| Author |
Message |
    
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3298
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 30, 2006 - 8:26 pm: |     |
I've been using Verizon DSL for several years and it has been $39.95/month the whole time for 768kbps download speed. I just happened to call them today about a question and was informed they are now offering 3Mbps download speed for $29.95/month.
Seemed like a no-brainer to get faster download speed & less money.
Just thought that any DSL users out there might want to check it out. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12211
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 30, 2006 - 10:11 pm: | |
This is like so many other service companies. You have to pay attention all the time to their offerings. Verizon DSL has been $14.95 for 768K for a while, with $29.95 for 3M. You have to ask for what they're offering, or you stay with the sucky old deal.
Check your calling plan and your cell phone plan and your TV plan, too.
"This is the only thing my signature says." |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 284
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 12:13 pm: | |
Tom, what is the difference between 768k and the 3M? I thought I was getting a deal with my 20% discount off of my $39.99 DSL package.
We use it for two laptops in the house, WLAN, itunes, AOL, etc. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12226
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 12:26 pm: | |
In theory, it's a quadrupling of speed. In practice, it won't be as dramatic. It depends on the size of your downloads and how often you do big downloads. If you can count the downloads in terms of seconds, then you will probably notice the difference. If you click on an email or a link and it displays almost instantaneously, then maybe you shouldn't bother upgrading.
I think 3M is a peak speed, though, not a sustained speed. By the way, cable modem is now boasting 6M, though those are peak speeds, too. But cable modem is still faster than DSL, even though they're both improving.
"This is the only thing my signature says." |
gj1
Citizen
Username: Gj1
Post Number: 300
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 12:29 pm: | |
3Mb is almost 4 times faster than 768k. That's the only difference. Get what you think you need/want.
I believe the prices Tom mentioned are correct. You do need to call and commit for one year to get the new rates, though. |
gj1
Citizen
Username: Gj1
Post Number: 301
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 12:31 pm: | |
Oh...testing has consistently shown that I'm getting 2.6Mb/sec with the 3Mb Verizon plan. |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 287
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 2:17 pm: | |
With simple web surfing, (no need to download anything) will any speed be noticed? (ie is 768 going to feel like dial-up?)
How do you test your current speed? |
Eponymous
Citizen
Username: Eponymous
Post Number: 48
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:01 pm: | |
Aynbody using Vonage (or another VOIP) with Verizon? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12232
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:25 pm: | |
Web surfing is actually downloading, though you don't think of it that way. So is reading email. When someone sends you a large attachment, you wait for it to download. Web pages with lots of graphics take time to download. And some videos and animations take a significant amount of time. Also, consider updates to your OS and other software. That takes some real time.
If you're happy with 768K, then stick with it. I had it for a while and was happy, but I'm glad to have cable modem service now.
And by the way, computer geeks count funny. A K is 1024, and a M is 1024K, so 3M is exactly four times as fast as 768K.
You used to be able to test your speed at http://www.dslreport.com but that seems to be a paid download now. There is a plugin for the Firefox web browser to test your bandwidth, but the test is based on downloading some small files, so I'm not sure how accurate it is.
"This is the only thing my signature says." |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 290
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:37 pm: | |
what is dial up? 56k? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12235
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:40 pm: | |
Dialup is rated at 56K max, but it rarely hits that speed. And worse, dialup has 10 bits per byte, rather than 8, because there are a start bit and a stop bit, so even if you get 56K, it's effectively 44.8K. The speed is determined according to how noisy the line is. Also, dialup tends to disconnect at random times. DSL and cable modem services don't do that.
"This is the only thing my signature says." |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3302
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 4:03 pm: | |
I'm also thinking about switching to VOIP, which is why I wanted to switch DSL to my secondary line (I would keep that line from Verizon) and want to switch my primary line to VOIP (so we can keep our current number & use all the features like Call Waiting, Caller ID, unlimited long distance, etc).
I am looking at Vonage, Packet8 and Sunrocket & see so many mixed reviews of all of them.
Vonage has a utility on their site to test your upload & download speed:
http://www.vonage.com/help_knowledgeBase_article.php?article=497&category=159 |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 291
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 4:11 pm: | |
Thanks guys, you just saved me $300 per year...Verizon was billing me $39.99 a month for DSL, but turns out I was only getting 768 speed, so by calling and agreeing to 1 year lock-in, it's now $14.99 per month (with no change in speed). I owe you a beer if we run into each other at the pub... |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 12237
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 4:17 pm: | |
Ah, here's a good bandwidth tester: http://www.dslreports.com/stest?loc=97
"This is the only thing my signature says." |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3303
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 4:32 pm: | |
Smarty,
You'll recongnize us, because we both look just like our icons to the left of our posts. 
Glad someone else could benefit from this price reduction. I could swear I looked online a few months ago to see if prices dropped, so I can't imagine this deal has been out there too long. |
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