Canadian Internet Bills to Skyrocket Soon

Yeah something doesn't seem right, although if you are doing torrents, and those are the speeds you are getting that could be a wide range of issues, bad seeds, or maybe you are allowing your entire upload speed to be used, which will actually slow down your downloads. I would first start with a speed test and see what you get. Make sure you don't have anything downloading or uploading while you do the test.

This is where I go. http://www.speedtest.net/ first let it auto select the best location to speed test and see what you get. The speeds should be very close to what they advertise as your package. If it's way off try a couple of other close servers and see what you get to them. If your speeds are still way off, and you are behind a router, try a direct connection to the modem into your computer and try again. Again if the speeds are still really slow than call Shaw and have them look into it. You may be getting a weak signal which may be the result of a bad line or something.

I had the extreme package for years and my speeds were always pretty dam good, but I have been told that the signal strength to my modem is extremely good.

Thanks for the help guys, will check into these things. Really want to throw my dollar behind an unlimited account, so they know thats what people want, but the only other unlimited option is way too expensive. Hopefully the 250gb is enough...

I wonder if they will tenor my student discount into one of these new packages. I've been paying $36 a month for the 25mb tier forever now. Id like to keep it there, but these new speeds are looking nice.

Gaald wrote:

Yeah something doesn't seem right, although if you are doing torrents, and those are the speeds you are getting that could be a wide range of issues, bad seeds, or maybe you are allowing your entire upload speed to be used, which will actually slow down your downloads. I would first start with a speed test and see what you get. Make sure you don't have anything downloading or uploading while you do the test.

This is where I go. http://www.speedtest.net/ first let it auto select the best location to speed test and see what you get. The speeds should be very close to what they advertise as your package. If it's way off try a couple of other close servers and see what you get to them. If your speeds are still way off, and you are behind a router, try a direct connection to the modem into your computer and try again. Again if the speeds are still really slow than call Shaw and have them look into it. You may be getting a weak signal which may be the result of a bad line or something.

I had the extreme package for years and my speeds were always pretty dam good, but I have been told that the signal strength to my modem is extremely good.

Well, with my router, about 7mbps, direct connect to the cable modem, about 18mbps, guess will need to investigate why the router is reducing the bandwidth so much. Thanks for the help with this Gaald!

Well, with my router, about 7mbps, direct connect to the cable modem, about 18mbps, guess will need to investigate why the router is reducing the bandwidth so much. Thanks for the help with this Gaald!

18Mbps is still slow you should be able to get speeds of about 22-24 Mbps to one of those servers, especially if you have one super close to your location for example the same city you live in. If not I would call Shaw and see if they can check your signal strength. Your upload should be very close if not right on 1Mbps as well.

As for your router, how old is it? Certis just had the same issue when he moved up to the Download 50 package. He was getting a severely reduced speed from behind his 6 year old router. He changed to a new one and his speeds are right where they should be.

kuddles wrote:

This is it. My switch from Rogers to TekSavvy cable is tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be one of those people who has a completely smooth transfer and not one of those people who goes a week without internet because Rogers screwed it up somehow but won't even look into it until after the weekend.

Turned out to be the former. Unplugged my Rogers gateway, plugged in my modem and router. Took a few minutes to settle down the first time, but worked perfectly after that. Didn't bother with a speedtest, but I tried downloading some files and it was pretty smooth, and streaming seems to actually be better. (Even though the service on Rogers was technically faster, Netflix shows would always waver between low and middle quality for the first minute and a half before finally "clicking". At least this morning it seems to be silky smooth right out of the gate.) Also, I totally forgot what it was like to have torrents that aren't being throttled.

I'll still put a little laminated note outside the cable box just to play it safe for a while, but so far I'm pretty excited. I ended up splurging on a new Android phone today with a more expensive phone plan now that my internet costs for the foreseeable future are more than 50% cheaper.

So far, TekSavvy cable in Ottawa has been great overall. They had some major growing pains in Toronto but the lessons they learned from that were brought over to other territories. The FLFRD POI that serves Barrhaven, Kanata and Stittsville had an issue for a few days but it was resolved. I'm on RCHRD and haven't had any congestion or slowdowns at all, except one day when I forgot I accidentally flashed in an old DD-WRT backup that has QoS settings for my old DSL connection. And I'm paying a dollar less than I was for DSL with the static IP service that was required to avoid Bell's throttling. The only complaint I have is that Rogers has not provided TekSavvy with a bandwidth monitor tool so if you want to watch your cap, you have to use something like DD-WRT. It's bandwidth meter is good but it resets every time the router does which can be problematic. I don't see us ever going over 300GB though so I'm not concerned. Overall, I'm immensely satisfied with TekSavvy and apparently, their cable service is taking off like crazy in Ottawa. Lots of pissed off Rogers people making the jump which is great to see.

I am wondering if the new rates and services from Shaw is a preemptive strike against Techsavvy coming into Manitoba? Not that I have heard any news of that happening, it just seems strange.

Just chiming in that this new connection rocks and I'm really, really happy with Shaw right now. They just handed over the new modem and everything just worked. Solid phone support and quick follow ups when my speeds were sub-par due to my own idiocy. The speeds are great in general, but what's really nice about the extra overhead is being able to do more at once. Podcasts downloading, Steam patching, a few torrents running and still plenty of juice to surf and do other things with no slow down.

I'm tempted to gild the lilly and go 100mbps for an extra $10 ... just cause I can. MWAHAHAHA. Also: game server? Maybe.

It really does seem like Shaw is trying to step up their game. I don't know if it's to try to fight third parties or something else but after the massive consumer outrage directed at them during their recent town halls on UBB, maybe they've finally woken up and decided to change themselves. If so, I applaud them for that and Rogers/Bell/Telus/Videotron could learn a lot from that strategy. TekSavvy and other third parties have had a hard time getting deals with Shaw. Eventually they probably will but I think Shaw's trying to lock in the loyalty from their current customers beforehand. I hope they don't plan to 180 their position eventually and that they're truly learned something. Cause man, what you guys are getting makes the 15mbps TekSavvy connection I recently got look like nothing.

Well Certis said that MTS had upped their DSL connections recently so I assume the move to these new packages are partly due to MTS, partly due to the out cry over UBB, and I have a feeling it is also a preemptive strike against a company like Techsavvy coming to town. What ever the reason it was a really nice surprise.

Indeed. It think the citizen's (...note I didn't say "consumer"...) movement on UBB is really starting to take effect. From what I hear, Bell is starting to feel the heat especially since they are being quite douchie regarding the whole matter.

Regarding Shaw, wasn't that whole 100Mbps thing tied to traditional TV? If so, I don't think that is cool...or legal for that matter.

darrenl wrote:

Indeed. It think the citizen's (...note I didn't say "consumer"...) movement on UBB is really starting to take effect. From what I hear, Bell is starting to feel the heat especially since they are being quite douchie regarding the whole matter.

When I cancelled my Bell Internet I made sure that they knew where I'd moved my service to, and why. I specifically cited how high Canadian Internet prices are compared with most of the rest of the world, and how bad a deal UBB/usage caps of any type really are.

When their "customer retention" department called back last week (about a month post-cancel) I made sure to reiterate my points, and suggested that I was considering moving my home phone line for the same reason - excessive pricing.

Gotta be vocal with these jokers.

@#$^%$& double post.

AndrewA wrote:
darrenl wrote:

Indeed. It think the citizen's (...note I didn't say "consumer"...) movement on UBB is really starting to take effect. From what I hear, Bell is starting to feel the heat especially since they are being quite douchie regarding the whole matter.

When I cancelled my Bell Internet I made sure that they knew where I'd moved my service to, and why. I specifically cited how high Canadian Internet prices are compared with most of the rest of the world, and how bad a deal UBB/usage caps of any type really are.

When their "customer retention" department called back last week (about a month post-cancel) I made sure to reiterate my points, and suggested that I was considering moving my home phone line for the same reason - excessive pricing.

Gotta be vocal with these jokers.

Agreed. I haven't cancelled internet yet as I want to be *sure* of stability first..but that is coming in the next week or so and I can't wait for that phone call.
I already moved my telephone service to Teksavvy (...flawless...) and I cancelled satellite months ago. With the phone, you just call Teksavvy and they take care of the transfer. Don't call Bell first because you will lose your number.

darrenl wrote:

Agreed. I haven't cancelled internet yet as I want to be *sure* of stability first..but that is coming in the next week or so and I can't wait for that phone call.
I already moved my telephone service to Teksavvy (...flawless...) and I cancelled satellite months ago. With the phone, you just call Teksavvy and they take care of the transfer. Don't call Bell first because you will lose your number.

Thanks for the tip on the phone process.

I looked at Teksavvy's offering and it's really a la carte. I'm having a hard time understanding how much I'd end up spending per month with them. (Although whatever it is, I'm sure it's cheaper than Bell.)

I think I'm moving from Rogers to Teksavvy. With Teksavvy, I can get 50% better up/down speeds and a cap that's 5x bigger. Surprisingly, I called Rogers last night to see if they would up my cap - they couldn't (or at least wouldn't).

My hesitation is two-fold; I don't really feel like paying the contract-breaking fee (~$120), and I'm moving in a year. Do I want to go through the hassle right now? I just don't know...

Chumpy_McChump wrote:

I think I'm moving from Rogers to Teksavvy. With Teksavvy, I can get 50% better up/down speeds and a cap that's 5x bigger. Surprisingly, I called Rogers last night to see if they would up my cap - they couldn't (or at least wouldn't).

My hesitation is two-fold; I don't really feel like paying the contract-breaking fee (~$120), and I'm moving in a year. Do I want to go through the hassle right now? I just don't know...

I would do it in a year when you move. By moving, and saying that you won't renew your contract, you open the possibility of getting a better deal from Rogers. Also, no-one expects your internet move to be seamless when you move, so if Rogers *does* decide to be a jackhole about it, well, you probably won't notice it in the move.

mudbunny wrote:
Chumpy_McChump wrote:

I think I'm moving from Rogers to Teksavvy. With Teksavvy, I can get 50% better up/down speeds and a cap that's 5x bigger. Surprisingly, I called Rogers last night to see if they would up my cap - they couldn't (or at least wouldn't).

My hesitation is two-fold; I don't really feel like paying the contract-breaking fee (~$120), and I'm moving in a year. Do I want to go through the hassle right now? I just don't know...

I would do it in a year when you move. By moving, and saying that you won't renew your contract, you open the possibility of getting a better deal from Rogers. Also, no-one expects your internet move to be seamless when you move, so if Rogers *does* decide to be a jackhole about it, well, you probably won't notice it in the move.

So I just called Rogers, and it looks like I might be switching sooner after all. Overage fees are $2/GB, and I'm 8GB over my limit with 10 days left in the month. I don't see my bandwidth requirements dropping any time soon; we're really getting into Netflix, and my wife has started streaming music. Guess I'm calling Teksavvy tonight!

Chumpy_McChump wrote:

I don't really feel like paying the contract-breaking fee (~$120)

Oh man - I'm *SO* glad that I got in before they started with the contracts, and never signed up for one when they were pushing them hard. (I ditched Rogers before trying Bell, and then ditched Bell)

AndrewA wrote:
darrenl wrote:

Agreed. I haven't cancelled internet yet as I want to be *sure* of stability first..but that is coming in the next week or so and I can't wait for that phone call.
I already moved my telephone service to Teksavvy (...flawless...) and I cancelled satellite months ago. With the phone, you just call Teksavvy and they take care of the transfer. Don't call Bell first because you will lose your number.

Thanks for the tip on the phone process.

I looked at Teksavvy's offering and it's really a la carte. I'm having a hard time understanding how much I'd end up spending per month with them. (Although whatever it is, I'm sure it's cheaper than Bell.)

It is certainly cheaper than Bell. One example...Teksavvy voice mail is $2 or $3. Bell..it's $10!!!! Basically, I'm paying pretty close to 40-50% less for the same frickin features that I had with Bell. Dump 'em....they need to learn.

One thing I might suggest if those who have made the switch have time. Lately, there have been a lot of conveniently anonymous first posters on the TekSavvy forum at DSLReports posting these long-winded rants about terrible service that's contradictory to most people's experiences. Some of them are probably legit but they've seen a sharp uptick lately. Many of us are questioning them because if someone knows enough to post there, they know enough to post in the TekSavvy Direct forum which goes to the higher ups and gets very quick results. Unfortunately, the moderators are deleting the posts of anyone who tries to get more information from these posters while leaving their rants unchecked.

If you've had a great experience with them, go and say so in their forums or better yet, write a DSLReports review which actually carries a lot of weight there. TekSavvy isn't perfect but let's just say many of the regulars there think this recent uptick of anonymous, yet long-winded posts is a wee bit coincidental. It helps them a lot for those who have had a positive experience to speak up too.

Chumpy,

You've answered one of the questions I had for Rogers.
I was going to get them to up my cap to save the hassle of switching. I've been hedging at switching since I can't be without internet for much more than an afternoon. I have a home based office and a couple of days worth of missed email would be a killer; though I guess I could go to a cafe, or city of Ottawa building.

Knowing that they won't does push me toward the switch. I'm tempted to not save as much and go for the higher speed.

Any reviews from recent Rogers defectors would be helpful.

It's awesome. I haven't had a single complaint about TekSavvy so far. It's fast, hasn't gone down since it was installed, has a 300GB cap, it's cheaper than Rogers, has great Canadian tech support and did I mention it's fast? Having been on 5mbps DSL since 2005, the 3x speed increase is still sinking in. It's so nice to be able to play a streaming 1080p movie from PSN without so much as a twitch or any buffer time.

The key thing when switching from Rogers to TekSavvy (and they'll tell you this) is to make sure you cancel Rogers (needs 30 days notice), get a case number and the cancellation date, then call TekSavvy and provide that to them. They will tell Rogers not to disconnect your line and usually, all you have to do it plug in your new modem from them on the day of the switch and you're done.

At this point, I can't recommend it enough.

Bell was speaking buckets of bullsh*t there this morning. According to one person on Twitter who was at the meeting, Bell had two entire seating rows of lawyers present. Not a lot of conclusions on the day yet but knows Crooked von Corporateshill, I'm sure he was swallowing most of it.

$10M dollars in false advertising fines didn't seem to bother anybody. What a company.

So for those on TekSavvy cable or those thinking of switching, it's being reported on DSLR this morning that Rogers is planning to bump the download speeds on 3 of their tiers at no extra charge. The changes are:

Express 10 Mbps --> 12 Mbps
Extreme 15 Mbps --> 24 Mbps
Extreme+ 25 Mbps --> 32 Mbps

TekSavvy customers can't get Extreme+ but we can get the other two. Apparently, since Rogers isn't able to separate out third parties from their own speed profiles (since they all run through the same gear), we will get those speed upgrades too, for free! It hasn't been confirmed yet but apparently the updated are due to arrive silently via firmware pushes to our modems in the next two weeks. Man, I so hope this is true. I'm already loving 15Mbps and an extra 7Mbps would be beyond amazing for the same money.

Parallax Abstraction wrote:

So for those on TekSavvy cable or those thinking of switching, it's being reported on DSLR this morning that Rogers is planning to bump the download speeds on 3 of their tiers at no extra charge. The changes are:

Express 10 Mbps --> 12 Mbps
Extreme 15 Mbps --> 24 Mbps
Extreme+ 25 Mbps --> 32 Mbps

TekSavvy customers can't get Extreme+ but we can get the other two. Apparently, since Rogers isn't able to separate out third parties from their own speed profiles (since they all run through the same gear), we will get those speed upgrades too, for free! It hasn't been confirmed yet but apparently the updated are due to arrive silently via firmware pushes to our modems in the next two weeks. Man, I so hope this is true. I'm already loving 15Mbps and an extra 7Mbps would be beyond amazing for the same money.

Seriously??!

Sweet. I got the Extreme Pro from Teksavvy...so I can't wait for this.

New developments.

Small companies selling internet services will likely be paying for download speed under a decision announced by Canada’s telecommunications regulator.
The CRTC's decision, announced Tuesday, gives established providers two options for charging independent internet service providers — a flat rate or a rate based on capacity and the number of users.
Bell had asked to be able to charge based on the total volume of internet data used by its wholesale customers. The regulator rejected that model.