[TriLUG] New to the area now, and DSL issues

[Ryan Leathers]

As it happens, I just ordered ATT DSL service yesterday as a backup to
TWC service already in my home.  (Yes, I'll be doing some  policy based
routing and load balancing)

I was surprised to learn that ATT offers DSL with no commitment. I can
pay by the month, upgrade or downgrade speed whenever I want, even
cancel and later renew. There are no penalties, no install fees,
nothing.  Too good to be true? They also let me provide my own modem,
which is great because I have like 15 of them, which saved me the cost
and bother of collecting yet another. I was also impressed that they let
me order DSL service without requiring me to have phone service in my
home. They agreed to ship the "self install kit" (passive filters) to my
work address rather than my home address. Finally, the sales rep I got
agreed that I should be allowed to install my own filter in the NID
without voiding any service obligations and even seemed to know what I
was talking about.

Suffice it to say, I was impressed, at least with the process. This is
how DSL should have been done all along.  I only hope the service
performance is half as good.

Ryan



Greg Brown wrote:
> As someone who has supported several small businesses over the years in
> areas around NC I can say the following:
>
>
>    - Time Warner Cable is usually the best in terms of up-time and real
>    throughput.  Other compaines, such as Earthlink, use TWC's transport and
>    they are reported to be equally as solid (I've never used them).
>    - DSL in the RDU area works and works well but it's not as nearly as
>    solid as TWC
>    - If you are in a Charter cable area run, and run fast.  Do not sign up
>    for Charter cable unless you have no other options.  You'll be less
>    frustrated with dial-up.  I'm ont joking.
>    - Embarq DSL (on the coast) is worse than abysmal; avoid at all costs.  I
>    don't know how well Embarq DSL works inland.
>    - Clearwire - seems to work pretty well for Windows based machines but
>    gets unworkable by design it seems if you want to run your own network
>    attached to the Internet via Clearwire
>
> The only thing that irritates me about TWC is there are "special" rates
> provided to Duke or Cisco employees that gets you 15/2 business class
> service that isn't offered to "the rest of us".  Boo to that.
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 10:01 AM, Carl Crider <c.crider at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>   
>>  I've had friends in the Chapel Hill area that complained about their DSL
>> for a couple of years.
>> Where are you exactly? I've been in this area for some time, actually in
>> Hillsborough now,
>> and I thought that TW Cable covered the area.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 9:24 AM, Jason Watts <jsnonzzr at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> after a few months, I am now up in the area (carborro/chapel hill).  So,
>>>       
>> my
>>     
>>> first day up here, I find out that bellsouth, now at&t has blown my
>>> transfer
>>> of service.  I am sitting here with an IP and able to connect to the
>>> network, just not browse the Inet.
>>>
>>> Trying to avoid the ranting that I am sure everyone doesn't want to hear
>>> anyways, how good is at&t dsl in my area, (not that I have a choice as
>>> there
>>> is no cable laid to my house to go cable)
>>>
>>> jsn
>>> --
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