Im scheduled to get an install next Monday. April 27th. My install window is between 8-10, and since Ive been reading about what a long process this is Im prepared to be home all day. There's so much conflicting information that Ive read about Uverse, though, and none of it has come from the Chicagoland area yet so I wanted to see if anyone out there can answer my questions.

First, Ive heard of the nightmares of people being told that the service is available on the AT&T website, only to find out on install day that it isnt. Is this a common occurance? Ive done all the research I can and from what I can tell its in my town (Batavia), but I dont know a VRAD from a NID so I dont know what to look for in my neighborhood to check for sure. Anyone have any thoughts?

Second, Im being installed in a condo that has existing coax from Comcast. Ive read where Cat-5 is really the way to go, but will it cost me extra if I ask the tech to install new wires rather than using the existing coax in the place? I want the best picture possible.

Third, Im being installed with 4 set top boxes. If these are, indeed, run with Cat-5 cable, that would use all the ports on the back of the RG. What do I hook up my two computers to, then? Do I need to invest in a switch or can the installer provide one for me?

Lastly, one of the four boxes I want installed is in a far-flung bedroom that has no existing cable or phone outlet in it. My guess is this is because the room is so far away from where the rest of the Comcast wiring already is. With the other 3 rooms being close, will installing that fourth STB be a major problem? Or do the installers have ways to run wire around the outside of the building and drill in? (Ive already checked with my association…they dont care about outside wires so long as theyre cleanly installed).

If anyone can help me out with these questions, that would be great. It doesnt appear there are any others from IL on this site yet…at least that have posted, anyway. Im excited about what Im getting…Total Home DVR, 3 additional STBs, and the Elite (6Mb) internet. If everything is as good as Ive read, this will kick Comcast's butt…and Ill be happy to do the kicking!!

Thanks in advance for any help. :)

Thank you for all the information. Its true that typically people only take the time to write about their negative experiences, while you never hear of the positive ones. The whole Cat-5 vs. Coax is something I caught a few people talking about on another board, which is why I asked about it. I didnt honestly know if it would make a difference either. I mean, the HD on the existing cable looks great, so why would it make any difference with a different signal coming through it? For the bedroom on the other end of the condo, Id figure coax to be run around the side of the building and drilled-in anyway…Cat-5 isnt something you really think about when youre talking about  standing-up to the weather elements.

Ill definitely let everyone here know how the install goes. I plan on writing a complete review, as well as a follow-up on my service a month or two in. There seems to be a lot of misinformation around about Uverse and if I can help deter that then I definitely will.

Here's to a successful install! :)

I have similar questions to the OP.  My appointment is for this Saturday and I've been reading everything I can online to figure out what to expect.  One basic questions about the placement of the RG: does everything have cabling coming out of this device?  Meaning, if I place it in my office by my computer will I have wiring running around or through my house to each TV?  Or if I place it in my living room by my main TV, will I have wires running to the other TVs and computer?

Sorry it took me so long to post back on here. In addition to my Uverse install, Ive been moving and havent had nearly as much time to be online as normal. Things are finally settling, though, so here's the results on my install:

It went nearly flawlessly!

My window was 8-10am. I got a call from the tech about 8:15am that he was on his way. He arrived about 8:35am and introduced himself. A very professional fellow named Prentice. I walked him around the condo to show him where I wanted everything installed, and he said the far bedroom may be a challenge. Never once did he seem as though he wouldnt be able to do it, though. Oh, and I should also mention he put sleeves over his shoes everytime he came in and out, which I thought showed excellent consideration.

He said he needed to go check things out at the VRAD, which is only about 900 feet from my building as it turns out. After about 25mins, he came back and did some work outside the building at my networking box. I guess that pretty much had to be rebuilt, because he spent a LOT of time out there…nearly an hour. But once he was done with that. he came inside and hooked-up the RG in the living room. I tried to stay out of his way as much as possible, but couldnt help but ask a few questions here and there. He said my signal was strong so there shouldnt be any problems getting the bandwidth I wanted. Having the DVR plus 3 STBs, as well as the 6MB internet level, I was kind of wondering about that.

The RG came up without a problem. He then tried to hook up the DVR, but for some reason it wasnt cooperating. He tried a few different things, but he kept getting an error code. Finally he went back to the truck and came in with another DVR box, which came-up immediately. Obviously there was something wrong with the first one. From there, he went on to wire the rest of the STBs. The inbound wire to the RG is coax, but everything else he wired with brand-new Cat-5 cable. The two closer rooms he was able to wire and turn-on without a problem. But then came that third room, sitting about 30 feet away from the RG.

In what can only be described as the most easy-looking manuver Ive ever seen, he managed to run a Cat-5 wire underneath the carpet from the RG all the way to the bedroom. Ive never seen an installer do a wire-fish so fast and easy!! He did it in like 5 minutes. I even told him, I was impressed with that!! :) The 4th STB was up and running shortly thereafter.

He then sat down at our laptop to test the Wi-Fi and make sure the internet was working correctly. There were some issues with that, but they were computer-related ones that I was able to later fix with some driver updates. In the meantime, he hooked me up with a standard LAN connection to the RG and ran a speed test. Everything was good. After some cleanup and paperwork, he was on his way but not before leaving me his card to call him personally in case anything came up.

From start to finish, the install took about 5 and a half hours, a lengthly period of time but one I was ready for after reading all about the process for weeks prior. The installer was knowledgeable, courteous, and by far the most professional guy Ive ever worked with. Ive had multiple cable & satellite installs in the past, and none of the installers were this good. Im still amazed at that little wire-fish trick he did!

In the three weeks Ive had Uverse, Ive been totally impressed with it. There has only been one technical glitch where the TV system froze on me for a time, but a call to AT&T for about 25mins fixed that. (There was some setting in the RG that was off, I guess). The tech I spoke to for that instance was incredible, as well, being very knowledgable and patient with me as he diagnosed the problem. Aside from that, Ive had no problems with my service at all!

Ive tinkered with my subscription levels a couple of times already, upping my internet speed to the Max18 level and changing some channel subscriptions. I love that you can do this online and dont need to call & wait on-hold like ComCrap used to make me do. My download speed is averaging 18.6MB, which simply amazes me!! Granted, I probably am carrying a lot more TV and 'net speed than the average person needs, but Ive yet to have a single bandwidth problem. Even with all the HD I watch.

To anyone who lives in IL and is just hearing about Uverse for the first time, take my word for it…it ROCKS! The installation is time-consuming, but the horror stories you hear about blown installs seem to be the exception…not the norm. With Comcast upping their rates and dropping NFL Network, this is definitely the way to go as opposed to a dish.

My only complaint is when it comes to setting up programs to record on the DVR. The system doesnt allow you to start a recording 5 or 10 minutes early, which would be nice (especially for live events). You can extend a recording by extra time, but the system defaults to beginning a record 1 minute before it's scheduled start time. Hopefully there will be a firmware upgrade that will address this somewhere down the line. Also, because Cat-5 was used to hook-up all my STBs, I was only left with 1 LAN connection on the RG for my internet. I invested in a 5-port switch for about $20 so I could hook-up my Xbox, Desktop PC, etc.

Overall, Id give the install 5 stars. And for the service, at this point Id give it 4.5 stars. For anyone sick of Comcrap in NE Illinois, Uverse is definitely a viable and terrific answer!

ymam excellent review!!! Thank you for posting the sucess story back to the forum it's always great to hear thing went well. I noticed your Bears avatar, I bet you been all over the NFL network with the Jay Culter trade!!! That's one of the biggest deal breakers for me is the NFL Network, I'm big NFL fan!

Anyway glad to hear all went well, feel free to link some pictures to the forum. I know people always like to see a good install.