Internet service providers Can't live with them, can't live without them.

@kaylachan (84736)
Daytona Beach, Florida
August 22, 2010 12:56am CST
For years I have found it hard to stick to any one provider. The reasons varied, but the biggest was location and cost. Location being that I spent a couple of years moving around a lot. So I needed a provider that could go where I go. Back then that was dial up. However, the growth of the internet made broadband more accessable pushing dial-up kind of out the window to where its almost non-existent. This started to happen to me years ago when I got a laptop with just an eathernet port. So the question became how could I get aforadable stable broadband? I had tried Bellsouth. Stable, but expencive. I was trapped for a while. Not because I was under contract, but because I lived in a complex that doesn't allow cable internet. I still do, sort of. I've been living in this complex for many years. And went back and forth between dsl and high speed wireless internet through clearwire. When I relized that Bellsouth was becoming At&T and prices were redicously high I went back to clearwire. (Which I'd left because it kept kicking me offline.) The signle was unstable, but back then if I needed, I could get help through a service center (an actual store) or over the phone. Until recently they seemed knowledgable and knew what they were doing. However, my problems started all over again at the start of this month. When I had gone to bed I was connected happy as a clam.When I woke up, I was disconnected. Whenever I tried to open anything in firefox, I was taken to a blank page. When I went to IE, I was redirected to clear wire's message center. At first I didn't think too much about it, but once again after fallowing the prompts I was directed to a blank page. After trying to resolve it through the web I tried to call their service number. Needless to say Theservice center was useless. No one seemed to know what I was talking about. So George (my partner) and I went around town looking for a cervice center. Only to discover that All the service centers closed down. Eventually we were directed to best buy, where we were directed to a service center wwith people who actually knew what they were doing. Or so it seemed. In the end I was forced to upgrade. That was over a week ago. The modem I received in the mail doesn't seem to be getting a single, keeping a signle or anything like that. I got frustrated still am. Not sure what else to do. Once again I'm faced with having to find a new internet service provider. There seems to be one called Tally comicuations INC. I'm using their hot spt service to connect to the net right now. Anyone else ever have clear, and or have anything like it? Whose having the same, if not simular problems?
2 people like this
6 responses
@gunagohan (3413)
• India
22 Aug 10
Well, i don't have such problems.. I have been sticking to the same ISP for the past two years.. I pay annually , so there is no jump off or back thinking or second thoughts for the whole year.. I have a very good speedy internet from my ISP which comes around 2 MBPS.. This is the average speed of Broadband throughout my country.. Warp Up !! God Speed Internet is going to come to my place and i'm waiting for that !!!
@kaylachan (84736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Aug 10
Consider yourself lucky then. Because believe you me, where I live price gouging is one of the things you have to look forward to. Living in a virtural whole sure does not help the situation in the slightest eaither. Believe you me. I would not have had to complain or bounce from provider to provider if I could aford anything decent. Living on disability, and having to pay bills sure doesn't help. Also being unemployed isn't helping eaither.
1 person likes this
@gunagohan (3413)
• India
22 Aug 10
Well, i have to join i'm unemployed too !!!!
@dopey123 (71)
• United States
22 Aug 10
My ISP are ridiculous! I had to send out mass emails for a college research assignment and I got a fine In the mail saying that I did not have the business package provided by them and thus i broke the terms of the agreement and I was fined 30 bucks! Also one time, I had a virus on my computer and they shut my modem off! They said that I was doing illegal activity and the only way I could get my modem turned on was if I called them! It took forever and then they told me they quarantined the wrong modem and apologizd! It was horrible ! I really want to get a new ISP , but they are the only high speed ISP in the area! IT is super annoying!
@kaylachan (84736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Aug 10
Well that's a shame. At least you were able to resolve your issue. Believe me Internet service providers sure are hard to come by unless you want to pay for a land line. Personally I'm not into that, otherwise I would have gone back to the all expencive At&T already. Though TCI seems promosing.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
23 Aug 10
I'm having too much problem with Smart Bro Wireless Broadband in my residence. which is very slow. It is slower than dial up and I've hating it. But the problem is I have to finish the one year subscription. This is tragic and I hate this situation. It's a good thing I have no problem with my ISP in my office so whatever I can't do at home, I can do in the office.
@megamatt (14290)
• United States
22 Aug 10
Actually I have had a similiar problem like that just recently. Of course, sometimes it is the Internet service provider having problems, but not always. I thought it was a problem at my end, but it was my network card in my computer going out. That could cause the Internet not to load right. It stopped working for a day but it then worked again for an entire week. Then it went out completely and I had to get my network card released. Of course, I do agree with the point that talking to Internet service providers is like pulling teeth. There are a lot of the time where it is hard talking to these people. Every so often, you have a person that might know what they are talking about. Then again, you have these people, who would lose their head if it was not screwed onto their shoulders. You find that with any service provider, customer support, whatever. Such is an important part of life.
@kaylachan (84736)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Aug 10
I have worked in custmor service for five years. I know exactly how you feel, and I know what strain those type of people are put under. They may sound professional, but inside they are probably thinking I'm just as stupid, as I think they are. What anoyed me the most, was when I was in best buy trying to resolve this internet issue, The man helping us informed me that Clearwire told another costmor they were down. While the costmer service rep on the phone was busy forcing me to upgrade to the new four g so called faster service.
@nangisha (3495)
• Indonesia
27 Aug 10
Hi Kaylachan!. I am struggle with my internet connection too. Its really slow and often have network problem when I need it most especially thats busy hour . I really wanna to change it into broad brand but the price is killing me so I had to stick this slow connection until I had a better job with higher salary, I hope it will happen soon.
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
31 Dec 20
If there is one bill I truly grudge paying..it is with this internet service provider. The price is insane.