DirecTV - DirectWay - DirecDuo Internet satellite dish - Web surfing is painfully slow - service marginally better than a basic dialup Internet connection

# 26 for September 26, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on September 25, 2003:

From:

RE: DirecTV - DirectWay - DirecDuo Internet satellite dish - Web surfing is painfully slow - service marginally better than a basic dialup Internet connection

I'd like to tell a story about Direcway as well. When I first tried to get installed by calling DirecTV for a "DirecDuo" dish, they shipped just the TV dish.

I shipped it back and had to cancel all install. They did, however, manage to charge my Amex. I called to

have the charge removed and was told they could not do that. I'm glad I used Amex, because indeed, they have

dealt with DirecTV/Way before and quickly removed the charge.

Three months later, after getting real tired of bad dial-up service (I'm in IT as a profession and I NEED

a dedicated link) I tried again. I called DirecTV again, and they suggested to me that I DON"T use the Duo dish

and just try the Internet dish first and I could add TV later if I choose.

OK, set up install. I get the TV dish, again. Same story with billing. four months later, I REALLY NEED a dedicated link!!!! Try once more via Earthlink. I get the right dish and the installer was actually competent. BUT, after a year of Direcway I can honestly say it is only marginally better, at best, than dial-up. Granted,

when I need to transfer files quickly to and from work via FTP (don't even try VPN!!!) it is fast, very fast!

Another but, general surfing is painfully slow. I discovered that if I run a network behind the PC that is

connected, I get much better speed. The problem is in their proxy servers, but if you turn off the proxy

on the connected machine, the DW software resets it! The solution? setup a home network and don't surf from

the machine that is running the DW software. OK, next gripe: no news servers!!!! GGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! Next gripe: the Fair Use Policy. After paying insane amounts of money to get hooked up and paying sixty dollars a month, I can only download 250MB over any 2 hour period!!! Do you know how quickly I could be hit this limit, and have?? When you hit the limit, they shut off your connection for an hour or more!!! I've complained, but it's meaningless to them. They know you have no other choice. The ONLY reason you want DW is if you absolutely need it. Unless you need high speed internet for work (but

no VPN support) you are definitly better off with dial-up, even AOL!!!! It's sad. It's not the technology. It's terrible support from a company who cares nothing about residential

service in my experience. Period.