Internet problems....

8 years ago

I am having ISP problems, and I guess I need to vent, since there is nothing any of you can do, lol!

We live in the country, so our options are limited, to put it mildly. We also do not have a large budget for recreational internet use.

We have previous experience with air cards, DSL, bluetoothing to the iPhone, and now, satellite. Our satellite provider is HughesNet.

I use Houzz, check a couple of blogs, and one other forum site regularly. All of it is S. L. O. W. As in, back in the dial-up days. I get the header. Wait. Sometimes 3-5 minutes. Most times, I don't get pictures at all. Often, I try to post, and it will not GO.

Yesterday DH and I both got fed up, but he sent an email before I could decide to pick up the phone....he had been running regular speed tests on his Laptop, so he had evidence that we were getting little to nothing.

we joked about the "VW effect".., that when you call, suddenly everything speeds up to where it should be, then goes back to slow.......uh huh...

As soon as he logged on, while on the phone with CS, we were getting lightening fast speeds. Over 10 TIMES what we were getting 10 minutes before!!

We are under this contract for 3 more months....but will anything else be any better?? Do they ALL pull this? We went through a similar rigamarole with att....they said that our slow speeds were "impossible", until the technician came out and confirmed it, Lol,

thanks for listening!

Featured Answer

jlc712

8 years ago

We are in a rural area, and satellite is our only option. Our current provider is Rise Broadband, and we had constant issues this past summer. I spent way too much time on the phone with them, and finally contacted their corporate offices to complain. They finally replaced our lines and adjusted the dish, and it's been better lately.

Our only other option is Dish, but it's more expensive, and slower speeds. Keep complaining, send an email to their corporate offices! Good luck :-)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (15)

writersblock (9b/10a)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Satellite is notoriously slow. Going from DSL to that is something like going back to dial up. What you're describing sounds pretty usual to me, and it's one reason why I wouldn't ever do satellite if there were any alternatives at all.

EDIT I've always thought that satellite was the very last resort when there was no other alternative, like way out in the country where you can't get them to install a wired connection.
Springroz
Original Author
8 years ago
Satellite is not worse than OUR DSL was !!

We live 10 miles outside of town. There is one DSL wire, and there are 5 spots available. There are about 15 houses on our 1 mile road.
Related Discussions
Motel free internet problem
Q
Comments (6)
What SMTP (outgoing) server were you using? Unless your ISP has a specific outgoing server that allows you to connect when you're outside their network, that was your problem. Most hotel broadband connections, wired or wireless, don't have their own mail servers. Thus you have to have one of your own that will let you logon securely from a random connection to the Net. Try using a account at Yahoo, Hotmail or log onto ISP online account and send through them.
...See More
Internet Explorer problem today?
Q
Comments (17)
Thank you for your replies. Something bad is definitely going on for the first time ever--10 years for me. By deleting all temp internet files and cookies, yahoo and ancestry seem back to normal. But when I try to check my current version of Java, I get this message-- "Java has discovered application components that could indicate a security concern." I ran a full system scan with Norton two days ago. It gives me the green arrow that all is ok. Removed 36 items. But last night I got violent warnings from IE that I was under attack by viruses and Trojan horses and to click to deal with. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Was not sure if it was really from IE. I shut down IE and went to Norton which also showed an attack and that they dealt with it. Then I ran another full system scan. Mama mia--terror. It found 31 items and deleted them. Everything is running fine except that Java is still giving me the same message as above when I try to find my version. Norton shows that I was attacked by a Trojan horse associated with Java but it was deleted and no further action is necessary--their words. The Trojan horse is-- a0ee3d65141.class--not sure if that is a zero or the letter O. So what is going on? And I am packing for the airport. My NAV just renewed a few days ago and I have the latest version. Thank you.
...See More
internet explorer problem
Q
Comments (15)
When installing Norton as a Comcast customer, the download is from Norton. I was a Norton Customer before becoming a Comcast customer and other than a bit of brand signage, the Norton Suite doesn't appear to have different versions. There's no need for any third party uninstaller program - if you look on your program menu under Norton Security Suite, one of the choices is Norton Uninstall. I can tell you from my own experience that that utility works very comprehensively. I once had a corrupted file that required an uninstall - reinstall that wasn't working for me, and Norton Tech Support used that tool on a remote connection. OP, I'm glad everything is working for you again.
...See More
No phone but internet OK
Q
Comments (6)
40 mile an hour winds here today. I kept expecting everything to go poof LOL. I know the feeling of not having a phone. That's the reason I always keep a regular phone around, knowing this electronic stuff will blow when the wind does hahaha. But, now I have Comcast and would be up a creek with no phone, no TV, and no internet either. Hang in there, Mush.
...See More
writersblock (9b/10a)
8 years ago
Yeah, that's a bad location for DSL, for sure. Is cable not available where you are? I don't have it because it's very unreliable around here, but I don't think that's the case everywhere.
chispa
8 years ago
We had satellite internet about 15 years ago and it was ok at that time compared to the other available providers. We now have internet through the cable company and have had issues. We paid extra for higher speeds and they can't deliver the speeds they sell and charge a premium for. DH got so fed up that he filed a complaint with the FCC ... you should have seen how quickly the cable company had a technician here after that call!! They always blame our inside lines, which we have had checked by others and they are working perfectly. We got credited months of premium payments for speeds they could not deliver.
OutsidePlaying
8 years ago
Do you have cell coverage in your rural area? If so, have you tried a mifi hotspot thru your cellphone carrier? We have Verizon and have used their system for several years now. I know AT&T also offers similar devices. Here is an example. We pay around $60/month for 30 GB of data plus a discount we get and have a 2-year contract. Plus it is portable and secure so we can take it with us when we travel in case we don't have free wifi where we are staying.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/internet-devices/ellipsis-jetpack-mhs800l/
Springroz
Original Author
8 years ago
We live in a valley. Limestone hills on three sides. Very poor for cell phone coverage, even though at my house, it is the best on the block, because my house is halfway up the hill. The rest of the homes are down by the road.

cable?? What is THAT?? Lol...
OutsidePlaying
8 years ago
Well if you have decent cell coverage, you might get your provider to let you try the mifi. IIRC we could return it with no penalty & full refund within a certain time period (24-48 hrs-?) if it didn't work.
User
8 years ago
I've never had satellite for internet, but am wondering if Dish or Directv might at least fair better? Hughes is very expensive in our area and I've never heard great things about it.
4boys2
8 years ago
DirectTv contracts out their internet service- HughesNet being one of the subs used.

I probably should shop around because I pay $90 a month for Comcast.
Springroz
Original Author
8 years ago
I have directv...now they are owned by att....I was TRYING not to have all the eggs in one basket, as I have never been thrilled with att, but soon I suppose they will scarf up Hughesnet !! Att is the ONLY cell service with enough coverage for DH when he travels the hinterlands for his job.

We have been experimenting with unplugging the equipment in various ways to see if something is sucking up data overnight. We lost a little bit last night with the thing completely unplugged!! How is that possible?
User
8 years ago
We have Comcast and for a long time, it would get incredibly slow every night after 7:00 or so. It' took months of calling and B*tching but they finally came out to do some testing. As it turned out they found one house in a subdivision down the street that had "something" going on that was hoarding all the juice (The Comcast manager's words not mine). The pain they put their customers through before they finally get off their duffs to check things out is frustrating.
Michael
8 years ago
Have you tired the Customer Care tools and troubleshooting features? It's always worth a try.

Customer Care Tools
Springroz thanked Michael
gsciencechick
8 years ago
We got an upgraded modem through Time Warner, but my computer started taking a long time to load pages. I thought it was my wireless card going. So, I ordered a USB wireless from Amazon, and now I am able to load pages much faster and download videos. So, maybe it's that?

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H28H8DU?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H28H8DU?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0)
Springroz thanked gsciencechick
Springroz
Original Author
8 years ago
@brushworks....yes, that is where DH gets the tests, tokens, etc.

@gsciencechick....thanks! DH says that is not what we need. And I have no way to plug that into my ipad...

@lukkirish..mine cuts "off" at 4:03 PM . After that, reading is mostly waiting.

We are going to tough out the next 3 months to fulfill our contract, then try switching to the local cellular company that offers satellite internet. One of our neighbors switched, and so far is pleased.

Internet problems....

jlc712

Comments (15)

writersblock (9b/10a)

Springroz
Original Author

Related Discussions

writersblock (9b/10a)

chispa

OutsidePlaying

Springroz
Original Author

OutsidePlaying

User

4boys2

Springroz
Original Author

User

Michael

gsciencechick

Springroz
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Internet problems....

Comments (15)

SpringrozOriginal Author

Related Discussions

SpringrozOriginal Author

SpringrozOriginal Author

SpringrozOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Springroz
Original Author

Springroz
Original Author

Springroz
Original Author

Springroz
Original Author