Probs with Shaw wi-fi, anyone else

[VanessaofBC]

So I live in a pretty densely populated neighbourhood, but I assume anyone living in the Greater Vancouver area everyone is. And more and more of us are using wi-fi.

So things have been pretty good with my wi-fi up until end of April, then I am having slow connectivity, timing-out, "LOADING...LOADING".

When I called Shaw I told them like I felt like I was in the "old days" of computers. Remember...when you used to sit there FOREVER waiting for the page to load.

Sometimes I get so fed up I just tether to my cell phone. Tethering through the Bell network via my smartphone makes my laptop load faster!

But now I am paying for my Shaw wi-fi connection AND pay-per-use data with Virgin (who uses the Bell network). $$$$$

This is ticking me off money going both companies. (I hate those Canadian cellular providers )

So what do others do to combat the problem of slow wi-fi connectivity due to other wi-fi users interference.

Is there a better company, a different way to connect??

Any advice and insight is much appreciated.

 

[cherise]

i have the same problems with shaw and im in cloverdale

 

[Tugela]

Blame your neighbors for downloading too much porn/video, and saturating your local bandwidth.

 

[mercyshooter]

just call shaw and tell them to give you a brand new wireless n router modem gateway with the latest stable firmware installed. and then return the old one to them. and make sure to ask for quality of service too.

 

[badbadboy]

first off, I am assuming you had the Shaw Basic package as I also had here. It had substantial problems and bit the bullet and upgraded because in my biz not having internet is a not a valid excuse.


So I upgraded to Shaw's next highest package at an extra $20 a month. Then I noticed my internet was crapping out at various times per day. Router wouldn't work and Apple TV would shut down. I was using a Linksys Wireless N box which was > 2 years old that I spent about $60 on.

So I went for the Apple Extreme Base Station (triple the price of the Linksys!!) which was a breeze to set up for all my wireless devices. PLUS I put an external hard drive on it for backups that I can access from 'any' device.
http://store.apple.com/ca/product/MD031AM/A/airport-extreme-base-station?fnode=4d#overview-5

[/URL][/IMG]

On an unrelated subject - Are any of you using Shaw EXO? I find it really useful and can log on via an iPhone or iPad without going to Shaw Webmail etc.

 

[badbadboy]

just call shaw and tell them to give you a brand new wireless n router modem gateway with the latest stable firmware installed. and then return the old one to them. and make sure to ask for quality of service too.

You can take your modem or Shaw Remote to any Shaw office and they will replace them on the spot. I dropped my remote >>>> 100 times and there was no questions asked.

 

[badbadboy]

I have had 4 months of hell with Shaw, 3 different service calls a new modem and finally one of the geniuses plugged the modem directly into the wall instead of the power bar and I have had no issues since and download speeds in excess of 25 Mbps.

Defective Power Bar right?

IMHO the $12.95 power bars are for extra side lamps and the $70+ ones are for telecom equipment.

 

[mercyshooter]

I have had 4 months of hell with Shaw, 3 different service calls a new modem and finally one of the geniuses plugged the modem directly into the wall instead of the power bar and I have had no issues since and download speeds in excess of 25 Mbps.

power bar is to protect the device from surging! So, no diff if the thing is from your isp; because you can request a new one for free if it get surged by thunderstorm or sudden high voltage!

 

[badbadboy]

ARRRRGH right now the wifi at the hotel I'm staying at in Red Deer is soooooooooooo slow. It was fine all day, now it's creeping, takes 10 minutes to load just a fraction of a netflix show.

No LTE with a 6 GB package?

I hardly ever have to use the hotel's dead slow and open to the world IP when I travel now. With my cell package I got more minutes than I can use, infinite texting and 6 GB per month for $80/mo. I only carry an ethernet cable if I am going to someplace that may not have great cellular coverage.

Hotels will have to sharpen their prices soon or lose it all to the Cellular Networks IMHO..

 

[mercyshooter]

ARRRRGH right now the wifi at the hotel I'm staying at in Red Deer is soooooooooooo slow. It was fine all day, now it's creeping, takes 10 minutes to load just a fraction of a netflix show.

probably everyone is using the same router!

 

[mercyshooter]

Hotels will have to sharpen their prices soon or lose it all to the Cellular Networks IMHO..

Easy! Just increase the room rate and re-construct the internet infrastructure!

 

[badbadboy]

Can you please renegotiate my contract with Rogers for me because I'm getting royaly fucked over here. My bill is $85 (before my overages) and I only get 500 daytime minutes and 500mb of data plus unlimited text. I exceed my data package 2 weeks into the month.

I told them their plan was not suitable for my business needs. I discussed it politely for a while with their rep and then said it would be best to put me through to their retentions group. I immediately got offered 3000 minutes anytime minutes, unlimited texts, 6 GB Data, tons of extras on weekends and nights and all I did was gulp and say yes to $80 a month. Now my only extras are when I go into the USA or have texts or conversations with the EU.

All of these larger companies HATE losing a regular paying customer to their competition and all you have to say is you are checking out Bell and Telus; then POOF they want to help you.

 

[VanessaofBC]

Thanks, Genius'!!!....

Lost-in-Japan...that is what they always get me to do when I call in to Shaw...just "change the channel" they say.

I say... find a solution Shaw!!!

Thanks, everyone for your insight!!

Miss. Melody, I have a friend who travels between the US-Canada, I will see what plan she ended up getting.

 

[cherise]

I'd agree with this. Routers get flaky. I replaced mine last year and my connection problems were resolved. I'm with Shaw and no problems in my area.

nope...mines brand new and i got the turbo speed ...what a joke its more like turtle speed

 

[vancity_cowboy]

I've only been with Rogers since 2008...
Do they even have US packages? I'd like to keep my Canadian number while I'm living there (Phoenix) and still be able to use it but I'll settle for getting an American phone as my primary number if I can't get a good package from Rogers.

regarding us packages, i'm no expert but here's how i understand it

apparently you can get your phone temporarily unlocked from rogers so you can put a us sim card in the phone when you're travelling

you have to speak nicely to somebody at rogers in canada before you go, tell them that you're travelling on business, and apparently they will temporarily unlock it. i assume there is a fee for this. once it's unlocked you can buy a us sim card and get a local package. another sim card will have a new number

 

[badbadboy]

power bar is to protect the device from surging! So, no diff if the thing is from your isp; because you can request a new one for free if it get surged by thunderstorm or sudden high voltage!

Surge protectors that are expensive have additional circuitry that reduce the "noise" going into your devices. This is the reason the proper protection for TV, Set Top Box, Blu Ray, Amplifier etc are expensive i.e. $300 or so. The $12.95 power bar has a basic switch inside it that if it receives a voltage spike from the power company it will basically blow which presents a open circuit to the device you are trying to protect. Sometimes they work sometimes their switch does not respond quick enough and your equipment gets zapped. I lost a laptop to a voltage spike about 5 years ago when the power went out during Christmas. I went around the house unplugging everything EXCEPT the friggin power bar my laptop was connected to and it was an expensive lesson for me to learn. Ever since I have spent $$ on good power bars to protect computers, external hard drives etc.

I have a couple of these (I paid the old higher price ugh)

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=422236&CatId=5314

 

[yazoo]

I get the UPS's for pretty much everything - they are not much different in price to the power bars, they have the power conditioning circuitry, and the added bonus that if the lights go out, you have a few minutes of battery power - and can plug in a energy efficient lamp.

http://www.costco.ca/APC®-Back-UPS-ES-350-VA-Smart-USB-UPS-System.product.10323341.html

for the cheapest one in the lineup

 

[VanessaofBC]

regarding us packages, i'm no expert but here's how i understand it

apparently you can get your phone temporarily unlocked from rogers so you can put a us sim card in the phone when you're travelling

you have to speak nicely to somebody at rogers in canada before you go, tell them that you're travelling on business, and apparently they will temporarily unlock it. i assume there is a fee for this. once it's unlocked you can buy a us sim card and get a local package. another sim card will have a new number

Yes, this is the info I received today as well. You also want to buy the phone outright so you are not under any contract!

Not all places will unlock the phone, I would probably go to a place that is not even affiliated with any of the large Canadian providers. I mean, we have little Asian cell phone stores all over Van, but IDK if you have them all over AB.

 

[badbadboy]

http://cellunlocker.net

http://redboard.rogers.com/2013/how-to-unlock-your-phone-with-rogers/

 

[vancity_cowboy]

at the end of the (rather excellent) clip that hhbl posted, there is an ad for travel SIM cards

https://perb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?183695-Belfort-knocks-Rockhold-the-F-out!-Beautiful!!!