Time Warner raising my internet $14 for same speed. Any wiggle room?

[smackababy]

I guess I'm wary because I got lost in the staggering number of menus and menus of menus and terminology used in the software of my router I tried to set up but struggled with.

There should be no software or menus. You can tell the tech the numbers, plug it (power, coax, and ethernet) and away you go. It might take some configuring on the phone tech's part, but your part is simply to tell them the information. You might have to provide modem model number / manufacturer, but all that is easily available.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I've never set up a modem before and have never configured anything like this. How difficult is it and what are the chances that I'll mess up something and have to pay a tech to fix it?

All I had to do was plug in the new modem and called up TWC. They asked for things like model #, Mac address, maybe S/N. Sent a few codes to the modem and a few minutes later it was up and running fine.

 

[dud]

$64 for 15mpbs down and 1 mpb up, up from $50. The modem lease fee is also going up from $6 to $8. (will probably have to break down and buy one finally, $8 every month for that $10 box is ridiculous) Question is, have any of you ever had any luck calling in and negotiating for a better rate when they try a price hike? Any tips if so?

I mean I could see hikes with TV because they have to renegotiate contracts, but something like internet speed should if anything be getting cheaper to provide over time.

Wow, I thought I was paying too much for access. This is a great example of why competition is GOOD. My ISP is in competition with AT&T which really drives down the cost.

OP, I've been with my ISP for over 12 years and I pay my bill on time ... and they know it. I have "re-negotiated" my rate twice in the last 18 months due to rate hikes and the ending of promotions. My last call involved actually lowering my speeds to 30 mbs down because the savings (over 60) were so great. The thing is that I never knew I could do this. How long have you been with them? Call, tell them they are pricing themselves out of the market.

 

[piasabird]

Just disconnect right away if there is an alternative provider in your area.

 

[piasabird]

I use AT&T third tier 12mbps Universe Internet. Works for me. I watched Carter on HULU last night.

 

[Sonikku]

Just disconnect right away if there is an alternative provider in your area.

There isn't.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Just disconnect right away if there is an alternative provider in your area.

Hahahahaha you're funny.

 

[NetGuySC]

I went into their office for the first time in 5+ years and asked to downgrade, they lowered my price and i kept my speed (20 meg)

 

[ultimatebob]

You sure about that?

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/internet/topics/buy-your-modem.html

This is one of the downsides to having AT&T/Frontier U-Verse. There is no way to get around using their crappy U-Verse TV/Phone/Internet gateway with it's wonderful 802.11g wireless and 10/100 Ethernet ports. It's like taking a time warp back to 2007 when this outdated crap was considered acceptable.

 

[TXHokie]

I was paying $75 for 35/5 with TW and saw Verizon ran a promo for $50 for 30/30. Called TW to cancel and their retention matched the promo rate with my current speed for 6 months. The guy said to just call back again then and do the same when the match ends since he could only do it for 6 months at a time. If not I'll just go to Verizon since FIOS is better anyway.

 

[smackababy]

I was paying $75 for 35/5 with TW and saw Verizon ran a promo for $50 for 30/30. Called TW to cancel and their retention matched the promo rate with my current speed for 6 months. The guy said to just call back again then and do the same when the match ends since he could only do it for 6 months at a time. If not I'll just go to Verizon since FIOS is better anyway.

I wish I could get Verizon FiOS, but it isn't available in my place. It is available in my area though. =(

 

[MongGrel]

I wish I could get Verizon FiOS, but it isn't available in my place. It is available in my area though. =(

Same here.

 

[Kelvrick]

I wish I could get Verizon FiOS, but it isn't available in my place. It is available in my area though. =(

I have heard reports of Verizon FIOS throttling.

I pay $50 for 50mbps up/down through Surewest (now Consolidated Communications). Very small access area though. One of the really positive factors when I decided where to purchase a home.

 

[SAWYER]

I stick with Att Uverse in my town even though there is cable and my Uverse is slower because
1.they do not enforce bandwidth caps
2.the speed is constant even though much slower(I have 6 mbs down)
3.every 6 months or so I can call in an get a renewed promo rate so I am paying around 25 or so

 

[marvdmartian]

Was on a 30 megabit "deal", paying $70/month (including taxes and modem fee). Price jumps up to $90, because of the end of the promotion. So I called, and was told they had no promotions available to me. So I paid it that month, but figured if they played hardball the next month, I'd have to consider going to slower service.

Called them when I got the next bill, and they offered me 50 megabit service for $65/month, plus modem fee and taxes. Even with the higher modem fee, shouldn't come out to more than $80/month (and buying my own will take it down to $70/month again), plus or minus a buck or two.

When they jack it up, at the end of this year, I'll call and tell them I need to lower my bill, either by lowering my speed, or cancelling altogether. DSL from AT&T would suck out loud (6 megabit service, whoopee!), but I could live with it, if I had to. At least for a year, until I qualify for a "switch and save" promotion!

 

[Dari]

There isn't.

You've been given multiple options in this thread. Just use them and be done with it. Call retention and buy a damn cable modem. They pay for themselves fast.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

You can't buy your own cable modem with TW anymore, so they can screw you over and charge forever for their modem. Up until they stopped letting us use our own modems, I had a $50 one that worked fine for years.

Pisses me off to no end, that they can advertise $99/mo for cable/phone/internet, yet you can't even use those services without a cable box (extra $10) and cable modem (extra $10). Been mulling over suing them for false advertising, but I always feel dirty anytime I have to contact them. My $99 plan costs $181/mo after all the added charges (2 cable boxes, 2 remotes, cable modem, fees and taxes).

I have my own still, docsis 3 and no issues

 

[SparkyJJO]

You can't buy your own cable modem with TW anymore, so they can screw you over and charge forever for their modem. Up until they stopped letting us use our own modems, I had a $50 one that worked fine for years.

Pisses me off to no end, that they can advertise $99/mo for cable/phone/internet, yet you can't even use those services without a cable box (extra $10) and cable modem (extra $10). Been mulling over suing them for false advertising, but I always feel dirty anytime I have to contact them. My $99 plan costs $181/mo after all the added charges (2 cable boxes, 2 remotes, cable modem, fees and taxes).

Not true. I just got service set up with TW a couple months ago and used my own modem (DOCSIS 3). Your 5 year old modem was likely just too old to work with the system. $55 for 30 down 5 up, by the way, until November this year. Then I get to call them lol.

Almost all services require equipment to be used. This isn't anything new, even the old land lines required you to go get a phone to use them. It isn't false advertising. Buy you own stuff and you don't pay the rental fees, but if you don't want to (or can't figure out how to) they will lease the stuff to you. Simple.

 

[Jeff7]

Any wiggle room?

Yeah, after they've bent you over and jammed it in, wiggle around for them. Maybe they'll give you a dollar off.

 

[Nograts]

No response from the OP on the city or did I miss it?

Time Warner....only ISP in town....sounds like....Oceanic Time Warner (Hawaii). Yeah you're screwed buddy.

 

[Carson Dyle]

The best place to seek advice on such things is:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/twc

 

[Sonikku]

Is this the cheapest modem I could go with?

http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorol...ard+DOCSIS+3.0+Cable+Modem+-+Retail+Packaging

 

[Carson Dyle]

Is this the cheapest modem I could go with?

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r29766013-Cheap-Cable-modems

** Edit **

You should have a look on your local Craigslist. I picked up an SB6120 a couple of years ago for a very good price. Many people are upgrading to the SB6141 or SB6183 for their ability to bond more channels for higher downstream speeds, typically over 50 Mbps. For 50 Mbps and below the SB6120/SB6121 are fine.

The thing you want to be careful about when using Craigslist is that you're not buying a modem that was a rental and is owned by Time Warner (or Comcast or ...). Make sure the seller has a purchase receipt for the modem.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Also, have you seen Time Warner's approved modem list?

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/internet/topics/buy-your-modem.html

If you buy a used modem, you may want to stay away from the SB6120 (although it's functionally nearly identical to the SB6121) since it's not on their list. The SB6121 should be good up to 50 Mbps according to Time Warner. I'm using my SB6120 on Comcast and have no problem maxing it out at 55 Mbps.

 

[Sonikku]

I checked craigslist and no modems locally.


Ugh. I signed up for twitter, messaged time warner help and gave my account number and phone, but every once in a great while my flip top cell doesn't ring or receive the call for some reason and I missed the call. It "did" light up right away indicating I had a voice mail though, go figure. My bill got lowered from $64 to $54 for 15mps, which is still $4 more than I was paying a month ago. I was so primed and ready after googling all the tips and things to say that I feel really disappointed I didn't get the chance to talk them down 15 or so. oh well. I'm getting a modem this month, that will knock off 8. But it would have been awesome to have been able to knock off that 8 plus 15 more.