ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[bh357]

Well, I just had cable internet installed today. Downloaded a 15 meg video clip in under 2 minutes If I tried that with dialup, I had better find something to do for a while. Broadband is freaking awesome.

 

[JB]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Hmmm. Got rural dialup. Only option is satellite ($800 to install, $80 a month. Doesn't work if it is raining. ).<br /><br />I sometimes think signal drums would be faster.

 

[bomar76]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

We have had Roadrunner for the last couple of years. If for some reason I moved to an area where cable was not available I would never go back to dialup. The satelite option would be the way to go, no question about it.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

JB - how far are you from the local telephone central office (switching station - usually a plain brick building) You may be able to get DSL and no matter how far you are, you may be able to get ISDN at a decent price.

 

[Xcusme]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

BH357<br />I hope you've considered getting a firewall/router and installing a software firewall program (ZoneAlarm or BlackIce etc)<br /><br />XP's internal firewall only watches what comes into your machine, NOT what leaves your machine...ZoneAlarm watches BOTH.

 

[bh357]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Xcusme- The desktop has McAfee Firewall installed. All points will be accessing the internet throuth a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless broadband router. Still playing around with it, but I plan on taking adequate security measures.

 

[pjc]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I am sooo jealous of you cable and dsl guys. I am in same boat as JB--rural--with no options other than sat or dial up. Sat too $$$$$$$. And no dsl option. Do have sat tv though.<br /><br />Best I can get dial up is 40-44 kps w/ a 56k hardware modem. And I will not go on line if any thunder storm is in area. Fried one modem already.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Originally posted by JB:<br />Hmmm. Got rural dialup. Only option is satellite ($800 to install, $80 a month. Doesn't work if it is raining. ).<br /><br />I sometimes think signal drums would be faster.

JB, when I was on dial up, I thought once about building a big fire and sending smoke signals.<br /><br />Have to go with the flow, get a good firewall like zone alarm, and not worry about it.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Pat - invest a few bucks in a good surge protector. A good one like those made by companies like Fellows and Belkin, also provide surge protection for your phone line into your modem.

 

[pjc]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Have the high end Belkin now Ralph. Am still gunshy when thunder and lightening are around though.<br /><br />Lots of issues determine dial up speed. I found a cheapo wall phone that was loading the phone lines in the house. Replaced that phone and speeds improved 7kps or so. Also, that crummy 4 conductor phone wire is bad as well. I now have house wired with Cat5 shielded. Still, about an 8 mile run to the switch station. With all the losses along the way I'm stuck at 40-44kps speed.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Now I am hurtin' for speed. When I lived in town I could always connect at 56k, now out here I am lucky to connect at 28k. I am too cheap to get dsl or any of that, although I would like it. To be honest, things are not that slow for me. I don't download big files, and even the pain in the butt signature pics on here never took longer than a few seconds to pop up. When I get rid of some credit card debt, I may step up to faster service. We'll see....

 

[Bassy]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Hey you rural guys. We live in the mountains and satellite is our only option other than that sloooowww dial-up. We went with Direcway and have been very happy with it. $49/month for a year for the installation and equipment and $59/month for the service. It's worth it. Boy I wasted alot of time waiting for dial-up. <br />Just a suggestion and yes it is an investment. We've had it a year and would never go back to dial-up.<br /><br />edit - " Don't believe that about no service when it's raining. No problem here. Doesn't affect our service at all."

 

[11 footer]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Bassy,<br />Whats going on outside will sometimes mess up the satellites. We had one for a short time for cable TV and when it was windy or heavy rains the picture was snowy we tossed it for that reason.<br /><br />I'm on DSL, the company is called "RCN" they do TV,internet and phone and its all on one bill. We are happy with it, the intersnet is alittle under $50 a mounth.<br /><br />If we switch we will get Roadrunner just because my dad us uphappy with what he s paying for the cable TV.<br /><br />Once I used DSL for the first time I knew I could never go back to dile up, its like night and day.

 

[Homerr]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Ahh yes... High speed internet... Sure love mine.<br /><br />Life is good <br /><br />I use to have the satellite internet. It's does NOT work like they say it does.<br />I assume you are all talking about DirecWay?<br />I was dancing in the streets when another high speed service became available to me and told DirecWay to shove it!<br /><br />I can tell you some long horror stories about that WORTHLESS service!<br /><br />You can't do ANY on-line split-second games (Like Quake, Unreal, etc...)<br />You have to watch your download bandwidth like a hawk... You go over a certain amount, and they slow your connection to LESS THAN 56k... It's called their "FAP" (fair access policy)<br />They will tell you that they don't slow it down that much... BS! I can tell you it does, and less than 56K. When I hit FAP, I typically got 1 to 2K speeds until the FAP reset.<br /><br />Your FAP takes approx. 8 hours to reset (at least when I used it)<br />Their customer service is worse than a foreigner working at your local Post office or DMV.<br /><br />Do a Google search of Direcway FAP... You'll have a nights' reading of the complaints:<br /><br /> Direcway FAP complaints <br /><br />I had it working properly for maybe a few months total. The best speed I ever got was around 100K/sec...but that didn't last long.<br />Even then... You hit your FAP and you're screwed.<br />My typical speed was around 10-20k. Far less than what they considered 'high speed'.<br /><br />If you do go with DirecWay... Keep all records, and watch it like a hawk. If at any time you are not getting what they gurantee.... Jump on them. They have to credit you. And wait on hold forever on their 'tier service'.<br />There are also some programs out there that help monitor your FAP so you don't hit it. If anyone is interested, I can try and find the links to the software.<br /><br />As far as bad weather and the satellite? It never bothered mine even in the worst rain and wind storms. Why? because I re-adjusted it after the 'so-called' professional installed it incorrectly. I had an 80% signal strength almost constantly. I forget, but I think they told me a signal of 30 or 40 was sufficient.<br /><br />You are better off with dial-up than GarbageWay... er uh... In-DirecWay... I mean DirecWay... <br /><br />My 2 cents...<br /><br />oh and... If you guys weren't talking about DirecWay... My apologies! <br /><br />If I can turn even one person away from Direcway.... Mission accomplished!<br /><br />H.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Here is a place I go to check my speed ever once in a while.<br />The needle on mine will just tick the 1 on the 1500 on the meter.<br /><br />You can check your's that are on dial up and see the difference.<br /> http://us.mcafee.com/root/genericUR...genericLeftNav=/en-us/wrapper/catalog_nav.asp

 

[Bassy]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I stand corrected Ryan.

 

[roscoe]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Sorry for your DWay troubles Homerr, but it works fine for me. No, it doesn't work a hoot for online games. I believe the FAP limit is at 179mb in a ....4 hour period?? So, for most internet users, that is just fine. Gamers, large program downloads, and music downloaders may be disappointed.<br /><br />DirecWay is currently charging $599, then $59.99 a month. Or $0.00, then $99 a month for 15 months.<br /><br />Here are the resuts from the speed test posted above.<br /> <br />File Size: 2.9297 MB <br />Time Elapsed: 6.37 seconds (pegged the needle on the scale)<br />2nd test Time Elapsed: 12.84 seconds (1500 on the scale) <br />3rd test Time elapsed: 12.34 seconds<br /><br />My afternoon download rate is closer to 7 seconds per mb.<br />.<br /><br />Starband is $700, then $39.99 to $49.99 a month.

 

[Link]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

bh357 <br />Congrats on the cable and welcome to the real internet The first time I DL'd a 4 meg song and was playing it in under 50 seconds I went nuts! (DSL) Still slow compared to cable though <br /><br />JB, Pat<br />Well on the bright side your better off than my friend who moved from here with cable to Red Deer and had to go back to a 28k dial up

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I have roadrunner. The only trouble I have is the bill. With the cable and internet, my bill is over a 100 a month. I wish they could give discounts to people who have a long term/good payment history with no break in service. It just makes me sick to know how much I have spent as well as how much I will be spending to keep it. <br /><br />I just feel that spending 50 a month for a service that you use to get info and buy stuff on is ridiculious. To me $30 amonth would be a fair price to pay.

 

[pjc]

Re: ZZZZOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Ahoy JasonJ--you might consider disconnecting all phone related devices from jacks except the puter. Then dial up connect. Do a speed test using Mcafee Speedometer .<br />Maybe test twice. Then, one at a time reconnect phone related devices to jack and retest. You may have a faulty device loading your homes phone lines. Or you may have a faulty disconnect switch in the NIB box outside your house. <br /><br />I have fought the speed battle. I P&M'd enough to phone co they sent a guy out to measure dB loss of lines at NIB to the switch station (phone wires disconnected from in house). And then loss with house lines hooked back up. Marginal loss w/o lines hooked up. Huge loss w/lines hooked up.<br /><br />I wound up pulling all old four conductor house wiring, replacing w/ twisted pair Cat5 shielded. A real biottch of a job, but--. Worst thing a guy can do is have two phone lines using that 4 conductor wire. Tons of interference. That four conductor was originally intended for the old "princes" phones that had the lighted dial. Two wires red/green for communication, yellow/black for low volt power to light.<br /><br />Do a google search about phone lines for more info.