We too run smartbridges, and I have to be honest - they are the single best company for support I've dealt with. While, I have experienced the 'overheating' issue with some CPE units, other then that the units have been rock solid. In the end I'm just a guy trying to make some money - I want the customers to work so I can get on with the important stuff, - Smartbridges are delivering that, we might not be quite their yet, but I have complete faith that the light at the end of the tunnel is *not* an oncoming train ;)
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Summers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 6:56 AM Subject: RE: Re[2]: [smartBridges] New Firmware > > 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 > > 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
