Internet Services

[MasAndrew]

Hello, gang. I think I am just about done with this super slow, dial-up crap. I have Earthlink, right now. Can anyone suggest what's good out there? I have no clue what's really out there. Please give me advice on what to look for in a high-speed internet. Any suggestions or experience would be nice.

[mishl982]

Do you have cable? Check with your cable company.

[pisces2473]

Or your phone company.

[lostnotyetfound]

DSL through the phone company will probably be cheaper than cable internet.

[EmberMae]

it depends on where you live. My parents have verizon fios (fiber optic) and it's the best ever, but I can't get it in my apt complex. I have verizon dsl. it's ok.

[MasAndrew]

it depends on where you live. My parents have verizon fios (fiber optic) and it's the best ever, but I can't get it in my apt complex. I have verizon dsl. it's ok.

How much does that cost? The Verizon DSL?

[EmberMae]

It's like $45/mo including taxes. You can get it for cheaper if you're willing to sign a 12 month contract, but we're moving in August and we couldn't do that. What kills me is my parents pay about the same for the fiber optic, but it's SO MUCH better.

[beeblebrox]

I've had dial-up (through school, so it was free and slow), DSL, and now Cable Internet. I have to say that I like the Cable internet the best. I switched from DSL to Cable for a few reasons. I was eliminating my ground phone line and wanted to have my cell phone be my primary phone. SBC/AT&T DSL wasn't that reliable. I had a lot of problems with connection in general and it was just for the basic speed. Cable has been reliable with fewer outages of service than DSL and I only have one cable and internet bill.

[redsail]

I prefer cable modem over DSL. But it might come down to what's available in your area.

http://www.dslreports.com/ has some search features that list what is available (I've never tried it though so not sure how accurate it is).

[chicagogirl]

I have to throw in my (shortened) story abotu trying to get internet through SBC/ATT. It was horrible. After three months of trying to get it going, I gave up. Basically, they have really poor customer service. They tech guys don't leave notes, keep a record, or talk to each other. I took my computer through the same damn test about 14 times. Each guy had a different idea of what wasn't working. And they tried to charge me for the service that I never had. And they tried to charge me for the tech visits, which never resulted in anything. :mad: I gave up and switched to cable internet. More expensive, but at least it works.

[pisces2473]

Wow, I have my DSL from SBC/ATT and never had a problem.

[beeblebrox]

Wow, I have my DSL from SBC/ATT and never had a problem.

wow, you're lucky because in Chicago it's unreliable in larger apartment buildings. I got rid of it because I didn't want to have a phone line. It's much easier with a cellphone as my primary phone.

[pisces2473]

See, I HAAATE having my cell phone as a primary. I love a regular old landline as my primary.

[caddymac]

Going from dial up, anything will seem better/faster. DSL would probably be the cheapest route to go, unless your local cable company is currently running a special.

I've been using cable for almost 5 years off and on now, and I love it. I bought a modem off of Ebay a few years ago and save $3/month on the modem rental, which means the modem has more than paid for itself.