# U-Verse Nightmare



## elaclair (Jun 18, 2004)

Okay, so I gotta rant a bit, but hopefully this could save someone else the hassle with what I'm going through right now.

This will be a bit of a long post, which is unusual for me, so bear with me if it's not the most interesting read.

A little background. I'd been thinking about trying U-Verse internet since my current DSL is limited to 6Meg down/1.2Meg up. I've got a /29 CIDR block, and the DSL modem is set to bridge mode. Everything behind the modem runs through my Linux firewall...I'm using 4 of my 5 assigned IP addresses that handle general access, mail server, web server, and private work VPN. Bored yet? Hang with me, you'll see how it fits in in just a few. U-Verse in my area offers up to 21Meg down/2.1Meg up.

So, AT&T U-Verse shows up at the door with the typical 30 day trial for the triple bundle....U-Verse TV, Internet and Voice. No obligation during the 30 day trial. I asked the rep. specific questions about using U-Verse Internet with my current setup. Said no problem. I can keep my same CIDR block? Yes. I can set the gateway to work as a bridge? Yes, easy setup. My firewall/network won't be an issue? No problem. I can keep my same IP addresses? Yes. (I'm skeptical of being able to keep the same IP addresses, but it's still AT&T, so okay, maybe they CAN reprovision those same addresses.... 

So I say go ahead, let's do this...I can always go back if it doesn't work out......and so it begins.....installation is set in 5 days.

I go online to check the status of the order, and notice that the order detail doesn't show the /29 static IP addresses for the Internet. So I call......thus starts the descent down in to what could very well be called the swirling pit of frustration that is U-Verse customer service. Call is answered quickly, but the Tier 1 tech doesn't know how to check status on a pending order...hmmm. She forwards me on to the Billing dept. The girl in the Billing dept. is confused, but is willing to stay on the line until she can get an answer from Tech Support. 58 minutes later we get someone to answer in Tech Support. He IS able to check on the order, and sure enough, what was ordered was the standard DHCP single IP address set up. He corrects the order and gives me a tracking number in case I need to call in again. All total for this call...84 minutes.

The installation day arrives and the Tech calls ahead, is on time, and completes the installation in just under 2 hours. Hmm, okay, so may this is going to work out after all.....NOT. The 2-wire gateway doesn't like my network set up. Come to find out it CAN'T be set to bridge mode, so my mail and web server have become dysfunctional, and my VPN constantly drops packets. So I plug my web/mail server directly in to the gateway and configure what they call DMZPlus for that port. Still no joy....the 2-Wire doesn't allow multiple IP addresses on the same port, and even though it's says it's disabled, it's stateful firewall shuts down the port as soon as it sees traffic from the two addresses. So, fail on U-Verse internet, time to go back to my old set up. You know what? I haven't seen the worst yet......oh yeah, I had to re-do my addressing since they gave me a different IP address block.........

Soooooooo, I call and say that I'm done with it, why, and I want to go back to my old set up. Now then, a small side-bar here. They tell you to not cancel your old service until after you're satisfied with the U-Verse install, and I didn't cancel anything...but AT&T U-Verse did.
After being transferred a few times, I get to Retention who cheerfully tell me that they cancelled my old service for me...you can't have DSL and U-Verse at the same address..and that also includes phone service. Now I have to get new phone service and DSL set up, but I can't until AFTER U-Verse is de-activated. I have to admit, at this point I got a little caustic with the Rep. about being basically off-line with my primary e-mail account and my web site since U-Verse got installed. We worked through it, and got the service ordered...but the install wasn't going to be for two weeks....not cool. She puts me on hold to try and get the date moved up. She succeeds, the install is now in five days. She gives the order number, apologizes, and I'm off the phone.....in 143 minutes. Yes, I was on the phone longer to cancel the service than it took the tech to install it in the first place.

Now then, I'm not done......the new install is Monday between 12-4pm. So I go online to check on THIS order. I enter the order number on ATT's website, and am met with an error that says they can't retrieve the status and I'd need to call. (sigh) So I call....and get U-Verse tech support...who know nothing about the upcoming order, can't find it in their system at all...so the guy transfers me to.....collections. Collections?? Really?? The girl in collections says she'll transfer me to Tech Support. I tell her that Tech Support transferred me to her in the first place. so, she transfers me to Retention, who at least can pull up the order number, just one problem. They only thing that shows on the order (remember I've called the number given for the order which routed me to U-Verse) is the disconnect for U-Verse. The guy puts me on hold for a minute, comes back and says he can transfer me to ATT Tech support who should be able to help me. The tech comes on the line, asks me all the "who are you" questions since apparently the call center don't transfer info between the two divisions. Anyway, yup, he shows the new install for the phone service, but nothing for the DSL. :-( He does some digging and finds a notation on the order to put in a DSL install ORDER after the phone service is installed.....end result, i'll have phone but NO internet at all. He's able to add the DSL order, but can't guarantee that it will be provisioned and ready to install the same day as the phone so I'm still looking at some amount of time with no internet access.

Now then, here's the short of it. If you're an existing ATT customer, the 30 day U-Verse eval will cancel your existing service whether you want them to or not. U-Verse customer service has got to be the lowest of the low, and their sales people are not well informed. Be forewarned.......

Hopefully I'll have internet access back in time to read any follow-on postings...


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Makes me appreciate my Comcast Internet service that much more. It's up some 99% of the time, and the speeds are awesome. I average around 35 megs down and 7 megs up.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Hate to read about your U-Verse experience. I hope your livelihood doesn't depend on having access to the internet.

I too have been happy with Comcast internet but I have no idea if they would assign me multiple IP addresses.


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Guess I'll keep my Cox internet and DirecTV.
Now the cell phone service, that may have to change. Verizon LTE download speeds around here are 10 meg and up, while my Sprint often gets down into double-digit Kbs.


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## Matt9876 (Oct 11, 2007)

Co-workers new U-Verse system locks up two or three times a day and requires a three minuet reboot to reestablish the service.


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## elaclair (Jun 18, 2004)

Lord Vader said:


> Makes me appreciate my Comcast Internet service that much more. It's up some 99% of the time, and the speeds are awesome. I average around 35 megs down and 7 megs up.


I hear ya, even though it wasn't the fastest in the world, my original DSL from pacbell (ATT) was reliable. I can count on one hand with 4 fingers removed the number of times I've had an outage in 11 years. And that one outage was do to my original, 9 year old modem finally giving up the ghost. ATT overnighted a new modem to me no charge.....back up and running with nary a hair out of place...and a credit for the outage.


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