Comments on: How Comcast has me stuck in my own ‘Comfy Trap’

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:54:45 +0000

I also live in suburban Boston and have had my own Comcast nightmares. The techs are always nice, but yeah, the product is complete garbage. Especially the phone service.

We switched to FiOS a few months ago. It was a pain in the ass for the first few weeks, and took about a half-dozen calls to get working properly. But now that it does, it’s miles better.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:33:56 +0000

Yeah, having the “Packet Loss” problem is what my problem sounds like- I will move the router and modem and see… . I have had quite a few of my calls either dropped or they can’t hear me on the other end after a few minutes. Guy was here this AM and he is comming back in an hour or two to check on it on his own time- he says. God, they are nice! I can see what you mean! Hopefully he can remedy this problem or I will switch to Vonage (No verizon here in Denver) or at a last resort, go back to Gasp!… QWEST!. I’d hate to do that but I will if I have to.

By: Jackie Huba

Jackie Huba — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:40:45 +0000

Jackie here. What do you need from us, Steve? A good slap? ; )

By: Safran

Safran — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:25:11 +0000

Coffee: It is the ever fun intermittent problem. And obviously that’s the worst kind of problem because you can’t simply swap out a part.

These are smart techs. They know their stuff.

I appreciate all the advice I’m getting about alternatives. As long as we realize this is not a Comcast b*itch session. We get caught I’m Comfy Traps in all aspects of our lives. I’m interested in ways you find yourselves stuck in business relationships that are clearly not good, but are just comfortable enough to keep you from getting as mad as hell and not taking it any more.

Have I mentioned how a morning’s worth of work thumb-typing is somewhat less than time-effective? Also, I have thumb cramps.

By: coffee

coffee — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:15:38 +0000

Upgrading to Digital Voice usually consists of - on the front end - installing a new cable modem that can be provisioned for the phone service, and running the backfeed cable to get the dialtone to your normal phone jacks/alarm. “Robot voice” is usually caused by packet loss to the modem. This also causes symptoms where you can hear the other party but the called/calling party cannot hear you. That kind of packet loss can be caused if the modem is physically too close to a wireless router or a cordless phone base (meaning right up against it) - or a nicked/damaged/loose coax cable. If you are also experiencing “tiling” on the digital TV boxes, it sounds like perhaps there’s an issue with the tap, drop line, or perhaps something in the home splitters/wiring. Your local market and techs will have the best information in terms of being able to check for local outages - or tracking down the problem during the visit. It’s weird that it would take so many visits to track it down unless it’s the ever-fun “intermittent problem”. Sorry.

By: thedetroitchannel

thedetroitchannel — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:18:27 +0000

dude, your wife should be appalled with you discussing bedroom matters online.

By: Safran

Safran — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:51:42 +0000

I would have gone with Vonage two years ago. But I am told they are incompatible with the alarm systen in my house.

For that matter, I have a Skype phone and a Skype in/out number. Or we can simply join the millions who ditch the landline completely.

Of course, since my cellphone signal is weak, owing to neighbors who don’t want a tower (they get to decide this?) again, I’m stuck without a 100% perfect choice.

Whatever I do, I gots to get outta this Comfy Trap.

Thumb-typed on a Verizon Wireless phone,
Safran

By: Michael Rosenblum

Michael Rosenblum — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:35:53 +0000

Jeez - totally fine and seamless with Vonage here. But maybe its because I use a Mac? They NEVER seem to have any problems!

By: Blah

Blah — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:04:18 +0000

I too am having issues with comcast and their powerboost.
They won’t provision my modem and instead happily refer me to rent one for $3.

If it weren’t for having to buy a land line I’d be on DSL now too bad BellSouth er ATT doesn’t feel like competing

By: aidian

aidian — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 06:48:03 +0000

same experience here — not with voip, but with their people — some of the nicest folks I’ve met and they’re all aparently stuck in a company that can’t deliver a decent product (NECN no doubt excepted).

By: Gunner

Gunner — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:51:38 +0000

I’ve been a Vonage customer for well over a year now. Here in Denver we started with Qwest ($80/month) and switched to Vonage (now $30/month).

We’ve had minimal problems. In the beginning there was some lag, but I set the Vonage router (it’s wired and free) up on a seperate IP address from my wireless and everything works fine.

Steve, let me know if you want an invite to Vonage. It could save you a month or two of billing.

Gunner

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:32:44 +0000

I had issuses with vonage when it was installed as recommended, between the cable modem and the router/computer, which is supposed to proritize voice communications. Voice quality issues, flaky internet connections. Installed it behind the router, equal in priority to the computer, and the internet is stable. The only issues i have now are voice issues when i am uploading too much, because of the asynchronus cable connection. My isp is roadrunner and i am from new york, but it may help…

By: Charles

Charles — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 04:46:32 +0000

Are these VoIP problems exclusive to Comcast Boston, or are they nationwide? Because here in Grand Rapids, MI, we’re considering switching, but haven’t done so yet. I’m just wondering if we should avoid it altogether, based on the tale above…