Mobile Internet

[skinorth]

@eddy:

Nice posting, and good summary of what a potential RocketHub customer should consider when purchasing the device.

I do have one thing to add, however: it does seem intuitively obvious that, if some signal strength is good, then more should be better, right?  Well to a point that is true.

But, I know of one situation, not too far from where I am located, where the Rogers RocketHub subscriber can actually see the frigging cell tower from his back window.  Yet they were getting constant disconnects.  Conversations with the Rogers support staff finally revealed that the cell tower was at times heavily overloaded, and only the upgrading of the cell tower would resolve the problem.  At last report, that upgrade was over six months away!

As to what happens in March, when Rogers supposedly starts complying with CRTC rules (which they claim to have been doing all along anyway!?!) well, my feeling is that they will take their sweet time and keep operating pretty much as before.

Like many modern capitalist organizations, Rogers seems to be in the business of making money first and foremost.  Servicing the needs of their customer comes a distant second.  And lack of government oversight and solid enforcement of the few rules that are in place allows them to get away with it.

skinorth

[Gdkitty]

One thing that peole have to remember.. that while yes, wireless based internet, IS a viable option..

That wireless will ALWAYS be a less stable connection.. PERIOD.. than a wired connection.

Even when things as simple as in home internal connection.. a wired connection will be more stable and less prone to interfearance than a wireless.

While im not saying that rogers COULD still have some work to do to fix things, etc... people on a wireless connection cant expect 100% the same as a wired connection... its comparing apples and oranges.. yes they are both fruit, but they have different properties.

[ninec]

I have had nothing but problems with my Rocket Hub (frequent disconnects, buffering lockups) and have complained numerous times. When they investigated it was determined that the area where I live (Haley Station, ON) was oversold. There's just too many of us accessing at the same time and the tower is about 10 miles away. I pay much more than what I feel I use. I believe it has to do with the constant attempts of loading pages over and over again because of the instability of the connection. If I go to view a video, it always buffers (expected at this point) so I might walk away and come back to it, only to find that the connection crapped out and I have buffer from the beginning again. Where they say, 10 GB should give you 8 hours of youtube, they should also mention that it might take you half an hour to view a 2 minute clip due to speeds and buffering over and over. I suspected it was a traffic issue, because if I get up in the wee hours of the morning the connection is better. If I try to get on around dinner time, it's horrible. After being told through Customer Relations that I could cancel early without penalty, but I had to bring my bill up from arrears first, I called back and was told that they were wrong and I couldn't cancel. Lucky for me, I only have a few more months of my contract. We are hoping to get an independent into our area through LOS. If that doesn't pan out, I'm going with Xplornet's new sats.

Oh, and on a side note. I noticed that my contract is flex rate and anything over 10GB is $5 per GB (says it right on my bill) but when speaking with a rep and looking online, they've up it again and capped at 15GB will be $10 a GB over. (Actually the Rep said that it's changed to $10 a GB over 10 GB....and lo and behold I've used 17 GB already this month with 28 days left in the billing period. That can't be right...but, the online data usage for Hubs doesn't break it down into daily usage, so it's their word against mine. I've never in all the years using the Rocket Stick and now the Hub used 17 GB yet.

[eddy]

Xplornet - now there's a subject.  I had their satellite service, and it was slow, and when wireless appears with its tower 400' away from the house I switched.  I bought 5 Mbps down and it never got over 1.5 in the year I had it.  At times the service was so slow I could walk my emails faster.  By the last 2 months of service I was running at dial up speeds with constant down time.  The installer and xplornet had no answers .  I changed to Rogers rocket and now two years later when I speak to the installer (friend) he tells me not much has changed with the xplornet service, it's still constantly down and speeds are slow.  The only advantage to using their wireless service is the internet is unlimited.  The newest  satellite service is supposed to be faster but it's packages are capped and the fastest download is 5 Mbps for $90 a month.   There is no bargain with this business and a little birdy tells me the service will be no better than what I had experienced when I originally had the satellite service.  But don't take my word for it, instead google complaints xplornet and speak to the locals near you who have it and get their opinion.

[ninec]

I agree with what you're staying about Xplornet. I was only going to consider them because it is supposed to be a reduced rate for our area (government subsidies?) Although when I go to their site and enter my address it comes up at full basic price of 69.99 when it should be 49.99 for our area (I'll have to go digging to find the website that said it would be subsidized for our area). I was told speaking with them that the 49.99 is unlimited (sure the speeds might not be the greatest) but the client rep said with the new satellite we will be able to watch Netflix. That's way more than what I could ever afford to do on the Rocket Hub! I'm really crossing my fingers on a local business GoZoom coming through for us.

[eddy]

Check with your installer or Xplornet but the unlimited is no longer unlimited once they bring 4G to your neighbourhood.   The installer will appear at your home and change the lnb on the dish and your running 4G.  The 4G prices are for limited Gbit use.

[eddy]

Just to add I don't think there is an unlimited pkg using satellite. Only for wireless for now and that will change when 4G arrives.
There is a post on Youtube where an installer is testing the new install of satellite 4G. Download paid for is 3Mbps. The speed showing is 1.77 Mbps. Looks like Xplornet it throttling this guy's account right out of the box.
Google - Xplornet HTS 4G Satellite Internet on youtube and see for yourself.

[HeatherProsser]

We have had continuous problems with the Rocket Hub.  Frequently I get huge delays in accessing websites.  We have to go through the steps of 198.168.1.1 etc  often.  Its very frustrating to say the least... we had umlimited high speed with Rogers, but were "forced" into having the "Hub" due to Rogers discontinuing unlimited high speed.  HIGH SPEED IT IS NOT... but we still have the same bill! YUCK!!!

[skinorth]

@HeatherProsser:

I too am the owner of a Rogers RocketHub for going on two years now.  Just coincidentally I received a piece of Rogers "junk mail" extolling the virtues of the RocketHub.  Here is part of the fine print which defines the Rogers meaning of the 7.2 Mbps "high speed" advertised for the RocketHub:

"Refers to peak download speed.  Actual speed may vary based on plan selected, topography and environmental conditions, network congestion and other factors."

The above is transcribed directly from the bottom of the marketing piece I received in the mail.

Basically this means that the actual performance you get with the RocketHub can vary from 7.2 Mbps down to whatever, and Rogers has still legally fulfilled its contractual responsibility to deliver "high speed" internet access to you.

I won't at this time get into the Rogers usage charging algorithm for the RocketHub.  That is a whole 'nother matter........

skinorth

[RogerC]

I just got my Netcomm 3G10WVR2. I'm having the same problem as you. High 3G signal. Then randomly the High 3G signal disappears (not even Med or Low signal)... nothing. But the WiFi and Internet lights keep blinking. Routering around on the home network (wireless/Ethernet) still works. Just can't connect to the Internet. And the hub server page (192.168.1.1) won't load up. Did you find what was wrong?