DSL satisfaction

I am currently shopping around for a DSL network. I upgrading from dial up on AOL. Im just curious what everyones dsl company is and if they are satisfied with it. I am currently interested in Verizon Broadband and YAHOO/ATT dsl. I know that depending on where you live certain factors will be affected but I am just looking for an overall view.
Thanks

 

on bellsouth 6mbit here works great hardly any downtime and mosty has full speed and nice pings.

 

You'll need to consider some factors. Overall, you'll notice a tremendous improvement over dial-up. Web surfing and email will be much richer experiences. You will do just fine with the cheapest DSL package your provider offers, if you mainly do web surfing, email, download occasional music or movie, and other basics.

You should consider one of the provider's faster download/upload speeds if you'll be doing any online gaming, streaming, torrent hosting, or other heavy bandwith activities.

 

AT&T would be my choice. I am currently in an area that is not serviced by AT&T, but if I could I'd be signed up already. Cable Internet is extremely expensive for what it's worth, and Comcast is a new enemy of mine. I can't way till other cable companies make their way into Michigan to compete with such monopolies.

 

Not sure if you have it in your area or not but Charter Communications has a package deal $100.00 a month for cable, phone, and cable internet. The internet speed is 300 kb/s with an upload speed of 35 kb/s

Definitely worth checking out if you pay for all 3 separately.

 

I use a small company that may or may not service your area. The are DSLExtreme. I have been with them for about 6 years now and get wonderful service. They also maintain a support board over at http://www.dslreports.com

Otherwise be aware these name brand providers have some pretty restrictive use policies and that your "unlimited" connection is, well, not. That is another reason I use DSLExtreme. I get an honest to gawd unlimited connection that I can ever host up to 5-servers with. Though I have no idea why in the world I would ever want to do that...

You will also want to add a thing called a router between your computers and the DSL Device (called a DSL Modem.) The router can be configured to protect you from the outside world. Your DSL or other broadband connection is a 24/7 wide open connection to the web. So you need to make sure your systems are protected by restricting who can get into YOUR side of the network. I have had excellent success with the Linksys WRT54G router. It pretty much has all the features you need and it's like $50 at WallyWorld.

If you do get a router there might be some settings on the DSL Modem that need changing so try and have wahtever you buy before the install date for your service (if you are getting onsite install that is...) And never take any BS that you have to use only their router as some shadier techs have been known to claim...it because they get a commission, often for the entire time you rent the hardware.

Oh, if you are in a big city Verizon area you might be able to get FIOS. That is SUPER DUPER FAST DSL. You can go here and check:

http://www.verizonfios.com

And actually your best bet to find a service is to visit the above mentioned DSLReports site... http://www.dslreports.com honestly they have EVERYTHING there and you can read reviews of even the smallest ditch-water service providers.

It would be great though if you were in an area already setup for fiber!!

 

I've used SBC/AT&T for a few years now, and have been pretty satisfied overall. They offered me their "Pro" package (speeds up to 3 mbps) to resign for another year @ ~17 bucks a month, and things overall have been pretty solid. Used to have some issues with connection being flaky and unavailable at times, but I think that was a modem and router issue and haven't had any issues since replacing both of them.

 

I know that right now ATT/Yahoo DSL is offered @ $13/month for the express version. Good just for web surfing. ATT also offers what is refered to as a "triple play" (phone, internet, video) And most cable co offer similiar deals and thier own triple play deals. Shop around. GL

 

I use BellSouth Fast Access DSL.

My speeds are 1.5mbps download, 256kbps upload. I pay about $25 a month, great service, its only been down maybe three times ever since I got it four years ago.

 

I had the same sort of problem about 2 years ago. We (DSLExtreme, me & Verizon) net though about a zillion gyrations and nothing ever worked for extended periods of time. I decided to just buy a new router. That was the fix. Turned out some of the Dlink router I was using had a habit of just getting flaky after a couple years use.

But the support folks and I went though EVERYTHING. By I was using a consumer grade device and figured I wanted to upgrade to a better router anyway as the Dlink only had WEP and there was not going to be any update to WPA or better encryption. So I searched and ended with a Linksys WRT54G...needless to say I have two of them now and love it...

Also, I thought I would add that in any area no matter who your ISP is, the actually DSL provider is going to be the same as your phone service provider in your area. In my case even though DSLExtreme is my ISP it is Verizon who provides the connection itself. The reason I like DSLExtreme is because they offer terms of service that meet my needs at $66/mo whereas Verizon would be charging me around $150/mo and I would still have usage caps. that of course are not publish and completely arbitrarily enforced.

Anyway that was my long winded way of asking if you have tried using a different router? Your router could be overheating in a random fashion and when some component gets to a critical temp it gets weird.

 

I hear comcast is offering a 12Mbit connection :drool:

 

I appreciate all the help. I think I am going to look into the triple play bundles.
thanks

 

You bettcha...

That router of yours is one of the most indestructible small network/workgroup routers ever...really it is. The thing has a reputation of pretty much never dying. My Dlink that ate itself was a wifi router...but that Netgear of yours might not be the issue. Of course that is just because it has such a solid reputation.

Anymore the consumer routers are crap. Poor power supplies and marginal components. But they are cheap. Plus all they want to really do is sell more routers and home users are more likely to just replace a piece of hardware rather then trouble shoot it. A lot of that is because the rotten user support the major service providers give. The first thing they are likely to say is your hardware will not work with their system...Verizon and Comcrap as really bad about that...