Sonic.net

Since there seems to be no way to lodge a complaint with Sonic, I guess I'll have to share it here.

Summary
Because of a Sonic error aggravated by a bad business practice I have lost my landline and internet access (incl. outside access to my servers) for what could be weeks.
I am not a happy camper.

Background
I have Sonic Fusion X2 service with a 4-address IP block and a landline. The IP addresses are used to access servers to various locations through our internal VLANs.
I have been very happy with the service, and with Sonic's general responsiveness (and the superb tech support).

This happened.
I placed an order for an FTTN upgrade.
Looking a little closer at it I discovered that it would not serve my needs (e.g., no static IP).
I called sales within 24 hours and spoke with Kwame, telling him I wanted to cancel the upgrade.
He asked me if I wanted to cancel the service, to which I responded with an emphatic "no - I love the service. Don't touch it. Just cancel the upgrade."

He confirmed that the upgrade would be cancelled, and we parted friends.
I heard nothing further from Sonic, and life went on.

Then yesterday at 17:38:41 my router told me that all sonic IP connections were dead. I picked up the phone to call Sonic, and discovered that my phone was dead.

I called Sonic and was told that my service had been cancelled at my request.
I set them straight re. that erroneous thought, and was told that a ticket would be submitted today.
And today I learn that:
Sonic considers this a new service starting up (instead of simply turning on the lines (already there) connecting the equipment (already there) to my IP block (already allocated on the CO card) and it would require (1) an AT&T person coming out, and (2) a Sonic person coming out and (3) my phone would remain dead and (4) my IP addresses would most likely be replaced by different ones.

Consequences:
I will have to reschedule my scheduled travels in order to be here for AT&T to show up or wait until I return before my service is reinstalled.

In short:
Because Kwame did not understand a "no - do not cancel,"
I will lose (until further notice)

• - My landline service
  - My email service (we run a local server)
  - My VPN access to my LANs
  - My web and file server access
  - My IP addresses

We're looking at 10 days or more.

This is really bad service. And it could have been avoided if Sonic had sent an automated "Do you really want to cancel your service - we'll miss you!" email to me after Kwame made the mistake of believing the service to be canceled.

Cancelling a (vital) service without confirmation is very bad practice. Cancelling it in such a way that workflow required a significant hiatus before regaining service is bad engineering workflow.

A PS: Given what they have to work with tech support was at least able to keep the phone number alive, by routing calls to my cell phone.

I hope that they can expedite things quickly and get you back up to speed ASAP.

m2m3 wrote:I hope that they can expedite things quickly and get you back up to speed ASAP.

Thanks - I hope so too. This is all rather sad, since Sonic has generally been such a joy to work with.

Good morning! I checked on your case and it looks like we've expedited to get your Fusion x2 up on the 13th. You may or may not need a Sonic Field Technician to come by. I'd love to put you on the schedule in case it is necessary. This can happen on the 14th. Let me know if this works.

I do apologize that this has happened! Rest assured we are dedicated to correcting this as quickly as possible.

What? A joy? They cut off your service and you think they're a joy?

What is this with all unwillingness to see that sonic net is nothing more, nothing less than a company designed to earn money. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing different from comcast or any other ISP. If AT&T raised your cost so they could expand their service in, say, kalamazoo, the outcry would be heard all over the state. But sonic raises everyone's cost so they could expand their service in the sweet lucrative market of san francisco and everyone is fine with it. Huh?

How easily people are duped by some sleazy PR.

Toxic wrote:What? A joy? They cut off your service and you think they're a joy?

Yup, they were - until this happened.

Toxic wrote: What is this with all unwillingness to see that sonic net is nothing more, nothing less than a company designed to earn money. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing different from comcast or any other ISP.

They earn (at least my) money by providing a service at a price-point that works for me, where I am (which is not in the City). That service includes their tech support (which is excellent), their bandwidth (not particularly great) and their usage cap (none).

Toxic wrote: How easily people are duped by some sleazy PR.

I wouldn't know about that, since I am not following their marketing.

mike.perlas wrote:Good morning! I checked on your case and it looks like we've expedited to get your Fusion x2 up on the 13th. You may or may not need a Sonic Field Technician to come by. I'd love to put you on the schedule in case it is necessary. This can happen on the 14th. Let me know if this works.

The problem is that I am not on site the 13th, nor will I be until the 20th. If AT&T+Sonic could simply light up my local loop again and re-connect at the CO and reinstate my four IP addresses then all would be fine and most of my unhappiness would dissipate - my systems would automatically reconnect once the modem provides its service.

Anything requiring a site visit in order to reactivate the technology that is already in place would constitute a serious problem.

Is the MPOE/NID accessible outside the premises? If the deactivated loops were delivered to a different jack position there, we could re-wire without you being present, if it came to that.

dane wrote:Is the MPOE/NID accessible outside the premises? If the deactivated loops were delivered to a different jack position there, we could re-wire without you being present, if it came to that.

The bad news is that the MPOE is behind a locked gate.

The good news is that due to the storm in the Sierras our departure for the mountains was cancelled today - I'll be on-site tomorrow after all.

I am still puzzled as to why the deactivated loops cannot be simply reactivated, either at the CO or at the local AT&T box. It is not as if the copper going to our house is also going elsewhere.

smeldal wrote:I am still puzzled as to why the deactivated loops cannot be simply reactivated, either at the CO or at the local AT&T box. It is not as if the copper going to our house is also going elsewhere.

When new loops are delivered, we cannot control what position they end up in on your MPOE. There is a automated system that favors lines already connected end-to-end, and generally the first position, but it cannot be assured. So in some - most - cases, a new loop lands in the first position in the MPOE, and in most cases, that is already wired from prior use to jacks in the home, and no visit is needed. But it's not assured; for example, the prior position may have been in #2 and #3, because when we put in those loops, you had AT&T POTS, and the new ones landed there. Then you disconnected POTS, and then maybe these end up at #1 and #2. (Which, in this case, would at least half work; it's bonded, so you'd get half speed.

Another concern that comes to mind is bonding technology - you may have said, but what modem are you using? Today we provision on cards which support bonding with PTM, and others which support it using g.Bond technology. Our Sonic Pace 5x68 equipment supports both transparently, but heads up!

Glad to hear you'll be present, in any case!