I am on the Liberty 12 program. Two days ago, my service deteriorated to the point where it was essentially useless. After an hour on the phone with tech support, they advised that the modem was the problem and they would arrange a service call. The next day, I was contacted by the local service agent who advised me that this problem was widespread and, in some way, related to the new satellite. They felt that the only solution was a modem upgrade but that I had to get that authorized by ViaSat. When I contacted ViaSat again they said a modem upgrade required a new 2 year contract ( which I am unwilling to sign ) They then advised the the current modems are out of stock and will not be available for some time - at least another week. Meanwhile I am out of service, and for this I have been paying a monthly fee for service. Unacceptable!
Posted 2 years ago
Bev, Champion
Now thats what I call Customer Service
Where the heck is that mute button?
Steve Frederick-VS1/Beam314, Champion
That was the advantage of the old forum, one could block those who were just rambling about nothing.
Stephen Rice, Champion
Ok I’m gonna go ahead and speak up at this point. Using this forum is completely useless. Forums like this are used by the companies who host them to keep the negativity behind closed doors. Look at how many complaints there are all about almost the same thing. Don’t you worrry there will be a handful of people who pop up to tell me how wrong I am and sway the tone of this post but the evidence sits here for everyone to see. I have this service because there is no alternative. I pay a premium for subpar performance and the second anything else becomes available I’ll switch and launch a crusade to make sure no one ever sign with this service. If you want real change get with your states atttornet general and show them what’s going on. Do they care no not really but a fraud case this large means a huge promotion and a lot of attention. Jyst sayin
Thanks for your useless post. ( did I just sway the tone of this post? Jyst sayin )
(Edited)
You are right Jason. Good post ignore the Viasat fan boys.
I agree, when something else comes up, I am gone. I getvterrjble speeds and no end in site. Promises are never true
VeteranSatUser, Champion
I have waited over 20 years over something better than satellite internet to come along. Haven't found anything better yet where I live. So some of you might be waiting a long time.
Yeah I’ve waited quite a while as well. Not shocked by fanboys I said they’d show up in my post. I used to work for a very large company and we hosted our own forum too., so employees felt like they had a voice. This isn’t a new idea, we were great at handing out cookie cutter answers that helped no one we had corporate managers and teams of people who had dummy accounts who would log in with the sole purpose to attack people who had negative things to say or just post an unending amount positive jibberish. Real talk, just words here 90% of these folks are experiencing the same type of problems. I could recount my own personal story here but you know character count and what not. Plus there’s literally a thousand posts just like it. Satellite internet both Hughes and Viasat are the worst possible versions of internet you could possibly pay good money for. When I move I’m making sure there’s a hard wired service available and I’m not gonna look back.
Bev, Champion
Wired, aside from dial up, is always a better option than satellite internet. However there are those of us that have no desire nor intentions to move and, who have only satellite or dial up or, in some cases, not even dial up as an option. We want internet and so, we get satellite and, learn how to make the most of what it can give us.
Of course it isn't trouble free, it's more expensive than wired service, but it's more expensive for Viasat to deliver service to me than it would be for AT&T if I lived in town.
90% of the problem is expecting satellite internet service to be like wired service. That's like expecting an apple to taste like an orange - not happening, two different things entirely.
Viasat is trying to come as close to wired as possible for all of their customers, they couldn't have predicted the problems with Viasat 2 but, they aren't giving up, Viasat 3 is still going to happen.
Of course it isn't trouble free, it's more expensive than wired service, but it's more expensive for Viasat to deliver service to me than it would be for AT&T if I lived in town.
90% of the problem is expecting satellite internet service to be like wired service. That's like expecting an apple to taste like an orange - not happening, two different things entirely.
Viasat is trying to come as close to wired as possible for all of their customers, they couldn't have predicted the problems with Viasat 2 but, they aren't giving up, Viasat 3 is still going to happen.
Steve Frederick-VS1/Beam314, Champion
Sorry to ruin your Saturday Jason, but I love my Viasat internet service. This morning, I am seeing download speeds around 21.7 Mbps, and I am on the 12 Mbps Freedom plan.
Satellite internet is not to be compared with ground based systems. It is out there to provide those of us in the rural areas of the country with a decent internet service, where those land based services just don't want to invest in the infrastructure to serve us in the low density housing areas.
I live just one mile from the last Time Warner cable customer, and have been waiting 25 years for them to extend their cable to me and my neighbors, but, it may never happen.
If you want internet service at speeds of 1 Gbps, it is time for you to pack up your things and move to a location that has wired internet service.
For me, I love my country living.
Satellite internet is not to be compared with ground based systems. It is out there to provide those of us in the rural areas of the country with a decent internet service, where those land based services just don't want to invest in the infrastructure to serve us in the low density housing areas.
I live just one mile from the last Time Warner cable customer, and have been waiting 25 years for them to extend their cable to me and my neighbors, but, it may never happen.
If you want internet service at speeds of 1 Gbps, it is time for you to pack up your things and move to a location that has wired internet service.
For me, I love my country living.
Jason, I agree with you and your observations. Even those who sporadically, through luck of the draw, receive good service it still amounts to nothing more than anecdotal endorsements. Even a broken clock is correct twice a day. I gave up commenting a few weeks back when it became a battle between customers who spoke about the great service and those that didn't.
All businesses have their peaks and troughs when trying to keep all customers happy and that is not to be expected. It simply isn't reasonable. but this "only alternative" service seems to be all over the map when it comes to meeting the great promise of the new satellite. How long are "bugs" in the system, whether with the satellite of ground operations supposed to last. For the most part we are a patient and forgiving lot and will tolerate poor service for a while. And that I believe is the purpose of this forum and what it has evolved into. We complain to each other, for the most part, for the purpose of blowing off steam since this is the only outlet for that.
A friend of mine recently asked why satellite TV service doesn't suffer as much from increasing customer bases. I know it must have to do with system dynamics and which band is being used - just a guess. But it does make one wonder..
All businesses have their peaks and troughs when trying to keep all customers happy and that is not to be expected. It simply isn't reasonable. but this "only alternative" service seems to be all over the map when it comes to meeting the great promise of the new satellite. How long are "bugs" in the system, whether with the satellite of ground operations supposed to last. For the most part we are a patient and forgiving lot and will tolerate poor service for a while. And that I believe is the purpose of this forum and what it has evolved into. We complain to each other, for the most part, for the purpose of blowing off steam since this is the only outlet for that.
A friend of mine recently asked why satellite TV service doesn't suffer as much from increasing customer bases. I know it must have to do with system dynamics and which band is being used - just a guess. But it does make one wonder..
Bev, Champion
Simple, a satellite TV dish uses and LNB to receive only. It doesn't need to transmit, the aim doesn't need to be as precise. I can aim a DirecTv dish myself and get good signal anywhere in the country - many RVers and truck drivers do that routinely.
You can't do that with an internet dish, it has to be aimed exactly and, has a TRIA to both send and recieve.
TV is picture and sound going one way. Internet is a whole myriad of data types going both ways and, satellites and computers don't exactly speak the same language by default. Viasat has systems to allow it to work but, there's a lot more than just a server and a big satellite dish involved in making it work.
You can't do that with an internet dish, it has to be aimed exactly and, has a TRIA to both send and recieve.
TV is picture and sound going one way. Internet is a whole myriad of data types going both ways and, satellites and computers don't exactly speak the same language by default. Viasat has systems to allow it to work but, there's a lot more than just a server and a big satellite dish involved in making it work.
Steve Frederick-VS1/Beam314, Champion
Satellite TV is, as Bev pointed out a one way transmission. The provider has a given number of channels that it can transmit simultaneously, and it makes no difference to that signal whether there is one user watching any of the channels, or millions of users. Therefore, there is no data overload. You can only get what the provider chooses to be sending at any given time.
With internet services, each user is requesting a different website or streaming service, and because of that, the internet satellite has limits on how many users it can provide data to, and as the users increase at any given moment, the speeds may slow down.
As for your comment that Viasat doesn't seem to be trying to "fix" the problems that have developed with the Viasat 2 bird, they are doing all they can to come up with a solution. Ground station problems can be easily addressed, since they are accessible via roads and trucks. The technical issues with the VS2 satellite itself are not that easy to correct, since the satellite is located 22,500 miles above the Equator, above Brazil. They can't dispatch a technician out to that location with a few tools, that is just reality.
With internet services, each user is requesting a different website or streaming service, and because of that, the internet satellite has limits on how many users it can provide data to, and as the users increase at any given moment, the speeds may slow down.
As for your comment that Viasat doesn't seem to be trying to "fix" the problems that have developed with the Viasat 2 bird, they are doing all they can to come up with a solution. Ground station problems can be easily addressed, since they are accessible via roads and trucks. The technical issues with the VS2 satellite itself are not that easy to correct, since the satellite is located 22,500 miles above the Equator, above Brazil. They can't dispatch a technician out to that location with a few tools, that is just reality.
VeteranSatUser, Champion
Where is a space shuttle when you need it!
That is one thing a shuttle could do: pull up to a bird and fix it. Now that costs a lot but there are other things to do on a mission to besides just that. I would venture to say if the shuttle was still flying, the repair costs would be less than the insurance claim which may or may not happen.
That is one thing a shuttle could do: pull up to a bird and fix it. Now that costs a lot but there are other things to do on a mission to besides just that. I would venture to say if the shuttle was still flying, the repair costs would be less than the insurance claim which may or may not happen.
I don't think the shuttles we used to have were able to get to Geosynchronous orbit. Weren't they limited to LEO? Be nice if you could just send a repairman out to fix the problem, though!
I don't think the Space Shuttle had an operational altitude that high - as I recall the maximum operating altitude was somewhere around 600 miles.
P.S. Read that maximum as meaning "up to" - it never got that high as I recall, I think highest was a repair mission to Hubble.
P.S. Read that maximum as meaning "up to" - it never got that high as I recall, I think highest was a repair mission to Hubble.
(Edited)
VeteranSatUser, Champion
Well what was Sandra Bullock working on :)
Stephen Rice, Champion
How did they fix the Hubble telescope?
Hubble is not as far and it was a huge risk going to service it. One fuel miscalculation and the shuttle would have been stranded. It was the most dangerous 2 missions in all if shuttle flights.
Installed a corrective lens to fix the main mirror that was ground wrong creating a out of focus view.
VeteranSatUser, Champion
And it was a success!
As far as one of the most dangerous, I can think of two other missions I know were more dangerous.
It was theorized the shuttle had about a 1 out of 100 failure rate. History, unfortunately, showed that was a pretty good theory.
As far as one of the most dangerous, I can think of two other missions I know were more dangerous.
It was theorized the shuttle had about a 1 out of 100 failure rate. History, unfortunately, showed that was a pretty good theory.
"Launched from space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope orbits at an altitude of about 350 miles (560 kilometers). The telescope is 43.5 feet (13.2 meters) long, weighs 24,500 pounds (11,110 kilograms) and cost $2.5 billion."
Last night i had 780 kbms on fast.com, now i use to, two weeks ago and before, always had a minimum of 1.2 during prime time, 480 is hard to do at less than 1, preferably 1+, i was getting 3.2, what happened?
Download at 1.2, prime time, sucked but i was still able to do my work, took a little longer, but for the time being there is really not a better alternative.
So unfortunately you just have to deal with it. Forget about relief from V2, that isn't happening.
Sh#####t happens, V2's promise and hope of improvement for all hasn't materialized so it is what it is, and for now the best option.(:
Download at 1.2, prime time, sucked but i was still able to do my work, took a little longer, but for the time being there is really not a better alternative.
So unfortunately you just have to deal with it. Forget about relief from V2, that isn't happening.
Sh#####t happens, V2's promise and hope of improvement for all hasn't materialized so it is what it is, and for now the best option.(:
david, Champion
My guess is Viasat is even less happy than their users over Viasat 2's problems.
Stephen Rice, Champion
It certainly is going to be an interesting shareholder call.
wm4bama, Champion
Matt B, Viasat Employee