RMA Broadband
I just converted my internet service back from DSL to RMA Broadband. I left RMA several years ago after months of frustration and poor service. I could never tell if I would be able to work at home until I got up in the morning to see if my internet was woking. Nobody could fix it and some of the excuses about why it could not be fixed were both original and comical. This was particularly frustrating as I had spent a great deal of time helping to implement the system when I was on the RMA Board. I was one of the original Beta users in that project.
Now that I have retired and no longer need to drive 40 miles to work when my internet is down, we decided it was time to convert back to RMA and at the same time, ditch our land line with ATT. We used one of RMA's recommended providers (Joel Hagye) to do some work rerouting the cable behind the walls and Joel (who also works part time for RMA) also isolated the broadband cable and intstalled the modem. That work was outstanding and I would definately recommend Joel for any installation preparation of this kind.
We are entirely Apple driven (I-Pad, I-Phone, MacBook etc) so we run our wireless network off of an Apple Time Capsule. We plugged the TC into the new, RMA modem (which, by the way, is currently FREE with any conversion). We also "hard wired" the Time Capsule to our main computer to allow for a faster back-up which we feared would take a great deal of time on the first connection.
Now the good news. The whole thing works FANTASTIC. The speed is remarkably improved over DSL, the initial backup was very fast and the consistency of the signal has been perfect so far. We could not be more pleased. The cost is the same as what I was paying with ATT and it feels great to be rid of the "Evil Empire" for the cost of the land line and the DSL.
If you have DSL (and many of you that went through the "RMA experience" with Broadband switched about the same time that I did), you may want to consider switching back. I put off doing this for a long while but so far, I am extremely glad that we finally converted. The sign up and installation service was very good and the process was virtually painless. If your experience is the same, you will also increase your speed. In the past year, we were getting drop out more and more on DSL and the speed had become an issue. That has gone away with RMA.
Sorry to use this forum for something other than the exposure of an RMA conspiracy, harsh rebuke of my neighbors opinions or to criticize those folks dumb enough to volunteer to serve the community....but.....RMA Broadband NOW WORKS GREAT. Thanks to Paul at RMA and to the folks who provided the superior customer service.
We try to never forget that it's YOUR network and we work for YOU. We are far from flawless, but we do work hard to provide good service at a fair price. RMA Broadband & Cable TV is a not for profit operation, wholly owned by the members of the Rancho Murieta Association.
While we pay more for everything (programming, internet bandwidth, equipment) than the big guys (Direct, Dish, AT&T, etc.) we can typically provide service at a lower price as we don't exist to make a profit from you.
Having no profits we offer few "specials". Unlike the big boys that ALWAYS have a "special" low starter price (followed by a significant increase later), we offer specials perhaps once a year or so.
Our current Internet special (free outlet isolation, free modem, free 1st month...saving new users $77+) actually ends at the end of this month.
I again thank you for the kind words and hope you continue to enjoy your service.
Cate,
Paul and his team have done a fantastic job upgrading and fine tuning RMA's broadband network. It is fast, efficient, reliable and has the bandwidth needed for multiple devices. He is always looking to the future to make it better. Scott and I switching from AT&T to RMA when we get back in the fall.
Thanks, Carol. If you sign up by June 30, you can save $77. Have a great summer.
I logged in from my phone to see if anyone else is experiencing the same frustrating service delays I've been having for a few weeks and I found this post. I wonder why I am having the same work from home hurdles you had while yours is now "perfect"? Been without internet for hours, and based on recent experience it probably wont come back until night. I can't really be the only one ?!
We were also getting very slow service but it was random. Some times it was very fast and some times is was so slow pages wouldn't load. When my husband called, Paul and a technician came over within 30 minutes. They worked for awhile and came to the conclusion that everything is working fine but that there is one household who is taking over 50% of the bandwidth in our "area" (on the south around Callaway/Colbert). He asked me to call right away when it happens again so he can see if this is the problem. So far, so good. Call Paul next time it is slow and he will check it out for you.
I hope you have called Barbara to schedule a tech visit to your home. If not I'll get a call schedule for tomorrow.
From checking the modem stats (all modems send us a status report with a half dozen signal measurements every few minutes) I can see the problem is either inside or right outside your home. Your modem shows bad stats, but your neighbors modems do not.
But like all cable systems we can also have network problems that effect a larger area. The last few weeks we have seen an intermittent problem in node 6 (a small number of homes around Camino Del Lago). On Monday or Tuesday we decided to replace the upstream laser and are watching to see if the problem returns or if we solved it. We are also working to find the cause of the ESPN problem two residents mentioned this past weekend. Intermittent problems are always hard to find.
We will always have problems of one sort or another....most very minor effecting only a single home. But we will always try to provide a good level of service. We really do care about the service we provide you.
Thank you for following up with us and getting us service right away. Let's hope the new fittings and wire do the trick!
Thanks again!
Thanks for the info, John. For months, I have been experiencing the same issues with AT&T but was hesitant to switch to RMA Broadband for the reasons you mentioned.
A couple of years ago, I did switch back to RMA cable after trying both satellite providers; both of them were high-priced and useless compared to the streamlined and very affordable RMA DVR with cable. I am so happy with that decision.
Your recommendation gives me the confidence to stop paying AT&T for poor and spotty service. RMA is sending my paperwork right now.
Cate Merritt Murphy