Required Modem--Extra 16.3% - 32.5% Per Month?

[guestguesty]

With comcast you don't even have to pay the rental fee: just buy anything from this list http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

[virtualmike]

The funny thing is Comcast will give me internet-only service for less than $45 all-in - I just have to call in every 6-12 months to get the latest promotional rate. So, what exactly is your value-added?

Comcast has a data cap.

[Guest]

Rental modem Opt-out
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1666#p10256

[mitzilani]

I just finished reading all of this thread, I had just had my Sonic up and running today. Here are my thoughts on this issue. I don't like the idea of the rental fee, as others have said, I'd rather have the option to buy it at $99.
BUT that being said, I so far LOVE this modem. It was by far the easiest setup I have ever experienced. I have been through nightmare setups from the earliest days of dsl, when it seemed that no one knew what they were doing and half the time they sent the wrong equipment! In fact, when I read the instructions I thought no way could it be so simple, but it was.
I also would like to comment on what people have been saying about Comcast's fee vs Sonic, I don't know where you get your information but I switched from Comcast and I was paying $85 a month for just internet. That was the only way I could get decent speeds. They limit your bandwidth and monitor and police your usage and if they don't cap your data here (at least not overtly) it is ONLY because of competition like Sonic that they can't. Yet.
They are the evil empire. Would you really choose AT&T or Comcast because of a modem rental fee? Would you bank at B of A instead of a Credit Union because the ATM is closer? Don't answer that, if you do I don't want to know.
I really admire what Dale had to say about modeling Fusion on the European model. It shows an idealism that I, for one, find refreshing in this age of cynicism and avarice. And he answers on the forum, how cool is that?
Count your blessing, folks, that you have an option like Sonic available to you. I also have a place in rural Mendocino where the only option is Satellite from Hughesnet, $80 a month for dial up speeds and a 30 gb cap. That is what happens with a monopoly and you can bet your life Comcast would do that in a heartbeat.
I'm sticking with Sonic.

[Guest]

I'm one of those who, in past postings in this topic, has been HIGHLY critical of the modem rental program... and some of that still holds, just on general principle.

That said... my original ZTE died, so I had to move to the Pace & the $6.50 (at a time even that isn't financially easy). That, plus a great tech visit that solved actual connection problems I was having, and I am back to recommending Sonic again (esp. after they dropped a vile sign-up fee); not that there are all that many opportunities to tout them.

Service is solid; this modem/router is indeed a breeze to plug in & run & manage; I can get a ridiculous -10 RSSI; their phone support is ever accessible and competent, their field support, in my experience, even better; I've seen Dane recently in a lengthy interview, and while I can see that Sonic has to play the game, up to a point, to keep operating & growing & keep from being bought away from us (including a very different home page now and, yes, the modem rental, which is still a disguised price hike), I'm less concerned now that they're not 100% pure & innocent, for no corporation is, & grateful that they're still here, fortunate even, and I will trust that Dane & Co. know what they're doing and aren't turning to the dark side. I've been with them 12 years; there does seem to be an element of net idealism here; there are no caps; they get 100% rating from EFF. So... the $6.50 I can live with. The alternatives are no alternative.

[mikemee]

A quick note for those that want to use their own modem and are close enough for the newest VDSL service: I successfully installed a Zhone 6712-W1 (purchased from TigerDirect for $74 all up) and it is working in VDSL bridge mode at approx 30x1.5 mbits (about 2800 ft from colo iirc).

IMPORTANT: THIS IS NOT AN EASY DSL MODEM TO CONFIGURE!!! And it is NOT supported by Sonic (and I'm ok with that). Mine was already in Bridge Mode when I received it and it amazingly worked "out of the box". It looked like it was a refurb/return not brand new, so I suspect someone else had already configured it this way.

For friends and family I would definitely suggest renting - the included internal wiring service alone is a deal. And that's before any possible config problems. (E.g. because I'm not renting a modem and just moved, I now need to find someone to come in and tweak the wiring in our place that Sonic would have done if I was renting a modem (or bite the bullet and tone out some wires myself)).

But, if you're geeking it and have your own wireless / other internal needs that make you prefer to use a bridge + your own router, the above vdsl modem will do the trick and is compatible.

Last but not least, I'll chime in to reinforce some opinions above. Yes, I could probably get faster internet+phone from Comcast for around the same price -- until the signup offer expires!! --, but I value the customer service and principles that Sonic espouses. This one small vote with my $$s helps support broadband choice, privacy from ad networks & corporations selling my usage data, as well as a company that treats their employees well.

Oh, and with Sonic, Netflix works without any of the buffering problems that my neighbors & friends complain about with Comcast!

[ozware]

My sister has had sonic ADSL service using my old Netopia modem and recently decided to dump ATT tele and switch to Fusion. She received a PACE 5168nv, I believe, which can be used for bonded service, though she doesn't have or need bonded service--I think she is paying $6.50 a month for the rental.

I helped her and her son set up the Pace attached to her old wireless router. But later did some troubleshooting along with Sonic.net staff, and decided to eliminate the external router and just use the PACE which provides decent wireless access for all her needs.

The Pace is a nice modem/router and is all my sister needs to get good fast download speeds. Her rental also saves me further configuration hassles as well!

I still use my own equipment at home, however, for Sonic.net Fusion. I guess I like the punishment, though I have not had many problems doing this. Working with Sonic has been good to great, especially compared with ATT or Comcast.

[Guest]

I disagree and will voice my opinion that the Pace gateways used by Sonic and AT&T suck. It's locked down and the bugs in the devices shows that these guys don't have any global management of their firmware. For example, a 3800 with version 6 of the firmware doesn't exhibit the web server crapping out after extended use on a 5031 running version 9. No telnet/ssh interface. No SNMP.

The same goes for Sonic's ATA. It's also locked down and if they're managed properly I don't see it as a problem but now with it not re-registering if it loses a connection, it's suckage is worse than Pace CPEs. I would like VoIP to be on par with POTS but sometimes when my gateway reboots due to DSL retrain the ATA will just go offline and we don't know about it until our Accession devices ring but not our telephone. I'm disappointed we were not informed by Sonic but by another customer who posted a message on the forums. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2992

My post on Sonic's status at https://corp.sonic.net/status/2015/07/2 ... enance-13/ hasn't been moderated.

[pockyken007]

That I agree with I had to restart my Pace modem recently to fix some connectivity issues and had no Idea that the ATA will have to power cycled to re-register again ... till my parents called our landline and couldn't get through and informed me about it ... personally I almost never use the landline but my wife does and I estimate that we have been without it for 3-4 days from me restarting the modem till my parents called ... Knowing this ahead of time would be a good thing and would save me the " oh shit our phones don't work moment "

[Guesty Guest]

For friends and family I would definitely suggest renting - the included internal wiring service alone is a deal. And that's before any possible config problems. (E.g. because I'm not renting a modem and just moved, I now need to find someone to come in and tweak the wiring in our place that Sonic would have done if I was renting a modem (or bite the bullet and tone out some wires myself)).

Ah, but I see no value to inside wire coverage, and have no intent of ever inviting Sonic past the network interface. Thus I resent paying for it.