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Results of an informal survey on the listserv, last updated 3/30/04
Specific comments/issues follow. . . . Responders are in the
Seattle/Eastside area unless otherwise noted. Excuse the occasional rough edges
and missing punctuation. TechnologyA cable modem uses the same coaxial line as your cable TV; you
just have to connect it to your computer. With cable you get faster speeds, but
how fast depends on who else is using it at the same time as you. With DSL, you
use the same line as your telephone, but the speed isn't affected by other
users.
|
 | Note as of 3/29/04: Qwest is now offering DSL for $26.99 per month. |
| A Portland member reports (3/30/04): "I just made this move and found that Spiritone is the best deal in Portland, though I had to stay with Qwest." |
| “I
switched several months ago and now use Qwest DSL with MSN. It costs $39.95
per month, and I was able to avoid most of the start-up costs because I
responded to a promotion notice I received in the mail. |
| [Anacortes] "We switched to Verizon DSL six months ago because it's cheaper ($30/mo. if you have Verizon long-distance telephone service or $35/mo. if not). When you sign up with Verizon, you have to do the installation yourself. They mail you the modem, splitter (you just plug it in your phone jack), and software. A splitter enables your telephone line to transmit/receive both voice and digital info simultaneously, so it doesn't tie up your phone line." |
| [Edmonds] "My monthly charges with Verizon are $34.95/month for the entire package, including long-distance telephone calls and service + the assorted taxes and surcharges. I can't recall start-up charges, but they were minimal or I would have remembered them." |
| [Edmonds] "We have Verizon DSL. Signed on a few years ago, so not sure what start-up costs are these days. But I do recall that Verizon sent us a free DSL modem. Seems like we pay about $32 plus tax (about 20% as it's billed through the phone), and we pay an additional $7.50 for the Verizon ISP--a lot cheaper than most ISPs. We went with DSL because Verizon had such a good promo going. There's competition, so you can probably negotiate something good!" |
| "We have DSL through Earthlink. Earthlink is the ISP, Covad is (I think) the modem manufacturer and installer, and Qwest attached the new box to the outside of my house. I only get one bill, from Earthlink, for $49.95 a month plus tax." |
| "I'd look into what Speakeasy [a local Seattle company] has to offer first. You should be able to get somebody on the phone who can explain what you need to do. Monthly service likely runs to about $50 for cable or DSL. My friends like Speakeasy. Check out its Web site--though you mustn't be intimidated by all the choices that pop up." From another member: "Speakeasy (and most DSL companies) require a one-year contract, although they will let you test the service for 25 days. They are national, so if you move, the DSL account could ostensibly follow you." |
| Web
site that compares costs for you: “I
managed to find a great Web site that told me what DSL options were
available in my specific location simply by entering my phone number. It
immediately narrowed the number of options from a dozen or so to about
four. A chart compared costs, features, etc., for the options available
to me. I got to it by Googling, probably using
something like "search for broadband." Check this address and see if it's helpful: http://www.dslavailability.com/dsl_provider.htm |
Cable: Total cost = Cable only. You get just one bill, from the cable company (or from Earthlink, if you order through Earthlink).
| “Comcast is $49.95/mo. Installation was free. Companies are desperate so you should not have to pay for it.” |
| “We have service through Comcast and pay $46/month (when we signed up, service was through ATT). When we signed up there was a special, so we didn't pay any start-up fees, and for about six months we only paid $25/month.” |
| “I'm on Comcast cable and I really love it, although it's expensive, I pay $45.95 a month for it. However, considering you pay about $23 even for dial-up, it's well worth the difference for the convenience and speed. Comcast is still advertising lots of deals for start up, I think they have one right now that offers free or inexpensive installation, and the cable modem is listed as free, but I think it's factored into the cost." |
| “I have Comcast cable. $50 per month and I get a break on the price of TV cable (about $5). I didn't pay for installation, but that might have been a special deal at the time." |
| “We have a cable modem. I think there was an initial installation fee (nothing too hefty, but they had to come out and drill a hole on the outside of our house for the cable), and we now pay about $40/month. I think it depends on what the availability is in your neighborhood (sometimes DSL is the only option, sometimes it's cable)." |
| [Kirkland] "I pay $50.21 for cable without cable TV access (same cable); the price per service--TV, Internet--is lower the more services you have." |
| [Anacortes] "Four years ago we signed up with ATT@home (now Comcast) and got free installation and the first few months at half the price (they are usually running some kind of deal). A cable guy came to our house and installed everything. The price is around $45/month. If you're already a Comcast customer, ask for a discount." |
| [Vancouver, WA]: “I pay $62 for basic TV cable plus the cable modem for my computer, via Comcast.” |
| [Ashland]: “Ashland has a fiber network, which is basically a cable system that you access through local providers. I pay $28 a month for the service. I also paid $95 for a cable modem, which I own, and $75 for installation (they came to my house to install and also helped me set up a local network as part of that). I think the fee for installation of the cable alone was $40, although you can do it yourself and avoid that entirely.” |
| Info from call to Comcast/Earthlink on 2/10/04: "Earthlink (800-EAR-THLI) offers cable thru Comcast. Comcast installs it ($30 one-time charge), but from then on Earthlink is your cable provider, and you call them if any service problems, and you get one bill each month, from them. Cost is $19.95/mo for the first 3 months (current promotion), then $45.95/mo after that. No contract; it's month-to-month. Includes 20 hrs/month of dial-up access (for use when traveling, or if connection is down)." |
Second
phone line: “I
haven't switched to DSL. I solved the problem of missing phone calls by
having an additional phone line installed several years ago just for my
computer. At that time I also had a fax machine hooked up to the computer
line so it worked well. When I moved I got rid of the fax machine since I
didn't have room for it but still have the additional phone line for my computer.
“Installation of an additional line is around $95 and I pay
$13 a month for the extra phone line. My phone and internet connection
charges are all on one bill from Verizon. At this point I'm not frustrated
enough with the time it takes to download files to switch to DSL.”
Voice mail: "I've dealt with the missing phone calls situation by
paying (much less than for DSL or cable, I think) for voice mail [$7/mo from
Qwest in Seattle]. When I'm on
the phone (or dial-up), voice mail picks up on the first ring and people can
leave a message. Just another option..."
DSL: You can keep your current ISP and email address, except with Verizon, it changes to xxx@verizon.net.
Cable: You will need to change your email address -- and change it again when the companies buy each other out, and so on. . . . unless EarthLink is your current ISP:
| “Even though I am being billed through Comcast, Earthlink is the service provider, so I didn't have to change my email address when upgrading.” |
Positive/neutral comments:
| You don’t have to change your email address. |
| [Port Angeles] “I just set up my mother in law with DSL, and it was a piece of cake.” |
| [Edmonds] “Service has been good -- with less spam than AOL.” |
| "In your location, DSL is your better choice. A DSL connection belongs to you alone; it's a second phone line, for data only, that runs from a central hub near you to your wall, just like your voice phone line. It's fast, reliable, and I sure wish I could get it.... which is where cable comes in. Locations farther than a 5-mile radius (or thereabouts) from a DSL hub can't get DSL." |
| "I love DSL. We got it about four years ago through Mindspring (now
Earthlink). A man came to install the network card and DSL modem for free. I
spent just a little time on the phone with Mindspring configuring my network
connection and was thrilled when all of a sudden it connected, and I was
surfing the net while still talking to the guy on the phone. Today, that
part would be easier: Earthlink has a small piece of software you download
and I believe it walks you through the config, or does it itself. "There is more than one company involved in my service, but this hasn't affected service: Earthlink is the ISP, Covad is (I think) the modem manufacturer and installer, and Qwest attached the new box to the outside of my house. When something went wrong on our telephone pole, Earthlink diagnosed it and somehow coordinated with Covad and/or Qwest to get a technician out there to fix it. It went quickly and I didn't have to pay for the repair. ("You have a short in your demarc," said the Earthlink guy. --Huh?) "I don't think the amount of spam one gets could have anything to do with what kind of service you have - it has to do with spammers getting your email address. Most Internet services offer rudimentary (ineffective) spam-blocking and then encourage you to build a "white list" or "safe list" of email addresses with them. To me, this is cumbersome. The way not to get spam is to never give out that particular email address to anyone other than friends, as I'm sure you already know." |
| "I'm a tech guy, but I would judge that do-it-yourself installation of the DSL modem is possible for almost everyone: it's quite straightforward (and phone support is available). One cable to the wall jack, one to the computer; install a program and you're good to go. (Usually!) The DSL modem will have a hardware firewall built into it -- don't neglect to install a software firewall as well if you don't already have one (Zone Alarm, Black Ice, McAfee, and Norton are all good.)" |
| "The two distinctions of note between DSL and cable are that with DSL you don't have to deal with the cable company and you don't share your connection with anyone else. Cable is like a water pipe: everyone on your block or in your immediate neighborhood draws from it. Like a water pipe to your shower in an old building, you may notice a significant slowdown when others use it. The cable company will deny that anyone ever notices this, but I know real people who say they have. DSL is a telephone line: it's yours, not shared." |
| Also see “Testimonial from a DSL Customer” toward the end of this document. |
Negative comments:
| Qwest wants you to use MSN as your ISP. [Yakima]: “No matter what you do, don't don't don't turn to MSN for any kind of service. That's just my humble opinion, of course. But I'm not the only one who had these nightmares.” [Seattle]: “I hated MSN -- their awful Webpage etc. and then they dumped a number of us without ceremony.” |
| “We had DSL back a few years ago, but when we moved, it wasn't available in our new neighborhood, so we switched to cable. Our DSL was through Qwest--and they weren't all that fun to deal with, plus there were gaps in service, i.e., problems getting online.” |
| [Yakima]: “Back when I lived in Seattle, I had DSL from Qwest and e-mail/Internet service from Seanet. It all worked great. However, then I moved here [Yakima] and Qwest became a nightmare in many ways: I believe it cost me at least one lucrative client because of unreliability (e-mail constantly choked up). 1. They took a month to get set up; there was no easy service transfer though I tried to arrange everything well in advance. 2. They were always at cross purposes when I phoned them repeatedly for assistance. Every phone call was a different answer, but there never was a good solution.” |
| [Vancouver,
WA]: “I initially went with DSL (Qwest).
"The DSL line took 'forever' to get installed...difficulties in the
street connection, etc. After having the DSL line for a couple of months, I
changed to a cable modem from Comcast for several reasons. 1. The DSL line was not always "live" and required waiting several minutes at times for it to become active. The speed was not what was advertised. 2. The DSL line would "bump me off line" while I was in the middle of Internet searches or communication. 3. The SPAM mail that I got over the DSL connection amounted to sometimes 75 messages a day. So for just a little more money a month (I pay $62 for basic TV cable plus the cable modem for my computer), I have no SPAM, the connection is GREAT, I can transfer large files easily, and I am not hassled by continual marketing calls from Qwest." |
| "We have DSL, and are generally pretty happy with it. The major disadvantage is that periodically the system bogs down. What I have to do is reboot the modem--go offline and turn off the power to the modem, then restart. It isn't a frequent problem, though. And I've had to do it at work, too." |
Positive comments:
| “I am pretty experienced -- a regular slut of the Net -- and I've ended up very happily with cable -- Comcast. net. Your house has to be within their range, which I think yours is.” |
| [Yakima] “I have cable from Charter.net, and it's never been anything but easy and reliable. It costs $56/month and is my ISP as well. Large files come through without a hitch and the service has never been down for more than 15 minutes or so, at most, and rarely at that.” |
| “Service [with Comcast] has been very steady. I never have a problem getting online. It's very fast. And I don't think we've ever lost service.” |
| “I'm on Comcast cable . . . and I really love it. I've only had the system go down twice, and each time, the tech folks were 'right on it,' and I was up and running again very shortly. To me, it's the only way to go. I do have friends on DSL, but not many, and I've understood that, in the question cable vs. DSL, that cable is better. I've known people who've tried DSL but switched to cable later.” |
| “Very few problems [with cable], except when the switch to ATTBI happened. That really sucked. But the switch from ATTBI to Comcast went very smoothly.” |
| “We have a cable modem and love it. I can count on one hand the number of times the cable [Comcast] has been out in three years.” |
Negative comments
| [From a DSL subscriber] "The cable disadvantage (I've heard
from friends) is that when your cable goes out, so does your online access,
and that tends to happen more than regular power outages. I don't know if
that's really true or not, though (that cable outages are more frequent than
power outages), but it does give you two sources of downtime instead of just
one." |
“I've kept my old AOL-address so that I can do dial-up in case cable is down. I've only had to use it a couple of times, but it sure came in handy then.”
"There's also the option of a wireless Internet connection if you have a laptop. That way you can connect to the Internet anywhere in your house or outside! My father-in-law has it and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure of the cost though." [I asked a knowledgeable friend about this. It's a separate thing, compatible with either cable or DSL, but requires two more pieces of equipment: a wireless modem card, which you stick in your computer (about $50 new, may be available used), and a "base station" that sends the signal to your computer [about $150 new, may be available used].
[From a member with cable in Ashland] I assumed that my e-mail would be the same as with Earthlink, but there were a couple of things that were different. One is the handling of spam and viruses. My new ISP has its own antivirus software, so I no longer needed my antivirus software, although I still have it. That has worked, although you still have to watch what you open. The ISP also has their own antispam software. That apparently was what blocked one of your messages to me. I asked them about it, and they said I need to send them a white list of e-mail addresses to make sure my messages get through. I don't really like that way of dealing with spam--there is no way of seeing the messages they've blocked. I've retained my Earthlink e-mail address, which you can do for $5.95 a month, so I continue to get e-mail at my old address and have it forwarded to my new address. I was thinking that I would eventually get rid of that e-mail address, but now I'm thinking about just going back to it. I would rather deal with spam myself instead of having them do it.
Another factor I didn't consider was the availability of local access numbers when you travel. I know you travel quite a bit, so that may be a concern for you. My current ISP doesn't have any way of accessing the Internet except by calling their number long distance. I know that other ISPs advertise Internet access when you're traveling, but I'm not sure how they do it. That's one nice thing about Earthlink--they have local access numbers everywhere.
One thing I'm thinking about is getting my own domain name. That way I could keep my e-mail address even if I changed my ISP. That's probably the best way to go, but it is expensive--$20 a month at my current ISP, plus the cost of the domain name and a small annual fee for the use of the name. It's tempting, but I'm not ready yet to spend the additional money.
[Port Townsend] "Obviously, I can't speak directly to cost or service in the Seattle area, but I can tell you that DSL has made my life about a million times easier, and I have never once thought '...but it's so expensive.' Benefits:
| No missed calls, as you note. I still have two phone lines, but that's a home/business issue. |
| Immediate reception of email. No sitting around drumming your fingers... My clients invariably say, "Thanks for the quick response." |
| Ultrafast Web searching allows me to plow through job boards, newspapers, and Google queries in 1/4 the time of dial-up. Considering the billable hours this opens up, the service has more than paid for itself, and improved my productivity. |
| Similarly, downloading massive book files no longer even registers as a wait. The first time someone sent me a big file, I didn't even realize how many pages it was (205) until I actually opened it up! |
| Not an issue for you, perhaps, but if your cat wants to get online while you also are online... |
FUN stuff:
| Streaming video. I don't have TV, so watching the State of the Union online was quite nice. And sometimes I just click on goofy stuff--because I CAN! |
| Number 1: INTERNET RADIO. I listen constantly while working. Hundreds of stations, no commercials to break my concentration, any style of work music imaginable. |
Honestly, I would not hesitate for a second to sign up, and I'll never give it up now..."
And a few final thoughts:
"I can't answer any of your questions specifically. But I can say it will change your life! :-- )"
"Once you go high-speed, you'll never go back!! I'm afraid they're going to realize they could triple their price and I'd still pay it! Just like heroin. Have fun!"
