Sunday, April 20th, 2008
I have using Maxis Broadband more than half year but I feel Maxis was cheating me as a customer. They provide half year for your testing but still need to paid. First few month they provided fast speed wireless broadband to your demo period. After the demo period or half year you will get slow speed broadband. Now I always need to restart the equipment every time the broadband slow. (This is their solution) . Maxis just provided suck and poor broadband service. If you late to make payment, they have extra charge to you but they provided slow broadband to you, do you think they rebate the bill?
Bichei on 
The real story behind Maxis Broadband
============================
The whole Maxis Broadband advertising spiel is hitting up again in the Malaysian blogosphere, and I think its time I write about their broadband service a little more.
Point of observation: lots of the blogosphere, probably get paid [not necessarily monetarily] to write reviews, which are generally crap because they never actually use the service. They should disclose this payment/affiliation, but they usually don’t, which is terribly sad. Anyway, ignore the hyperbole – I’ll tell you about Maxis Broadband from the trenches.
I’ve been using the service for what must be about six months now (using a Huawei E220, on a Mac and Linux, but mostly on a Mac – since all I really carry around is my Air). I only hopped on Maxis, because everyone that was a Celcom customer told me that dialup was better than Celcom’s 3G/HSDPA.
The good
It works really well in both my homes, in either Petaling Jaya or Klang. This is of course, not the prime location I would like to use the broadband modem – I have DSL coming through the houses, and its always more reliable than a HSDPA connection.
It works really well in Mont Kiara. The Coffee Bean there, has got fabulous coverage. In fact, so does SOMO.
Where my vet is located in Brickfields, Maxis Broadband shines – 364KB/s. Also, in Cyberjaya, I hopped on WCDMA while I was at MMU… not fast, not slow, but just about usable
The bad
Uploading to Flickr fails. Anything large (you know, that comes out of even an 8MP digital camera) will fail to upload.
I was at UITM (Shah Alam) not long ago, and the coverage was an epic fail. Nearby the Maxis headquarters (OK, I was at the Sun office in KL), Maxis gave me some amazing ping times – 10761.587 ms! But maybe it was switching cells, far too often?
I was in Cheras (nearby Leisure Mall) not long ago, and was sitting in my car, trying to surf the Internet. Here, you’ll notice that the HSDPA network is weak – it moves to EDGE, most of the time. The Internet is also, virtually unusable.
I took a bus to Singapore a month back. Trying to use it on the North-South Expressway, was not happening. It would disconnect so frequently, it made more sense to sleep. I’ve been told however, that Celcom works a charm on the North-South Expressway. Then again, not exactly a common use case for me.
I have a box sitting in the Jaring IDC. Transfers (ssh -C) top out at about 20KB/s. Ping times are around 80ms, but its just not that fast… Well at least with the WCDMA network in Mont Kiara.
Why?
I’m not slagging Maxis off for no reason… I’m trying to make you, the reader, an informed consumer, so that you don’t simply buy a service, that cannot be provided for.
In fact, I wondered how many users could blog from a single location using Maxis Broadband even. Their service coverage is probably not the best, and imagine a bunch of bloggers (Nuffnang-ers) who want to live blog… These are the camwhore crowd, et al. I’m sure they had a massively enjoyable time, wishing they were at home, with Streamyx
Motivation?
Well, it seems that Vodafone offers $0 Dell Inspiron Mini 9’s on a $70 plan, with 5GB of data transfer in Australia. I won’t be surprised if Maxis has a similar deal with Dell… A simple Google showed that Dell and Maxis are already in cahoots – RM99 x 24 months with “free” Broadband access for 6 months… more details about the promo, which means you’ll end up paying RM2,376… and assuming you like the Maxis Broadband service, you’ll end up having to fork out RM77 for the remainder of the 18 months, totalling a paltry RM1,386. Wait… RM77 is a lot cheaper than the usual RM138 per month (RM118 if you’re a Maxis postpaid subscriber). RM61 savings!?! That’s RM1,098 one can save… ridiculous. I’m tempted to get this “deal” and just ask for an extra SIM card to be tied to my account… I’m sure that can’t cost more than RM5 or RM10.
Conclusion
I even had other issues with them… upon signup, they said they would direct debit my credit card. It took a threat to leave the service for them to do it over the phone, in the fifth month of service. I still seem to be getting paper bills (costing me an additional RM5).
I am of course, posting this via a Maxis Broadband Internet connection
It has allowed me to not pay Airzed for Wifi, and if it worked a little better, everywhere else, I’d be mostly happy with it.
What are your experiences with Maxis Broadband?
this is my experience with maxis broadband
http://www.speedtest.net/result/492054346.png
i’m using Rm118 monthly package of maxis broadband and my roommate using braodband celcom that only cost her to pay only Rm68 monthly.But the service is much better than mine while i got to pay double for the bill every month.should i just change to celcom????
Oh, My God ! I am moving to my new house (Bandar Puchong Jaya) on June 2009, the only connection coverage is Maxis only. After I had viewed all this comments, VERY SCARY LAH…… But NOW, is so short that forcing me to apply Maxis without any other choices. And I need the fixed line for my house too. Can anyone give me a thinker for this problem that I am facing now.
With many thanks.
I have a hate HATE relationship with maxis broadband.
Firstly they get you to sign up to a year’s contract; which is RM138 per month as “discounted promotion’s price”.
Then as you eagerly await your service, the connection was good, speed was bearable but there was a tiny glitch of that the line always get disconnected. This can be rather frustrating if you’re midst of downloading songs, movies or something.
As months progresses, so does their service detoriate at an alarming rate. Being the good spot Malaysian we are, not wanting to create trouble, after years being taught in school to keep our heads low and follow the rules, grumbling we pay the monthly amount and hope that their service will improve.
It’s been 6 months now and it’s still as shitty as ever. Every call placed to their helpdesk their smarmy “technician” will only teach us to turn on/off the bloody device. Which is really helpful. And of course their ever-ready excuse of my area NOT being covered by 3G hence EG un-abled. What a load of friggin bollocks. I live 10 minutes from KLCC and not in Cairo, Egypt!! See what a load of rubbish they lead us to believe??
Venting my frustration I decided NOT to continue with the payment. Why on earth should I continue paying them good money when in return I am not being awarded with equally good service??? Not only their service is crappy, they’re not even ADMITTING their service needs to be improved!!
So yes. I stopped paying these bunch of good for nothing money grabbers and wait for their next move. Not to my surpise I find my line being terminated. Which is exactly what I wanted. However I was most surprised that my maxis broadband bill keeps escallating despite the no service provided. I don’t get it. Should it be as per normal telekom’s charge once payment is not made they stop the service. Whatever amount owned to them will remain and whatever additional charges will only be the interest accumulated over time. However the case with maxis sodding broadband I am being charged EVERY MONTH despite them HAVING STOPPED THE SERVICE MONTHS BEFORE. Which is TOTALLY UNFAIR AND UNHEARD OF.
Apparently looking at this blog I am not the only one complaining as it has even been printed in newspaper column over customers’ dissatisfaction with maxis broadband. Recently maxis have taken to appoint a third party to collect their debt and these smarmy and equally irritating salesgirls are nothing short of ANNOYING. They would ring you anytime of the day demanding you to settle up payment. And when I calmly told them I have NO DESIRE to make ANY PAYMENTS WHATSOEVER they kept insisting that I HAVE SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH THEM WHICH STATE I AM TO PAY MAXIS DUTIFULLY AND PROMPTLY DESPITE THEIR LOUSY SERVICE. I told them I was thinking of terminating this exclusive one-sided contract yet they insisted I clear off my spiralling debt before allowing me to terminate this shitty service. I argued with her, HOW CAN I POSSIBLE CONTINUE MAKING PAYMENTS WHEN THE SERVICE WAS NOT PROVIDED TO ME???
They have terminated my connection in the SECOND month and yet EVERY MONTH I’M BEING CHARGED RM138 WITHOUT FAIL. This is for the service I am NOT GETTING SINCE THE SECOND MONTH ITSELF.
So morale of the story is? To go ahead with maxis broadband? I seriously urge you NOT to make a disasterous MISTAKE as I did. As each red bill greets me every month, I find myself hating maxis more and even more. Bottom line is, for the “premier service provider” I don’t find them NOT AT ALL PREMIER or equally excellent service provider.
I have just terminated my maxis broadband now. After 2 years of hope and pain, now I have peace of mind with streamyx.
Ok guys…cool down..Let us boycott them and change to streamyx…
I agree that maxis is cheating their customers, with the number migration, I am thinking of migrating to celcom? any opinion of how is the celcom service?
Im maxis user too… and for the first few months i had the same problems as you guys.. but then i learned that the usb modem or the zte modem is default setting to gprs, or that other lower connection… you have to disconnect and change the setting to only receive wcdma connection… next you need a dns server number with less users than the one maxis currently provide…. that is the one with the larget bandwith but because a lot of people use its become vry congested…
so you can find a free dns number on the net just browse around…
Ever since that my connection has been very good…. my torrents can download up to 4 movies a day and my friends DOTA also goes very well..
My usual speed connection for torrents is usually up to 60-80 kbps. Which isnt as fast as streamyx but better than having to pay 200 unsubscribing fee… Now ive been using it for more than a year and i enjoy it too…
By the way im not maxis supporter or anything.. i just think you have to learn to customize it on your own… i cant write a detailed explanation here but if anyone needs help you can email me hanafee_ar[at]yahoo.com
perggghhh… I was just about to switch to maxis wireless broadband and i googled to this blog…
I am currently subscribing to celcom broadband. since the past 5 months, i also always experience the non-connection issue… the thing is it happens on and off and i’ve been emailing God-knows how many complaint email to celcom customer service. I demand for rebate but to no avail.
This month again the stupid connection problem occurs. Many complaint calls have been made and many troubleshooting have been tried. The problem still persists. And yeah i totally agree about the game, i’ve striked high scores but my score couldnt be uploaded, how nerve-wracking it was!!! but that’s not so critical.. imagine spending half an hour (at least) looking and checking your connection status with the “X’ mark shown, clicking “Diagnose” button God-knows how many times and in the end still fail to load the webpage that u want to surf? It is truly pressurising!!!
We have the choice of wireless and wired broadband… We chose to pay RM98/month for 3.6mpbs speed and for the sake of convenience (wireless). But we get less than 1mbps or even lesser than 512kbps (sometimes even no connection at all!!). They said, look at your service agreement, it’s a share based connection. I am staying in the heart of JB and experience non-connection (without reported network failure by the Celcom), it din make sense at all!! Service provider should improve their network coverage then! We have the rights to demand for the value of service we’ve paid for, not the SHITTY one!!
Thanks for sharing, everyone.
Nina…. Celcom broadband also needs a lot of default settings changed… youre connected to a DNS which is congested most of the time so i would try that first… Actually living in JB it would suit you better to use maxis broadband but you need to know how to default change the different dns server numbers… Singapores broadband coverage covers most part of metropolitan JB and their DNS can be accessed illegally with the ZTE modem…. However if you using to use great connection in this short perid of a year or so… i would suggest P1 Wimax. Jb users that have registered only around 800 people and the bandwith provided is for 1 million users so currently the P1 Wimax connection in JB is amazing. I am part of research group in UKM studying wireless technology, and we have been co-operating with maxis, celcom and even p1 wimax… However it is estimated that in a year or so, the service provider p1 will be as congested as maxis and celcom so this fast connection will get worst
However… i do suggest you try chaging dns servers first because if you unsubscribe you might have to pay some ridiculous fee for unscubscribing… for maxis its like 200 and im not sure for celcom… i wrote another reply to patrick about the broadband technology and how you can enhance its speed… we’ll see if he posts it…. get tips there ya???
Sangat2 setuju…always disconnected and slow segila2nya. not only the broadband, my phone line also got problem…now thinking of switching to streamyx…but can anyone suggest me which on eis ok, streamyx..wired broadband, ect…TQ.
step to terminate your service
what i do for terminate broadband services
1.send email maxis customer service. then they call me… ask me about the problem (no coverage problem).
http://www.maxis.com.my/personal/general/personal/feedback_new.asp
2. then waiting for maxis customer service call (1 day )
3. follow maxis customer service instruction…
-call maxis broadband centre ask them to make sure no coverage in your area.
-tell them, maxis customer service suggest you call them to make sure no coverage in your area for termination your service
4. send back your same email same as before
5. the same guy/gurl (PIC for your problem) from maxis customer service call your later (1 day or less then hour)
- they remark at your account to waived RM200.
6.Go to maxis center, Return modem without any payment.
but they all make a charges for your next phone bill ( not to expensive la)
I agreed with you..maxis broadband is totally SUX!!
it’s very very slow and always disconnected..
they just became more materialistic nowadays
before this ’super’ savers is just 2 ringgit per hour
n now it become 3 ringgit per half an hour
it just the same if we call someone in our activ 10 without that super savers
I want to change to U mobile or celcom..cheaper..
I HATE MAXIS BROADBAND AND MAXIS
tupid MAXIS!!MAXIS SUCK!!
SAY NO TO MAXIS FOREVER!!
I think is time for us to BANNED maxis together, if not they won’t stop cheating the public!!!
MAXIS SUCK !!!
i’m residing at bandar country homes,rawang. where we have to use maxis fixed phone line (no choice!). then one day, i went to lowyat plaza KL, one guy in lowyat promotes maxis broadband with lots of offers&discount. i asked him, my area ok or not. he said sure!
the 1st week is ok, after one week i use, it started to disconnected and connect and disconnect again! i called customer service, 1st time the indian guy said, broadband problem,give 24hours. after 2 days i called again, the indian lady give direction 4 troubleshootin, still cannot detect & disconnet. the next day i call, another indian lady said she we ask technician to come,within 1 week.. sigh..!
after 3 days, a malay guy called me and said he is the technician, he came and have a look at my ZTE modem and said the modem got problem, change a new (or used) modem, and the internet started working again! the problem is, after 1 day, the same thing happened again and my internet started to connect and disconnect again. a called the technician, he said i have to contact customer service 1st. i’m starting to loose my patience..!
the next day, i went to the nearest maxis center at selayang (not so near to me) and tell the lady with maxis broadband tshirt about my problem, she asked me where am i staying, i said, country homes rawang. she said that c.homes doesnt have good wireless broadband coverage! i said the guy at lowyat said ok, she said the guy is just an agent, she herself said, if customer from c.homes came, she would recommend maxis wireless broadband! then i said how? she said i can terminate. i said, its over one week trial time. she said she can waived the rm200 since i only use rm0.05 of my internet account. i rush back to c.homes to take my ZTE modem, becoz its nearly 4.30pm, and came back immediately to terminate my contract!
phew.. what a relief. after 2 weeks, i received an email from maxis stated that i owe them rm200.05 !!! *&^$#@^!! i dont want to pay!
now i (have to) use maxis wired broadband, with rm88 per month. the line is quite ok (for now) and then i think, why didnt i register for wired broadband in the first place..!? maybe becoz of so many promotions from maxis broadband, celcom broadband, umobile broadband, p1 w1max and so many more.. so after this, i have to do my own surveys & research b4 deciding on something..
Recently I read a blog related to Maxis Broadband also. Very interesting the way he described until the end.
Yeah, Maxis sucks! The line is not consistent and mostly slow. Their advertisements are cheating people.
Its such a shitty service provider. They should not limit usage for some people that surf less. They claim that those people that keep using ( power user ) are the main cause of service degrade. I’m a comp science student that often need to download software which is more than few Gig over time. and 3Gig usage limit is just like u driving a Ferrari but only with the speed of Kancil. Paid RM98 and for 3Gig usage? the ratio is not worth for the money man! Recently received a call from them respond to my feedback which has been emailed to them, till now no solution had been made. Wait till everyone leave MAXIS A$$Band only they start to upgrade their service? Come on Guys! PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE LIKE TMNUT SCREAMYX!
I am having a headache – slow broadband internet access from Celcom. Not only that, I am barred from accessing the internet via its system. I will terminate my account when the first bill comes for payment. Mobile broadband internet access is not suitable for me and heavy users because we all get penalized!
Thanks guys for your feedback. I had already planned to go to Maxis shop to subscribe its broadband. So tonight I thought I should just browse their website for more info.
I accidentally came to this website from google, and Oh boy! Am I relieved to realise that I shouldn’t sign up after all the Maxis broadband users have shared their bad customer experience.
Now I will NOT sign up for Maxis broadband anymore until they ensure that their performance measure up. Perhaps everyone should band together to bring about a case action lawsuit against Maxis’s unethical business practice.