posted on March 9, 2003 04:14:27 AM new
I got a letter yesterday from my DSL provider that they will no longer provide DSL sevices and I have about 6 weeks to change providers. Waaaah! I don't want to change my email address at the 60 or so sites I have accounts with, but that's life!
So, I wanted to get recommendations from those of you who have a DSL provider you like. Price is important as well as level of service. I was paying $46.60 per month for about 4 years and know it is cheaper from some providers now.
I was paying a third party $5.00 more than Southwestern Bell Telephone so I could have support 24/7. But I seldom needed support, maybe one or twice per year.
posted on March 9, 2003 05:12:53 AM new
I understand you can get some pretty good prices - although I have not done it myself yet - if you package your cable, tv, long distance carrier, cell phone & DSL with one provider. I have a good friend who did it w/ Verizon & she got a great package when you consider all the costs. FWIW
posted on March 9, 2003 07:34:29 AM new
meadowlark: It's probably going to come down to what's available in your area.
Make sure a prospective DSL provider will guarantee a line speed. Some DSL accounts being sold today are little better than dialup...at a considerably higher cost.
Since the telcos are forcing many small DSL providers out of business, you may want to get it from the telco directly.
Cable modems are often rate-limited as well and don't forget: you share that connection with everyone else in your neighborhood.
--
"I'd rather have the German Army in front of me than the French Army behind me." --General George S. Patton
posted on March 9, 2003 08:35:31 AM new
I should have included in my post that I live In a technology intense city that is growing by leaps and bounds, Austin, Texas. The battle for housing has become so intense, my townhome is worth almost 1.5 times what I paid 4 years ago.
My city is reported by Fortune Magazine to be in the top 10 most desirable places to live in the U.S. So much high tech business has moved here, we are called the "Silicon Valley of Texas".
Access to cable modem or any other service is no problem as far as signing up. Anything I want to choose is available. The are TOO many choices!
I do want to get cable TV and have been without for 4 years. (another WAAHH!) Direct TV or Dish network is cheaper, but I did those price comparisons without considering an internet connection. Now I'm starting all over.
Here are a few concerns I'm trying to address:
1.) Since I live in a technologically intense area, when I try to get on a cable modem, am I likely to be slowed down by neighborhood competetion? And if so, how slow is slow?
(As an aside - Austin has more computer stores than liquor stores - unusual in Texas. One night I tried to find a liquor store, and no, I had not been drinking yet! We found 12 computer stores before we found a liquor store!)
2.) Does cable modem require a second phone line, or can one be on the 'net and use the phone at the same time?
3.) I LOVE my DSL, it's always on and I am online off and on anywhere from 2 to 6 hours per day. I just walk over to it, and surf to where I need. I HATE dial-up and will never go back. I am able to work and surf very quickly. Will I have similar, easy access like I've had with DSL if I go with cable modem?
4.) I really don't want some yahoo coming in and messing up my computer if I switch to cable, I'm pretty mechanically inclined. (I usually change out my own internal boards, cables, drives, memory, etc.) When the phone company's installers came to hook up my DSL, my guru had already put all the hardware in. All they had to do was run a line, and switch one option in my computer. The installers were dorks, here 6 hours, and my system would no longer even boot when they left. My guru came back and had to spend 2 hours to fix it.
Fluffy wrote:
Cable modems are often rate-limited as well
I don't know what rate-limited means. Baud rate I assume? I went to a site that tests baud rate. I got 1.15 megabits per second the first time, then 1.2 a minute later.
(if you want to test, go to: http://www.dsl.com/ Scroll down. You'll see the test box on the left)
So I would want a comparable rate. I don't expect you guys to go do any research for me, but thought you could share what you know based on this info.
posted on March 9, 2003 09:24:28 AM new
Another thing or two I might mention:
I was on a month-to-month. That's one reason my rate was higher than some, and my provider had a very wide "pipeline" and I was getting premium service.
If I go with cable modem, I would be unlikely to sign up for a year. I want to be able to back out if I don't like it.
I willl check out the data you have given me so far.
Thanks!
Patty
[ edited by meadowlark on Mar 9, 2003 09:24 AM ]
posted on March 9, 2003 09:27:29 AM new
Meadowlark,
First let me say I have both cable modem and DSL. Speakeasy and Comcast. I had Telocity DSL (Directtv) and hated it.
1) It's very possible that you will be slowed down. If you read the small print it is mentioned in the Cable agreement. It's a user density issue. I have never had a problem.
2)No. It runs directly off of your TV cable connection.
3)Yes.
4) I didn't use what they "give you". I installed everything myself. And I have a customized system that I firewall (don't trust anyone else)
DSL and cable can both be rate limited. You need to read the agreements.
posted on March 9, 2003 09:31:12 AM new
shopwhining:>>i have aol cable with time warner,sign up for one year and monthly billed to my cc is only 23.94.<<
But isn't that in addition to the $23.90 month AOL account charge? When I looked into AOL's broadband, that's how it was.
I have my account with Verizon at $39.95 per month. It supposedly was only supposed to be for the first year, but I've been on over two years now with no price increase. Right now they are offering $29.95 a month for the first six months, and $49.95 thereafter. I find it to be very reliable and fast. (I wanted to try the speed test, but it wouldn't open.) Good luck!
posted on March 9, 2003 10:54:40 AM new
You won't need a phone line.. it runs in the house on the same line your cable tv does. We have Charter Cable 1.5 and it's fast ...we have 3 computers running off of it...mine ,my hudbands and our daughters ...they down load alot of games and music off of kazaa and I can't even tell if they're on line.Once on a Sat. I noticed it was a little slow and my husband said was prolly because there we alot of people on line.We signed up for 1.5 and cable TV basic plus up one level for 65.00 a month the first 3 monthes then it goes to 95.00.We live in a real small town in South Carolina and that was the best deal out there.I love it and never never wanna go back to dial up.We bought our cable modem at Target (your not gonna believe this but tis true) on clearance for 29.96(Toshiba) (happy dance !!) so we didn't have to rent one from the cable company that saves you like 5 bucks a month.
posted on March 9, 2003 10:59:38 AM new
Hi Patty, I am in the process of changing my provider and had the same problem of my e-mail addresses for contacts. Here is what I did. I have created my own website where my email addresses will always be the same, no matter who my isp provider will be! I can also use the website for selling things, showing pictures or what ever. Good Luck...WCP.
posted on March 9, 2003 11:22:17 AM new
Meadow - I don't know if it is available there but I have had nothing but good experiences with SBC/Yahoo DSL. I've had two problems in the past year and both were solved immediately with their customer service. I'm paying 39.95 from their premium service. I will sugget you find someone quickly though. It took two weeks from my order date before I was up and runnning.
posted on March 9, 2003 01:10:24 PM new
Thanks, all for your info. If you have more, I'm still listening.
What I have found so far to get a 1.5 Mbps ADSL connection that falls lower at times is listed below. Bear in mind that many of the providers below offer slower transfer rates for $24.95/mo and up. But the low end transfer rate of those is too slow for me. After the name of the company, I have indicated if I would consider the company, based on price, specials, reputation, etc. I know at least one poster here had something negative to say about the one I may settle on.
Verizon - NO The dummies say DSL is not available at my phone number. 1st month Free, $29.95 per month for months 2-6, $59.95 per month afterwards. I forgot to write down the equipment charge.
Covad - Maybe $49.95/mo, $99 installation if needed, $99 equipment. Plan: Telesurfer Plus. No promotional discounts.
Earthlink - YES! $21.95/mo 1st 3 mos/$49.95 per mo after, free activation & equipment. Best and most informative website on DSL and the service they offer. I used to have dialup with them 5 years ago with no complaints. Not every link I found showed the free equipment. I bookmarked the one that did.
Quest - NO Priced way above competitors at over $100.00/mo for the speed I need.
Acclaim - NO Website not professional looking, one or two pages, almost no interactive data. Looks like small company. I want someone established who will be around for a while.
SBC - NO Despite heavy advertising campaign in alliance with Yahoo, and all the freebies they are giving away, not a good deal for the speed you get. Not guaranteed to run above 384Kbps, even when paying $49.95 for premium DSL. But is $34.95 for 1st 12 mos, $99 modem fee.
Direct TV DSL- NO LONGER TAKING SIGN-UPS
AT&T -NO $79.95/mo, A whopping $225.00 in equipment costs!
Prodigy - NO Links route you to SBC.
Sprint - NO $64.99/mo.
I am still looking. I am now looking at cable modem. Road Runner says that their cable is not slower than DSL, it is a lie, and the TV ads from the DSL provider (SBC?) saying so were pulled after legal action was taken. Maybe, maybe not.
Sorry if I have not thanked you all individually. I AM listening though.
WPC, yeah, I am working getting my website and all it's details set up, and learning as I go. I will change all my business email over there soon. Now if I could just understand the stupid error message I'm getting from a newly installed FrontPage! It's always something.
Okay, chin up, stiff upper lip and on with the fight...
Technology keeps trying to outsmart me!
Patty
[ edited by meadowlark on Mar 9, 2003 01:10 PM ]
[ edited by meadowlark on Mar 9, 2003 01:16 PM ]
[ edited by meadowlark on Mar 9, 2003 04:21 PM ]
posted on March 9, 2003 03:54:20 PM new
::SBC - NO Despite heavy advertising campaign in alliance with Yahoo, and all the freebies they are giving away, not a good deal for the speed you get. Not guaranteed to run above 384Kbps, even when paying $49.95 for premium DSL. But is $34.95 for 1st 12 mos, $99 modem fee. ::
Meadow - they may not guarantee it but after visiting the liknk you sent to test, I am doing well over twice that - oh and I got he discount but no fee on the modem... it can be negotiated out.
I understand your hassles. About two years ago I was looking into wireless internet service. One of the companies required that you pay a full year in advance. I told hem that they were nuts, that with the current rate of high tech failures there was no way I would consider it. The sales person informed me that this was simply a new department in a 30 year old company blah blah blah. Needless to say I passed. Three months later, all gone......no more media blitz, no more service trucks around town... no more nadda!
Yeah, although I might commit to a year's contract, I would never pay for a year at a time these days. Too many "dot coms" have become "dot bombs" overnight.
I'll be pursuing more providers Monday. there may be more DSL providers I haven't seen yet, and I will check Time Warner/AOL package. Doubt I will go there, though.
posted on March 9, 2003 06:12:57 PM new
traderjones,
you are correct,i checked my bill,i paid 239.40 for one year dial up subscription with aol.when i signed up with time warner aol cable ,they gave me 2 months free and a free cable modem,so now they bill me 23.94 a month,since i have already paid for the basic subscription for one year.
so total is 43.89 a month for high speed cable,is it fast and reliable??
it is not bad,it is fast,but not fast like lightning,it freezes sometimes,not often.
i am an old customer,and it gives me webspace for uploading my ebay pictures,so thats nice.
customer service ane technical support is there,i would say technical support is better than customer service.
they told me i get to keep the cable modem but then what good is it??can i use it with other carriers??
aol has some nice features ,when i am overseas,i can get into aol website and check my email and thats cost me nothing,just type in www.aol.com and then go from there,i can do that in front of a pc at cyber cafe,hotel lobby or public library.
Sniping works up a thirst"
