Time Warner drops Internet install fee if you install yourself
August 5th, 2009, 5:23 pm · 12 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Time Warner Cable has found a new way to save itself money and manpower as it launched its “Easy Connect” service today. The service replaces the cable guy stopping by your house to install Internet service. Easy Connect lets customers order, upgrade and self-install their own Internet equipment at home.
Getting the cable guy to do it is still available, but that will cost $19.95. On the upside, this new Easy Connect service is free and you don’t have to wait around for the cable guy to arrive “… sometime between 8 and noon.”
On the other hand, it means you’ve got to do it yourself. Mess with cables, IP addresses, blinking red lights and all that not-so-fun stuff. I know I have a lot of readers who may be fretting about connecting a cable modem to their computer but it can’t be that hard, can it? Time Warner says the kit has five simple steps. Besides, DSL customers have been doing self-installation for years and I haven’t heard any recent complaints.
The kits can be ordered online or by phone and take 24 to 48 hours to arrive.
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I think this is an awesome idea. I no longer have to wait for a technician. I can install it on my time.
There is another way to look at this.
Time Warner Cable is no longer offering free internet installation.
In April of 2008, TWC sent a technician to install an internet connection in my new home. This installation was offered for free with my new subcription. I wasn’t even asked to agree to a service commitment for any amount of time. The tech did an excellent job securing the cable along the perimeter of my office in an unobtrusive manner. I could have installed it myself, but TWC offered to do the job at no cost, so I didn’t pass it up.
It is unfortunate to hear that Time Warner no longer offers this service free of charge. TWC’s “do-it-yourself-for-free” spin is an insult to their customers’ intelligence.
Yikes!,….Can you imagine some poor devil waiting on hold for Time Warner Tech Support wanting to know what an IP Address is?
Oh yeah,…….but they saved 19.95,…….Tic Toc,………3 hours Later , Zzzzzz.
Why is Time Warner and AT&T the only utility companies offering service in the OC… why not Verizon and Charter?
Sometimes only Time Warner can straighten out Time Warner’s mess.
Used to have Time Warner. Had one TV on a roof antenna. That way, when the cable inexplicably went out, as it was wont to do, at least we still had TV.
Honestly, how hard is it? Besides hooking stuff up, all one needs to do is:
1. Set up TCP/IP. This should be straightforward with DHCP, DNS, and WINS being automatic nowadays. Of course this is Crime Warner we’re talking about, so use of an alternate DNS is recommended – but this is still a matter of getting DNS server IP addresses and entering them in.
2. If you’re going to use a mail client on RR, you need to know the mail servers and add them to your configuration.
http://www.timewarnercable.com/socal/site.faqs/HighSpeedO/E-mailAcco/What-are-the-SMTP-and-POP-mail
I believe CW provides the cable modem, so they already have the MAC address and serial number in their database. No need to set up the modem – just plug and play!
If after all that you’re still against self-install, then just get the neighbor kid to do it for some milk and cookies
Last week I went to the Time Warner office to let them no that my father had passed away and to pay his bill and get the service disconnected. They said I could not do this he would need to come in to sign the disconnect papers. I told them great and when he comes in have him pay the bill.
They can’t do much for you unless you have a letter testamentary or letter of administration.
lol, once they realize ppl are illlegally hooking up the cable switch too while they install the router they will stop this feature. theres a news flash…
There are a lot of people that can’t do it or know of anyone who can do it for them. So they will pay the $20 to have the tech install it. If you don’t know what you are doing and want to save yourself the headache later, pay the price and be done with it.
Not all customers are Intelligent or have Intelligence when it comes to technical equipment.
Take it from a former TW tech.. and current Verizon Tech. All kinds of things can happen that will cause problems. Yes they will save money on the installs that go trouble free but everyone else that runs into problems will be stuck in telephone support hell until they dispatch a tech. Personally I think that every new service needs a tech dispatch to insure the signals are correct and there are no faults on the lines. Whether its TW or Verizon makes no difference they are both just being cheap and trying to make more $ at the expense of the customer.
I have been a Time Warner customer since they took over from Adelphia and was with Comcast before that. On June 1, I added the Roadrunner service because my employer moved and I chose to telecommute. The kit arrived with modem cables and instructions. I had it installed and running in about 30 mins. The laptop connected immediately to the internet. The only glitches were the modem worked but no TV…the line into the cable box was not screwed on properly (I had to disconnect the cable from the box and put it onto a splitter then put on a short line, which they had supplied, back to the box.)
The other glitch was the computer at TW simply added internet to my service instead of choosing the “bundle” which saves $10 or so per month. This was solved by a short e-mail exchange with their customer service dept. No telephone calls (I refuse to call them unless I have to). I guess I have been fortunate since I am an IT professional and have had no problems with the service.