Thread: Review: AT&T U-VERSE

What gets a thumbs up? Money is an issue! Thanks!

I should have known based on how hard it was to get them to install DSL (see post by omegahelix "Cant-get-installers-to-come" on dslreports.com) but I ordered U-verse a month ago. The installer showed up Saturday at 8:30AM and was at my house for 8.5 hours. I am close enough to the "VRAD" box as the crow flies but, apparently, the lines snake through my neighborhood and add too much distance. He tried to hook me up anyway, switching the lines over at the box and clipping the feed from my satellite dish (killing TV, DSL and phone service). The lineman showed up and verfied that the lines were "clean" (no "bridge taps") but he was also the one to notice that the line zig-zags through the hood and has small gauge wire in at least one point.

The installer was on the phone most of the rest of the day with AT&T corporate, trying to get them to take me from a dual HD feed down to one HD feed to get a signal boost (which would also mean I could only watch one HD program at a time). I was told it could take some time so the tech left me overnight to look at the blinking red light on the gateway box he installed.

At 8:30AM Sunday, installer number two showed up an immediately informed me that installer #1 should never have hooked me up or disconnected my satellite until there was a good strong signal at the outside of the house. That would have saved him and me the bulk of our wasted Saturday. Installer #2 told me he could only call the line guys back out and they might be able to get it working. I declined and told him to put back my satellite, DSL and plain telephone service. It was at this point the installer told me he didn't know how to hook up a Dish Network satellite system and that, if I recalled the terms of service, they were not obliged to do it anyway. This contrasts with what the reps on the phone told me...that there is a 30 day risk-free trial and that, if I was unsatisfied, my old services would be put back by AT&T.

At this point AT&T had trashed my television service and didn't have the knowledge or desire to hook it back up. After calling b.s. on them, he agreed to give it a try and, between the two of us, we got it working again on one tv.

Both of the installers mentioned that they would "take a hit" on their timesheets; #1 because he had stayed at my house too long when management policy is to call in the line guys and leave and #2 because putting back the things that they broke is non revenue generating. Apparently all AT&T cares about is getting as many people installed as possible.

Take all of this into consideration when thinking about going AT&T.

This is your FIRST POST here?


Not trying to defend bad installers, but why did you let them cut your satalite cable before you had the service completely installed?

The DEMAND for Uverse is overwhelming; its not ATT trying to force this on anyone..
My install took 8 hours, and until everything worked, I kept my Dish/Comcast/Cable modem hooked up...

Sorry you had a bad experience, but that is the exception, and not the norm..

Originally Posted by wase4711

This is your FIRST POST here?


Not trying to defend bad installers, but why did you let them cut your satalite cable before you had the service completely installed?

The DEMAND for Uverse is overwhelming; its not ATT trying to force this on anyone..
My install took 8 hours, and until everything worked, I kept my Dish/Comcast/Cable modem hooked up...

Sorry you had a bad experience, but that is the exception, and not the norm..

I did the same. Kept my DISH up and running until the U-verse was good to go. Just to make sure, I waited until the next day to call DISH and cancel. By the way, my install took about 4 hours. The phone part wasn't working right and a tech showed up the next day and had that going in about 15 minutes. That was early Oct., haven't had any issues since.

something strange about someone making this kind of post as his FIRST ONE, especially, on a SATELITE forum...

Originally Posted by wase4711

something strange about someone making this kind of post as his FIRST ONE, especially, on a SATELITE forum...

Nothing strange about it at all actually. I had bad experiences with AT&T and I wanted to tell people about it. I had read a review about the service on this very forum before the installers came so it seemed a natural place to post.

As for why I "let them" disconnect my "satelite" before they had a good signal...they didn't ask and I didn't take it upon myself to follow the installer around all day asking him what he is about to do before he did it.

Anyway, I'm glad the service worked out well for you guys. It sounds like it is nice once it gets hooked up.

Great forum, I've picked up a lot of info.

I was wondering how far away from the VRAD is too far?

I've clocked the distance to the house at 7/10 of a mile. I have no idea how many branches are coming off it. My neighbor had Uverse installed but we have no idea what the reception or bandwidth would be like. The neighbor doesn't have HD.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,
Randy

well, it depends..if you are hoping for full bandwidth/2 hd streams, I believe the max is usually around 2900 feet, around a 1/2 mile..
if you are farther, you can still get the service, but you may have to be on a different profile, and only get 1 hd stream at a time..
Best thing to do is call them, and set up a visit..you'll never really know until they come out and check the lines in your neighborhood..

Is this a Vrad? It's about 1500ft from my house.
I was hoping U-Verse will b available soon.





Ed..