Ah the joys of switching to Verizon DSL

[slinga]

My mom lives in Long Island, NY, and the only broadband choices we really have are Optimum Online (cablevision) and Verizon DSL. Cable companies are greedy bastards and she's paying something like $50+ tax a month for it. I decided to switch her over to DSL (been telling her for YEARS but the damn woman doesn't listen), and Verizon is running a special for $14.95 a month for 768k. I call up and ask about it (as my Optimum Online connection is NOT WORKING at the time) and I speak to a woman who talks about it and brags about how it's "14 times faster than dial-up."

I call back again in a little while to sign-up and speak to a different woman, asking specifically for the $14.95 package, and what happens? They sign me up for the $29.99 package and try to sneak it by me. When I corrected her, she lies to my face saying 768k is "as slow as dial-up." Make up your damn mind assholes...

And yeah I switched over anyway to the $14.95 dsl, cause I hate Optimum Online just as much.

 

[link343]

I like my Cable speed. Its about 3 megs.

 

[Mask of Destiny]

I'm pretty happy with Optimum Online (I'm in Connecticut, not sure if the service is any better or worse on Long Island). It's not exactly cheap at $45 before taxes (I've been paying less as part of their triple play deal), but it's hard to beat the speed. I am consistantly able to get 6Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. In my area DSL is handled through SBC and they require you have at least local phone service to get it (I use VoIP so I don't currently have local phone service) and to get the better rates you have to get the better rates you have to pay for their ~$50 all distance package. Even without the lower prices and the addition of the $7 local phone service it's still a bit cheaper than OOL, but for me it wasn't enough to justify the loss of bandwidth. If you're more of a casual internet user, DSL probably makes more sense especially since you've probably got local phone service anyway.

 

[schi0249]

I don't pay for my internet, my employer does, but I love my cable internet speeds. Though, if I was paying, I would get DSL. I don't use the internet for much more than browsing; the price for DSL is easily justified.

 

[MasterAkumaMatata]

Originally posted by slinga@Fri, 2005-08-26 @ 05:01 PM

I call back again in a little while to sign-up and speak to a different woman, asking specifically for the $14.95 package, and what happens? They sign me up for the $29.99 package and try to sneak it by me. When I corrected her, she lies to my face saying 768k is "as slow as dial-up." Make up your damn mind assholes...

And yeah I switched over anyway to the $14.95 dsl, cause I hate Optimum Online just as much.

[post=138800]Quoted post[/post]​

The $29.95 package gives you 3 megabits/sec downstream and 768 kilobits/sec upstream while the $14.95 package gives you 768 kilobits/sec downstream and 128 kilobits/sec upstream. You're okay with the lower transfer rates for the $14.95 package? Unless you are low on funds, I think the $29.95 package is a better deal, and it's also what I current have. 😛

 

[slinga]

MasterAkumaMatata: I'd figured I'd check the speed first. If 768K is really that slow, I have no problem shelling out a little more. I just can't justify spending ~$50 for a connection that sometimes work.

And to everyone who says cable is great I agree, nothing beats it when it *works*. However it hasn't been working much for me lately. I'd rather have a slower cheaper connection that is more reliable, than a more expensive connection that sometimes works sometimes doesn't. And yes, I changed the modem less than two weeks ago.

 

[Edge-`]

I personally dig Cable. I pay ~50 for 5mbit+ down/768 Up (part of a package deal). Can't get DSL at that speed where I'm at, but its never been bad for me.

But I would agree, slower and working all the time is probably better than fast and not working when you really need it (possibly any time). I had tried DSL through the company work for, hooked myself up with 6mbit, 16 ips, etc. Even though I was close enough to a central distrib. I was never able to keep a good signal. Switched back to cable within a week.

 

[lordofduct]

We had DSL through SpeakEasy out of Miami at my old place... I really didn't like it. We have several options in our area for companies to choose from... We wanted cable though because every freakin' DSL company wouldn't give us 760K UL. But because it was an old house and we had satellite dish for TV (for free) we couldn't have cable.

Finally we found this speak easy company in Miami who would give us the UL speed we wanted. The dick thing is: Bellsouth handles all the phone service in our area and offers the 760K UL that we wanted... but "not in your area"... SpeakEasy has to go through Bellsouth to give us internet. Why the hell can THEY give us higher UL speeds???

Anyway, I just moved and I have no use for a home phone (I have a cell, why have a home phone when I never would use it as the only time Im on the phone is when Im out and about, at home I have AIM). So I went with Adelphia... DSL and home phone ($25 for phone and $30 for internet then add on cost of modem lease or purchase...) would cost me 55-60 bucks for 1.5 MB dl and 260K UL... errr or I could pay 42 dollars a month for Adelphia and get 4MB DL and 260K UL. (their 760K costs 18 dollars more, and I really don't need it that much).

So they come Monday morning to turn that on... WOOT!

Yeah, I got a new place. I live ALL alone now... no more dumb ass roommates. Though my cousin said he needs a place to stay and well he is always in Boca or up in NY City anyways so it'll be like im alone then too but with half the rent... a girl puked all over my room though the first night. Atleast she cleaned it up. It was really humorous actually as it was 5 in the morning, nothing in my house except me and two girlfriends, and a computer during a hurricane. The neighbor actually comes over during a hurricane to bitch about the music and is greeted to the site of a chic vomiting on herself (miss "my county name here" county coincidently) and a 21 year old girl who looks like she is about 14 (she really is 21 though) dancing around in the living room behind me... a drunkard. HEH, he was pissed and then kinda got this look in his face like..." HEY YOU PUNK... wait... heh, can you please turn down the music?"

[EDIT] had to remove a name and title... privacy and all.

 

[slinga]

Ah they hit me with a beautiful bait-and-switch. I'm impressed at how well Verizon conned me, I have to give them props.

To sign up for the $14.95 DSL package you have to be a Verizon telephone customer. So last week I switched over to Verizon's telephone service and ordered their DSL, no biggie. Today I get an e-mail saying DSL service is NOT avaible in my area after not one, but TWO Verizon service representatives confirmed that DSL was indeed available. I'm impressed by how dishonest these fucking scumbags are.

 

[KuKzz]

Heh, you americans 🙂 Here it's not a upload speed that matters (I can find anything up to 10 Mb), it's the finding of anything higher than 256k download for reasonable amount of money.

 

[Pyrite]

768k is "as slow as dial-up? I'm on freaking 512/128 and I pay 43 Euros, its not bad if you don't download the whole internet to your HDD for anyone who just browses and checks the email its aceptable.

768Kbps=96KB/s not counting overhead

56K=7KB/s

 

[lordofduct]

Originally posted by KuKzz@Sat, 2005-09-03 @ 07:24 PM

Heh, you americans 🙂 Here it's not a upload speed that matters (I can find anything up to 10 Mb), it's the finding of anything higher than 256k download for reasonable amount of money.

[post=139142]Quoted post[/post]​

You must be kidding... Why the hell do they offer all that upload rate?

wait, I know why... its all the chat hosts there! Thats how they can have so many god damn people hosting 30 screennames per girl in one studio.