Ideas for Broadband Connection???

[Dog]

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?

 

[AzDreamer]

Dial-up is a lot faster when images are turned off.

 

[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.

 

[MikeD]

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.

 

[haha]

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.

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

 

[audreyh1]

EVDO service is still running about $60/month as far as I know.....

Audrey

 

[REWahoo]

EVDO service is still running about $60/month as far as I know.....

Yep. That's what I'm paying.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

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?"

 

[maddythebeagle]

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...

 

[Roger_R]

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.

 

[free4now]

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.

 

[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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

 

[calmloki]

"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

Is it Wild Blue? $50/mo plus setup and antenna?

 

[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.

 

[donheff]

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.

 

[BOBOT]

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.

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!

 

[OKLibrarian]

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!

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.

 

[two4theroad]

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.

 

[haha]

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

 

[two4theroad]

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

 

[calmloki]

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

The gal had WildBlue installed at her Mom's house out in the sticks outside of 29 Palms Ca. for the 2 weeks/month she's down there. It's noticably slower than our Qwest DSL, but plenty ok. Not as solid a connection. Great customer service down there. WE're thinking it would be good for when we start wandering the country, as it only requires an unobstructed Southern sky view. Dunno how tough aiming the Dish would be though.... Loose Chickens? What say you?

 

[fluffy]

Just call Comcast and tell them you are considering cancelling and switching to cheap DSL which is available in your area for $15/mo. Comcast will offer to put you on promotional rate of 20-30/mo (depending on what rates are available) for 6 months. At the end of those 6 months call them again. Sometimes you won't get the offer the first time -- just hang up and try again. Sometimes takes a few calls.

 

[Rustic23]

The gal had WildBlue installed at her Mom's house out in the sticks outside of 29 Palms Ca. for the 2 weeks/month she's down there. It's noticably slower than our Qwest DSL, but plenty ok. Not as solid a connection. Great customer service down there. WE're thinking it would be good for when we start wandering the country, as it only requires an unobstructed Southern sky view. Dunno how tough aiming the Dish would be though.... Loose Chickens? What say you?

You might think DirectWay not Wild Blue if you are going to wander. They use a different type of signal and WB must be installed and aimed by an installer. If you search for info on WB you will see how people talk about what lobe they are on. ie 44 I think is mine. WB is 5 times faster than dialup but 5 times more expensive also. DSL is available sometime this summer, and we will most likely switch in December when our contract is up. DSL - $35 for 6 mps. WB $52 for 500 kps.

 

[chinaco]

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.

The electric companies are probably trying to figure out how to approach it, (cost, support for new service, maintenance, etc...). To get share, they have to take it from the existing vendors. This means price war. It reduces the profits. If the connections to the homes are not quality (i.e. problematic), it could lead to extra costs in terms of maintenance visits.

I believe the entrepreneurial profits in broadband are gone. From here on out, the prices will go down due to competition, it is just a matter of time (and possibly technology innovation).

 

[spncity]

Back when I first got on this forum someone posted about a back door to Verizon. I have been using that ever since.

Could you say more about this? Does it "not" work with EVDO phones like Treo?

Thanks.