valbee - we have all the Buckeye services. I have only had one problem with their phone service and that lasted a total of 2 hours. When I called them there were no excuses, no 'let me see if I can figure it out', and most of all - no "if we send a technician out it will be a $75 service call." (That was the last conversation I had with SBC about their phone lines before I told them goodbye.)
A friend of mine just got this special VIP package and she is ecstatic with it. The digital package is really neat.
I'd tell SBC/ATT that they are on the losing end here. Make the change - you won't be sorry.
posted by DoknowDocare at 08:34 A.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Agreed. I use my cell for long distance and just get the basic phone service. You don't necessarily need the highest speed cable either. You can save a little there. I think my total bill, cable, internet and phone is 90 something bucks.
posted by daveschulz at 10:23 A.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
we also use a bundled package. my house gets our cable (the most basic service...$13/ mo), the midlevel phone package, and the "slower" high speed cable. our bill is about $60/ month.
we're actually going to change the phone service to basic soon. just as dave mentioned, we'll use the cell phones for long distance (my wife just changed her cell plan and it will allow us to do this).
we've had some minor issues with the phone service. since making the change at the beginning of the year, our phone service has gone out a few times.
posted by wholesaler1972 at 10:42 A.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
I have the bundle and am happy with it. My only concern with the phone is if the power goes out for an extended period of time - it has a limited battery back-up. We haven't had any major problems and I love the speed of the cable modem.
Go for it.
posted by MaumeeMom at 11:42 A.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Val - I switched over to Earthlink's DSL when we moved rather than go back to ATT's DSL.
Earthlink is running a special for $12.95 a month right now for DSL and they don't charge you for the modem like SBC did when we first signed up for them.
The dsl seems to be faster here and despite some initial issues it was in reality faster than what I went thru with SBC.
Having had cable internet and dsl thru ATT and now Earthlink, I have found very few situations where the lower speed thru DSL has ever been an issue with several computers on line. I have though experienced major issues with slow times when we were on Buckeye because of bandwith issues in our neighborhood.
However, we don't have cable tv either so for us the huge increase in what we would spend doesn't fit in our budget. Getting dsl for much less than what it would cost to have a regular dialup for me was worth it.
posted by psyche777 at 12:38 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
If you're being kicked off when your phone rings, you should be talking to tech support about that. People with a problem like that who don't even bother to get it addressed drive me crazy. Go put a new filter on your phone, try a different phone, and if neither make a difference, call tech support.
Phone over cable (modem) has a downside: they give you a cable modem with a battery in to power the cable modem and phone line when the power goes out. Then the battery dies and you end up with no phone service. So either put your cable modem on a honking big UPS or have a cell phone handy for calling people in case the power stays out for, oh, more than an hour.
posted by anonymouscoward at 01:25 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
I have all three services from Buckeye as well as the unlimited long distance on the voice. Everyone's use of these things are obviously different - but comparing my cost of the three from previous vendors, Buckeye's deal was a slam dunk (I think the long distance was what really made the deal for me).
As far as the quality of service, I have no complaints except possibly for the voice uptime - it is no where near that of the old school phone companies. In the last year or so, it has been down numerous times. It has never been down for more than an hour or two - but it is a weird thing because with telcos you get used to 99.999 uptime and Buckeye is not there yet.
posted by babbleman at 01:44 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
People with a problem like that who don't even bother to get it addressed drive me crazy.
The WHAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMBULANCE is reporting to your call, A/C.
posted by fequalsma73 at 01:48 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
I use SBC's DSL service. I have been paying 14.99 a month and saw an ad for 12.99. I called them and got a credit for the last two months and they lowered my monthly bill to 12.99.
If you live in the Toledo area I'd call them back and ask to talk to a supervisor.
You can email me if you want - there is a contact page at www.toledopoliticians.com.
I can get you a copy of my statements and I saved the internet offer that I called to complain about.
My SBC, unlimited local and long distance and DSL is about 74.00 a month.
You can do alot - ALOT better than that....good luck!!
posted by katie82640 at 02:02 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
I just called somebody who is a former troubleshooter for SBC, handled T1 and ISDN line so he's "somewhat" familiar with this stuff.
He suggested 2 things
1. Check to make sure you are connected properly at the filter. According to him if you have them switched you will still be able to talk on the phone.
2. He said also that it could be at the switching office, that "something" is no releasing, which would make that SBC's problem.
Ain't deregulation great? More choices, more price and less service.
posted by LTLOP at 02:20 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
I just paid my bill to AT&T with the DSL and it hasn't been increased yet like it was stated in the very first post. I don't like Buckeye cable modem because I've experienced slow web service, too many maintenance issues which requires workers coming out everytime, and their e-mail account is pure crap (i.e. out-of-control spams).
With the AT&T DSL which I have had for several years, I am very happy with it and had no problems.
posted by HolyHolyToledo at 02:57 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
People with a problem like that who don't even bother to get it addressed drive me crazy.
The WHAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMBULANCE is reporting to your call, A/C.
Thank you for that valuable contribution, troll.
Please go die in a fire.
posted by anonymouscoward at 03:13 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Hey katie, you do know that by buying a domain name, your name/address/phone number goes into the WHOIS database, yes?
Not a wise idea for someone who is OMFG TERRIFIED of someone stalking them.
All my domain names have privacy service on them. :)
posted by anonymouscoward at 03:16 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Oh yes - I do know this. But then again - I don't care b/c I have nothing to hide :-)
You must realize that the reverse is also true? Where there is a trace - there is a counter trace?
Do YOU know by your internet history you leave not only your name, email and registry name but your geographical location (only as close as one can ding you?)
Did you know,,,that every email YOU send has a history and oh 'snap' a user name?
posted by katie82640 at 05:05 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
:-)
You didn't know that did you Now I know who YOU are and you don't know who I am.
Gee whiz - life gets really interesting doesn't it?
posted by katie82640 at 05:13 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Did you know,,,that every email YOU send has a history and oh 'snap' a user name?
HELLO KATIE THIS IS EARTH CALLING, DO YOU READ?
I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THIS INTERNET THINGY FOR MORE THAN 11 YEARS NOW, I KNOW TONS MORE ABOUT IT THAN YOU.
THAT'D BE NICE *IF* I SENT YOU ANY EMAILS, BUT I HAVE NEVER DONE SO.
Do YOU know by your internet history you leave not only your name, email and registry name but your geographical location (only as close as one can ding you?)
Wrong. About the only useful info you get is an IP address and a timestamp. As for a "registry" name, what the hell are you talking about? I can also easily fake my USER_AGENT string in a browser or mail client or any number of other things. Or go through an anonymous proxy. Or an anonymous remailer. From an open wireless access point. Using a spoofed MAC address. Much good the IP address is at that point.
posted by anonymouscoward at 05:32 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Thanks for all the responses.
AC, I did research the issue with being kicked off and while I can't recall the specifics, something about what I learned led me to believe that the problem was with my own phone lines. Which wouldn't surprise me given some of the other things that I've discovered about this house since I've been here. I didn't want to open that can of worms and the last time I called tech support for SBC, I could barely understand the person I was talking to. Therefore, I will usually try to solve the problem on my own. It hasn't yet been enough of a priority over the 85 million other things I need to take care of. :)
LTLOP, I'm 99.9999% sure that the filters are connected properly. That was one of the things that we checked out first. But it won't hurt for me to look again. I still have the old four-prong phone jacks, using converters. I don't know if that's part of my problem but if it is, it's not something I have time to tackle right now.
The biggest downside to switching is having to change that email address. It's not the one I use for my personal account, but it is the one I use for all the domains I have registered and numerous other things. So, if I can get the momentary disconnect issue worked out AND get the price lowered, it might be worth it to stay.
That being said... I am still curious about the digital cable. Can anyone here tell me what channels they have included? Buckeye's website lists channels in groups. I'm curious what, if any, of those groups come with the service and which ones end up costing a few dollars more per month.
Katie, I'll send you an email momentarily... thanks!
posted by valbee at 05:38 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Gosh darn it! I'm sick of you 2 bickering!
*quickly locks Katie & AC in a padded room*
Now both of you talk it out!
;)
posted by MrsPhoenix at 05:44 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Sorry Mrsphoenix - I must have missed something? I was just discussing SBC with valbee?
posted by katie82640 at 05:48 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
No ma'am that was just in response to your's and his earlier "exchange" in this thread regarding identity. And it was a halfway joke (kinda)
posted by MrsPhoenix at 05:50 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
As far as the cable lineup. I'm looking at the channel lineup now, if you get the standard service you get channels 02-79, to get these you don't need a converter just the cable line running into the house hooked directly to your tv. If you get the basic converter you will automatically get channels 111-219 and 799. These are included with the extra $5 you pay for the converter. Everything else after that is extra. For cable I pay about $55 per month. To be honest, I could do without the converter since I rarely go above Food Network but without the converter you don't get the channel guide. This lets you scroll through the channel listings, get info about a specific program and still watch one channel. i.e. I get to flip through the channels without honking off the wife. To me the channel guide is the only reason to keep the converter. I hop this helps.
posted by LTLOP at 05:53 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Oh Starling :-) you know I love ya' - you are one of the few optimists left. And one of a very few with a sense of right and wrong.
Therefore I do heartily apologize for all that I have done wrong.
I have, in fact scrolled up and seen that earth was somehow calling me and I was derelict in my responsibility to answer this time altering call.
In fact, I apologize to all of mankind for failing to answer this call.
I had too much tequila and nachos last night and have had severe diarrhea and a new husband all day today. ??? WTF.
If only I had been stronger...God help us all.
posted by katie82640 at 05:57 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
valbee, sounds like you need a nice interior phone rewire job with Cat-5 being strung around, if you're still on ancient four-prong wiring. I don't want to know what the pros want for that sort of a job, but I had to rip it all out of my grandma's house and run new. If you're paying the "interior wire maintenance plan" extortion fee, then AT&T (which is what SBC is now) is responsible to come out and make your DSL and phone lines work right.
posted by anonymouscoward at 06:23 P.M. EST on Fri Aug 11, 2006 #
Wow katie you're at least better than me. I don't answer my phone. The reason is because 95% of the time it's a telemarketer. The only time I do answer is when I'm in the mood to play "convert the telemarketer to christianity" where I won't even listen to a word they say unless they agree to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
The only outgoing calls I make are to overseas terrorists because I like laughing at the thought of some poor schlub at the NSA having to listen to all my calls that sound like this. "Hi. Mohammad.... whatcha doin? Some language you got there. You always talk like that?"
and then I take solice in knowing that despite the heafty pay raise my job is still better than his. I'm an optomist
posted by MikeyA at 07:51 A.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
mikeyA - now that's funnny...I'll have to remember the 'convert to Christianity' ploy...
Valbee - we just switched some things around. We have the cable services for tv and get a couple of extra packages because of the channels we like to watch. And we've got the wireless hi-speed internet access which we absolutely LOVE! We kept the phone service with AT&T or SBC - whatever it is today - because it covers the fax that we both use for work. We pay only slightly more (about $10) for this set up than we did previously and we got the hi-speed wireless as a result.
No problems with the connections or anything....
posted by MaggieThurber at 04:17 P.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
Just so everyone knows it actually is still technically SBC. When they merged(bought) with ATT they decided to keep the ATT name & logos since everyone knows them. Thats all
posted by LTLOP at 04:32 P.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
Mikey - go here: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
That's the national do not call to sell anything list.
THEN go here - (this is the part that has the balls behind your intention)
It's 24.00 per month. Likely a whole lot less than you spend on medical and about 4 times as likely that you will USE it.
posted by katie82640 at 07:00 P.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
Buckeye TeleSystems had a huge problem when a semi truck "took out" a fiber optic distribution cable on 7/19. I wasn't aware of this because I rarely use the landline (besides it's forwarded to my cell)....never the less, I received a letter from BTS on 7/28 saying that everyone affected by the MaxPipe outage would be credited with a full month of service. Very pro-active to give this credit to all customers, even those who didn't call to whine!
Regarding DoNotCall.gov and the separate "I know who you are" conversation: I'm on the list for all my phones, but still get regular calls. Most recently a call from our local Chamber of Commerce. Their telemarketer wasn't very savvy as I now have HIS phone number, name, and address in Genoa. It was helpful in filing my complaint with DNC.gov!
posted by Alternea at 08:42 P.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
Buckeye's VIP bundle is a good deal. However, I am partial since I work at Buckeye. I am VERY familiar with the phone service....
There are approx. 20,000 Buckeye phone customers now. It has been trouble free at my house for two years now. I leave my cable modem alone and it leaves me alone! :)
There are occasional outages that might run over into the morning due to overnight maintenance or software upgrades, but it's not a regular thing. You might also lose a dial tone if your cable line is knocked down or as someone mentioned earlier - the power in your backup battery runs out during an Edison power outage.
Main issues have been with customer's own inside wiring needing repair and an occasional defective modem - which we will replace for free.
Buckeye phone service comes through our coax network. Unlike Vonage, we don't use the internet to transport phone calls.
If you just buy Buckeye's phone: For $40 you can get Premium TEL service which includes: Unlimited Long Distance, Caller ID (CID), CID over Call Waiting (CW), Auto-redial, Auto-recall, 900 block, DND=Do not Disturb, CFWD=Call Forward, Voicemail, Speed Dial, 3-way calling, Inside Wire maint.
For $30 you get: All of the above except CFWD, Voicemail, and Long Distance is 150 minutes/month, Inside Wire Maint.
For 13.75: Basic phone service, insire wire maintenance included, LD optional at .06/minute, and any features above would be A La Carte at very small fee.
REE INSIRE WIRE MAINTENANCE is included in all Buckeye TEL service packages. If your wiring or modem is shot or gives you trouble, the SERVICE CALLS ARE FREE OF EXTRA COST.
Also, Buckeye's Expanded Local Calling Area is worth looking into.
Check out the details:
The Digital Cable is great and of course, I love my BEX=Buckeye Express Internet. I can't imagine ever having dialup again!
Check it out. Compare prices. You're already taking the best step you can by asking people here.
posted by SillyWabbit at 09:19 P.M. EST on Sat Aug 12, 2006 #
I switched my phone and internet over to all Buckeye about a year ago and except for once for maybe an hour I haven't had any interuption in my service.
I've had Buckeye for TV since I bought this house 12 years ago and I can count on one hand the number of times my cables gone out and still have fingers left over.
The one bad thing might be losing the phone if the power was out but I've got a cell phone so it's not like I'm totally cut off.
The biggest plus for me? When I call the customer service number I know I'm talking to someone local, who speaks english as a first language and it doesn't take 30 minutes to actually get a human on the phone.
posted by OhioKat at 11:13 A.M. EST on Sun Aug 13, 2006 #
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