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The Best And Worst ISPs According To Consumer Reports (dslreports.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the pros-and-cons dept.

In the August 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, the nonprofit organization ranked internet service providers based off customer satisfaction. According to the report, many consumers still don't like their broadband and television provider, and don't believe they receive a decent value for the high price they pay for service. DSLReports summarizes the findings: The report [...] names Chattanooga municipal broadband provider EPB as the most-liked ISP in the nation. EPB was followed by Google Fiber, Armstrong Cable, Consolidated Cable and RCN as the top-ranked ISPs in the nation. Google Fiber "was the clear winner for internet service," notes the report, "with the only high score for value." Google Fiber also received high marks for customer support and service. But large, incumbent ISPs continue to be aggressively disliked due to high prices and poor customer service, according to the report. Despite endless annual promises that customer service is the company's priority, Comcast ranked number 27 out of the 32 providers measured. The company's survey results were weighed down by low consumer marks for value, channel selection, technical support, customer service and free video on demand offerings. The least-liked ISPs in the nation, according to the report, are: Charter (Spectrum), Cable ONE, Atlantic broadband, Frontier Communications, and Mediacom. Not coincidentally, the two largest ISPs in that list just got done with massive mergers or acquisitions that resulted in higher prices and worse service than consumers saw previously. MyRatePlan has a breakdown of ISP providers and plans by ZIP code.

90 comments

  1. 32 providers? by DogDude · · Score: 2

    32 providers still exist? I thought we were down to about 4.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:32 providers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      only 2 around here...

    2. Re:32 providers? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      I am kinda shocked. Isn't Comcast usually the worst? As in, aren't they kinda famous just for that?

      I'm a bit disappointed. They really don't seem to have put much effort into it this year. I'm half convinced, if only by the myriad stories, that they actually work hard to achieve their status as the worst ISP (and sometimes customer service - across all industries). I hope they work harder next year. These stories are a great source of amusement.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:32 providers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They didn't even mention my provider, Sonic. Sonic is without question the best ISP in the United States. Not only have I rarely had issues with the service, but their techs are real techs. I can call them up and speak to them as one tech to another and they will adjust and tweak settings exactly the way I want them to be. No other ISP does this.

    4. Re: 32 providers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There is technically 2 where I live but one is wireless and hardly used by anyone because it's somehow even worse that the hardwired isp we have. They are now rolling out fiber which is good but they way over charge for terrible service we have now so I'm waiting to see the bill.

    5. Re: 32 providers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sonic has incredible tech support. Unfortunately they only provide DSL in our area ~5Mbs :(

    6. Re:32 providers? by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      32 may exist across nation, but in practice most consumers only have access to somewhere between 1 and 3, and they usually suck because you have nowhere else to go and they know it.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    7. Re:32 providers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe let them know. That's kind of their thing. They may have to sue.

    8. Re:32 providers? by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Wait, you actually have a choice?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    9. Re:32 providers? by chrish · · Score: 1

      If there were only four ISPs left down there, you'd be seeing ads gloating about being "Voted top-5 in the nation!" from all of them.

      Like how Bell up here is advertising being the "fastest ranked" mobile network. WTF does that even mean when most people have no useful way of comparing?

      --
      - chrish
    10. Re:32 providers? by Solandri · · Score: 1

      Most (all?) are small regional providers. There are a few scattered municipalities across the U.S. which allow 2+ cable companies to compete. I lived in a suburb of Boston when the city allowed a second cable company to enter the market. Immediately my cable company (the one which used to have a monopoly) cut my monthly bill by $10/mo (about 17%), added about a dozen channels to their basic tier TV lineup, and announced they would be rolling out speed upgrades of about 50% over the next 3 months at no increased cost. Service repair times went from a 1-2 week wait with a 8 hour window (basically 8-4), to a 1-3 day wait with a 4 hour window (morning or afternoon).

      The cable companies aren't the problem - they're capable of lower prices, more and faster service, and better repair service. It's these stupid monopolies the local governments have granted them which leads to the lack of effort, abusive behavior, and exorbitant prices.

    11. Re:32 providers? by Creepy · · Score: 1

      Depends on how you look at it... given the current FCC definition of broadband being 25 down/3 up, that leaves Comcast for fixed line service, but my mobile phone can do 4G LTE (Advanced, though that is just a marketing term because the original marketed "4G" didn't meet the spec requirements), which does. I only get 5GB of that and get throttled service after 100GB, which is why I haven't considered upping that to unlimited and cutting the cord (which is probably expensive, but cheaper than paying for another service).

    12. Re: 32 providers? by Creepy · · Score: 1

      Consider yourself fortunate. I can get DSL through CenturyLink as competition to Comcast (other than wireless, which has its own issues - mainly low thresholds for throttled bandwidth or restricted or no unlimited plans). CenturyLink and Comcast compete for who can provide the worst service in my area. Before CenturyLink, I had Qwest and before that US West, which I called Qworst and US Worst. Honestly, CenturyLink was a HUGE step above Qworst and US Worst, but I still hear horror stories that rival my Comcast one (which is 20 years old now - basically couldn't get them to cancel, and my sister-in-law had the same problem with CenturyLink).

    13. Re:32 providers? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      This. So much.

      I have one broadband ISP providing service at my suburban address. The price I'm paying for their lowest-tier 50 Mbps plan with a 250GB cap has gone up nearly 50% in the last two years because they're the only place in town offering broadband speeds. The next closest is the DSL ISP, which offers 3 Mbps. That's not a typo.

      Every time I finish dealing with the ISPs around here, I have to check the calendar to confirm that I am indeed living in 2017, just because it feels like I'm stepping back in time whenever I have to deal with them.

  2. insert generic racist troll here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    please see subject. Thankyou for browsing at -1.

    1. Re:insert generic racist troll here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The best racial intermix for an ISP is 58.0% White and 34.9% Black.

  3. How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I work IT for a property management company, and we've lost tenants over Comcast. They are very angry at all of the problems that never get fixed, and the cables Comcast leaves strung across parking lots and sidewalks.

    1. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My small neighborhood's HOA even hired a lawyer to try to get Comcast to bury all of their cables. We failed. The neighborhood is only 75 houses, but for as long as I can remember since I moved here almost a decade ago, there's always been at least one cable left across a driveway. Currently, there's a cable going from my front yard to my neighbor behind me. His service is flaky now since the cable isn't UV resistant, and the outside insulator is starting to fall off from being in the sun for nearly two years.

    2. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesnt mean they are the worst at it :-) Maybe they just suck where you are. Here a crew turned up to thrust a new cable underground to our house (the previous cable install predated Comcast by years and hadn't been used for a long long time - they had no record of this address ever having cable connected), the ground is full of rocks, it took them several hours to get it done, and they put my lawn back together nicely afterwards. The inside cable install was neatly done, the guy appear to take his time to do a nice job. Which is more than I can say about the cowboy electrician my heatpump installer used to run a new 220V circuit who butchered my house in the process because he didnt have the right tools.

    3. Re: How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Their installers always tell the lie that someone else will bury it.

    4. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I once moved to a place with a longer commute and higher rent just so I could switch from Mediacom to Comcast.

    5. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course you'll lose tenants over comcast, or any shitty ISP.

      Internet service is a necessity now. People are willing to pay more to rent a place that has good internet service. All the stainless steel luxury appliances in the world will not convince a tech worker to settle for shitty internet.

    6. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      How is that even legal? I wouldn't want to cut a neighbour's internet connection, but if the company just strung a cable through my yard, I'd be sorely tempted to cut it. Or have a little accident with the lawn mower.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    7. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      That's pretty much what I was going to say. Heck, I think I'd pay a mowing service come over and mow my artificial turf on a weekly basis if they left a cable running across my yard for two years....

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    8. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      creimer?

    9. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I'd simply charge them for putting their crap on my property. I don't know about your jurisdiction, but in mine, if you put stuff on my ground, you either pay me rent, you forfeit property or you pay my cost to have it removed and trashed.

      And I get to choose which one it is.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    10. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by ls671 · · Score: 1

      Of course you'll lose tenants over comcast, or any shitty ISP.

      Internet service is a necessity now...

      Necessity my ass.

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
    11. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Salgak1 · · Score: 2

      Yes, Comcast **DOES** suck where I am. That would be Planet Earth. . . .

    12. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      The right tools as in what? I'm an electrician and have done residential and commercial. In a house it doesn't take many tools to run a wire. And if there was no way to access the wall from in the attic that means there has to be atleast 2 holes cut in drywall to get down a wall. I don't like when people indiscriminately talk bad about tradesmen when chances are they don't know what the job takes.

    13. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      LoL

    14. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      People really get their necessitys and luxarys mixed up here.

    15. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by AntronArgaiv · · Score: 1

      Seriously, I seldom have any issues with Comcast. The service, which is all I care about, is up most of the time and at an acceptable speed.

      The only trouble I've ever had with them, is when I try to change something. They have terrible customer service. Not surly, but inefficient. You can't rely on anything they say, or that they will do what they say they will do.

      Example: They called one day, and told me the cable modem I had needed to be replaced. I originally got that modem from MediaOne, then AT&T bought them, then Comcast bought the business. So it had a MediaOne serial number. Comcast laughed when I told them this and said I needn't return it when I got the new modem. Guess what? Got the new modem, installed it, stashed the old one in a corner..because I KNEW they would ask for it. Sure enough, about 2 weeks later, I get a letter in the mail from Comcast, telling me they're going to charge me unless I return the modem. Which I did. by Certified Mail, return receipt...after recording the serial number and model. No more problems.

      When they jacked the monthly modem rental up to $10 (it started at $5), I ordered my own off Amazon. Easy install, it came up with a web page that asked me for my Comcast username and password, and all has been good since (except I have to reset the damn thing every time they mess with their network). I returned their modem to one of their storefronts, and got a receipt. No problems.

      So, I can't complain, except about the cost, and the constant threat of usage caps, which haven't been implemented in the Boston area yet. As soon as they try that, I'm switching to FIOS. Already have the fiber and terminal unit installed from when they yanked my copper POTS line.

      So, their new tag line should be: "It's COMCASTic -- we're not the worst!"

    16. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by AntronArgaiv · · Score: 1

      The right tools as in what? I'm an electrician and have done residential and commercial. In a house it doesn't take many tools to run a wire. And if there was no way to access the wall from in the attic that means there has to be atleast 2 holes cut in drywall to get down a wall. I don't like when people indiscriminately talk bad about tradesmen when chances are they don't know what the job takes.

      My experience with installers has been that they do the absolute quickest job they can. They are paid by the job, not by the hour, I guess.
      A good tradesman is a joy to work with, but a contract installer? I'd rather do it myself.

    17. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      You have a good point there. The cable installers aren't tradesmen and they normally are paid piece work which is shitty pay unless you're fast. But he was talking a tradesman electrician to be exact. And that is where my comment came in. Any time I've had cable "installed" in a place I live I tell them make it live at the D-Mark and I will do the rest. They spew some shit about how any work inside the house afterwards will be a service charge and I tell them they will never be asked to service wires inside the house. And half the time I have had to re terminate the end they put on coming from the street as they are like I said normally sub-par.

    18. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ummm not sure where you live, but if you look at your survey you will most likely find you have easements which entitle utilities to cross parts of your property. Good luck on your plan to collect rent.

      That being said the utilities should be burying their outside plant or stringing it on poles....leaving it on the ground seems to make it fair game for the hazards likely to befall it.

    19. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Despite the fact the HOA will fine you for not maintaining it, it's probably not the homeowner's property, but part of the right-of-way that includes easements for cables, electricity, water, etc and theoretically can be used to expand the road if need be.

      So yeah, it's legal, and if you deliberately cut the cables, you're probably committing criminal property damage.

      That said, as someone who hates HOAs way more than Comcast, the idea they're unable to do anything about a third party's doing something unsightly warms the cockles of my heart. It's just a shame that Comcast's subscribers have to put up with shittier, less reliable, service for the same reason.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    20. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      That's strange, I'd actually recommend Mediacom as an ISP or phone company. Good reliable fast service (currently 100/10 for me).

      As a TV provider however, they're mediocre.

    21. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by b0bby · · Score: 1

      I'd agree - we have a Comcast business connection which we use for moving around backups. It's pretty much always doing 10-20Mbps, 24x7, and over the last couple of years we've had maybe one interruption, where we rebooted the router. The service for us has been solid.

    22. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Nope. They may use public ground (and even there they must use it in a way that doesn't hinder the rest of the population), they may buy my ground (if they insist in putting a mast down on it) or they have to put it high enough or low enough to not bother me.

      Anything else and I'll do with MY cable what I see fit.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    23. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Talk for your own country where corporate interest trumps private property. In mine, anyone who wants to put anything on my property without my consent has to show that the public interest (public interest. Not corporate. Good luck trying that with anything but gas, power and water) outweighs mine AND that he has no other chance to meet this public interest AND that he tried to offer me a reasonable compensation for disadvantaging me.

      This usually leads to very sweet deals with anyone who wants to put cables or even masts onto or into your property, and hence they usually try to stay on public ground where it's apparently easier and cheaper to put cables down.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    24. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by AaronW · · Score: 1

      That reminds me of when my parents' neighbor accidentally dug up the cable line that ran to my parents' house and "fixed" it with wire nuts.

      --
      This post is encrypted twice with ROT-13. Documenting or attempting to crack this encryption is illegal.
    25. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Talk for your own country where corporate interest trumps private property. In mine, anyone who wants to put anything on my property without my consent has to show that the public interest (public interest. Not corporate. Good luck trying that with anything but gas, power and water) outweighs mine AND that he has no other chance to meet this public interest AND that he tried to offer me a reasonable compensation for disadvantaging me.

      Yes, my country has the same thing. As I just tried to explain to you, but you apparently didn't bother to read, the land the cables are being laid upon is almost certainly not private property.

      If you were making a case that the HOA shouldn't force you to maintain the right of way/easement, then that'd be an reasonable response (and I'd agree with you!) But that land is no more the homeowners than the thick strip of tarmac next to it.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    26. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      So it's public property? Wouldn't lie there very long over here either, actually it's even LESS likely to not end in a (quite serious) fine or simply being removed for being a "hazard". If you put something where you shouldn't put it without paying for it, our administration is usually very quick to remind you that you should better pay them to not make your life miserable.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    27. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last time I did that and the installer "accidentally" left the wire for the Network Interface Device caught under the company side of the box. 1015, Vidalia and Walla Walla being the mos common. In Texas, where 1015's are king, all our onions have stickers.

    28. Re:How could Comcast not be at the bottom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, it's a luxury.

      Just like applying for a job.

  4. RCN top rated? by darthsilun · · Score: 1

    Meh, RCN were supposed to come to my town. They signed an agreement with the town. Then they reneged when the economy tanked in 2001 or 2008 (I forget which). The town didn't negotiate any penalty clause, so RCN just walked away.

    We do have Comcast and Verizon FIOS, not that that has made either of them more competitive, nor do I have any proof that if RCN had come that prices would be any different than they are now.

    Regardless, RCN's name is mud AFAIC, right down there with Comcast and FIOS..

  5. All Of Them by FrankHaynes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Everybody HATES their ISP, whichever it is. They all rank the worst.

    --
    slashdot: A failed experiment.
    1. Re:All Of Them by great+om · · Score: 1

      i don't hate FIOS. wish they didn't require me to use their awful Quantum gateway, but am otherwise happy with them (once i disabled their DNS, which shows ads)

      --
      ------- Oh damn.... the Sigfile escaped... -Great OM
    2. Re:All Of Them by KGIII · · Score: 2

      I have Fairpoint DSL. I'm way out in the boondocks. They keep my service up, bill me accurately, and have increased my speed a few times, while not actually charging me extra money. I am quite happy with my ISP.

      However, they're being sold - and I remain dubious. However, it's DSL so the PUC has it setup that I can get service from any company willing to service me. GWI is pretty good, so I can just swap service, if they don't meet expectations.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:All Of Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everybody HATES their ISP, whichever it is. They all rank the worst.

      But I don't hate EPB. I love it. It is the best ISP in the world. It is so great that I encourage people to move to Chattanooga just to subscribe to it.

    4. Re:All Of Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Their small business class allows you to use your own hardware. But you'll pay out the ass for it.

    5. Re:All Of Them by zamboni1138 · · Score: 1

      Hate is such a strong word. I don't hate Christians, Muslims, or Jews. I disagree with Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

      But telecommunication companies (telco's), that's a whole new level of hell that religion couldn't possibly imagine.

      I don't love my ISP (Frontier FIOS), nor do I hate them. On a day-to-day basis they get job done.

      If you truly "hate" your ISP, have no choice, and have a valid reason to complain, please tell the FCC. You might not think it helps, but it does.

    6. Re:All Of Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everybody HATES their ISP, whichever it is. They all rank the worst.

      I don't hate my ISP at all, XS4ALL: www.xs4all.nl

    7. Re:All Of Them by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not true. I like all three ISPs I have contracts with. Granted, I live in a country where you actually have a choice of at least 3 and depending where you are up to 7 or more ISPs to choose from, so they better offer reasonable service at a reasonable price because anyone who doesn't has a short life.

      Welcome to capitalism where competition drives quality up and prices down.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    8. Re:All Of Them by religionofpeas · · Score: 2

      Actually, I'm quite happy with mine. 100/33 Mbps, no caps, excellent customer service, and they'll let me run my own servers, including smtp/http/ssh and games.

    9. Re:All Of Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but I'm quite happy with mine. 365 euros a year (a euro a day) for 1 gigabit symmetrical (FttH).
      And on the few occasions I need to call their helpdesk, they have people who actually understand what they are talking about, not just script-monkeys.
      And if you want to use your own modem/router, they provide all necessary information to set up SIP and IPTV.

    10. Re:All Of Them by MrMr · · Score: 1

      But then, xs4all is more like a cult than an ISP. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... (No affiliation, just a happy brainwashed cult-member)

    11. Re:All Of Them by StormReaver · · Score: 2

      They all rank the worst.

      That's because there are only a few, massive ISP's in the country that control all Internet access. They all know that we have no other choice (we can only switch from one shitty ISP to, at most, one equally shitty ISP), and that they are a zero-sum oligopoly. Since they no doubt collude with each other to keep prices high, they are essentially a single-minded monopoly.

      It's telling that the most loved ISP in the nation is a municipal one. It's more evidence that the model with municipally owned wire and privately run service is the only known model that actually works.

    12. Re:All Of Them by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Meh, I'm OK with Comcast. They haven't f---ed me over. Maybe when I eventually move they will, but they haven't yet. Their service is reliable, it's fast, and other than port 25 and a very high data cap, it's unrestricted. I can RDP into work and get better latency than if I RDP over Wifi from my laptop to my desktop. I can stream pretty much anything in 1080P.

      Now, if Comcast were also my TV provider, I'd probably have a different view, as their TV service is notorious for hidden fees and shitty service, but the ISP side is actually pretty decent.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    13. Re:All Of Them by rleibman · · Score: 1

      I DON'T! Of course, I have consolidated fiber, they bought out Surewest and I was really concerned that their service was going to go to crap, but they've been really good. It's one of the few providers I've ever used where I can talk to a knowledgeable tech easily, I even once had a really thorough conversation about how they should configure their new equipment and they fixed them right away (they were filtering UDP port 53 packets, which was breaking my DNS server). When I bought the current house I live in, I gave it extra points because it was still in the Consolidated/Surewest area.

    14. Re:All Of Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Odd. I'm on Verizon FIOS and am using my own hardware. I just plugged in and away I went. My understanding is as long as there isn't an active DHCP lease, you can plug anything you want into the ethernet port. You may need to get them to activate the ethernet port on the box though.

    15. Re:All Of Them by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      I don't hate my *ISP* (U-verse), I just hate the crippled modem they force me to use. It has no true 'bridge' mode, just a flaky "DMZ" mode that screws up streaming video & causes it to stutter, even with 50mbps service. Apparently, it's that way due to a hardware design flaw (the RG has too little RAM, and the braindead firmware always allocates most of it to their IPTV service, even if you only use them for internet, so the *slightest* bit of LAN traffic causes incoming data to overflow. Youtube's player app interprets this as 'poor connectivity' and turns it into a self-fulfilling prophecy (the CW app is even worse... Netflix, Hulu, and HBO generally work ok).

      Their NEW RG fixes the problem, but they won't allow you to exchange the older model (with design flaw) for a new one unless the old one *literally* breaks. Their excuse is that it would require a truck roll, because they have no process for mailing a new gateway directly to the customer with a working gateway to swap out & call them (then return the old one). Literally, they can only order a truck roll to deliver a new gateway after deactivating the 'broken' one. The rigidity of their workflow and procedures is mind-blowing.

      AT&T blames Youtube for dealing poorly with an error condition that's rarely a problem with any other service, and Youtube blames AT&T for having flaky router firmware. Xbox live seems to have the same problem as Youtube.

  6. Crapcast must be doing something right by real+gumby · · Score: 1

    They are no longer considered the worst?? Wow.

    Slashdot suggest the "related" links "Donald Trump Wins US Presidency" -- must be thinking of dissatisfaction rankings.

  7. Maybe it was multiple choice? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

    Was it multiple choice? And was the answer "All are bad"? If not I want a redo

    Disclaimer:I did not read the article nor the summary, be happy I read half of the title as this is not only an impulse post, it is Slashdot.

    1. Re:Maybe it was multiple choice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, it's worse than that. The actual List is buried behind a Paywall, something that fucking moron BeauHD neglected to mention.
      So everything on this subject is an impulse post, unless somebody coughs up the bux, subscribes, and posts what will be no doubt a massive Copyright violation.

      Hmmm, haven't seen the Captcha before: banned

  8. Meh by Eyezen · · Score: 1

    I have Charter Spectrum in an Ex-Ex-uburb of St Louis and I think its gone down once in the entire time Ive been a subscriber. Of course all im looking for is a pipe to pass bits.

    1. Re:Meh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would hope that Charter doesn't go down close to the HQ. Who knows, maybe one of the Charter bosses lives out there. My experience is a little different. For me, Charter goes down at least once every other week between 11 pm and 1 am. At that time my IP address goes from the standard public address (24.x.x.x or 68.x.x.x) to a 192.168.11.x/24 address.
      The Charter phone was also useless when that happened. In addition to that, when the power went off, even with the SIP modem on a UPS, there was no dial tone. Problem is (according to a former Charter tech) that there's an undocumented signal booster out there somewhere that's UPS has died. They cannot fix it, because they've no idea where it is.

      You also forgot to mention that, in 4 year's time, the price of Internet via Charter has doubled, with the lower speed/cost tiers disappearing about the time they changed their name to Spectrum. They also eliminated the BYOD benefit around the same time, I suspect so they could drop those WiFi mesh units into your house. Since they're the only game in town, everyone has those mesh network routers now. My neighborhood's 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are now so noisy that I had to move my router to maximize LoS to all my devices, and I'm strongly considering wiring the house with Cat 6 again. But Charter will happily sell me access to the WiFi network they put in my house, for only an additional $5/mo.

      We'll get competition soon (in 85 years) - so long as the town doesn't sign another exclusivity contract.

  9. Is there a list somewhere? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I didn't see a ranked list of 32 service providers in the CR article. I just saw a few service providers compared to each other, like in BeauHD's summary. Is there a list of all 32 somewhere?

  10. Anyone else on Suddenlink? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    It's the best ISP around here for bandwidth and availability, but as a cable provider it's limited in this rural area to customers who live on the cable runs. We have movie star mansions which can only get crappy DSL or even the any-port-in-a-storm Commspeed, a WISP that operates at analog modem speeds.

    My one problem with Suddenlink is that it blocks certain sites. Does anyone else have to turn on a VPN to get youdrugstore.com?

    1. Re:Anyone else on Suddenlink? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      Try changing your DNS servers. A lot of Isp's null route illegal sites or know addresses for botnet C&C servers.

  11. Comcast ain't so bad. Here at least. by AlanObject · · Score: 3, Informative

    It seems to be quite the thing to trash Comcast but they have done a reasonably good job in my area.

    When they first acquired the network in my area from AT&T (it was the domain of @Home originally which was pretty much the first cable-modem ISP) I had all sorts of reliability problems. Service would blink out for minutes at a time at random intervals. Very annoying when you are VPNed into the company network or watching a video.

    That persisted for a while but now I have had no downtime for years with DOCSIS 3 service. 100Mbit/sec downloads consistently any time of day.

    Apparently not everyone gets that kind of service which is a shame.

  12. Rating for Webpass? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone know if Webpass was rated? I know it's now owned by Google Fiber, but seriously it's a good service.

    Wireless link from my apartment building to a taller building where the fiber backhaul is, but inside the building every apartment has an ethernet jack that delivers 100mbps symmetrical for $50 a month. Works great, low latency. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, FaceTime, Skype, VoIP and BitTorrent all work great.

  13. Timewarp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    August 2017, right...

  14. Cable Company not synonymous with ISP: Bad data? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Article in reference titled "Is Now the Time to Get Rid of Cable TV?" The article covers Cable Companies...not necessarily ISPs and it focuses on the idea of people cutting their television subscription from the same company to just internet as cable cutters.
    In summary, we're talking Cable Companies and not just Internet. Google Fiber bight be a great value for the money but with Comcast, it might be terrible only because they think watching adverts every 5 minutes and paying for it sucks. Not the same audience.

  15. Whaddya expect? by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    Not coincidentally, the two largest ISPs in that [worst] list just got done with massive mergers or acquisitions that resulted in higher prices and worse service than consumers saw previously.

    Side-effect of living in a plutocracy.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:Whaddya expect? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      This. Usually when two companies merge, it means they can reduce cost and actually lower prices. But when telcos merge, it's because they don't want to compete anymore and instead create a de facto monopoly in certain geographic regions. It's happening here in the Netherlands as well. New Fiber hookups went from 250k a year to 20k a year after KPN (a large telco) bought the company that rolls out most of the fiber. They decided it was going to be cheaper to "upgrade" their existing DSL network, but they weren't too pleased with the competition from superior fiber service, so they killed the fiber company.

      We still have a decent choice mostly because almost every home here has both phone and cable tv lines coming in, meaning there's always at least two providers to choose from. At the moment I can still get 500mb fiber for about €60 a month, and we just got a new law that states customers must be allowed to use their own equipment. But now the phone and cable companies are starting to eye each other, and the business competition watchdog is asleep at the wheel. In half a decade we may have "caught up" with the us.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:Whaddya expect? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. Usually when two companies merge, it means they can reduce cost and actually lower prices. But when telcos merge,...

      Huh? Since when as this been the case even with non-telco companies? As far as I've bee able to tell, mergers never result in lower prices even if the combined entity can reduce costs.

  16. ISP's? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "ISP's"?

    WTF?

    Seriously guys, I'm not even a native speaker and I know that the plural comes without the dash. Right up there in the f...ing headline!

    1. Re:ISP's? by ls671 · · Score: 2

      "ISP's"?

      WTF?

      Seriously guys, I'm not even a native speaker and I know that the plural comes without the dash. Right up there in the f...ing headline!

      Okee then, it is called an apostrophe. A dash is similar to a minus sign but usually wider.

      --
      Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
  17. This refers only to US ISPs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What is it with this site's ongoing assumption that the USA is the only place in the world? Oh well I guess the editors have only had 20 years to figure this out.

    Also, ISPs is a plural, there is really no need for a greengrocer's apostrophe here.

    Finally, who cares which ISPs are better or worse nationally when you still have local monopolies and restricted choice? Even the socialist European countries figured this one out. Go USA, champion of the competitive marketplace! :D

  18. I'm quite happy with EPB by Vegigami · · Score: 1

    They've been my ISP for 6 or 7 years now and I have found very little to complain about. Also, they've doubled the speed of the basic service twice without raising the rates, from 25 to 50 to 100 Mbps. Gigabit service is available, but I don't really have a need for it.

    --


    I can tell you the meaning of life,
    but you have to promise not to laugh.
    1. Re:I'm quite happy with EPB by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      But once you have gigabit you create a need. Wish I had that option available. Only a very small portion of Vegas has those speeds.

  19. Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is that like being the tallest midget? No ISP is really worth a crap. They all have terrible customer service, they all price gouge, they all want to institute bandwidth caps.

  20. Re:Comcast ain't so bad. Here at least. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... but now I have had no downtime for years with DOCSIS 3 service. 100Mbit/sec downloads consistently any time of day.

    Apparently not everyone gets that kind of service which is a shame.

    I had the 100Mbit DOCSIS 3 service out in the thorns of New Mexico of all places. Was pretty solid service. The cable part was okay and it worked with my TIVO, but it was pricey.

  21. Spectrum-Warner isn't too bad by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

    I have triple-play. It's reasonably fast and reliable. It's worth 80-100 bucks. The problem is, it costs twice that!

    --
    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  22. ISP? by ooloorie · · Score: 1

    "channel selection, free video on demand offerings"

    What do these have to do with being an ISP?

    It's hardly surprising that cable providers rank lower than pure ISPs because there is a lot more potential for problems with cable other than actual internet service.

  23. Easements by bagofbeans · · Score: 1

    When my dad got the electric company to install service to his remote property, they had put up an extra pole and step-down transformer. They charged for this, over $10k, so more or less their cost.
           
    Fair enough.
           
    But the contract including giving them easement rights to any service they wanted to run across his land. He pointed out that this is unreasonable, they only need easement rights for electric service. It took a while, but he got the clause reduced to just electric service easement rights. It was also pretty clear that no-one had made a fuss about this rights grab before.

    1. Re:Easements by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Lemme guess: They're the only electric company that could service you?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  24. I wonder where Cox Communications ends up by kilodelta · · Score: 1

    Because here' in the RI area - their DNS goes belly up at least twice a day.

  25. how can i know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how can i know anything but hatred for comcast? if there were an alternative, i would be able to compare them to something. there is not. therefore i will hate my ISP. and FIOS: stop sending me glossy postcards telling me that FIOS is available in my city, but not in my zipcode. you are mailing them. you know what my zipcode is and that you don't have fiber there. idiots.