Review by beernose 
Posted: 5.3 years ago
member for 5.3 years, 1 visits, last login: 5.3 years ago
 Lake In The Hills,Mchenry,IL
 $45 per month
 about 7 days
 "Time from order to time of install"
 "Tech support.......felt like I was calling Walmart service desk instead of Comcast tech-support. They have NO ESCALATION ABILITY"
 "After having Time Warner cable modem for 5 years, I was tempted to cancel my Comcast internet AND cable TV due to this experienc"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
|
I ordered Comcast cable internet the very week it became available in my area (Lake in the Hills, IL). Installation appointment was 4pm-6pm. Installer arrived at 3pm...yes, a full hour early. Would've been nice...but...he stopped in, hooked up the modem and left without any functional testing to make sure the modem was working. I arrived home at 3:45pm and he was already gone.
I had spoken with the installer on my way home (he was actually GREAT to deal with). He gave me a quick overview of the install....should be a breeze with my experience in PC's. Suggested I hook my PC directly up to modem for first installation, which I did. He even told me that my signal level coming into the modem was outstanding (+5dBmV or better)
Inserted install CD, ethernet connection OK, no "connection" to the modem. Knowing extensive TCP/IP troubleshooting, I jumped into DOS for a quick look at ipconfig /all. The modem was happy (all steady green lights), it was assigning me an IP address and assigned proper DNS servers and the gateway router was there. But no connection beyond the modem itself. I could ping my address put could not ping the router. DNS name resolution wasn't working at all.
Called tech support....she guided me into Internet Explorer. She had me enter in some proxy information. However, she gave me the proxy info as a name, not an IP address. Not a big deal, but when there are DNS problems, need to start someplace else. Of course, it went nowhere. I jumped back to DOS box and tried to ping the same address she gave me as a proxy. DNS name resolution failed so DUUHHH, the proxy isn't gonna work for Internet Explorer using the network name! I asked for IP addresses, explaining that name resolution wasnt working. She didn't seem to understand why I wanted, but she obliged. That didn't help.
Now she was dead in the water. "I'm not sure what to do sir. Thats all the information I have to help you"....excuse me? Inserting some proxy info and guiding me to a login web site is all the help you have? How about escalating me to someone that can speak the geek speak? I wanted someone who REALLY knew the network. Someone who could ping my closest router, someone who might even be able to login to some system and see that my modem is hosed or that their router is hosed. Anything.
"I can send an installer to your house." Yeah, that's all I need. Jim Bob showing up at my door scratching his head with no more ability than myself at seeing what's going on INSIDE the cable modem network. At the very least, I instructed my "helpful" tech support aid (lots of sarcasm here folks) to have the tech bring another cable modem. My PC is talking fine to the cable modem (I can even run DOCSDIAG to see the modem's stats), so it's either the network or the modem itself. I have half a mind to go buy a modem myself at Best Buy....but I shouldn't have to.
Comcast tech support is not a reliable resource. Plain and simple. They have no escalation path when their scripted troubleshooting methods fail.
I wish I could say this is offset by the sheer speed of the connection, but at this point, I'm posting from my Earthlink dial-up.
Current Comcast download/upload: 0 bps / 0 bps
- Unhappy -
Update: 3/12/04 - on a hunch, I stopped by Best Buy today and purchased a Motorola SURFboard cable modem (similar to one provided by Comcast). Upon connection with this modem, all was good. Installation CD walked me through and was a breeze. I don't plan to keep the cable modem I purchased, I just purchased to try it out. I'll wait for my replacement modem from Comcast on Saturday.
However, my previous comments about call-in Tech Support stand true. Immediately after connecting "good" modem, my ping commands to sas.r5.attbi.com resolved the name to ip address instantly and pings were successful. Basic TCP/IP troubleshooting always yields the quickest results.
Followup comments: | Forums » comments on review of Comcast Formerly ATT Broadband |
|
Comcast Formerly ATT Broadband
(26)