🚀 go-pugleaf

dave@hamnet.org (Dave Foran) wrote:

>As 1 of the people who is using ISDN, it was a REAL hassle. I ordered
>my ISDN in Aug 1995. It was finally installed by late October. I really
>never did get a straight answer.. But it works!.

I had a similar experience.  I signed up in August in order to take
advantage of the free installation,  but did not get installed until
October.  Since they offered a package deal with the Bitsurfer Pro, I
kept insisting that the whole package be installed at one time. Since
the lines were available in September and the hardware not until
October, I had to keep postponing my installation order, each time
reminding them that I expected to get free installation.


>The current installation cost of the ISDN line is $116.50. My particular
>line cost's about 49.80 a month. BUT I have been billed since
>installation!.. So I can expect a big bill..

You might want to hassle them a little more since any order placed
before the end of September was supposed to get free installation.
Since I installed the wiring in my house, there was absolutely no
charge for installation.  Did you intend to say that you have NOT been
billed? (otherwise you would know what size bill to expect.)  My bill
is not that high. I pay $48.62 per month but that includes the $15 a
month that I am paying in installments on the Bitsurfer Pro. (I didn't
have a lot of money to put up upfront and I REALLY wanted ISDN. I
figure I will end up paying $50-$80 too much for the modem, but I have
ISDN   NOW instead of later.)   Anyway, no per-mile, no per-minute
charges.  (This is a residential account.)  I live on the near West
side in the 941 exchange.  I called my long-distance carrier (MCI) to
see if they would be charging me more for long distance, and they said
as long as it was residential, there were no extra charges.  I
occasionally call Columbus to access Compuserve's ISDN number and it
doesn't seem to be any higher.


>There is a TON of different options....

What options do you mean?  The standard package comes with all the
standard services -- caller ID, call waiting (with no interruptions on
data calls!), and call forwarding.


>I am using a BitsurFr Pro and and NOT a problem. I was using a TA210,
>the early version, but was able to upgrade. The Pro has to analog ports
>you can use. The ringer equiv. is --Hmmm- not even listed. But is very
>low.. 1 phone or modem and no more.. I blew the TA210 because I had to
>phones on it

My documentation says it will handle 2.0 ringer equivalences. In my
case, I have about 6 phones connected, but only 2 with the ringers
turned on.  In about 4 months there have been no problems. I just ran
a wire from the modem to the existing entrance bridge and left the
internal house wiring intact.


>Every thing else you need to know and do not want to know is available

>http://www/ameritech.com/products/data/teamdata/pricing

>Start with http://www.ameritech.com  and go from there...

You also can call 1-800-TEAMDATA  for information and pricing.  To
actually place your order call 1-800-419-5400.  Of course this was a
few months ago, and everything may have changed!!!!  Every time I
tried talking to a service representative on any of the other customer
service info lines, the usual response was something like
"ISD--what???"  Just be persistant!


Somebody else mentioned the cable modems being offered sometime later
this year in Akron.  All I can say is that ISDN is here now and well
worth it, in my opinion.  If you wait for cable modems, you may very
well be waiting a long time. Also, I have heard stories that the
service offered will not be full Internet access. If this is true,
(and I wonder who would want it if this is the case) you may be very
disappointed.

Rick Byrne
rbyrne@wariat.org