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New Shaw Internet 150 is @ $79.90...

39K views 75 replies 28 participants last post by  Wolfe13 
#1 · (Edited)
#2 · (Edited)
New Internet 150 service, cheap but beware

Shaw just introduced a new 150MB service with a 1TB limit. Pretty good but there are things to be aware of, as usual.

Shaw WideOpen Internet 150 | Fast High Speed Internet @ 150Mbps Speeds + 1TB Data

I called and was told I could get the new 150 service for $49/mo for the first 12 months and then pay $79/mo for the second 12 months. That was great as I'm paying more than that for my current Internet 50.

I was played a 'contract obligations' recording and agreed to the 'conditions', despite not having been informed of the start and end dates as the recording suggested (2yrs is 2 yrs, whatever), and had to 'agree' to get the deal. While I was talking with them I asked about another upgrade to my Gateway equipment and they said they could do that also under the same 2yr 'contract'. After all was said and done, and I was talking with the 3rd person(another story), I was asked if anyone had mentioned the '$60 install fee'.

No one had and I was not impressed. I told him this was a 'bait and switch' but he actually had the nerve to tell me I was 'lucky as the price is going up to $100'. If I didn't agree, I wasn't getting any of the deals so what choice did I have; NOT impressed.

An appointment had to be booked as they have to install yet another new modem, which can be bridged and supports IP passthrough. I'm going to see if I can pick up the new modem sooner as the install is booked for Tuesday next week, late afternoon. I asked if they could bump me up the the max my current modem can handle and they initially said 'yes' but then changed after a brief hold and said I had to wait for the new modem. Again, not impressed but 'whatever'.

So, this post was meant to be about the new service but is half about the poor experience. If I need to split it, please let me know.
 
#4 ·
@Jetranger The offer is for new customers only. Existing customers can migrate to it with a 2 year plan at $79/month instead of the month to month $135/month cost. So the $49/month first year offer wouldn't be valid in this case. Sorry for the experiences, sometimes we get these on day one as folks get the hang of things.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Shaw Champ, I wish you had been involved with this process as it has turned into an even bigger mess before it got better.

I was out of town this morning when I found out about it but on the trip home, I decided I could save the wait on the internet by picking up the modem myself(I might have been channeling you, rsigal). When I got back to town, I went to the Shaw retail store in Sunridge. The first lady brought out a modem but then realized I had the Gateway install booked. She said she didn't want me to lose my appointment time for that part of the install so I should just 'be patient and wait'. Well, I was so annoyed that I just walked out before realizing I really don't care about the Gateway install as I have one already and am in no rush for the next one. I went back and had to wait in line(again, another story for the 'Rant' thread) and the trouble only got worse from there.

I'll write the rest in the Rant thread but the end of the story is I got the new modem and it actually was a 'plug and play' install when I finally got home tonight. So far the speeds are great; up to 176Mb/s, over wifi to my phone! That was earlier and now it's closer to the 150 but still good.

One thing I messed up was turning off the wifi and then setting the modem for IP Passthru. I called tech support and they fixed it all up for me by bridging the modem and setting my IP. It's all back to how it should be now.

Look for my upcoming post in the Rant thread for more about the huge holes I fell into today with Shaw.

Bottom line here is I am paying less on my monthly bill and have both higher internet speed and a higher Data limit. Netflix, here I come! (just kidding)

As for the pricing, they are giving me a monthly discount for the first year because I actually had been given the 'wrong' deal earlier in the day. I have to figure it out yet but the total monthly bill is lower so that's a great start.
 
#6 ·
Hey that is good to hear about the price being sorted out right. I was actually in Sunridge myself last night doing same thing and picking modem up as I had the Cisco one bridged before.
If you need me to look into anything just send me a message, I'd be happy to help out.
 
#7 ·
I tested my new speed last night and it showed 176 down; awesome! That was on my cel phone. Funny thing was, it showed I was connected to a Telus server. I figured I should try it on my wired laptop and I only got 50 when testing to a Shaw server. That was really strange to me so I switched servers to the 'Telus' server and what do you know, the speed was up at 166. Now, how does Shaw manage to only deliver 50Mbps from their servers and their competition is delivering the full speed Shaw is selling you?

By the way, I finished a rather lengthy 'rant' here:http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/36-...rant-thread-leaving-shaw-etc.html#post2799113
 
#8 ·
I lucked out and had the Hitron modem already, so my call into customer service was rather painless. Despite a dropped call (after which the rep called me back right away), things went smoothly and within minutes I had the faster speed on my account.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
 
#9 · (Edited)
I looked into it and was going to commit, and I mentioned that we might be relocating in the next 6 to 12 months and what would happen if Shaw wasn't available. I was told I would be liable for $15.00 a month for the remainder of the two year contract.

That being said keeping all my other services the same with the faster internet my monthly rate would actually be less, at least for two years.
 
#10 ·
I am getting an install of the 150 and TV this week.

Can someone explain or suggest whether I should have it "bridged" and is bridging something thats done at the other end?

Currently and for the past 2-3 years I had Telus setup. The router/modem in one. I had the "wifi" disabled on the router/modem.

I guess this means I was using my own router.

Any advantages or disadvantages to maximize performance?

I think I would prefer to use the equipment/setup Shaw suggests.

Thanks


Oh and maybe the most important question: can I change the DNS settings in the internet modem?
 
#11 ·
"Bridging" is something that Shaw would do to the modem, to disable its built-in router.

If you are wish to use the built-in wireless router embedded in the Shaw modem, your modem does not need to be bridged. For the average consumer, this is the best way to go. You get a good, fast wireless network without needing to buy a new router. If your router doesn't have, at minimum, gigabit Ethernet ports, use the Shaw modem instead. If your router is 3 years old, you're probably better off going straight through the Shaw modem.

However, many people with expensive or high-end routers (generally in the $200+ range), or with specialized home networking setups, will want to use their own router rather than use Shaw's built-in wireless. In those cases, they will need Shaw to bridge the modem so that Shaw's built-in router doesn't interfere with their home networking.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the clearer explanation I was looking for and suggestion. I am currently using my airport extreme for wifi access. I don't even think I set it up correctly for backing up lol. But as wifi I have never had any issues. I don't think my network is sophisticated. I have about 5-6 devices. And Plex. And maybe a few other things.

I do also have a VPN and DNS service. Not sure if this makes a difference in bridge or no bridge.

I guess I will stick with what Shaw brings. If I can't get everything working I can always add the airport extreme. Kinda of a waste to not use the extreme but oh well.

Thanks
 
#13 ·
To follow up on my experience, after taking Shaw Champ up on his offer to 'assist' in getting things sorted out, I now have both Internet 150 and a new XG1 Gateway on a 2yr 'commitment'. My pricing was also adjusted to meet the originally quoted pricing as there are additional options available if you are also committing to TV services for the 2yrs.

I had the new Gateway installed this past Thursday and have been very happy with the new, higher speeds, both down and up that come with the new Modem, along with the 1TB of data. I never got close to using the previous limit so this one will likely never be tested either. In the past couple of weeks, I had been trying to upload some lengthy videos to YouTube and they kept failing. Since having the higher upload speed, they completed just fine and in considerably less time than they would have at the previous speed, of course.
 
#14 ·
Not sure I follow all this. I have multiple routers. Turned off the Shaw wireless. Plugged in secondary routers to main Shaw router and may have disabled dhcp on something.
No Shaw effort required!?? 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.2.1
Obi's and router and desktop plugged into Shaw 192.168.0 addresses and stuff connecting to another router wirelessly with 192.168.2 addresses and everything can see everything as far as I can tell.
 
#15 ·
I love it! Speed tests of 175/16, modem in bridged mode. Although normally I'd probably subscribe to the 15 Mbps tier, the pricing of this 2yr offer makes it extremely compelling, even in the 2nd year, to subscribe to this plan.

I honestly don't know how I'm going to make use of all this speed, but I've got 2 years to figure that out.
 
#18 ·
I think Shaw's main upcoming issue is that they've enjoyed a long period of time where they had substantially better infrastructure than their primary competitor (i.e. Telus). This is going to be changing over the next ~3 years as Telus rolls out FTTH in many major markets.

That might make now a good time for Shaw to get in the multi-year contract game.
 
#19 ·
@Phage the regular rate as it stands today is $135/month with no commitment when paying month to month. The intent is that customers can choose to renew with a commitment again for less than that price.

Example: Regular customer today commits to 2 years at $79.99/month Internet 150 (rate guaranteed). During that time you can change your internet subscription level, you just have to maintain a subscription, but if you do change your level then you will be applicable for rate changes that can occur. If you do cancel then early cancellation fees will apply: Terms Of Use | Joint Terms of Service - Shaw - Shaw.ca
At the end of the two years you can choose to keep everything the same and renew your commitment again and pay less than whatever the month to month regular rate is at that time (currently $135/month).

Also during that time we will have launched DOCSIS 3.1 capable modems and most likely change the speeds we offer. Currently we have 5,15,20,60,120,150 speeds. I can't comment on what is to come, but know that we can easily compete with Fibre and our network is continuously in great shape now. We try and keep a decent balance between speed, price and choice through each tier. Two years is a ways off and I bet some exciting things will happen in that time; but one thing you can be sure of is you will always have a choice of what to get or do.
 
#20 ·
Well, that's great to hear @Shaw Champ. Competition is good for all consumers. I was a very happy Shaw customer for many years until the network in my area became completely saturated and ~12 months went by without anything really being done about it. I wasn't able to play online games anymore it was getting so bad. In short, I do have a company preference for Shaw over Telus, and if they both can provide me with a similar service, I'd take Shaw every time. I like Shaw better because I've had better service experiences because of people like Shaw Champ here.

Last time I checked, Telus was providing much better service to my house. I hope Shaw can provide comparable or even better service someday.

I'm aware of the technical details of DOCSIS 3.1, and while it won't be able to keep up with single mode optical fiber (symmetrical 10Gbps? Yes please!), I'm sure it would be more than sufficient for most people for the foreseeable future.
 
#21 · (Edited)
10Gig Symetrical - Oh Ya!

Check this report out that I found when Googling 'Docsis 3.x Cable Modems';

http://www.cablelabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DOCSIS-AQM_May2014.pdf

It seems this has been in the works for at least a couple of years now.

And here's a short video if you don't want to read the above: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ys7Zhc0WMTU

As for Shaw getting us 'hooked on higher speeds', I had 100Gbps service in the past and once the 'promo' pricing ended, was happy to go back to the old 50 service as that was fast enough for us. Sure, once you have experienced the faster speeds, it's hard to go back but the pricing has to be affordable and worth it.

The only reason I signed up for this is the lower price. Getting the speeds tripled is just icing on the cake, to me anyway.
 
#22 ·
just wondering if this is limited to certain areas? i just cancelled my tv service, got a free offer for internet when they installed my cable but we dont like the new boxes for some reason... nontheless i asked about this offer and the csr said it was not in my area.
I am in edmonton (north east)
 
#26 ·
Thanks shawchamp... got a call while at work.. tried in the evening when i got home as organised but did not get the csr whol called. managed to register online and left them a message with the reference number. signed up for internet only though but i put a note in about the tv as we have a tenant with shaw and they are sending their boxes back... looking forward to it. Telus (current provider) i am unsure if i have to call to cancel as i did the online switch. i will be calling to cancel later today to cancel. picked the 3rd week of august to install will keep you posted.
 
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