
AT&T U-Verse almost a complete failure - there
http://leaf.dragonflybsd.org/mailarchive/users/2011-02/msg00074.html
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tptacek
One of the rare instances where we might be better served with a title
different from that of the article. Even Matt Dillon probably wouldn't suggest
U-Verse is a "complete failure" for normal people.

U-V (I _hate_ this name) is AT&T's high-speed service; it's FTTN (fat pipe to
a DSLAM in the alley) 10-15mb over phone copper. It's a triple-play service
(you get your TV and phone over it). I know a bit about it because, uh, I have
it.

Dillon is pissed because the U-V router/firewall, which you can't really
replace, is so bad that it breaks power user configurations. He's right, it
does. BitTorrent also chokes it (yay!). I can add other problems: the set-top
boxes are flaky, the reliability isn't awesome, customer service is atrocious.

On the other hand: it is f-a-s-t and cheap. I had Comcast before it, and
before that I had Speakeasy (who I'd been loyal to since before the Best Buy
takeover until I couldn't ignore the terrible performance anymore). I wouldn't
go back to any of them. I hear good things about Vzn's fiber service, but in
Chicago, I think AT&T is the best available bet.

~~~
w1ntermute
> Dillon is pissed because the U-V router/firewall, which you can't really
> replace, is so bad that it breaks power user configurations. He's right, it
> does.

I don't know which router you and he have, but the one I have (a 2wire, don't
know the model details) is configured to DMZ a pfSense box. I can torrent, use
Vonage (QoSed in pfSense), etc.

I agree that they have atrocious customer service (still having connectivity
issues after numerous technician visits due to old/crappy last mile cabling),
but what large ISP's don't?

~~~
jedsmith
> (a 2wire, don't know the model details)

Probably 3800HG (V?), or something else in the 3000 series. I haven't been
inside AT&T for many years, but Lightspeed/U-verse is all the 2wire
3000-series ("MediaPortal?" Fuzzy on that).

When I first started in IT I teched its regular DSL brother, the 2701. I still
have one flashed with employee firmware, which unlocks what AT&T doesn't want
you to have (parental controls and remote management and so on).

I say this without any former employee bias (my parting from Ma Bell was
unsavory at best): the HomePortal line is a pretty solid device, for its
target market. At least with traditional DSL if you don't dig the device (and
if you know what QoS means, you won't), there's a plethora of other things out
there. You can find something else to do gateway things, and the 2701 will act
as solely a DSL modem if you ask it nicely.

Lightspeed/U-verse, though, well...

> I agree that they have atrocious customer service (still having connectivity
> issues after numerous technician visits due to old/crappy last mile cabling)

Finding an excuse to blame it on your in-house wiring, too?

Count your blessings, though, I'm in the same boat with Comcast and I pay per-
visit unless I yell, which I hate doing because I've sat in that chair.

~~~
w1ntermute
> Finding an excuse to blame it on your in-house wiring, too?

Actually, no. The technicians visited, looked at the in-house wiring,
discovered new problems, looked at the last mile cabling, agreed it was in
very poor shape, and then proceeded to replace only parts of it, most likely
in order to save money. After several complaints, they've replaced the
majority of it, but there are still times when the connection goes down.

------
alanh
Wondering, “The heck is U-Verse?” The AT&T website doesn’t say†, so here’s
Wikipedia: [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/AT%26T_U-
vers...](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/AT%26T_U-verse)

> _AT &T U-verse is a registered service mark under which AT&T offers VDSL and
> ADSL2+ services in various parts of the United States. It provides broadband
> internet access, TV, and phone through a fiber-to-the-node or Fiber to the
> Premise communications network._

† _it merely, inscrutably says “everything is better” on U-Verse. And requires
Adobe Flash to say so._

------
Encosia
For different data point, I'm ecstatic about U-verse here. It's definitely the
fastest, most-stable residential Internet connection I've had. I know that
some cable service and things like FiOS are faster, but U-verse is the fastest
thing available to me here in the 'burbs.

I believe I do have a different router/modem than he's describing though.
Mine's a 2Wire that doesn't seem to be as invasive. My only gripe is that it
doesn't support 802.11n.

~~~
trustfundbaby
I don't use U-verse, but everybody I know that has it swears by it, which is
why I was surprised at the sentiment of this article.

Looking at all the technical gripes the user raises, I guess its just another
case of average person vs enthusiast-geek gap rearing its ugly head again.

~~~
raganwald
_another case of average person vs enthusiast-geek gap rearing its ugly head
again._

That's certainly a valid perspective if the reason that it works for the
average person is the reason that it breaks for the enthusiast. e.g. one
button mice, no user accounts on an iOS device, and so on.

However, if it appears to work for an average user but irritates the
enthusiast for no reason other than apathy on the part of the vendor, this is
not the same calibre of trade-off.

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klinquist
I pay a lot ($109/mo including 5 static IPs), but I am extremely pleased with
Comcast's business class DOCSIS3 cable. 22/5 guaranteed, never seen less than
~35/8. No limits, no throttling/blocking, great SLA. When I first got DOCSIS3
I was dropping packets. Called them at 5:30PM and someone was at my front door
20 minutes later.

------
headShrinker
I switched my friend to U-Verse one year ago from Comcast. The switch was...
PAINFUL. After repeated service calls and guys climbing the poll outside, the
picture and internet worked fairly well. Did it work with our state-of-the-art
home theater I just installed? NOPE. When we adopted U-Verse AT&T didn't
support 5.1 or 7.1 sound over HDMI. Only 2.0 sound would be available. I was
sooo upset. I spent hours complaining to the tech support, they insisted it
did support it. Higher level tech would reveal the cablebox is running a
version of MS Windows that only supports 2.0 sound over HDMI. While all this
is happening AT&T is running commercials all over the place advertising HD
picture and digital surround sound.

EDIT: months later a box software update was released to fix the problem. AT&T
was almost completely silent during the issue, and acted like they did me a
favor when it was fixed.

~~~
jedsmith
> Higher level tech would reveal the cablebox is running a version of MS
> Windows that only supports 2.0 sound over HDMI.

No equipment associated with U-verse runs Windows, aside from a PC connected
to it.

~~~
bosch
Actually, the whole U-verse system is running off of Microsoft Mediaroom 2.

------
ben1040
My only gripe with U-Verse was that they have had a ridiculously long-standing
problem with DNS (this was a problem when I had the service installed in 2008
and there's nearly a 2-year-old thread on DSLReports about it). Downloads were
super fast but the DNS latency made browsing feel painfully slow.

I threw the AT&T provided router into "DMZ plus" mode (which is the closest
you'll ever get to bridge mode), then used my own wireless base station with
Google DNS programmed into it, with no problems after that.

Last year I moved and can't get it at my house right now, and ended up back
with Charter who is giving me 18/1.5 internet service for $40/month. I had
been paying AT&T $65/month for 24 down/3 up before.

------
bosch
In Canada the company in the west that's running this is Telus and they have
the exact same issue. Originally they were offering it with the 15mb and 19mb
ADSL 2+ profiles with a Thomson Speedtouch modem and a D-Link gateway or you
could substitute your own router. When they moved to the VDSL2 profiles they
started using the Actiontec VDSL modem/router combo which is a requirement.

There's no way to turn bridge mode on and the best you can do is turn on the
DMZ and run your own router out of that. However, you're then double NAT'd
which possibly could slow your connection down and it also allows the ISP to
have a direct line into your personal network with wich they can mess any
settings.

The main complaint is that the ISPs used to just own the line form the node to
your modem and now they are DEMANDING to control your internal network as well
which is a fucking joke.

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CoachRufus87
I live in Austin and got uverse for $30 / month. 10 megabits down and 1.5 up.
I honestly can't complain.

