Ditto. Raylink sucks. I couldn't get that crap to work for more than 3 blocks. Motorola? $515 minimum per subscriber? and $1,000 per access point? Same with BreezeCom/Alvarion. How far away is your ROI on that? Don't even get me started on Teletronics. They put out an entire batch of 100mW radios (manufactured by Zcomax by the way) that lasted between 3 hours and 3 days as an AP before it just simply fried in the box. After being jerked around for about a week by so called "Customer Support" about finding out what went wrong and getting me a replacement for my brand new $375 AP that is now a paperweight I went looking for a new vendor. I tried SB on the recommendation of Marlon Schafer and once I received my first AirPoint Indoor and AirBridge Indoor for testing I've never second guessed the decision. They've been the most consistent, and best designed radios I've seen in the WISP industry so far. Our reliability on the wireless has done nothing but improve ever since.
I too have lost thousands of dollars, and lost dozens of customers like most of us on the list probably have, but for me it was to all the other equipment makers you mentioned. Not SmartBridges. Why? Because the other guy's equipment was WAY overpriced, and didn't perform. SB is being very responsive to our needs on this list, and THAT is why I think this list is busier than the others. The other companies that you mention probably have a small group of people that sit at their desks 9 to 5 and it's their job to comb the list and look for questions they can answer. (I know, I used to do it for Intel) The chain of their command is so many levels deep that even if the support person agrees that your idea is good it could be shot down by his manager's manager and never make it to the real decision makers. Go ahead and try asking Cisco or Alvarion to include a very basic fix or feature to their next firmware release. Think you'll see it? Support will get a good laugh and your idea will fall by the wayside. Here on this list it seems we are speaking directly with the people that can (and do) make the decisions of what goes into the product, and they are actually listening. It's going to be rare to find that in this industry, so enjoy it while it's here. I know I am.. :-) Kevin Summers KISTech Internet Services Inc. www.kistech.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of phantam Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 10:10 PM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: Re[2]: [smartBridges] New Firmware EXACTLY NICELY PUT BILL, I have used cisco teletronics and lucent and guess what all of there tech support SUCKS. They don't respond when you say things like "can we get this in the firmware" god forbid. My sb's work well there low cost and because there low cost they have a few that are messed up but GUESS WHAT that's what they made RMA's for the only ones that hate this RMA deal is that ISP's that don't buy extra equipment incase of problems as standard practice. I could be like Cisco too ill just buy the most expensive components I can find "AIRONET" and make the case smaller and sell it for 400$ more. And guess what they have bugs too. But god forbid they tell you something like "on the 18th the fix will be out for you guys." I'd buy sb over and over again and ALWAYS SMILE. Once nexus is out considering they maintain there price range. CISCO and the rest can watch out for there "godly persona" because they would quickly be thrown. I have deployed Sb's faster than any other product I have ever used and guess what :) I HAVE USED THEM ALL, from cisco -> Motorola -> teletronics -> nokia -> planet wireless -> smartbridges and that's where I'm sticking, especially since the ABO and Airbridge Total are so fast to install and work well and there problems are only an upgrade away. Chris -----Original Message----- From: Bill Flood [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 12:57 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hey Harry take a hike! A Hotmail address, that's funny! I started with Alvarion and their tech support sucks, they are arrogant and mindless. SmartBridges has allowed me to expand my business way further than I ever could with the products below. I even received tech support calls from Singapore in the early days. I've been installing SB equipment for a year now. Maybe your real problem is not with SmartBridges at all. I see a company trying to develop a product for this industry. The other are just developing a product. Bill At 08:50 PM 7/17/2003 -0700, you wrote: >Before you make an investment into any product check out the archives and >see what kinds of problems people are having. >here's my summary of smartbridges and the future as told with a crystal >ball. > >The problem is the manufacturer didn't really do their homework before >selling everyone product. Profit first, get them out the door let the isp >find the problem and we'll find a solution. > >I think it's the same as shovel ware in the software market. > >At one point in time isp's would only buy radio gear that was proven and >reliable. >If a manufacturer had as many problems as smartbridges does most isp's would >demand heir money back and move on to a different solution. unfortunately >it's been reported on this list that you can't get your money back. > > >Today's hype of wireless internet access has isp's jumping on the bandwagon >for cheap affordable gear and caught up in the hype by certain manufacturers >without any insight into the past. > >They choose a product by the sales pitch of the reseller or the hype of an >email list. > >Then after they have made a substantial investment into one particular >manufacturer's product, they find out it is buggy and like most don't want >to admit they made a mistake. Whereas they keep working at it and working at >until they loose the customers or even their reputation, I bet they loose >their reputation first, customers second and their investment at the same >time. >Finally after they figure out that they will never make any money from their >customers because they have spent so much time fiddling with their equipment >that they throw in the towel and succumb to just going back to selling >traditional isp services. >or all of a sudden cable modems, dsl or even satellite start looking good to >the customers who figure out that they will have to make extra room in their >home for the isp wireless technician who keeps coming back over and over >again to fix the problem and decide maybe they should try dsl by msn or >roadrunner cable because their wireless isp's equipment is so UNRELIABLE. > >Now, it is possible that an isp that wants to do wireless could go with a >product that costs a little more upfront but doesn't have the problems of >the new razzle dazzle hyped product. >A couple of mature seasoned manufacturers who have very few problems and >cost a little more to purchase, but less to maintain would be, > >Alvarion >Karlnet >Trango >Motorola >Cisco >Proxim >Tranzeo >Raylink >Teletronics >Demarctech's reliawave > >By the way none of these manufacturer's have this much activity on any of >their support lists. > > >A good indication to how well the product performs is this email list, read >the archives. >a second indication is a new revised firmware upgrade with a specific date >set before it is ready. >Now think about this, July 18th we will release our fix. >huh? >why not today? >because it's not finished >how do you know it will be finished tomorrow if it's not finished today? >How the heck do they know tomorrow it will be ready if it's not ready today? >Because they are psychic? >Do they have a fix in place and they have a very very slow person at the >keyboard? >Or is it just buying time before they get the next wave of it's someone >else's problem? ( remember it's not their fault, it's atmel's fault) >Guess they didn't test the product for any length of time. > > >Just another isp who was foolish enough to jump on the hype bandwagon and >spend 20grand on smartbridge products. > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Lancaster Networks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "phantam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 9:01 AM >Subject: Re[2]: [smartBridges] New Firmware > > > > Hello, > > > > Being fairly new to this list, and never buying a product from SB > > before, what is this problem you speak about, and what products are > > affected? I want to use SB for a new tower installation, have a 300' > > tower at my disposal in a highly populated area, and I want to do the > > install ASAP. > > > > Has anyone had problems with the SB equipment, is it something I can > > buy into and expect good reliability, etc? > > > > -- > > Best regards, > > Chris Bunting, MCSE > > President > > Cellular: 717-278-6639 > > Nextel ID: 196*50*18726 > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > Proxim Certified Reseller & Installer > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > Lancaster Networks | Lancaster Towers > > 1085 Manheim Pike > > Lancaster PA 17601 > > www.lancasternetworks.com > > www.lancastertowers.com > > -------------------------------------------------------- >The PART-15.ORG smartBridges Discussion List >To Join: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type subscribe >smartBridges <yournickname> >To Remove: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type unsubscribe >smartBridges) >Archives: http://archives.part-15.org Bill Flood AirRunner Networks LLC --- We make the web fast! If you get tired of the wait call 715-443-3700! The PART-15.ORG smartBridges Discussion List To Join: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type subscribe smartBridges <yournickname> To Remove: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type unsubscribe smartBridges) Archives: http://archives.part-15.org The PART-15.ORG smartBridges Discussion List To Join: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type subscribe smartBridges <yournickname> To Remove: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (in the body type unsubscribe smartBridges) Archives: http://archives.part-15.org
