I continue to have trouble with Skybeam, my Internet Service Provider. I called again today and was given the same status that I’ve been given for a month: it’s been assigned to someone who is actively working it. Really?
As nicely as I could, I told the tech support person that words like “astounded they can’t fix this problem in a month” and “incompetent” come to mind.
Here’s the deal. I have their 7 Mbps service, which actually means (in their interpretation—this is a non-standard interpretation) that I get 5 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. Sometime in the first week in December, 2011, this was reversed, meaning 2 down and 5 up. I’ve been calling in every few days to see what the status is. The plain fact is that someone updated a parameter somewhere and it’s causing this problem not just for me, but for other customers in the area. (I know this for a fact—I spoke at length with one who’s being given the same non-answer I’m getting. Skybeam has also told me that this affects several customers in my area. And, yes, they’ve looked at the configuration of my telephone adapter, which also serves as my home router, and the radio up on the roof. A Skybeam service representative has been to my home twice, both times telling me it’s a “network problem” and something he can’t fix.) My service acts just like it should for a healthy link: low ping times, good VoIP telephone service (I use Skybeam’s offering), and few outages. But, the downlink limits me to 2 Mbps, just as it would if that’s were all I was paying for. But that’s not what I’m paying for. (For completeness I add that they’ve comped me a couple months.)
A month to find a stupid configuration error like this? Good grief! There aren’t that many pieces of equipment between me and where Skybeam hooks into the larger internet.
I live in a very rural area. I’m grateful that Skybeam provides Internet service. But I do lots of stuff over the web and 2 Mbps is simply inadequate. I can’t even watch my own YouTube videos without pausing them and waiting several minutes for them to load enough to play.
Until early December I recommended Skybeam. Several people started Skybeam service at my recommendation. Now I am pointing people away from Skybeam to whatever alternative they can find. At the moment I can’t find an appropriate alternative. The moment I do so, I plan to jump ship.
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I am considering signing up with Skybeam and so I was searching the web for reviews and came across your post. I have 1.5/0.896 DSL. My DSL constantly retrains (several times a day) often at lower rates and the tech support people are unable to fix it. So even your problem Skybeam connection is far superior to mine.
I used to have Keyon before DSL. Keyon was bought out by Skybeam, but they changed the network technology, so I am hoping it works better. My neighbor claims it does. So I will get them out to my place for a site survey and see what they can give me.
When I had a router problem with Keyon, I discovered that no one knew how to program the router, but because they have multiple routers, you might be able to ask if they can move you to a different router. That worked for me.
Yep. Same thing with me. I have a 3 Mb connection package, but I only get 0.25. What are you going to do with 0.25 Mbits? The service reps are useless. I’ve been trying to get this fixed for a week, and I’ve spoken with five different people. I truly wish I had an alternative, but like you, I live in the middle of nowhere. I think they know there’s nothing we can do but [complain], brother.