Comments for Vonage solves Clearwire blocking problem, asks feds for help

Vonage solves Clearwire blocking problem, asks feds for help

2005-04-22T18:03:05Z

Vonage Holding Co., the largest independent Voice over Internet Protocol provider, has solved the problem at least one customer was having when Clearwire Corp. blocked access to Vonage's VoIP service, said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage chief executive officer, on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Clearwire is a new wireless Internet service venture backed by cellular pioneer Craig McCaw.

Citron said Clearwire admitted to blocking Vonage and said it blocked anything as high as 64 kilobits per second-the amount of bandwidth necessary for voice-but Citron said this was not accurate. "When we contacted Clearwire they told us that they don't handle applications of 64 k. That is obviously not the truth because we have worked with the customer to use another port. That customer has their service, and it works fine. The network is fine. No one is being harmed. The towers didn't melt down. Nothing was destroyed. Every time a customer chooses Clearwire, it won't work until they call me and we change a few things in the settings, and all of the sudden the service starts working again," said Citron. More...

Comment from Jared on 2005-06-25

2005-06-25T17:53:47Z

OK, let me start this by saying I worked for this pittiful organization and I can tell you how they think(or don't for that matter) and all thier little dirty tricks.

First I must disclose my reasoning behind this. 1. everyone deserves to know the truth. 2. I work for them between 60-80 hours a week in thier NIC, which was responsable for building(and I was responseable for comissioning all thier equipment too) all the cabinets the sit at the base of cell cites. After breaking my back I was graciously handed a pink slip from two unknowledable individuals who know little to nothing about this industry, yet the fate of the company lay within thier hands...

They block all ports! Except the basic email and web ports, they block the rest. They serve to the customers on licencsed 2.6G wireless spectrum and then do wireless backhaul using unlicensed spectrum! That is problem number 1. Then, then also plan to have approx 50+ customers per sector, with a 20/50/or 100 Mbps backhaul. Most people would say that is fantastic. But in truth, is is miserable. Even though the backhaul from the wireless site to the pop at "high speeds" thier connection to the Inet is usualy only 1.5 Mbps(1 T1) or even two or three. When you have 50-200 customers on a link, trying to share that little bandwidth, you'd be lucky to get the 64k I see referred to on this sites posts.

Furthermore, these cabinets are not built to any type of standard(which is the reason for the NIC, to standardize them). For example, they do not heat shrink thier power connections, and all equipment is hooked to a set of power relays for remote monitoring and power cycling abailities.

If I were to give anyone any advice about this company, STAY AWAY FROM THEM! Why would you want to support a company that insists on maintaining ignorance? Furthermore, why would you want to pay a company for a service that is far less quality than many other established providers out there.

PS, thier "Lead Engineer" at the NIC, does not even know the difference between a torque head screwdriver and a precision screw driver...

Comment from Marc Abel on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T16:04:59Z

I am a new Clearwire subscriber, and they are also blocking my Packet8 VOIP service. I have given Clearwire until nightfall to make everything work.

Comment from Marc Abel on 2007-09-28

2007-09-28T17:38:35Z

I have been a Packet8 subscriber for years, and a Clearwire subscriber for a few hours. These do NOT work together without intervention in two ways.

First, I had to connect a computer and sign onto a regular website to get through Clearwire's signup language. Until then, nothing works with the Packet8 hardware. (I also had to close my browser afterward, because it cached Clearwire's IP for the website I had tried to visit.)

Second, I contacted Clearwire's customer support via their website (as my Packet8 service was acting strangely and not working). They wrote back quickly, as in within two hours, and said in part:

"Some of our ports are managed to maintain the integrity of our network. They can be opened by request under special circumstance such as third party voip."

They immediately did exactly this, and I now have a working telephone. This encounter, and an unrelated one earlier, suggests to me that Clearwire is willing to work with its subscribers to meet their needs.

Comment from Petros Ives-Rublee on 2007-10-09

2007-10-09T16:40:10Z

I recently signed up to Clearwire, and haven't been able to use it yet! 1, My laptop's ethernet port is bad and I need a USB-to-Ethernet adapter; 2, when I called them to order one, they put it on backorder, lost it, found it again, and now don't know when I am going to get it; 3, I finally had my group home manager go and get one for me. I should be able to use it tonight. If I had had a choice earlier, I would've not even bothered with them.

PS: My mother has Clearwire at her work, and she even agrees that their CS is terrible.

Comment from Cruz Ramirez on 2008-12-23

2008-12-24T03:22:55Z

Hello!

I have Clearwire, it does not let me access my website which was recently moved to another server to improve it and the server works off of port 80 and I called Clearwire and they told me they did not know what the problem was, but I had a sense that they were not completely honest.
Please visit the following website http://3900income.com and tell what you see, if you have clearwire in Texas you will not be able to see it. Tomorrow I am going to see about getting another service.

Cruz

Comment from subscriber in portland oregon on 2009-08-10

2009-08-11T00:12:18Z

I just signed up and then cancelled subscription. I was told that Clear Voice VOIP adapter could power my house. I was then told that it cannot. Then I spoke with someone who told me that Clear is not compatible with any other company's VOIP. I wonder why they would say that, losing me as a potential internet subscriber, if it is not in fact true.

Comment from Palmer on 2009-10-28

2009-10-29T03:04:58Z

I am using Clearwire.I have Broadvoice VoIP phone. I didn't have any problem when I signed up for Clearwire. But lately I found my incoming calls are blocked. When I contacted Clearwire they said all ports are open. There are some tech guys working there in the level 2 support. They don't know anything. My problem is not yet solved. Any help?