| Author |
Message |
    
Jerry Tuttle
Citizen
Username: Jerrytuttle
Post Number: 29
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 26, 2005 - 10:09 pm: |     |
I am having Internet connection problems with Verizon DSL. They seem unable to resolve my problem over the phone, and won't send someone. Is there a recommended DSL competitor to Verizon? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2064
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 26, 2005 - 11:03 pm: | |
Speakeasy is excellent. www.speakeasy.net |
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1771
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, December 26, 2005 - 11:04 pm: | |
what's the problem?
what are the symptoms?
what OS are you running?
what day is it?
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growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 863
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 9:10 am: | |
speakeasy. Hands down. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11590
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 11:03 am: | |
I don't understand the appeal of speakeasy when you can get cable modem service that is faster and probably cheaper. Maybe someone can explain it to me.
But let's see if we can figure out what's wrong with Jerry's current service before we recommend switching. Monster's questions are a good start.
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growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 864
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 11:37 am: | |
B/C I have never had to wait on the phone for tech support more than 30 seconds. The tech guys are in America. They always get things running within 30 minutes and when I have to have Verizon check the line, they were there checking in 24 hours. Oh yeah, Speakeasy plays rockin hold music. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2066
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 10:18 pm: | |
I would recommend switching anyway, whether it's to another DSL provider, or to a cable Internet provider. Verizon is simply awful.
Speakeasy has fantastic support, on those rare occasions that you need it. You can get static IP addresses (up to eight, I believe) on a residential plan, they have no issues with running your own servers (mail, web, game, etc.).
And to me, the best part... if you tell their tech support people that you know what you're talking about, they can throw away the script and actually solve the problem with you. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11606
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 12:29 am: | |
Verizon DSL is rated at up to 1.5 Mb/sec. What can you get from speakeasy now?
comcast claims up to 3 Mb/sec, though I'm sure that's a peak rate, for only those with the best connections.
Test your own connection speed at http://www.dslreports.com/stest
This works with any type of connection, not just DSL.
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growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 867
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 10:24 am: | |
You can get the basic package at 1.5/384 for $49 but can go as high as 6.0/768 for $109.
They have also rolled out their One Link which does not use the telephone line for people that only have a cell phone. And they have VOIP + Broadband for $79.
http://www.speakeasy.net/home/ |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1415
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 1:03 pm: | |
Comcast speed is currently 6MB down and 380k up. Their phone support has lately been ok, not great, but also not as bad as it used to be.
Uptime is very good, certainly better then my phone line, that seems to get 'bit by a squirrel' on a regular basis.
The biggest disadvantage to me are the missing static IP addresses. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11614
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 6:04 pm: | |
Earlster, why do you wish for a static IP address? And do you know about http://dyndns.org? |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1416
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 11:10 pm: | |
Tom, I know about dyndns.org. I even 'donated' to them when they were free, with the promise of free lifetime service. Well, they must have 'forgoten'.
For my development it would be good for me to have a dedicated server in a DMZ. And I kind of can, since their IP's don't really ever change. |
Politicalmon
Citizen
Username: Politicalmon
Post Number: 64
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, December 29, 2005 - 4:07 pm: | |
I believe monsters post is quite relavent. What exactly is the problem? Depending on the answer to that query you may end up in the same boat no matter who your provider is. I secure broadband access for most of my clients all over the US and recently (4 months now) secured Verizon DSL at home. Much as I detest them, they offered the best service at the best possible price. I would have preferred cable but this would require signing up for cable TV - this was not part of the my program. I believe TV should be free by whatever means necessary. Verizon DSL has upgraded the DSLAM at the CO in South Orange - if you call them they will upgrade your service from 1.5 Mb/sec to 3.0 Mb/sec - for free. We pay $29 per month for what has been measured at 2.6 Mb/sec - I'm not going to complain about the loss of 400Kb/sec and have a good idea of how this incremental decrease is occurring but that's for another thread. Bottom line is unless you really need a static IP address; I don't see the logic - I typically use MegaPath Networks for my customers since they are pretty much everywhere in the country. And all of my client require a static IP address due to remote access via thin client. |
Trent_Daddy
Citizen
Username: Tcedwards
Post Number: 152
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 6:36 pm: | |
I thought Tom Reingold stated something about aging telephone wire and Verizon only upgrading when pushed.
For DSL wire quality is so important. Tom was it you that made that comment?
TD
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11642
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 6:47 pm: | |
Yes, it was I, but I didn't say they upgrade when pushed. I said they repair when pushed, because they want to minimize the cost of maintaining the wiring that they will soon abandon.
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Jerry Tuttle
Citizen
Username: Jerrytuttle
Post Number: 32
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 2:58 am: | |
I got a computer guy (not from Verizon) to come to my house. He was on the phone with Verizon for two hours without success. He eventually reinstalled the operating system, I think, from his place. He can not tell me what was wrong, and what he fixed. But it works now. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11756
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 11:36 am: | |
If your computer guy had connected his own computer to your home network, he would have realized right away that your DSL was fine and your computer had the problem.
I realize it's in the past, but I hope this tip becomes useful in the future, to someone, anyway.
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composerjohn
Citizen
Username: Composerjohn
Post Number: 648
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 11:28 pm: | |
I have verizon DSL. I did the DSL speed test. Here are the results:
Your download speed : 1374 kbps or 171.8 KB/sec.
Your upload speed : 360 kbps or 45 KB/sec.
Is this good or bad? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11790
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 11:46 pm: | |
It depends on their claims. I think they claim 1.5 Mb, so you got nearly that. Very good. And they may claim 384 Kb upload, so your other measurement is also close to that.
Run it a few times for greater accuracy. Run it at different times of day.
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Scully
Citizen
Username: Scully
Post Number: 109
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 4:57 am: | |
Where do you get the DSL speed test? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2158
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 8:52 am: | |
http://www.dslreports.com/stest |
Jgberkeley
Citizen
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 4375
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 12:18 pm: | |
Ok, I just ran the test on my Verizon DSL connection.
What!
688 KBPS Down
132 KBPS Up
Can this be possible?
Faster than my old 56 KBPS modem, however, this looks to be very slow.
I ran it against the Speakeasy icon. Does that make a difference?
Also, If I moved from Verizon to Speakeasy will things change or is this a function of copper wire from the POP to my computer?
Later,
Lost with this network stuff,
George |
Bailey
Citizen
Username: Baileymac
Post Number: 137
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 1:20 pm: | |
That's about what I used to get with Verizon, one of the reasons I switched to cable.
Are you hard wired to your modem or router, or maybe wireless? Can make a difference.
What OS are you using? |
Jgberkeley
Citizen
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 4376
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 1:27 pm: | |
Windows XP
DSL modem is hard wired
I do have firewall software running. |
Bailey
Citizen
Username: Baileymac
Post Number: 138
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 4:20 pm: | |
hm..
Well, Verizon offers 2 packages, one with speeds up to 768Kbps/128Kbps, for $14.95/mo.
That's pretty close to what you're getting.
Their other costs around 29.95/mo and offers speeds up to 3Mbps/768Mbps.
Do you know which package you have?
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Maplewood27
Citizen
Username: Maplewood27
Post Number: 37
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 8:12 pm: | |
Our Verizon dsl has been going in and out for about a week now. By thursday it had gone out completely. This happens in streaks with verizon and they are absolutely no help in getting it up and running again. According to them its always a problem with the computer - never their line - which is never the case because we have 3 computers that cant acess the internet. They always refuse to send someone out to fix things.
I can't deal with this as I freelance from home wednesdays - fridays and have to be able to ftp files. Anyone have good experiences with Comcast? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11824
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 9:01 pm: | |
Actually, yes. I've seen criticisms of comcast, and I don't doubt them, but we've done very well with them. First we had a technician come to install the cable TV, and my wife had to show him how to do the job. A year later, we had someone come to install cable modem service. He had to run a new cable into the house. He did a super job. Since that day, the internet service has been flawless.
Just don't use their email service. It sucks less than verizon's email service, but it still sucks.
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Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1433
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 8, 2006 - 11:00 pm: | |
Comcast might be inept at times in installing their service, but once it's up and running it's a keeper.
Just don't cancel DSL until you are sure that the cable is up and you will never look back at Verizon, however there is quite a pull on your pocketbook.  |
Maplewood27
Citizen
Username: Maplewood27
Post Number: 38
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 9, 2006 - 5:05 pm: | |
Doesnt Comcast run off the existing cable line coming into the house? We have two lines already.
Is it easy enough to install myself? We already have the router that we purchased when we got verizon and after looking at the comcast website I really don't think we need to pay that much $$$ to get it all set up to network 3 computers! |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 11846
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 9, 2006 - 5:11 pm: | |
It doesn't cost extra to have them install it. Yes, they normall run it from the same cable, but we have only one TV, and it's on the third floor, and our computer setup is on the first floor, so the installer decided (rightly) to install a new cable, from a splitter outside our house.
But yes, if you really don't want an installer to come, you can do it. Disable PPPoE dialing on your router and make sure it's set to obtain an IP address automatically.
The installers are trained to believe that comcast won't work unless they install software on your computer. It's not true. That software just does silly things: it sets your home page on IE to comcast, and it installs a useless "support agent" program in your system tray. It also modifies IE so that the "throbber" is a comcast logo instead of a blue 'e'. (The throbber is the animated graphic that shows that the browser is loading a page.)
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