posted on November 29, 2000 03:05:10 PM
For almost 6 years, I have been a happy dial-up customer of one of the ISPs recently purchased by Earthlink. Since the merger, I've had a good bit of difficulty with the service -- busy signals, dropped connections, connections that seem to go idle for no apparent reason, and intermittent troubles with my email accounts.
Earthlink now has DSL service available in my area. I know that it's faster than dial-up; that's not a big issue for me. This service is NOT a static IP connection; they are offering dynamic IP addressing plus free firewall software to those who sign up before a cut off date. Security is therefore not a huge concern either.
My biggest concern is reliability. Is there a need for a dial-up to use as backup? How is email? Any major problems that I should know about?
The introductory offer is free installation plus $39.95 per month for six months. (There is a one-time setup fee as well.) How much (if any) does it go up after that?
The extra phone line for my computer is running almost that much each month, plus the cost of the ISP. For the first time, DSL is beginning to sound like an attractive deal... so I have to wonder, what's the "gotcha?"
posted on November 29, 2000 04:41:44 PM
There shouldn't be any "Gotcha". However, DSL reliability varies greatly with locale. Some places it works extremely well, fulfilling all the claims. In other places, such as the town I live in, it really is poor, with intermittent service, and lots of downtime. I would try to find DSL users in your specific area, if at all possible, and talk to them.
posted on November 29, 2000 08:49:54 PM
Well, I was really excited when I saw the little ad for it on my homepage when I connected recently. I clicked on it to read the details, thinking it would be worth the extra bucks per month!
Then I saw that I'd be paying $39.95 for 20 hours per month... 20 measly hours?!? I'd use it up in less than a week!! I didn't have the heart to email them for info on how much *extra* you have to pay for going over 20 hours in a month.
Afraid I gave up on the notion of DSL in that moment...
posted on November 30, 2000 05:40:14 AM
bunnicula, no no no!
DSL is always on, so it's an unlimited connection. The 20 hours is additional dial-up time, so you can call in on a laptop when you are away from home!
posted on November 30, 2000 07:42:27 AM
I would make sure of how much the actual per month cost was, and if the hours are metered or unlimited. Also find out if you have to sign a long term contract, or if you can cancel the service at any time.
"On a cellular level, I'm really quite busy."
posted on November 30, 2000 08:05:37 AM
we use roadrunner cable modem, nothing else compares.....and it is under 30 dollars month unlimited use. Sometimes when I am work crunching I could be online for 18 hours/day..........no time limits or hourly fees. I have earthlink in my second home but not the DSL. They seem to be ok for limited use. i HATE AOL with a passion. That system is so cumbersome & ridiculous I wonder how anyone has the patience to use it.
posted on November 30, 2000 11:52:24 AMSilkmoth: Went back & re-read Oh, brother! There is such a thing as reading *too* fast, I guess. Thanks for setting me straight!!! Guess I'll be thinking seriously about getting DSL, after all
posted on November 30, 2000 01:19:01 PM
Another thing to consider with DSL is how far you are located from a telephone relay station. If you're not within, I believe, two mile, the speed drops appreciabley. If you are within range, several pricing options are usually available according to how much speed you actually want.
Too, the speed you agree to purchase is independent of the number of users online. I believe that cable modem service actually slows according to how many users are online at a given time. This may be a neglible problem though because I've heard great things from cable modem users as well.
I have a good friend who has been using DSL for the past year and has been greatly pleased with it. His service has only been down once in that time. It is BLISTERING FAST!
Oh, brother! There is such a thing as reading *too* fast, I guess. Thanks for setting me straight!!! Guess I'll be thinking seriously about getting DSL, after all 