Internet Service in Findlay (Toledo, Lima: sales, home, middle school)

[ImaMichigander]

We are making the move to Findlay in about 1.5 weeks. But I am having a heck of a time finding internet service.

Can it really be that Findlay, with a population near 50,000 has only one choice, Time Warner? Apparently you can get Earthlink, but it is provided by Time Warner.

I indicated I was interested in Time Warner for phone and internet and was called 10 times from late Saturday evening until Tuesday afternoon to schedule installation. For calls 5-8, I told them I was no longer interested in their services. Call 8 included a chat with a supervisor who promised to remove me from their list. Calls 9-10 were after the talk with the supervisor--whom I informed his company was bordering on harrassment-- with call 9 coming moments after the chat with the supervisor. I really don't want to use them.

I know that the following do not have service in Findlay in Lakeview Park:
ATT/SBC Global
Dish Network
C2
Buckeye
Verizon


Any other options or suggestions?

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by ImaMichigander

We are making the move to Findlay in about 1.5 weeks. But I am having a heck of a time finding internet service.

Can it really be that Findlay, with a population near 50,000 has only one choice, Time Warner? Apparently you can get Earthlink, but it is provided by Time Warner.

I indicated I was interested in Time Warner for phone and internet and was called 10 times from late Saturday evening until Tuesday afternoon to schedule installation. For calls 5-8, I told them I was no longer interested in their services. Call 8 included a chat with a supervisor who promised to remove me from their list. Calls 9-10 were after the talk with the supervisor--whom I informed his company was bordering on harrassment-- with call 9 coming moments after the chat with the supervisor. I really don't want to use them.

I know that the following do not have service in Findlay in Lakeview Park:

ATT/SBC Global
Dish Network
C2
Buckeye
Verizon

Any other options or suggestions?

SBC Global doesn't touch Lakeview Park? That's really odd. My family members have DSL and their fairly close to that area. Are you taking a 419 area code land line? The Dish Network surprises me too, I see those a lot around town.

I have TWC, myself. I just went into their office down on Crystal Ave and got everything taken care of there. It's hard to put someone on hold when they're standing right in front of you. I totally don't blame you for not using them. Their customer services was ranked one of the worst in the nation. I'd hate to try to deal with their local office in a bigger city.

WCOIL's out of Lima, and they appear to offer broadband. I've never dealt with them, so maybe you'll need to examine their BBB file. It looks like Bright.Net's still stuck on dial-up for God knows what reason. They botch things a lot, and I gave up on them years ago.

As for Verizon, all I use them for is my cell phone. I don't use them for BroadbandAccess, so I really can't provide much info on that.

When you say Buckeye, do you mean Buckeye Cable? I see it in Toledo all the time, but I don't think they've expanded their borders. What is C2? I am unfamiliar with it.

[ImaMichigander]

Art-
You're the best! I knew I could count on you for the scoop...

SBC Global via ATT (in my Michigander head they are the same...) will try to survey the situation for me. The lady who helped me with phone service was great--albeit she was the 6th person I spoke with! She was in IL, so she didn't know the geography. She did say it was something to do with the ages of the phone service-- I think. It's all starting to get fuzzy. We have SBC Ameritech DSL now and are really pleased with it. I would have been perfectly happy to continue that in Ohio.

We have Verizon Cells too and we have had no problems in Findlay, Bluffton, Tiffin and from any of those locals back to Metro Detroit. We are really happy in that regard. Apparently they have something called an air card for internet connections, in addition to there more traditional internet service-- which is not offered in Findlay. But I don't know how that works and it wasn't actually offered by Verizon customer service. A couple of friends suggested that.

We are really happy with Dish Network and can continue with their TV services, but alas, no internet service in Findlay. Other places yes. Findlay no.

Seemingly Buckeye, which I guess is also a cable TV provider, is into the Sandusky area in addition to Toledo.

C2 is cavalier and that might just be a Michigan thing. They are offering a sweet deal though. $50 a month for all local and long distance phones AND internet. I think that we're paying upwards of $60-$70 for phone alone (with a home phone and a home fax line) and after the intro $41 a month for Earthlink, I mean, Time Warner apparently. BAH! I am angery that we have to use them. But on the upside, they didn't call me once today!!! Yippee!

Sad new, WCOIL DSL doesn't seem to come to Findlay either. I just looked at their list and they go all around, but not to. CRAP! They may do cable internet in Findlay, but it too is through Time Warner. POOP!

Anyway, if you come up with any other leads, please let me know! Thanks for the info though...

Thanks,
jenn

[boyneboy]

We are moving from Chicago to Findlay and looking at not only internet options but cable as well. The difficult thing with Time Warner, is they don't post their pricing for comparison - you have to talk to a sales person. We want to set things up before we get there but it sounds like if we want to go for the triple play, I should go to the local office.

So, my question is this - which is the better value?

Roadrunner + DirectTV

Roadrunner + TW Cable

[ImaMichigander]

My hubby is reading this with me and we both agree, Dish Network or Direct TV. Please note that they don't have hi-def local affiliates yet (locals are out of Toledo.)

Time Warner is a pain in the butt. I wish that they were not the contractor for Earthlink, but they are. Try not to give them any of your information unless you are really ready to have a ZILLION calls from them. They are totally obnoxious.

Also, the family we bought from put in their shut-off notice, but TW didn't get around to it. We had our service started 2 or 3 days after we moved in and THEN they got to the shut-off. We had service for like a minute before they turned it off. It was a complete pain in the ass.

Sorry, no other choices. Good luck!

[boyneboy]

Well, we've made it to Findlay and went with ATT DSL and so far, so good. DirectTV comes tomorrow. But so far, ATT has been good to work with and responsive. Of course, it didn't connect first try but they had a tech out in a day and got things straightened out.

I'd give them a thumbs up for internet. Even better, unlike TW, they will post what they charge online and no customer service games.

[ImaMichigander]

Hey Mister!

How did you get ATT DSL??? I whined and weedled and wished and got stuck with Earthlink, around here also known as Time Warner.

We live in Lakeview Park on the extreme North East of Findlay. Are you anywhere near?

I am so jealous!

How are you liking Findlay so far? I have a hard time admitting that I like it here as much as I do. I still have my moments when I declare, "Stupid Ohio." But more often than not, life has been pretty good here. I hope that you are having the same experience!

Let me know if I can be of any assistance, with my sum total 7 weeks of experience!

[boyneboy]

We had ATT DSL installed and it was pretty seamless. The gateway is a built-in wireless router and covers the house. I haven't had any problems getting a signal. As far as thru-put, my youngest son can do Warcraft III or Xbox 360 online while I cruise the need or stream video without any glitches.

As far as Findlay, I'm liking it. It isn't Chicago but we were in the burbs so there isn't much that I can't get here that we didn't have out there. Maybe a Vietnamese restaurant or a Costco... or an Italian beef sandwich.

I'm familiar with Findlay. My wife grew up in Fostoria and she still has family over there. In the early 90s, I pastored a Lutheran Church in Kenton, so we came to Findlay for shopping but it was much smaller then.

I'm the new senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, out on West Bigelow just west of 75 and folks have been great there. My son likes LB middle school and soccer and has adjusted well to the change. So, like you, life has been pretty good here for the few first weeks.

Maybe we can get together at Cafe Amici some time and compare notes? That would be fun - Findlay immigrants united!

[northwoodsman]

get sprint internet... you can get he USB card for $50 get the $50 back

i have zoomtown from cincinnati bell i'm leaving them and going with sprint