[softrain]

I'm in a semi-dilemma. As a low-income widow, I've been happy to use
a local ISP for 12.95/mo.It never WAS fast, but sufficient. Now the service is going downhill. Lots of disconnects,no tech support. no email answers etc. The past few days its back to its old dependable status tho.
So Now, I want all the BELLS & WHISTLES. I want to stream! I want to
watch videos, listen to the radio,just get to a site in a reasonable time.
Everyone says go DSL: ATT/Yahoo DSL is now having a $14.99/mo
special. PROBLEM: I can't find out anything concrete about the service.
Their site tells nothing. It seems one must sign up before we know what's going on--then its too late for me.
Question: Modem? how much? 2) what are fees?extras? added onto my phone bill? 3) Will anyone actually be there to help if I need
them? 4) How do I cancel if I don't like it? I'm not used to jumping down into a hole to see how deep it is-afterwards.
Bottom Line: Who has ATT/Yahoo?. Is it more words without substance? or is it really ok? Thanks softrain

[Compiler]

Call them.... Locate the number on your phone bill - and ask or press menu button for DSL. Depending on the area - the modem is free or you buy it for $50~150.

[DoubleHelix]

The low "teaser" monthly rate usually requires a contract of at least 1 year. After that, the price per month goes up. If you cancel before the year is up, you'll have to pay cancellation fees.

All of your questions really need to be answered by the company. Although this service is offered all over the country, terms, conditions, and prices can vary from one area to another.

[katonca]

I have toast.net DSL for $19.95 p/month and that included a free router and filters. And the service is good.

[ImSmarterThanYou]

Yahoo is great. i have had them before back when 25.99. 400kbs where i was.

[Stoner]

Something else to think about.......the quality of your dialup or DSL is also linked to the age and quality of the telephone line outside your house.
Mine was old and often during heavy rains, my dialup connection would become erratic and the phone connection have static.
Because of that I went to a cable connection for my internet.

i highly recommend ADSL.

i have been using it for some time now with no complaints.[in my case anyway.]

on a side note when you start using the ADSL service you do not receive a "MODEM" but a "ROUTER" instead."Wired" or "wireless" depending on what your internet provider is offering,and what you yourself desire.



Router---is a computer networking device that forwards data packets toward their destinations through a process known as routing. Routing occurs at layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI seven-layer model.


Modem---Short for modulator/demodulator. A communications device that converts one form of a signal to another that is suitable for transmission over communication circuits, typically from digital to analog and then from analog to digital.




for more detailed information it is best that you call the information service number from your local INTERNET PROVIDER or PHONE COMPANY.

[ACA529]

I'd recommend DSL. It's one step lower than Cable, but I've been a happy DSL user for quite a few years now and have never had any problems. Streaming videos/audio works perfectly, and it's MUCH faster than Dial Up.

Dial Up gives you like 3 KB/sec on most servers -- My DSL download speeds are maxed at 500 KB/sec which is a LOT faster.

[halo459]

Try verizon DSL. I think it may still be around 17-20$, not that much as what your paying now. The speed goes up tp 768 kbps which is decently fast.

[masterjim]

Try DSLExtreme.com, They use Verizon,SBC and Covad depending on your phone carrier. Free modem,free activation,free 24/7 Tech Support in English from Canoga Park,CA.USA. Starts at $12.95/mo for SBC (1.5 Mbps) and $14.95/mo for Verizon (768 kbps) for the first year. Lowest price in the country. They have month to month plans too (more expensive) and dial up starting at $9.95/mo with an accelerator available.

[wally245]

I just got Verizon DSL at 19.99 a month for six months, then 29.99 for the remainder of the one year term. The kit comes with simple plug in filters between your phone jack and the phone so you only need one phone line. The kit also comes with an installation CD which I did not use as I called them and got a manual activation. Comes with a modem, no charge and you can cancel within 30 days. A friend also likes DSL extreme but has not switched yet.

[xico]

If you're living with someone or if you can afford it, I'd go with cable. I'm paying $41 bucks a month, but for me, my time is worth it. What's your time worth?

My daughter has DSL. She says it's slow compared to cable. I recently had trouble with the wiring outside, but Comcast came out and rewired and reswitched my connections.
When a modem goes out, I pick up a new one fre of charge. If I get a disconnect that I can't reconnect, the techies are there to help. (But after being on techguy for awhile, I know more than they do most of the time. But it's all a learning experience.)

The bottom line is, what's your time worth?

[jdl]

DSL speed is dependent on your distance from the telephone company Central Office. The closer you are, the faster the service. I was at the wrong end of the distance and they couldn't deliver very fast service. Call your phone company and ask where you are in the dsl distance category. My service wasn't much faster than 56k modem and they had no suggestions to make it better. I got well under 1 mbsp service.

I changed to Comcast cable. They are now offering 6 months at $19.99. I pay $29.99 but I'll call tomorrow to ask how long I have to quit to get the new customer rate...they'll probably reduce my rate! Check with the cable company in your area for current specials. I always get speeds of 6 mbps downline and often up to 8 mbps. It really is that fast!

[durant125]

I would go with Cable, unless your a business. COX is offering 9.99 (of course will go up after 6 months). But that is still pretty dang cheap. Cable bit for bit is a better deal and faster download speed for a single home user.

[xico]

I agree, cable's the way to go! Ultimately, what's your time worth?