# Internet service



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I called AT*T to see if I could get their fast DSL at my residence, as they had a good 1 yr offer going. I was told they no longer offer DSL in areas where U-Verse is available. U-Verse TV is not available here (stops about 4 blocks down the street), but they scheduled me for a U-Verse Internet install (12mb/s) and are sending a self install kit.

I dont have any services with AT*T now, nor are any lines currently connected up on my boxes outside. They said they would hook it up, and mark the box they used, and I would be responsible for running the phone wire from there to the media closet.

So far, so good. I just have to wonder... Does anyone else have U-verse internet without TV being available? I thought the two went hand in hand. Do they actually have a separate internet only service?

And for those that do have this 12mb/s internet service, how are your speeds? Any streaming problems? Outages?

Cable Internet here is getting way to expensive, and for my use, 20mb/s is total overkill.

Both services have a 250gb / month cap, so that is par. AT&T is 1/2 the price of cable right now, for a year anyway.

Comments anyone?


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## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

Has AT&T actually been out to your residence to verify U-verse sync? U-verse can theoretically be available at your residence, but it's the type of service that can have "dead spots" in neighborhoods where it exists.

Yes, U-verse internet is available as a standalone service, but AT&T pushes bundled packages, and if they actually come out to install U-verse internet only, I think there are installation fees that would not be charged if you were getting a TV bundle. I guess an internet self-install is free?

I gave U-verse internet/TV a try a couple of years ago, but I was apparently right at maximum distance from the node, and finally cancelled, due to technical troubles that AT&T techs were never able to resolve. The techs that came out to the house would always mention the fact that I was at maximum distance, as if that may have been a factor. My neighbor two doors down tried to get U-verse, but had to be denied, due to inadequate signal strength. My neighborhood was actually one of the U-verse launch areas in 2006.

As far as DSL being phased out in U-verse territory, I've heard that one too, but they allowed me to go back to my DSL service after I quit U-verse. With all the holes in U-verse coverage, I don't know how they'd handle that. Plus, DSL has a much farther reach than U-verse, something like four times, I think. DSL is even available in some sparsely-developed areas outside of town, albeit limited to 1.5mbps download. If U-verse is going to be extended to these areas, I would think that would entail a massive infrastructure investment on the part of AT&T. Doesn't seem to me that the ROI would be very good in some of these areas.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Self-Install is free truck roll to hook up the box on the side of the house with their box on the street, ($100 charge for the gateway) and a $35 activation fee, is what I was quoted. They wanted the $100 up front, but agreed to bill it (after doing a credit check) in case the service was actually not available. Their computer shows U-verse internet is available at my address, but U-verse TV is not. Guessing that is because TV requires lots higher bandwidth?

Yes, I would be perfectly happy if it did not work, falling back to 2 or 4 meg DSL. I need something that will remain ON when the power goes OFF, so my vonage phone wont die. The cable does not stay on when the neighborhood power is out, and for some reason, the local (to me) ATT cell site goes down every time the power goes out too. Get No Signal almost right away, while other people in the neighborhood with Verizon or other cut rate providers have service. Ticks me off


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

My father and daughter both have Uverse internet w/o TV, my father has phone with his. Speed and reliability have been good and they both have AT&T supplied UPS(on the Gateway/router) so the system stays up during power loss. Both were FREE installs as AT&T seems to be eager to remove all the POTS lines.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Thought U-verse was installed USING POTS lines?


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> Thought U-verse was installed USING POTS lines?


It is... but they want you to switch to the UVerse Phone which is VOIP.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Ok cool. Well, I already have VOIP, so, with luck, they are correct, and I can get this 12mbs internet service here. If not, Ill just have to see what they offer. He did ask me if I had my old (8 yr old) DSL modem from my last service with them. Dont know why that was a relevant question.


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## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> He did ask me if I had my old (8 yr old) DSL modem from my last service with them. Dont know why that was a relevant question.


When I got U-verse internet/TV, they came out and disconnected my DSL at the cross connect box, then came back to the house and disconnected my DSL modem, and replaced it with a U-verse gateway. When I cancelled U-verse and asked to be put back on DSL, they had me return the U-verse gateway & TV set-top box, and asked if I still had my old DSL modem. I said yes, they said "good".

So I returned to DSL, and I'm still using that same original DSL modem today. U-verse service is not compatible with the old DSL modems, and DSL is not compatible with U-verse modems.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

We have both U-verse Internet @ 12mps and phone. When last tested actual speed is about 11.48. Quaily of both services is great. U-Verse TV is available but DirecTV is most better. AT&T installed ours for free. DTV streaming (downloading) is very fast and high quality.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Davenlr said:


> Thought U-verse was installed USING POTS lines?


It is... but unless you have multiple sets of phone lines running to your home, you can't have U-Verse and POTS... because they can't co-exist on the same set of wires.

I have Internet + Phone. I had no interest in the TV service and had to convince them I was serious.

I'm getting the 18Mbps service... I never checked to see if I could get the 24Mbps service because it was a bigger price-jump to that level and I couldn't justify it in my budget... but I gather they really want you to qualify for 18-24 Mbps before they will sell you TV.


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## mstanka (Jan 26, 2003)

I love my U-Verse. I have U-Verse internet only.

I do not have the TV service because I have Directv, but the internet is great.

In all the years I've had my DSL with ATT, it's gone down maybe a few times, unlike cable it would go down on a weekly basis. U-Verse seems to be the same as I've only had it available to me for about 6-8 months.

Go for it!

Michael.


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## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> Thought U-verse was installed USING POTS lines?





Stewart Vernon said:


> It is... but unless you have multiple sets of phone lines running to your home, you can't have U-Verse and POTS... because they can't co-exist on the same set of wires.


When I had U-verse, they killed my DSL during the installation, but left my POTS line intact.

I have a single overhead drop (multi-conductor) coming into my house, and a separate cat5e line was run from the NID to the U-verse gateway. I never has U-voice. I got separate bills from AT&T for POTS & U-verse.

AT&T is apparently doing everything they can to wean customers in U-verse neighborhoods off POTS/DSL, in favor of U-verse, but given Uverse's limited reach (about 3000-5000' from the node), I expect POTS/DSL to be around for years to come, unless AT&T is prepared to undertake a massive infrastructure upgrade.


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## Pete K. (Apr 23, 2002)

I have U-Verse phone and internet. The call quality and internet speed is good. I do not have U-Verse TV because I am under contract to Dish. I also have the internet connected to one TV in the house. I thought the U-Verse sales guy was going to have a stroke when I explained this to him. He told me it was impossible to use the U-Verse internet to watch TV. LOL. When my agreement with Dish concludes, I will keep watching TV via U-Verse internet.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> It is... but unless you have multiple sets of phone lines running to your home, you can't have U-Verse and POTS... because they can't co-exist on the same set of wires.


I have the 24mbps UVerse and a POTS line and I only have one line running to my home.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I did some followup, and it turns out there are two U-Verse internet services, one, which I am getting, uses something called IP-DSLAM2, or an upgraded version of DSL. The other is the one that comes with U-Verse TV/Phone/Internet. The one I am getting runs from the CO, the other runs from a local Video distribution box nearby. The one I am getting uses a motorola 2210-02-1ATT modem, the other uses a residential gateway with all the U-Verse services inside.

As for the speed they promised, it all depends on how far I am from the CO, and line conditions, etc. Guess they will test that when they get here to hook up the wires from the street box to the house box.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> I have the 24mbps UVerse and a POTS line and I only have one line running to my home.


Are they using the twisted pair or coax for U-Verse?

I forgot that they can use coax if you have an extra run of that... but I didn't have an extra coax run to spare.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> Are they using the twisted pair or coax for U-Verse?
> 
> I forgot that they can use coax if you have an extra run of that... but I didn't have an extra coax run to spare.


Oh. I thought you meant _to_ the house. I do have separate twisted pair lines that come into the house from the box outside.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> Oh. I thought you meant _to_ the house. I do have separate twisted pair lines that come into the house from the box outside.


That makes more sense...

Some people might not know how many lines they have ran from the road to their house... you might have one or several... it's the people that only have one that will have the problem with having to drop their POTS.

In my parents house, we at one time had several voice lines and a couple of fax/data lines... so they have lots of pairs to choose from there... but that's not typical of residential installations I wouldn't think.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

^^ Not in older houses, but some newer houses have multi-pair cables laid. I've seen 6 pair, 12 pair and even 25 pair used as entrance cables in houses.

When they had to replace a line downed by a storm here several years ago, I had them hang a new 2 pair thinking I might need a second line someday. Never did, but at least I have copper newer than the 30 year old stuff that was there before.

DSL is now running on that and the Cat5 I ran into the house.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

mine was kinda drawn out.. when they installed the uverse the idiot unhooked my POTS line... then when I called to get phone fixed they unhooked the uverse.. at least the phone guy was nice enough to come back at 7pm.. ended up using second line for uverse..
He also told me that AT&T phone and uverse are totaly separate entities.. best off on separate lines anyways as neither have any training on the other's systems..


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

I have at least 3 pair running into my house, since we have had 3 separate voice lines all at once - 1 home phone, one used for dialup internet, and one used for wife's business line. Currently only using 1 pair (voice / DSL).


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I have 6 underground pair, and 1 utility air drop pair coming to 4 boxes on the side of my house, of which none are currently hooked to any services, although one is being used as a junction/backfeed box for my VoIP service.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

OK, Need Help again here... My AT&T experience follows this problem for those interested in my U-verse nightmare.

Problem. Several times a day, my cable internet (Xfinity 20/2) drops offline. The tech will be here in the morning July 4th (and probably not happy working the holiday, so I need any suggestions to steer him to the problem). Following are the modem logs from when the service drops out. 

Msg1: No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=e4:83:99:8b:20:ef;CMTS-MAC=00:25:84:57:4f:79;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

followed by Msg2: Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=e4:83:99:8b:20:ef;CMTS-MAC=00:25:84:57:4f:79;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

When this happens, all the lights on the modem go out, the downstream light immediately comes back on, and the upstream light just flashes. USUALLY, unplugging the modem, disconnecting the cable, reconnecting the cable, plugging in the modem, in that order (and no other) will allow it to come back up for about 2 hours or so.

Anyone have a clue?? All connectors have been checked. Cable has been hooked directly into modem or through one splitter (no difference). Drop from utility through ground block has had both connectors unhooked, checked, and retightened. Ground wire cleaned and retightened.

Anyone?

Ok, now for U-verse install.
Called to order 6M DSL. Was told only U-verse available now, no more DSL. Have special on 12M DSL for $33. OK, so order. In mail 2nd day, comes a DSL modem and instructions for self install. At 8pm on the night service is activated, I go outside and plug modem into each of the 10 ports in the boxes on my house. None of them work. Call ATT. Next day, tech arrives for 4pm appt right on time. Checks wires inside green pole on street in front of house. Says no Sync. He cant fix it because only union workers are allowed. He leaves. Come home next day, and find a wire from that green box, running down my sidewalk the length of my property, thrown over the chain link fence, laid across my front yard, and hooked into one of the boxes on the side of my house. Spray paint on my garden, grass, fence in an attempt to line out where the wire is laying. New grass bed with seedlings just starting to come up smashed down with footprints. 

Plug in modem and DSL light comes on. Great. Wait 20 minutes, and online light comes on. Great. Go to speedtest.net and get 0.66 down, and 0.1 up. Huh? Go to ATT.com, and it takes 45 seconds to load the opening flash graphics. Call them on the phone... TWO HOURS LATER, and 3 departments later, I am told that is the fastest U-verse speed available at my house (768kb). I explain my neighbor has 6M DSL, I wanted that. Nope, cannot sell that anymore. Its being phased out. Told them the disconnect my service immediately, got a RMA to return their equipment. Was told there was nothing they could do about the wire in my yard, and I should report it to their quality control dept. Quality control transferred me to tech support. Tech support transferred me to billing, billing transferred me to cancellation dept. Where I started. I got pissed, and went out and cut the wire with side cutters at the box, rolled it up, and threw it over their green pole. Raked the footprints they left, replanted the grass seed there, did my best to get the paint off my garden plants.

Moral of story. AT&T no longer exists in any semblance of a tech company anymore. U-verse is a total joke. DSL is now a dinosaur. Comcast is now the only provider in my town (3rd largest city in the state) with ANY internet service available faster than 768kb. What a joke.
End of Story. End of AT&T. Stockholders, get out while you can.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Davenir,
For serious healt reasons I quit self installs quite some time ago. I have U-Verse 12mps internet and it works perfectly after three installers, a complete re-install and change out of the latest greatest router to the previous version. The last Tech had his act together. Honestly, it may be worth the expense to have AT&T do the install. That way you can put the monkey on their back.

By the way, I suspect my truly knowledgeable installer was a ninth grader working part time for AT&T. :hurah:


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

They would not even send anyone out to do the install, because they said 768k was the fastest they offered in my neighborhood (after all the above lying by the clerk in the ATT store), and work by the installers, engineers, etc.

The self install is only a wire from the jack in my closet to the box outside. That was all new anyway, so would not have mattered.


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## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

I am so sorry. Seems misinformation is stock and trade in such industries.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Sounds like a bad modem to me.


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Regarding the cable left laying in the yard, that seems to be the norm these days for the installer to just drop a cable on the ground. Somebody shows up a couple days later to bury it. Both Comcast and AT&T do it that way around here.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

RasputinAXP said:


> Sounds like a bad modem to me.


Third modem (theirs, mine, returned and bought another brand from their approved list). All three had exactly the same problem.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

> Msg1: No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=e4:83:99:8b:20:ef;CMTS-MAC=00:25:84:57:4f:79;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
> 
> followed by Msg2: Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=e4:83:99:8b:20:ef;CMTS-MAC=00:25:84:57:4f:79;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;


There could also be a problem at the local NOC if it's happened across several modems. You shouldn't be getting an abort response from the remote end.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Well, after two hours of reading responses from others having this problem, it appears the cable company initially looks at the readings and reports to the customer all looks good. Then after about 3 more tech visits, they swap the modem (if it is leased), and only after about 6 tech visits with no resolution, do they escalate it to someone who can fix it. Surprisingly, most of the threads just ended. No idea if the person posting got tired and dropped cable, or the problem got fixed and they didnt bother or didnt know what the resolution was. Only one post reported the problem was fixed when Comcast replaced an intermittent amp on their pole somewhere down the line. That is why I tried switching to ATT. I just do not have time to mess with an intermittent problem, that I am pretty sure is going to turn into a major headache.

Unfortunately, I dont have a choice, except to drop down to 768k dsl. I will do without internet before that.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

You could be too far away to get the higher speeds of U-Verse... but I can't see the logic in AT&T cutting off a neighborhood from 6Mbps DSL service unless they knew they could provide their minimum level of U-verse to that location.

So... something tells me that they didn't do the work they were supposed to do. Yes, you can self-install inside your home... but the tech has to come out and do some stuff at the local junction, and may have to do something on the box outside of your home as well...

When I got my U-verse installed... the tech who came out found that he couldn't do his work at the house until he went back to the junction and did the work that was supposed to have been done the day before by another tech!

My guess, it that is what happened in your case... half the work done, half not... and nobody was willing to track that down at the time.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

When I query AT&T for Uverse service or Verizon for FIOS, neither one recognizes my address. The landline provider in my area is Windstream, and their DSL service was quite unreliable in our area, so we went with our only reasonable choice - Time Warner. I'm not too happy with them, since they just hit me with a $20 monthly increase on my bundle ("promotional period for phone service has ended"). I'll have to call them tomorrow to protest.


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