavvy changes, effective January, 2008:

Effective January 1st, 2008 there will be a rate change to the Unlimited product. This change comes about as a result of impending speed changes soon to come through Bell. Additionally, we've also made modifications to the Premium product (effective November 1st, 2007) in order to allow flexibility of change to our valued unlimited customers.

The changes in price do not affect business clients.

The changes are as follows:

****************************************************
****************************************************

ON/QC/AB/BC: Premium Service...
When: Effective NOW!

Monthly Rate: $29.95/month (no change)
Included Bandwidth: 200GB (formerly 100GB)
Overage Fees/no-bulk: $0.25/GB (formerly $3/GB)
Pre-purchased Bandwidth blocks: $10/100GB/month (New option...Equivalent to
$0.10/GB!!!)

****************************************************

ON/QC: Unlimited Service...
When: Effective Jan 1st, 2008

Monthly Rate: $39.95/month
Included Bandwidth: Unlimited
Note: Price based on a maximum 5-6Meg speed profiles and may change for
higher speeds when they arrive.

I have the $29.95 per month package, so I get a number of improvements at no extra cost. As for upload speeds, I can consistently get better than 75 kilobits per second. There are no restrictions placed onb what I use my bandwidth for, and I think they only count download bandwidth in the 200 GB/mo. total.

 

[micheljrc]

So I just discovered for the first time (in about 7 years of service) that my phone line is only capable of up to 1.5 Mbps. Yet I've been subscribing to Bell Sympatico high speed (now called Total Internet service) for $50 a month, with download speeds of up to 7.0 Mbps!

Keebler, I had the same issue as you. I read up a lot about it on [http://www.dslreports.com/forum/sympat] and eventually found the email of a general manager there [donat.brunette@bell.ca] who was willing to help. In the end, they sent 4 technicians to my house but could never figure out why my internet no longer worked upstairs and they had to put dedicated jack in the basement only, they also tried to improve my speed up to 3Mbits, when they tried my performance would simply suffer. In the end I had to leave it at 1.5 like you, and was offered to drop to the lower tier like you stated but with a cap, and since I was already bundled, I didn't want to break my bundle and start messing with my satellite and long distance, so they gave me a one time credit of $6/month for 3 years ($200+) and also put a $10 monthly credit on my sympatico bill and combine that with the $10 bundle that I already save per month, it makes sense for me to stick it out with Bell for now, although their customer support is useless, find I'm always speaking to techs in India telling me to unplug my phones, etc...totally useless. So if I were you I would do this:
1-Call bell and ask for billing department, explain that you have been paying for Sympatico high speed for x amount of years (for me it was 7 as well) and that you cannot get high speed, all you get is 1.5Mbits and you would like some sort of credit for services never rendered.
2-Email Donat asking him if he can get his 2nd level support to investigate if there is anyway you can get faster speed to your line. When they eventually figure it out, if the answer is no, you are stuck with 1.5Mbits, then ask them to put a $10 service credit to your phone bill because you don't want a cap MB limit on your profile.

Good luck.

 

[Keebler Elf]

...then ask them to put a $10 service credit to your phone bill because you don't want a cap MB limit on your profile.

Thanks for your advice! I will pursue further.

What do you mean by the above? What cap?

 

[big dogie]

If I am following the thread correctly, I'm not teckie, I have sympatico basic+ unlimited bandwith for $35/month. I am unable to upgrade to a faster package because of lack of availability in my area. Had to sign up for a year though and I bundle + I get 1000 min of long distance for $5.
hope this helps your negoiations with bell.
b d