Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)
8. I'm dumping my AT&T DSL as soon as Google finished installing fiber in my neighborhood.
Thu Aug 6, 2015, 07:54 AM
Aug 2015

For various reasons I'm keeping my landline.
About 10 years ago someone digging near me cut a major trunk cable-knocked out service to 50,000 customers. AT&T did a hurry up job of splicing and it wasn't done right.
About every 5 months or so, either my phone would get a loud hum and I couldn't break dial tone, my DSL would drop, or both.
Call their 800# and wade through the options until you finally get someone in India reading from a script. "I already did all that BEFORE I called you. That's why I called you"
Usually somehow by 5 PM it would start working again. Each time AT&T would threaten to send someone out and check my house wiring and charge me big $ if it was me instead of them.
I would say go ahead. After about 4 years of this, finally one day there's a knock on the door.
The rep checks the wiring and says there's nothing wrong with your house wiring-it's perfect. Then he added that he noticed I used Cat 6 cable to wire the phone lines.
I told him that when I rewired I used the cable since it had multiple shielded pairs since I also set up my VOIP phone around the house. He nodded and said that was a good idea.
He then went on up the street to the local junction box, came back after about 10 minutes and said no problem between there and the house so it had to be up the line somewhere.
I told them that I bet the problem was up the road where the trunk had been cut and his comment was that I was probably right.
About an hour later he came back and said check it now. The phone line was clear without a trace of any kind of noise and my DSL speed was about 20% faster than it had ever been before.
I said thanks and he smiled and said "I found you a GOOD pair of wires."
It's been about 5 years now and I haven't had any problems since.

BUt since every month there's a new fee or price increase on my internet service I'm dumping them.

AT&T had been, by far, the worst service provider I have ever encountered. demmiblue Aug 2015 #1
thank you. barbtries Aug 2015 #2
a t and t LordshipLadyship Aug 2015 #3
thanks barbtries Aug 2015 #4
ATT and Direct TV WiffenPoof Aug 2015 #5
as it turns out barbtries Aug 2015 #6
No doubt.... WiffenPoof Aug 2015 #7
I'm dumping my AT&T DSL as soon as Google finished installing fiber in my neighborhood. hobbit709 Aug 2015 #8
Every time I go to leave AT&T I end up sticking around. ileus Aug 2015 #9
eek! barbtries Aug 2015 #10
Yeah eek indeed. ileus Aug 2015 #11
oh, gotcha barbtries Aug 2015 #13
Dropped them years ago as my cell provider TexasBushwhacker Aug 2015 #12
that is BS. barbtries Aug 2015 #14
AT&T is the worst. My mothers swears they gave her cancer. mackerel Aug 2015 #15
from endless hours spent with the techs? barbtries Aug 2015 #16
Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»is anyone else being tort...»Reply #8