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Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 04:15 PM
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#1
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 880
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Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Okay...my 6-month promo price on my Comcast internet expired and the price has more than doubled to $55/month I knew it was coming.... I tried the disconnect tactic to see if they would extend the promo price, but they must know that I can't get DSL and didn't bite! I don't need the 6M connection because this is our future RE home and we only use it on weekends - I can't stomach dial-up because I do occasionally WFH to extend the weekend. Quite frankly, I have 768k DSL at our primary house and I don't notice a significant difference between the Comcast 6M and the Verizon 768k DSL (the DSL is a lot less expensive!). I checked out satellite, but it is expensive. My sister suggested a EV-DO card which may work. I just wonder about the cost and getting a consistent speed. I do have excellent cell service - so it could be the solution.
Any ideas out there ?
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 04:55 PM
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#2
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 101
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Dial-up is a lot faster when images are turned off.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 06:33 PM
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#3
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 859
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Since your in the PNW, there is an outfit called " www.clearwire.com".
They charge $30/month. They sell you ( for $100) this antenna/modem that transmits & receives rather than going thru the phone or cable. The good thing about this setup is you can move the modem around when you travel. One thing you got to verify is that you can get the signal from both locations. There is a map on the web site that will give you an idea of the coverage area.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 06:39 PM
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#4
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Leesburg, VA
Posts: 904
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
I live in rural Virginia with no high speed DSL/cable, etc. I have crappy service from my phone company, Verizon, and live too far away from the central office for even good dialup. They are also milking really old equipment. Everytime the lights even flicker the tiniest bit the phone goes out for 4 or 5 hours.
I recently got Sprint PCS EVDO service and canceled my second phone line which I had only used for a modem line to the computer.
It's great. I get 1.2 Mb download speeds and 280K upload. I got the USB connector version so I could use it on both my desktop and laptop.
I costs $59.95 per month but that is offset by $30.00 for the canceled phone line. It comes with one email address. I also canceled my dialup ISP (mindspring/earthlink) so I am saving another $20.00 per month there.
So for about $10.00/month more I am getting high speed and I can attach it to the laptop and use it anywhere.
Don't get the Verizon version of the EVDO service. Their "unlimited" service is capped at 5 GB per month. If you exceed that they will cancel you and charge you an early termination fee for breaking the terms of service.
Mike D.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 06:51 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmpi
Since your in the PNW, there is an outfit called " www.clearwire.com".
They charge $30/month. They sell you ( for $100) this antenna/modem that transmits & receives rather than going thru the phone or cable. The good thing about this setup is you can move the modem around when you travel. One thing you got to verify is that you can get the signal from both locations. There is a map on the web site that will give you an idea of the coverage area.
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These things are very nice. One of my kids has it. A negative that I notice is that there seems to be a lag opening a page. I think compared to DSL it may be a little slower. As well as home use it should be a safe solution with a powerpak for coffee houses and the car, but of course coverage is spotty.
Ha
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"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 07:20 PM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,145
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
EVDO service is still running about $60/month as far as I know.....
Audrey
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Retired since summer 1999.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 07:22 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
EVDO service is still running about $60/month as far as I know.....
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Yep. That's what I'm paying.
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Numbers is hard
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 07:54 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Cant get jack here either. No wireless providers, no DSL, just expensive comcast. Surprising considering I live in one of the most affluent areas near the capital of california, and nobody wants to offer a competitive service.
You definitely dont want satellite, unless you're doing primarily large file transfers. Turnaround time and delays are hideous, the service goes out a lot, etc.
The radio based wireless options work okay with a fixed antenna with line of sight. No experience with the cellular options but I'd imagine that every caveat associated with voice cellular would apply.
"Can you read me now?"
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Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 08:27 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,450
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
I have the radio based wireless with the fixed antenna for a couple of years....It isnt for everyone and worked out well for me since I am on a higher elevation....DSL is just getting offered in my area and might try that since my existing contract is up....and the offer is for 19.99/month for a year on the DSL...sounds like the cell phone providers are advertising service also...
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- Hurry! to the cliffs of insanity!
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 08:36 PM
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#10
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 123
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
I suppose things are different by region, but I have a basic home phone service through Quest. I can piggy back on that with high speed internet by signing a contract to use them for two years at $26.95 per month. They promise not to internet raise rates for the rest of your life (I suppose there are some catches with that). I still use dial up but this has tempted me. I've seen something similar with comcast, but not recently. I don't find dial up horribly cumbersome, though. I usually have two or three windows open and can be reading something while the other windows are in the process of opening.
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"He who speaks of dryer sheets has not seen the clothes line." Al B. Tross
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 09:03 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,228
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
See if you can get a wifi signal from a neighbor, and if so offer to pay them to share the service. I shared with my neighbor for a while, but I just recently found that the clubhouse at our condo complex offers free wifi for people to use their laptops by the pool (this is Silicon Valley). By placing my wifi antenna by the window I can get that signal from the clubhouse and that's what I'm using right now as I type this.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 10:10 PM
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#12
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 160
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
"You definitely dont want satellite, unless you're doing primarily large file transfers. Turnaround time and delays are hideous, the service goes out a lot, etc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boy, I guess different strokes for different folks, but we LOVE our satellite system. Our system is a mobile system on a motorhome roof, and I can't remember any times that the service has gone out since we got it in 2003.
LooseChickens
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-06-2007, 10:58 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,298
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Quote:
Originally Posted by loosechickens
"You definitely dont want satellite, unless you're doing primarily large file transfers. Turnaround time and delays are hideous, the service goes out a lot, etc.
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Boy, I guess different strokes for different folks, but we LOVE our satellite system. Our system is a mobile system on a motorhome roof, and I can't remember any times that the service has gone out since we got it in 2003.
LooseChickens
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Is it Wild Blue? $50/mo plus setup and antenna?
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 02:19 AM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,072
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Some electric utility companies are working on supplying broad band internet access through the electric lines. Not sure if there is anything but experimentation at this point. But it would be good to get some competition to the phone and cable companies.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 06:29 AM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,328
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
I have a weekend house with no access to anything -- not even cable. Back when I first got on this forum someone posted about a back door to Verizon. I have been using that ever since. It only costs me regular cell phone minutes (free after 9:00 PM and on weekends). The speed varies between about 70k and 130k - good enough for checking email. This is not EVDO - it is called National Access. The back door is only open for certain older phones that normally just access the network for sending pictures. With a lot of the newer ones like DW's you have to subscribe to access the network.
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 07:56 AM
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#16
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 478
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinaco
Some electric utility companies are working on supplying broad band internet access through the electric lines. Not sure if there is anything but experimentation at this point. But it would be good to get some competition to the phone and cable companies.
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Our elec coop has been working on this for a couple of years; so far they only have it up in a small service area, but keep promising that it will be available to everybody "soon" ......"soon" sure takes a long time to get here!
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I still don't get it...
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 09:43 AM
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#17
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 211
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobot
Our elec coop has been working on this for a couple of years; so far they only have it up in a small service area, but keep promising that it will be available to everybody "soon" ......"soon" sure takes a long time to get here!
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The power companies have been saying "soon" since back when I was in Telecom (99-02). I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Then again, if it happened we'd probably make the switch assuming the price were right--one less utility vendor to deal with.
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 06:55 PM
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#18
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 216
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
We have had Wildblue satellite for over a year and love it. Living out in the country has its drawbacks and one is the lack of any cable or internet connections. Direct TV and Wildblue saved the day. The cost for WB is $50 per month, the set up was on special but was something like $200. The only requirements is a southern exposure. We lose the signal during really bad thunderstorms when the clouds are thick with rain but otherwise they are very reliable. I will NEVER go back to dialup. The savings to my bloodpressure readings since we switched far outweigh the expense.
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Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.<br />-Robert A. Heinlein
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 07:04 PM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
two4, I have heard people complain online that there is an annoying latency when opening pages. Do you notice this? How does it compare to DSL?
Ha
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"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
05-07-2007, 07:41 PM
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#20
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 216
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Re: Ideas for Broadband Connection???
Here is what they say....
What kind of speed can I expect?
WildBlue offers packages that provide different speed levels. Our core Value Pak offers up to 512 Kbps download speed and up to 128 Kbps upload speed. Our Select Pak features download speeds up to 1.0 Mbps and upload speeds up to 200 Kbps. Our Pro Pak offers download speeds up to 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds up to 256 Kbps.
A 150 k webpage will dload in 3 seconds vs. 21 seconds for dial up.
It is not as fast as other internet connections but is so much improved over dial up that I am well satisfied. I guess if I had downgraded from some other type of connection I might be unhappy but that is not the case.
2fer
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Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.<br />-Robert A. Heinlein
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