EARTHLINK

I have been using them since 1991 and have been happy with their service. I have heard from my friends that they haven't had any problems with them either. They manage their mail system very well and I've never had a single problem with them in over twenty years.

I rate them fairly and I will continue to use them in the future.

Short version: Earthlink's solution to a technical speed issue was to cancel my DSL service without consulting me. To make matters worse they have not released the line so I still cannot even ask to get service from Earthlink or any other provider more than two weeks after they cancelled my service. More complete version: When we moved to our Glendale location in November 2003 we contacted Earthlink to provide DSL service. I have been an Earthlink customer since the 1990's, starting with dial-up and prior to this move in conjunction with Charter Communications cable service. We never really had issues through all that time so were not hesitant to go with Earthlink DSL service. Roughly July-August 2011 I started noticing issues with upload (sending from my computer to the internet) speeds. Download speeds to get info from the internet were reasonable given my service class but upload speeds that are supposed to be above 300 kilobits per second but was getting speeds in the 1 - 10 kilobits per second range. Near the end of September 2011 I called Earthlink to try to get this problem resolved, assuming it was going to be a simple technical fix. Early attempts with tech support were unsuccessful so Earthlink's next solution was simple - they cancelled my DSL service on 9/30/2011 saying they could not get service to my phone, in spite of the minor detail that I had service at that same phone for nearly 8 years! I then attempted to get the service restored and was repeatedly told that service was unavailable to my phone, and then that there was the need to wait for service to be released. I finally gave up trying to get Earthlink service restored and attempted to go with another vendor. That vendor is not able to connect since there is already another service (Earthlink's) showing as active, in spite of my repeated requests for them to release the line. Earthlink's tech support seems able to handle the simple issues that fall in their and quot;decision treeand quot; but once things get complicated there does not seem to be the flexibility or the creativity to deal with unusual issues. Needless to say I would warn anyone away from Earthlink.

I have been with Earthlink for 10 years when suddenly my DSL internet connection stopped working. Earthlink used to have a good help line, but I believe they have outsourced this department and it was really hard to get good service from this department. I was calling their help line every night for 10 days without anyone able to resolve my connection issue, they even sent a new DSL modem hoping that would fix the issue. Still that did not work and had to finally cancel my service with them. Even that was a nightmare. Earthlink was trying to charge me an early termination fee since apparently when they sent me a new modem, that locked me into a 1 yr commitment, which was not mentioned when they sent the modem to fix my issue(which did not). After asking for a manager and the termination fee was waived and my service ended, my credit card was still being charged and had to call them again. After 10 years with this company, you would think they would at least treat you with respect and not antagonise you even more when you are trying to cancel your service.

We still use a dial-up connection, and the $22 monthly fee seems rather high. When we've had access issues, Earthlink's customer support has been able to resolve them. Because of Earthlink's high prices, we will switch to another provider when we go to DSL.

Earthlink canceled DSL service but continued to bill my Credit Card for dial -up service. After repeated calls quoting numerous confirmation numbers of the disconnect, eleven months later they still continue to charge the card.$15.10 per month. On the last call, they argued that inherent in Earthlink's DSL service is a dial-up option and canceling DSL does not mean canceling that inherent dial-up service.

Free installation was provided after signing up for Internet service. A cable model was provided and the lines were checked for performance. Based on this, a new line had to run from the house to the street. The service is very fast and I have no complaints.

The price has been fair, with few increases. It was founded as a company that focused on providing service to Macs, but has lost that focus over time. Most of their special features are only PC compatible now. I started with dial-up. When I moved and changed to cable modem, it was easy to convert over. I travel a lot, and they have local dial up numbers nearly everywhere. The Webmail feature also works well when I want to check my e-mail and I'm not home.

We constantly experience connection problems. We have spent so much time dealing with their technical support department that we requested that we be released from the contract with no penalty. They then told us that our modem was the problem. The next day our service was working with the same modem, so they lied in order to maintain the contract. They refuse to let us speak with supervisors when requested. The technical support people argue with you over the phone. We still get approximately 4 hours of service a day.

I have been with Earthlink for 10 years and have always had excellent service. When I switched from dial-up to DSL they had the best price and continue to do so from my perspective. If you agree to a one-year contract you get a reduced monthly fee, but you have to know to ask about it. I have had a few problems with my connection, most of the time caused by problems at my end. The one time problems were at their end they worked it out professionally and solved it. Tech support is excellent.

A LITTLE ROCKY AT THE OUTSET. THEY DIDN'T SHIP THE FULL INSTALLATION KIT, LONG WAITS ON THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE LINE, ETC. BUT WHEN WE FINALLY REACHED LIVE TECH SUPPORT PEOPLE, THEY WERE KNOWLEDGEABLE, METHODICAL, AND MOST IMPORTANT SOLVED OUR PROBLEMS. THE SERVICE DOES GO DOWN OCCASIONALLY, BUT OVERALL IT'S PRETTY RELIABLE, AND SPEEDS ARE SNAPPY.