Who here is using DSL?

[napi21]

I've had cable for 6 years, and have been through some very troubling times with it, but I'm really pi**ed at them now. I've had intermittant service since 8/11and nobody can find the damn problem. I'm thinking about calling Bell Soutyh tomorrow and switching to DSL. Cable is wonderful WHEN IT WORKS! I don't see any other option now!

I'm currently using a dial up to access DU!!!!!

[graywarrior]

1. I had DSL in Florida with Verizon.

It worked very well for me. I have cable now and I really see no difference in speed.

[napi21]

4. Thanks. I really HATE to change because my email address is EVERYWHERE!

The thought of having to find all and change them is a nightmare!!! I'm just soooo upset with Charter right now. OH how I wish there was competition for the cable companies!!!!!

[graywarrior]

14. I move around alot, so I got a gmail account.

If you want one, PM me with your email and I'll send one to you.

[annabanana]

2. eek. . . dial up?

I feel for you, really. I'm lucky, in that my cable is pretty reliable. (pricey, but reliable) My folks just got DSL, upgrading from dial up and they are very happy with it.

[wakeme2008]

3. I love DSL but in SOME cases

it is not as fast as cable. And in others it is very cheap. Verizon has a DSL package at 14.95 per month.

I was paying Verizon $35 per month for faster DSL, but after I finish my move I will probably go with the slower package. I just do not need the super high speed.

[silverojo]

35. DSL is WAY slower than cable!

I download and upload big files (we're talking entire Linux distributions here), and you can really see the difference between DSL and cable. I've got a friend with DSL who can't even download little 75 MB files, while I can download files 10 times that big. Cable makes that much difference!

To the original poster...two things to look into before making your decision.

1) Are you SURE it's your service, and not your modem? Cable modems can be very fussy. If you have cable TV and your TV is working while your online connection isn't...it's your modem.

2) If it's not your modem, shop around for another cable internet provider before downgrading to DSL. Why spend just as much money for a connection that's nowhere near as fast?

Best of luck getting off dial-up, and finding an ISP that suits you!

[wakeme2008]

38. I download 750 Meg files all the time on DSL

but at the extended stay hotel I am at we lose our cable modem for days at a time (weekends).

[meegbear]

5. Do you cable with them as well?

I moved to a place and my internet kept dropping. The TV was fine. I owned my own modem and was going to have Comcast come in and use theirs. The cable guy asked if he could check downstairs. He checked the spliter and said that was the problem. The splitter was bad and it was sending in a weak signal. Since the TV only gets input, it wasn't affected, but the internet was.

Have someone check the splitters.

[napi21]

9. Yes I have bothTV & internet through the same cable co.

Thereason I haven't mentioned the splitter is because I've had both services for 6 years and this problem just started 8/11/06. There is yet another tech coming on Wed. and I'll ask about the splitter.

[Fredda Weinberg]

6. I yanked my DSL at home

When Verizon techs told me they were "experimenting" during business hours.

Professionally, I've been managing 500+ sites - there's no comparison, cable is more reliable than DSL. But there were a couple of troublesome areas, that required multiple visits until the source of the problem was finally addressed.

That said, there is the problem of over-provisioning ... can you narrow your problems to times of day, day of week? Has a tech been in your home with an analyzer to check signal to noise? Have you done troubleshooting real time, with first level support checking your S/N ratio while the service was unavailable? Have you escalated to your ISP's chronic group?

[aquart]

10. HUH? English language explanation?

Tech talk isn't for all of us.

[Fredda Weinberg]

13. I'll expound on any part that's not clear

Could you be specific?

[napi21]

16. The BIG problem is getting a tech here while the service isn't working.

By the time they get here, service is back on and they can't find anything! I can tell youwhen I check the SNRhere it's been 37.7 or around that number, albeit it fluctuatesa small bit. As I keep telling Charter, I lovemy broadbandWHEN IT WORKS!!!!!

I know they've consistently had problems in Ga. I've had Charter people tell me they offer VOIP inall areasexcept 3 in the Country, and one of those areas isthe Atlanta area! They blame it on the fact that this was one of the first acquisitions Charter made, many years ago when there was ONLY dial up, so all the equipment is old. Thefix & replace things as problems appear.

The problem nowis unless I can get a tech here WHILEthe service isn't working, they just can't find the problem!

I'm sooooo aggrivated! I spendway too much time on DU and stream radio all the time, and when it doesn't work, I grump, growl, and throw things!!!!!!

[Fredda Weinberg]

25. You don't need a tech on site to check S/N

They can do that at the central office. 38db would be OK downstream, a bit low for upstream, but still acceptable.

I understand your exasperation - and know the restrictions cable tech support has to deal with. They have a record of all of your calls and if you insist, they can escalate to a higher level where the junction boxes between you and the CO will be systematically replaced. But if you don't ask, their instructions are to let it be.

First, though, I'd like to exclude over-provisioning, which is normal and means the ISP sells more bandwidth than is actually available. You would see this symptom around 6 PM when people come home.

Also, note the weather - is it humid or raining when the service conks out?

This information can help you get the service you paid for, whether it's cable or DSL.

[napi21]

28. It's not the weather. I've lost the signalat all different times of the

day and night. It's been all temps, mostly not raining, and Iseriously doubt it's over-provisioning. This is Charter Cable, and if the problem always happened when the kids came home from schoolevery day, or at a certain time of the day, ai'd buy that, but it's not.

I have tried to find a common link. Time,temp, something I'm doing on the computer, just anything, and there is NONE!

One day it will drop off 2 times and the next day it will drop off 18 times!

I DO understand if it's OK when the tech gets here that they can't find a problem, butI can't recreate the problem and have no way of getting a tech here while the problem exists!

You have no idea howangry I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fredda Weinberg]

30. Oh, I do.

Next time this happens and you call Charter, reference your previous calls and ask for escalation. They'll know what you're talking about. Tell them you're ready to pull the plug and they'll follow the script.

[TexasProgresive]

33. Explain please-

"Verizon techs told me they were "experimenting" during business hours"

[aquart]

7. I'm trying to use Verizon DSL.

It has refused to connect all day so far, so I'm on dial-up right now. I am terrified of finally cutting off Worldnet and having to rely solely on Verizon. The modem overheats, there's interference on my phone. I have a nasty suspicion that DSL eats electricity.

I am not a happy puppy.

[TexasProgresive]

31. I work for a bell company in the central office

If you have noise on your dial tone line and the modem is overheating you have problems. I've never ran across a modem doing what you say but that doesn't mean it can't happen. My guess is that the modem is defective and causing both problems. If the unit is leased then request the drop ship you a new one. As for the noise you may have bad splitter or filters. I would change out the malfunctioning modem first.

[Jazzgirl]

48. I agree with TexasProgressive.

Also, if you have an alarm system you need a filter on your alarm. An unfiltered alarm will cause major problems. I know from experience.

JG

[nosillies]

8. I have DSL with BellSouth and I like it

I've been most pleased with their over-the-phone tech assistance. And when they screwed up once and had to make a house call, it was prompt.

[spartan61]

11. I have had DSL in Florida for the past 3 years

and I love it!! I have it through Sprint (Earthlink) and I am paying $19.95 per month for it. I am in Maine for the summer and there is no DSL (or cable high speed) where I am so I have been back to dial up for the past 2 months. Dial up is slow but when you are used to DSL, it seems even slower. Can't wait to get back to fast internet and not having my phone tied up, although I also subscribe to CallWave, so when a call comes in, I can chose to take the call and my internet is automatically shut down.

[acmejack]

12. I had it for a long time

Got into a pissing contest over an intermittent problem that was their problem. They tried to bill me for it, because they came to check when it was working. They threatened to charge me $200 for violating an oral contract but they didn't. I have cable now that routinely runs twice as fast as the DSL Pro package with SBC did.

edit: the cool thing about DSL is it works when the electricity is out.

[ms liberty]

We got DSL from BellSouth in June...

We only had dial up available out here in the boonies until then. No cable out here!

I love it. The service has been pretty good, it doesn't drop at all, and compared to what we had before it's soooo fast! I still stop sometimes to marvel at being able to watch video and stream radio online, and it's just amazing to be able to turn it on and have it load just like that (insert finger snapping here!). I've had this kind of service at work before but of course it was limited to work related sites and activities, so I didn't appreciate near as much! I've also got wireless for the laptop, so right now I'm sitting on the sofa - I really do love love love it.

[RebelOne]

40. I checked out DSL from BellSouth,

but the service is not available in my area yet. I don't understand why, because I'm not in the boonies.

[kenny blankenship]

15. Funny how things work-or not. I'm on the verge of telling BS to stick it

Mostly reliable dsl service for years, now unreliable. What's more, two other people I know are having similar intermittent problems with BS dsl.

[high density]

17. I have DSL through a local ISP

The connection is perfect. My ISP is large enough to have plenty of bandwidth for its customers but small enough so that all support and billing is done right here in the state. I hate cable companies so it was an easy choice to choose DSL over cable. However, if it were Verizon (or Bell South) vs. a cable company, the choice might not be so easy for me. I would probably still choose Verizon over Time Warner since cable companies seem to be so stupid.

I have 3mbps/768kbps service and the speed is very consistent at the advertised rates. I'm a cellphone-only home so my DSL is the "naked" kind (no dialtone.) I love it, though I just hope FCC and congress don't make it harder for ISPs like mine to sell services over Verizon's copper lines.

[Double T]

18. Verizon dsl works fine here.

[lpbk2713]

19. You'll be down for three working days if your DSL modem goes out.

It takes that long for them (Verizon anyway) to ship you another one, provided you can get through to the right part of Verizon to help you out. When they came out with DSL they took a giant 50 year step backwards. Fifty years ago you could only get your phone through the phone company. Well, it turns out you can only get a DSL modem today through the phone company (in my area anyhow). I had to go through this twice and both times the DSL was down for three days until the replacement modem arrived. Best Buy, Circuit City and all the rest around here carry cable modems but not DSL modems. So if you want to avoid the down time do what I did since the last outage, get a spare via E-bay. Make sure it is the same exact kind and test it before you really have to use it.

[Liberal Veteran]

21. Actually, I bought a replacement DSL modem from CompUSA

And it was cheaper and a breeze to install.

[lpbk2713]

23. I don't doubt that a bit.

But like I said, they aren't available around here. Must be some exclusivity agreement they have.

[DoYouEverWonder]

29. I've gotten all of my DSL modems

from Bell South for free.

They just replace the one at home and the one at my business. The one for the biz even has wireless now.

[rzemanfl]

20. I have DSL through a local company. Very happy with it. n/t

[azurnoir]

22. Qwest DSL

This might sound all most tinfoily but do you live near any sort of military installation? We live very close to an Air National Guard base that is also a troop transfer point, during terra' alerts not only is the DSL up and down on a minute to minute basis our phone also goes down the techs have been here checked lines in and out of the house and modem, they can't find anything.

[proud patriot]

24. I've had squirrels chew on the cable lines before

they had to replace the outside line ..

Do you have squirrels or cable lines going through
any trees ?

[napi21]

26. If that was to problem, the service wouldn't come back on.

This is crazy! Sometimes it's only off for 2 minutes, and sometimes, like today, it's been off since 10AM this morning! I have no doubt it will be back on sometime, but the idiots that come here keep telling me they can't find any indication the service has ever been off!!!!

When I talk to the CS people in Ky, they say they can't find a signal to my modem.

At this point, I'd like to ^(&A(&*$))$A somebody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Rainscents]

27. I have Comcast highspeed internet and like it very much.

[ThomWV]

32. We've Got It and Love It

Works just fine. We are in the country and are litterly the end of the line (they didn't think it would work, but tried and it did). Sometimes when it rains hard we'll lose it for a bit, but its never been out for more than about an hour and then only once ever two or three months.

[Arkansas Granny]

34. I recently upgraded from dial up to DSL and I'm pretty pleased

with it. It isn't quite as fast as the cable connection I use at work, but it is a lot faster than my old dial up connection. I've only had a couple of connection problems and those were cleared easily by customer support.

[Nomad559]

36. A friend of mine

had the same problem as you on Comcast a few years ago, after a few days of complaining to Comcast they called him back with the news that the Issue had been solved.

What Comcast told him was that someone else had been given the same IP address as he had, and when the two of them would log on at the same time, he would lose his Internet connection.

I don't know If that's really possible, Comcast could have just been giving him some bull$hit excuse for another screw-up they did, but he no longer had any problems after that.

I myself also use Comcast, and I have had very good service from them.

Speed Test
http://www.speedtest.net

[iamthebandfanman]

37. i switched from cable to Bellsouth DSL

and i love it.

the cable even offered me a faster upstream speed ... but .. with service constantly konking out(its shared bandwidth after all) i decided screw them n switched. ive been happy ever since. the only time i really hafta worry about any kinda disruption is if a violent thunderstorm comes through my area. and i mean a heavy thunderstorm, not just rain. lol. even then, its only like 10 seconds or something and then right back to normal.

the only thing i hate about switching was the fact that i lost my old email too! i had been using it on EVERYTHING for about 8 years!

[Debau2005]

39. I prefer cable

For DSL you have to have a landline number. When I moved to cable for internet, I ditched Bellsouth for phone, and long distance. I now use SunRocket for internet phone service for MUCH less then having a landline. I have had no issues with my cable internet. I have cut my internet access, local phone, and long distance costs by 2/3.

[flvegan]

41. Had cable, now have DSL.

I'm quite pleased. As for speed, I run a desktop and a lap top simultaneously (working from home). I also use is for my voice and fax lines (VOIP/FOIP) without a hiccup (thus far).

[karlrschneider]

42. We have "extended" DSL out here, no cable service available.

It's pretty good, a little slower than "real" DSL but WAY better than dialup which we were stuck with for years. It's over 99% dependable, rarely glitches.

[RoyGBiv]

43. So what happened?

I take it the tech didn't find anything.

What took place?

[napi21]

47. Yep. Every time the tch gets here the net is working and they can't

find any problem! All I can tell you is that I stream radio all the time (because the Atlanta radio stations suck!) so I know as soon as the darn link croaks. There doesn't seem to be any cominality. No certain time, weather condition,anything I'm doing or site I'm visiting. It just drops off. It was off today from 10AM to just 35 minutes ago! (6:50PM est).

I'm so damn sick and tired of trying to figure out what the problem is! That's Charter's problem! I'm no expert and I sure don't get paid to do this!!!!

When the darn thing cam back this evening, I kept getting some stupid sign up screen from Charter! I filled in the info, but it wouldn't go away. I called them, and the dipstickon the phone finally had me redo the link ID. When I asked whhat the hell caused this problem,she said..."OH, it's a signal problem maam!"

GGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

[Igel]

44. Dial up? Yuck.

Igil, Igilsha, and Igiling have DSL. Earthlink, because we've had our e-mail for years, and people we exchange mail with every couple of years or so only have that address for us.

We hate it: The phone line is noisy, and there are days the modem can't negotiate all the protocols properly for hours at a time. Few, but they happen. Or the modem loses the signal.

Damned irritating. But it sounds like a problem similar to what you have, except yours sounds much worse.

[Thickasabrick]

45. I have DSL with BellSouth - never had a problem.

[NNN0LHI]

46. I am running a download speed of 4770 kilobits per second on cable

For the last 6 months I couldn't get 500 kbs out of the thing until I fought like hell to get it fixed. They found a bad line several doors down and fixed it. It was a real battle but I think it was worth it.

I don't think you will get anything close to 4770 kbs with DSL. You may want to just fight the cable company until they fix it?

Don

[Jazzgirl]

49. I get at least 4700-4800 down with DSL.

I do have a really fast connection but it doesn't cost me any more than most people's cable bills. I almost never have a problem. In fact since I realized I needed a filter on my alarm system, its rare for it to go out.

JG