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October 14, 2009
High Speed Internet
Many on our block are having a terrible time with TimeWarner Road Runner. Though TV reception is constant, high speed internet is going out chronically. Anyone in Brownstone Brooklyn have good experience with a provide other than TW?
Comments
check verizon fios. im not sure if its in slope yet.
Posted by: guikazoid at October 14, 2009 10:23 AM
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Fiosinternet/
Posted by: guikazoid at October 14, 2009 10:24 AM
I can't get fios yet in south Slope. I do use Verizon for internet & have found it to be pretty reliable ever since a few rocky days way back when it first was available.
Posted by: Arkady at October 14, 2009 10:31 AM
I use a Verizon air card. I can take it and use it wherever i go throughout the country. $59.95 per month. It even works well on the train to Philly.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 14, 2009 10:32 AM
Fios would be great... but it's not coming for a long time. Why I don't know. You could get DSL through verizon, but it's not as fast. If you don't have bandwidth issues, this might be a viable option.
I can only speak to park slope in re: time warner and the problem stems from the fact that the infrastructure has not been updated in many places since they first ran the cables in the 80s and there are a high volume of customers using that infrastructure today.
We had/still have this problem on my block and the only way to get time warner to do anything about it is for you and your neighbors to complain all at once... write a letter, everyone call for service at the same time etc... and threaten to cancel your service and switch to direct tv and dsl if they don't fix the problem.
Posted by: SJ at October 14, 2009 10:37 AM
dibs - No problem in the country when it rains?
Posted by: Arkady at October 14, 2009 10:38 AM
no, Arkady. I can actually get reception where I get no signal on my cellphone sometimes
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 14, 2009 10:49 AM
Verizon DSL works fine for basic internet usage -- we did not notice any dramatic drop in speed when we left TW a few years ago.
If you are running some intensive bandwith hogging service, you might need something else.
Posted by: Boerumresident at October 14, 2009 11:25 AM
the best thing to do if you have a cable/telecom issue is file an official complaint with DOIT (the department of information technology). You fill out a simple form online at nyc.gov and within 48 hours, someone from TWC corporate calls you and gives you their direct line. It amazes me that more people don't know about this service.
If your issue is not resolved, DOIT fines TWC (or whatever telecom service provider you complained about). Usually you get a month's credit or at least a partial refund. In the past 10 years, I've probably only paid for 5 years of service.
If you complain enough times, you can probably get them to upgrade your service, or at least it's an easy way of not paying full price for halfassed service.
Posted by: brooklynstyle at October 14, 2009 12:56 PM
I have the $29.95 TW internet plan. It was running slow and then someone suggested that I password protect my wireless router so I wasn't supplying the whole block with internet. Although I didn't think that would make any difference, it helped to speed things up a bit.
Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at October 14, 2009 1:03 PM
That's great info brooklynstyle... Thanks!
Here is the link: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doitt/html/consumer/consumer_cable_service_form.shtml
Posted by: SJ at October 14, 2009 1:10 PM
snappy, how could you do that to me???
I'm still w speakeasy.net, who was providing DSL long before RR existed. It's harder to get DSL now as Verizon is installing more fiber, and of course DSL runs on copper. You could check dslreports.com.
Posted by: denton at October 14, 2009 4:37 PM
Unfortunately, until this racket of "franchising" neighborhoods to exclusive cable providers end. You may be outta luck.
Posted by: Crownlfc at October 14, 2009 7:42 PM
I have the same issue with high speed internet. I've tried to bear with it thinking it's a maintenance thing, but my network goes down many times per day while the tv runs find.
guess it's time to file a formal complaint
Posted by: isaacly at October 14, 2009 10:04 PM
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