High Speed Internet for $14.95/month

[2good]

I was fed up with Time Warner as my TV and internet provider and decided to jump on an offer from AT&T. I believe it is nationwide. I do NOT have telephon with them since I use Ooma (discussed in another thread). AT&T calls internet (DSL) without landline "dry loop".
They offer $14.95/month for 12 month for speeds up to 3Mps.
Here is the link:
at&t - Switch Today! Get $300 Back! | AT&T - High Speed Internet, Cable & Phone

Installation was easy, no need to be home. I bought the modem at Walmart ($49.95) instead getting the exact same model from AT&T for $75.

 

[Htown Harry]

Interesting that they are selling AT&T U-verse, DSL and other landline services through a dealer. Is this a new development, or has it been around for a while?

(Of course "authorized dealers" have been a part of their business model in cellular service for a long time.)

 

[Ronnieboy]

I am thinking of switching from Comcast, even though I like the internet and the speed I get from them, they have a 'suggested' data limit of 250GB per month (which they claim covers 99% of their customers). When you go over it once you might get a warning call and if you go over it twice within 12 months you can get fired as a customer.
While I noticed our usage was usually below 200GB, I have noticed that the past two months it has gone over the 250, sometimes in the high 290's. I guess the kids XBOX live is sucking up a lot of bandwidth?

 

[Texas Proud]

I just went from the .7 to the 3 for the same price... I would have gone to 6 for $20 per month, but they do not have it at my house at that speed..

 

[kyounge1956]

I was fed up with Time Warner as my TV and internet provider and decided to jump on an offer from AT&T. I believe it is nationwide. I do NOT have telephon with them since I use Ooma (discussed in another thread). AT&T calls internet (DSL) without landline "dry loop".
They offer $14.95/month for 12 month for speeds up to 3Mps.
Here is the link:
at&t - Switch Today! Get $300 Back! | AT&T - High Speed Internet, Cable & Phone

Installation was easy, no need to be home. I bought the modem at Walmart ($49.95) instead getting the exact same model from AT&T for $75.

What's the monthly rate after the first year?

 

[afntrn56]

I was fed up with Time Warner as my TV and internet provider and decided to jump on an offer from AT&T. I believe it is nationwide. I do NOT have telephon with them since I use Ooma (discussed in another thread). AT&T calls internet (DSL) without landline "dry loop".
They offer $14.95/month for 12 month for speeds up to 3Mps.
Here is the link:
at&t - Switch Today! Get $300 Back! | AT&T - High Speed Internet, Cable & Phone

Installation was easy, no need to be home. I bought the modem at Walmart ($49.95) instead getting the exact same model from AT&T for $75.

I would go for this internet deal but I have Vonage and like it a lot.

 

[yakers]

How fast will the 250GB fill up if DW is streaming Netflix video thru the Wii from our DSL?

 

[Texas Proud]

What's the monthly rate after the first year?

I think it is $30 or $35 per month.... but by then I think things will have changed and the regular price will be down...

OR, they will have U-Verse and we can get a package deal...

 

[sailor]

How fast will the 250GB fill up if DW is streaming Netflix video thru the Wii from our DSL?

Depends on movie quality. Netflix streaming servers adjust to your link quality (so you do get better quality if your pipe is bigger)
I've seen most of Netflix downloads on DSL in 3Mbps range (notice lowercase "b" there), so back of the envelope calculations indicate around 230 hours of Netflix movie streaming to reach 250GB.
YMMV.

 

[2good]

I would go for this internet deal but I have Vonage and like it a lot.

I believe Vonage is a VOIP service. This should work without problems with any high speed internet.
I use Ooma for the same purpose.

 

[2good]

Interesting that they are selling AT&T U-verse, DSL and other landline services through a dealer. Is this a new development, or has it been around for a while?

(Of course "authorized dealers" have been a part of their business model in cellular service for a long time.)

I must have messed up the link. I got this offer straight from AT&T, not via this dealer. Price seems to be the same though.

 

[REWahoo]

I believe Vonage is a VOIP service. This should work without problems with any high speed internet.

Except satellite...

 

[afntrn56]

I believe Vonage is a VOIP service. This should work without problems with any high speed internet.
I use Ooma for the same purpose.

I was under the impression it won't work with DSL. I guess I better have another look at it. Nothing would please me more than to be able to dump TWC.

 

[Rustward]

<snip> This should work without problems with any high speed internet. <snip>

Not exactly. VOIP requires a steady stream of data with low and relatively constant delay. VOIP bandwidth requirements are not really that high. ISDN does digital voice using 64 kilobits per second without compression. Compression can reduce the bandwidth requirement to less than half that.

Bandwidth is not the same as speed or delay. Bandwidth is units of data per units of time, but the data does not necessarily have to be evenly distributed across the unit of time.

A 100 kilobit stream may be evenly distributed across time, and this would be ideal for VOIP. But if, for example (and this is exaggerated for illustration), 100 kilobits are transmitted in the first 1/2 of each second, and the second half of the second is dead, (100 kilobits in the first half-second, then nothing for the second half of the second) you still have 100 kilobits per second of bandwidth but if you try to use it for VOIP it will give both callers a headache. This is not a real world example. In the real world delay can be variable, and variation in delay is called jitter, and jitter makes for delay in voice and sometimes leads to both callers starting to talk at the same time. It is really annoying.

VoIP Speed Test - Broadband Bandwidth Test - Broadband Jitter Test
Click the start button to start it.

 

[Rustward]

I was under the impression it won't work with DSL. I guess I better have another look at it. Nothing would please me more than to be able to dump TWC.

The consumer VOIP services are designed to work on high speed internet -- doesn't matter if it is DSL, FiOS, or cable. And the signal does not have to be perfect, but below certain thresholds, call quality will be affected. Poor quality might be acceptable for occasional phone use, but for the person who is on the phone all day it could be problematic.

 

[Texas Proud]

The consumer VOIP services are designed to work on high speed internet -- doesn't matter if it is DSL, FiOS, or cable. And the signal does not have to be perfect, but below certain thresholds, call quality will be affected. Poor quality might be acceptable for occasional phone use, but for the person who is on the phone all day it could be problematic.

My wife uses Skype all the time... quality is acceptable most of the time and good a lot...

 

[Sam]

The AT&T $15 (3mbps) and the $20 (6 mbps) plans are very attractive, especially with the inclusion of the $50 Visa gift card.

However, I have repeatedly heard complaints that most people usually see less than 1/2 of the advertised speed.

AT&T Elite DSL package, but I think I'm being capped badly. - dslreports.com

Worse yet, support from AT&T is a joke, according to the complainers. So, who currently uses these 3mbps and 6mpbs plan? Can you report back your actual speed, and how happy/unhappy with the plan?

 

[Texas Proud]

The AT&T $15 (3mbps) and the $20 (6 mbps) plans are very attractive, especially with the inclusion of the $50 Visa gift card.

However, I have repeatedly heard complaints that most people usually see less than 1/2 of the advertised speed.

AT&T Elite DSL package, but I think I'm being capped badly. - dslreports.com

Worse yet, support from AT&T is a joke, according to the complainers. So, who currently uses these 3mbps and 6mpbs plan? Can you report back your actual speed, and how happy/unhappy with the plan?

I just got the 3mbps package a few weeks ago.... consistent speed of 1.2 to 1.3 mbps... called and did all the tests they say and then was told it might take 4 days to get the proper speed... called about 5 days later and was on the phone for an hour going through the same test again (even though I gave them a case number)... he found a 'line' problem and was going to connect me to the next level... got cut off and no return call..

Called about 5 more days and got someone who wanted me to do all the test again even though I gave him my SECOND case number... ripped him a good one so he only had me do one test... got to the second level this time and the lady did more tests.... and said 'well, you are below the guaranteed speed of 1.5mbps'.... I said "WHAT" If all I am going to get is 1.5 we might as well not put it in.... she did 'stuff' and then reset something etc. etc.... and I now have about 2.5 mbps when I tested it... that was two days ago... I will test again and let you know what it is...


Just to let people know... I was not able to connect my Netgear wireless to AT&T... had to use the 2Wire... and the one I bought did not connect to all laptops for some reason... so bought a second on EBay and it works great... Got a third from AT&T that I THINK is free since I upgraded... I did not get $50

 

[Sam]

Texas Proud,

So the complaints were mostly true. I'm glad you're now getting 2.5mbps. Do let me when you test it again.

Despite everything, I'm still interested in their 6mbps plan, assuming of course I'll get at least 1/2 that speed.

I have one more question for you (I'm just too lazy to do the research): I assume you use one "modem/wifi hotspot" combo to serve all computers in the house, right? If so, what is the make/model of that modem/wifi hotspot combo? Did you have to pay for it, or does it come free w/ your 1-year contract?

 

[Texas Proud]

Texas Proud,

So the complaints were mostly true. I'm glad you're now getting 2.5mbps. Do let me when you test it again.

Despite everything, I'm still interested in their 6mbps plan, assuming of course I'll get at least 1/2 that speed.

I have one more question for you (I'm just too lazy to do the research): I assume you use one "modem/wifi hotspot" combo to serve all computers in the house, right? If so, what is the make/model of that modem/wifi hotspot combo? Did you have to pay for it, or does it come free w/ your 1-year contract?

OK... tested it a few times... from Seattle I only got 1.6... but Dallas, NY, Washington all in the 2.5 range..

They have a 2Wire HB something they sell for $100, but if you are a new customer they rebate the money... seems to work good... my wife goes to the back porch and does some work... the modem is on the second floor, so I do not know if that helps or not...

Our house can not get the 6... I wish it did... I have a friend who as the 6 and Netflix streaming and he gets a great feed.... all seem to be in HD....

 

[FIREd]

My MIL has AT&T DSL Elite (supposedly 6 Mbps) and I find her Internet connection excruciatingly slow. My iPhone's 3G connection (clocking in at 3 Mbps) is faster than her DSL connection, so I know it's much slower than advertised.

 

[scrinch]

I have the AT&T 3Mbps DSL service that is resold through a local ISP provider (Sonic.net). Our speed is consistently 2.4 to 2.5 kbps on online bandwidth meters. In about 3 years we have had a few problems with the line, and AT&T has always come out and fixed the problem after we jump through the home troubleshooting hoops. I have to say that dealing with the local ISP's local help desk is a much more satisfying process than speaking with the script-reading help desk in India or the Philippines like we did with our previous nationwide ISP. We live too far from the local exchange (11,000') to get the 6 Mbps service, or I would have tried it by now.