I am not sure what type of connection I should switch to (deciding to jump into the 21st century and leave dial-up behind).
I don't do any online gaming or anything, but I would like pages to load faster, be able to download/listen to (online) music, maybe watch a little youtube.
Which services are good or not so good? Who offers the best plans? Comcast? Verizon? Broadband? Cable? I have tried to do some comparisons from stuff I received in the mail, but it's hard to compare.
Any suggestions?
-------------------- Licorice of the Lord! This is classy stuff...Should I be wearing a tie? Or, at least, pants? ~I'mNotDedalus Posts: 975 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2005
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First of all terminology. Comcast and Verizon both offer broadband services. Comcast offers cable internet and Verizon offers DSL. They both will provide always on high speed internet service.
I can't really speak to DSL because I've never had it. I've had a lot of friends that do and it seems to me that there are a lot more issues that occur with DSL. It's not always available to where you are and there just seems to be a lot of problems that occur. I have cable and I've never had a problem at all. They came out, ran the cable, hooked up the modem (which I had to purchase separately) and away I went. Never had a problem.
I think the benefits of DSL may apply to people who do more things than surf snopes and watch YouTube and I think the speed is supposed to be more consistant because you're not sharing it with the neighborhood. But I think for the casual user, cable is an easier way to go.
Gibbie
-------------------- If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Posts: 3993 | From: Indiana | Registered: Feb 2000
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I have to disagree. DSL is shared with the neighborhood thru a hub, just like a cable connection, however, cable connections tend to have much better stability and speed. I've used a cable hookup for years and never had problems with it (except for right after a hurricane, but that doesn't count).
My husband, daughter and I can all play World of Warcraft at the same time on our connection without a problem. If anything stress-tests a connection, I think that's it
In your area, it may be prudent to look at who is providing the service too. A good DSL service is clearly better than a crappy cable service, but IME cable is nearly always better.
-------------------- Conforming meant that everyone liked you except yourself Rebecca Posts: 682 | From: Jacksonville, FL | Registered: Aug 2005
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I had DSL and switched to cable because my DSL was so bug ridden. Cable seems to me much more streamlined, and I had it in an apartment building and never had share problems. My DSL would go out 2 or 3 times a week, cable went out once, when the phone company shorted out the cable trnasformer in our building (still verizon's fault)
-------------------- The less you know, the more you believe. -Bono Posts: 457 | From: Philadelphia, PA | Registered: Jun 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Gibbie: First of all terminology. Comcast and Verizon both offer broadband services. Comcast offers cable internet and Verizon offers DSL. They both will provide always on high speed internet service.
I'm sorry. I think it sounded like I was completely ignorant of the subject. I understand what each company offers, I was trying to ask if any one service OR company was better....
-------------------- Licorice of the Lord! This is classy stuff...Should I be wearing a tie? Or, at least, pants? ~I'mNotDedalus Posts: 975 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2005
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I've been very happy with my cable internet service since I got it last December. I think I've lost service exactly once since then. Speeds are great.
-------------------- How homophobic do you have to be to have penguin gaydar? - Lewis Black Posts: 8322 | From: Columbus, OH | Registered: Aug 2005
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We were on Time Warner Cable for years with few problems, all easily fixed by calling the cable company. Now Comcast has taken over our area, but I have noticed no difference, and more importantly, DH the computer geek has noticed no problems. DH explained to me the differences between DSL and cable, which of course I have mainly forgotten. I remember one of his points was that if you were the only one or one of a few in your neighborhood with DSL, it would be super-fast, but if a lot of people in your block had it, then it would not be as speedy. He actually didn't choose one nice apartment because it didn't have cable; you could only have DSL. He went with a crappier place that had cable. (On a side note, we are now in a nice place with cable. YAY!)
So basically, my parents, his parents, his brother, and us newlyweds all have Comcast cable now, and we are all still happy with it.
-------------------- If the world were logical, men would ride sidesaddle. -Mama
I won't ask "Am I weird?" because that ship sailed long ago. -Kahuna Burger Posts: 394 | From: Memphis, TN | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by MissE: I need a little advice.
I am not sure what type of connection I should switch to (deciding to jump into the 21st century and leave dial-up behind).
I don't do any online gaming or anything, but I would like pages to load faster, be able to download/listen to (online) music, maybe watch a little youtube.
Which services are good or not so good? Who offers the best plans? Comcast? Verizon? Broadband? Cable? I have tried to do some comparisons from stuff I received in the mail, but it's hard to compare.
Any suggestions?
I had Verizon DSL for about 2 years. Then about a year ago, I lost all phone and DSL service - one of their swtiches in my neighborhood broke down, and they were absolutely inattentive to the situation. I switched over to Time Warner Roadrunner (Cable modem) service, and have not had any problems for the year.
I've had other bad experiences dealing with Verizon (on behalf of friends who I was doing tech support for), so I'm leery about recommending them in the NYC area. I don't know how things are in Jersey, though- you might want to ask your friends & neighbors to see what they are using and get recommendations that way (DSL service can widely vary in quality depending upon your nighborhood and the condition of your phone lines).
-------------------- Is here no telephone? Posts: 323 | From: Brooklyn, NY | Registered: Jul 2005
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I use the smaller of the two available Verizon dsl services available in my area. It's around $15/month. I've been using it for over 2 years, not a single outage or problem so far.
-------------------- Support you local community newspaper! CNN.com probably won't be covering your child's spelling bee. Posts: 609 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: May 2005
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quote:DH explained to me the differences between DSL and cable, which of course I have mainly forgotten. I remember one of his points was that if you were the only one or one of a few in your neighborhood with DSL, it would be super-fast, but if a lot of people in your block had it, then it would not be as speedy. He actually didn't choose one nice apartment because it didn't have cable; you could only have DSL. He went with a crappier place that had cable. (On a side note, we are now in a nice place with cable. YAY!)
I think you have this backwards. If there a a lot of people in your neighborhood, DSL would be better.
DSL has a single pipe to the switch at the CO (where your phone lines terminate) This is where the large internet "pipe" comes out of. Cable only has 1 cable per neighborhood. So if there are a 1000 cable users all connected at once, you will see your MAX speed decrease. If you have 1000 DSL users, it will not.
-------------------- Wherever ya go, there ya are. Posts: 816 | From: Florida | Registered: Jan 2003
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But unless you are within 25,000 yards of the switch, you cannot get DSL.
-------------------- Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish Posts: 2036 | From: Virginia | Registered: Jul 2002
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Of course, this can change from area to area. I remember choosing cable because I could bundle it with my TV and packages and save some money. The geek in me was sold when I heard that the cable company just finished putting in a fiber pipe into our area. We were one of the first. Of course, that is a few years ago now.
I would ask friends and family and weigh their responses accordingly.
Posts: 266 | From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Sep 2005
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I went with Verizon DSL simply because my local phone service was provided by Verizon, and I don't have cable hooked up to my house, so I didn't want an extra hook-up charge. Also, I believe that the DSL was less expensive because it was bundled with the local phone. I have never had any trouble with the local phone tech support (I always have pretty good results when it's a local issue) but the DSL tech support is just incredibly frustrating to deal with. They both (Verizon and Comcast) have their problems, and I don't think that one is any better or worse than the other, based on various rants I've seen on this board.
I'd say for your use, either one would be appropriate, so go with the one that will cost you the least. Also, have you considered using a third company? Where my parents live, they have a local internet service that is less expensive and more reliable, since it is all handled locally.
Good luck - I switched from dial-up and have never looked back.
posted
We went with DSL because we don't have cable, and it seemed pointless to get cable just for internet connectivity. In our experience, the setup went smoothly and we haven't had any major problems.
Nick
-------------------- Don't forget to register for the New ULMB.
posted
If the price of cable is a consideration you might try what I've done for the last three years
When I got cable I also got internet phone service as well(my cable costs $40 + my phone $15 VS regular phone service was $50 plus + my dial up connection $20)
I only need 500 minutes of long distance for that $15 and any minutes over are charged at a 5 cents a minute...unlimited long distance is $20
In other words I now pay LESS for a faster internet connection and telephone service(all the extras are free too) at $55...before I paid more than $70 for slower internet and telephone service
You can keep your old phone number and use the same phone you use now but you have to pay $30 for a box they send you to connect to your cable modem and your phone(all the internet services give you the first month free)
The only downside is if your cable company sucks and goes out all the time then it's not worth it since if the cable is down you have no telephone either but a lot of people nowadays have cell phones so it might not bother you too much
I'm not going to say what company I use because I wrote a similar message on another board and was accused of advertising for them...as far as I know they all use the same technology and are pretty much the same as far as reliability
I'm a cheapskate and I like the idea of paying less for faster internet and better telephone service
Posts: 100 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:quote:DH explained to me the differences between DSL and cable, which of course I have mainly forgotten. I remember one of his points was that if you were the only one or one of a few in your neighborhood with DSL, it would be super-fast, but if a lot of people in your block had it, then it would not be as speedy. He actually didn't choose one nice apartment because it didn't have cable; you could only have DSL. He went with a crappier place that had cable. (On a side note, we are now in a nice place with cable. YAY!)
[QUOTE] I think you have this backwards. If there a a lot of people in your neighborhood, DSL would be better.
DSL has a single pipe to the switch at the CO (where your phone lines terminate) This is where the large internet "pipe" comes out of. Cable only has 1 cable per neighborhood. So if there are a 1000 cable users all connected at once, you will see your MAX speed decrease. If you have 1000 DSL users, it will not.
Thanks, SoToasty. My bad; you're right-- I got mixed up. Thanks for the correction; maybe I'll remember it correctly from now on. Now you know why I married a computer geek-- I'm hopeless on my own!
-------------------- If the world were logical, men would ride sidesaddle. -Mama
I won't ask "Am I weird?" because that ship sailed long ago. -Kahuna Burger Posts: 394 | From: Memphis, TN | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Gibbie: First of all terminology. Comcast and Verizon both offer broadband services. Comcast offers cable internet and Verizon offers DSL. They both will provide always on high speed internet service.
I'm sorry. I think it sounded like I was completely ignorant of the subject. I understand what each company offers, I was trying to ask if any one service OR company was better....
So are Comcast and Verizon both cable internet providers for your local area? If not, which company or companies can actually provide your house with cable internet? In my experience cable companies are usually local monopolies, so you're stuck with a particular ISP if you go with cable internet. Personally my area has Cox. They're not the best, but I haven't had much trouble with it.
I definitely had a lot of trouble with DSL before cable became available locally. And now I don't have a landline so I'd be dealing with the phone company just for that. And I would never go back to dialup. So cable is really the way to go, and unless I'm mistaken you probably don't have much choice about who to go with for that.
Posts: 2018 | From: Santa Barbara, California | Registered: Aug 2005
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My two cents, regardless of the company you choose. Get cable internet, don't bother with DSL.
quote:In my experience cable companies are usually local monopolies, so you're stuck with a particular ISP if you go with cable internet. Personally my area has Cox. They're not the best, but I haven't had much trouble with it.
It's the same here, except Comcast is the local monopoly. I always assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere, so MissE will likely be getting whatever cable company can provide service to her, not one of her choice.
posted
If Verizon FiOS (Fiber Optic) is available in your area, you might check into that. Very fast, you don't share with your neighborhood, and (where I live) a few dollars cheaper than cable. They offer both Internet Service and TV. I've had it for a few months now and I've been happy with it.
-------------------- "A horse may be coaxed to drink, but a pencil must be lead" - Stan Laurel Posts: 249 | From: Dallas | Registered: Oct 2004
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When we made the move to broadband, we didn't have a choice: the BellSouth switch in our neighborhood was too old to accomodate DSL, so the only option available was cable. We have had numerous issues with our cable provider, but things have definitely improved over the last six months or so.
-------------------- "When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."--George Bernard Shaw Posts: 19266 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:So are Comcast and Verizon both cable internet providers for your local area?
I think only Comcast offers cable connection, but Verizon offers DSL. From what I've read here, I would go with cable. It just seems to be the better option.
Someone I spoke to said it was more expensive, though. My opinion is I don't really care if if means a better connection.
-------------------- Licorice of the Lord! This is classy stuff...Should I be wearing a tie? Or, at least, pants? ~I'mNotDedalus Posts: 975 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2005
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Get cable, and get VoIP. Ditch your telephone line. I mean ditch it completely. Call up Verizon and tell them that you don't want a phone and hear their jaw hit the floor. Depending on what plans you can get, you might be able to save some money
-------------------- Nico Sasha In between my father's fields;And the citadels of the rule; Lies a no-man's land which I must cross; To find my stolen jewel. Posts: 4912 | From: VA | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Mad Jay: Call up Verizon and tell them that you don't want a phone and hear their jaw hit the floor.
I had CenturyTel and when I called and asked them if they had a cheaper plan they pretty much told me they are the phone company and I will pay what they say because they are the phone company
One of the most satisfying moments of my life was calling and telling CenturyTel I was canceling my phone service with them and going the VoIP route
In the next month I got a couple of letters from them offering me a cheaper plan(apparently they exist after all) by then of course I was in no mood to listen
CenturyTel got into a snit and delayed the transfer of my number to the company I was doing business with now so I had to wait a couple of months with a new phone number but one of the many advantages of using an internet phone company is they WANTED my business and knew I could go elsewhere so they never even charged me the minuscule $15 a month until they got my old phone number back for me
Posts: 100 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2006
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