🚀 go-pugleaf

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Here is a complaint of jps.net as provided to me from an anonymous
source.  I have edited the text to protect his/her identity.

	See attachment.
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    I was having problems getting my NT box hooked up.  I called into
technical support.  5 times I called, 5 times I was left on hold for ~15
minutes after their recordings were done.  No muzak, no "please wait" nothing
but dead silence for 15 minutes.  Each time I hung up.  To get technical
support I had to dial LD to CalWeb's shell and email support@jps.net.  Ironic
that they have a policy that they must answer email within 15 minutes or get
a free month while their phones are left to hold indefinately.

    Once I got communciation going through email (remember, LD to my CalWeb
shell account just to do that) there was little help.  I asked if they could
confirm settings, they refered me to their web pages.  Their web pages have
screen shots, no directions.  This is a problem because I was limited to a
text browser.  When I again asked pointed yes/no questions with the
suggestion that they look at their own web pages for me, they did not but
instead asked if I had access to a fax.  

    Fast forward to actually having the connection.  I recieved a K56 modem
for xmas.  I was having problems with it.  Email support asking them what
equiptment they used.  Took quite a while to get an answer as the first guy
didn't know.  I finally gave up on the K56, I figure my house out there is <3
miles from the CO and K56 isn't an option.

    Got a shell account from them.  They use BSDi.  Nothing is really
installed.  What is installed is not the familiar GNU utilities.  Off I go
compiling darned near everything under the sun.  Then about 3 weeks into it
some vital utilities disappeared.  less, gzip/gunzip, pine, elm, mutt.  I
asked support what was going on.  They said that those were removed because
of security risks.  GZIP!  A security risk!  Fine, download and compiled
those for my personal use.

    Asked support if they had newsgroups.  I figure if they're going to be so
stingy on what they will provide the shell users I'd start up a packrat
network like there was on Netcom years ago.  First guy didn't know, told me
to ask again in the day.  Sent the message three times that day, no response. 
Finally got one a week later when I asked another tech who seemed to have his
head on straight.  They don't have local news groups.

    My connection also suffers frequent disconnects.  However, I don't know
if that is the fault of my equiptment, the lines in the local area (which
won't effect you in Sacramento, I'm sure) or PacBell's screwups.

    All in all, JPS is EXACTLY what their ads suggest, CHEAP. 

    Now, I may have a biased opinion based on the fact that I demand much
more out of my ISP than most.  IE, I want a shell that is functional, not some
stripped down POS.  Most people don't want a shell.  I'm very senitive to
latency and packet loss.  JPS has great latency but they can have rough spots
with the packet loss.  No to mention that I am routing my LAN through
IPMasqing and out from there.

    If you know what you're doing, don't want a shell and are willing to risk
the possibility of packetloss and disconnects, JPS is a decent choice.  That
is the whole reason I went with them.  Cheap service that I didn't expect to
have to call support up often, if at all.

    Harsh, yes, but I figured you'd want an opinion from a power user who
utilizes the connection instead of just dabbles with it.

    Now, as an aside, if you're looking for local service there are only two
places that I can vouch for.  CalWeb, of course, and Mother.  Like I said, I
work at CalWeb and a long time friend of mine is tech supervisor over at
Mother.  Other than that I'd say that if you're expecting to talk to
technical support quite often (newbie to the net, etc) I'd stay away from any
ISP that is offering unmetered service below $19.95/month.  Those ISPs are
cutting corners somewhere to make ends meet and often that is in the tech
support personell.  Also the nationals are not a good place for service since
it is a lossy business to them.  They are jumping into the ISP business to
get people to come to their lucrative long distance service.

    Anyway, just one person's opinion on it all.  Take it as you will.

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