High-Speed Internet - Never knew how good it can get... (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kim]

I'm a new convert to High-speed internet. This afternoon, a couple of technicians set me up with AT&T Cable (I never thought I'd expand my service with AT&T, but they were the only ones that didn't require an annual contract and I'll be out of here in several months).
Once they left, I ran the installer cd and after a few minutes, I was up an running. All I can say is...unbelievable! I can see the light - so many posts in this forum about everyone else's dsl/cable and I was sick and tired of my 56k dialup, which very rarely hit 40kbps.
However, despite all of the members' testimonials, it just didn't connect to me how remarkably different it really is - just numbers. All I thought about was that my internet access would jump from $14.95 to $45.95. Not worth it, or so I thought.
After running tests on speed test 1 and speed test 2, I've been able to get a range from 1.7 to 2.2 mbps. Upload is at around 280 kbps.
I'm in heaven. You never know how much time you've wasted until you get it back. For those stalwarts who are still reluctant,...if you use the internet any more than to check your email, this is the best thing that you can do for your lifestyle.
The sensation is like...well, the only analogy that I can think of is the difference between using a condom and going condom-free. You eventually get there both ways, but it's a matter of how long it drags.
Thanks to all of those folks who I thought tooted their horns too much. Now I know, it's just the facts.

 

[Cam S]

I remember when I made the switch, and I tried finding as much stuff as I could to download cuz I loved seeing the transfer speed climb, and climb and climb, haha.

 

[Don Black]

Broadband is great. It's too bad that the ads that are being run to get customers to subscribe are misleading (at least with a future slant). It's a well known fact that the various cable companies are trying to find a way to "tier" their broadband offerings over the next 2-5 years. Basically, this means that the more you download, the more you pay. So, the very speed that they are promoting as a hook is actually, at the same time, a endless future revenue source.

 

[liana]

I remember when i made the switch 3 years ago. I was in awe.

I also remember when i was transfered to an area that had no broadband yet. I hated life.

you'll never go back to a 56Krap

 

[LewB]

Peter:
What kind of a PC (processor speed/memory) are you using ?
I too ran the download test that my ISP (Optimum Online)provides. With my P2 300Mhz 192Mb machine my download rate was similar to yours.
I recently bought a P4 2.4GHz 512Mb machine (schweet) and ran the download test on it. My download speed was around 5.5-6 Mbps ! I'm wondering if the machine made that much of a difference or if there is something else at play here. Old machine had W95 with PCI EN NIC. New machine is WXP with EN built into the motherboard.
I'm not crazy about their sliding scale internet prices (buy more cable TV services and the cost of the internet service goes down). But, speed is what I need !

 

[Patrick Sun]

After spending a week at my parents' house with only dial-up access, I have a new appreciation for my cable modem access at my own house.

 

[Francois Caron]

It's important to verify your connection speed on different servers and at different times. When I check my speed off of Sympatico's own servers during non-peak hours, the rated speed was way too low to be valid (500 Kbps and below). But if I test it from http://www.broadbandreports.com I come very close to my DSL line's top speed of 1.5 Mbps even during peak hours.
Having a dial-up connection is like having a very old phone that required you to turn a crank on the side to make it work.

 

[Peter Kim]

Lew, I'm on a FP iMac OS X.1.5. Although hearing the speeds that you attain makes me envious of the PC camp.

Is this broadband thing a drug? In other words, as you get accustomed to high speed, nothing else can do anymore? And even faster becomes an elusive and incessant pursuit?

I've done research on the different options (DSL vs. cable) - unfortunately, cable was the only that didn't require a contract and AT&T is the only cable provider in my area. I've seen the glowing reviews of Optimum Online and see that you guys have it the best.

 

[Michael*K]

Doesn't have much to do with the Mac vs. PC thing. As Lew suspected, the speed bump he saw was primarily due to the faster NIC. A faster processor and better video card will also enhance the experience.
The tiered pricing plans being discussed here have nothing to do with charging you more if you download more files. Basically the DSL and cable companies have discussed capping upload and download speeds for various levels and charging accordingly.
Peter, I use Macs at home as well. I find that the cable connection made my time much more productive EXCEPT when I downloaded GameRanger. Start playing online multi-player gaming and several hours can just disappear on you and you wonder where the time went.

 

[Peter Kim]

Michael, as I said - Is this as close to a virtual drug as a result of the addiction as you can get? I'm actually more concerned with my wife, as online shopping has become too easy.

All this coming from a closet technophobe - while I've been resistant of cutting myself on bleeding edge for the last 10 years, I'm now witness and participant to accelerating technologies.

OT, Michael, I've just got a Palm Tungsten T for Christmas, along with a IOGear Bluetooth dongle and I'm amazed. I'm hotsyncing with my iMac 3 rooms away, 1 floor down.

Money, what a barrier...

 

[Michael*K]

It is unfortunate that cost is such a barrier to high speed access. I know several people (my mom, co-workers, friends) who don't have Internet access at all because they find it's far too slow for doing anything useful other than e-mail (even that's problematic if people are sending large file attachments.) They love high speed access at work (generally a T1) or the cable access I get at home, but are unwilling or unable to pay the high costs associated with broadband. If I recall from an earlier conversation on the topic in the Computers & HTPC forum, broadband access in Canada is much cheaper than in the U.S, even when the exchange rate is taken into account. I'm not sure why this is, but I suspect there are government subsidies involved that allow the companies to keep the costs low. It's something that perhaps should be looked at in the U.S. to broaden the reach of high speed access.

 

[Frederick]

I've been using a broadband connection for about 4 months now. I originally looked into it for work, and didn't anticipate using it for much more than that. My wife thought the idea was wonderful, and couldn't wait until someone offered it in our area. Once SBC decided we could get DSL, I signed up, bought a router and connected both computers, my laptop from work and my XBox to it. All I can say is I'll never dial in again. My computer is just a P2, maybe 550 mHZ, but as soon as you click on a link, it's on your screen! My wife's computer is slower because it's an old clunker, but it's still faster than dialup. I've been going places I never went to on the net at 56k. Watching movie trailers, streaming audio, it's a whole new Internet! Not to mention being able to talk on the phone while my wife chats with her friends and plays games online. That alone is worth the price of admission. We were thinking about getting a second phone line. The money not being spent on the actual dialup to an ISP, plus the money we save from not getting that second phone line more than pays for the DSL. I highly recommend it ...


Freddy C.

 

[MickeS]

Why is high-speed Internet access so expensive in the US? In Sweden, where many things are more expensive, high-speed (even broadband, as 10MBit connections are available for around $30 in some of the more populated areas) internet is still cheaper than here. Is there some kind of price-gouging going on? Or is it like Michael*K suggests government subsidies? Anyone know?

/Mike

 

[Robert G]

It's great isn't it! I switched to Roadrunner a few months ago and have yet to register under 2.0 and have hit 2.5 several times. Much better than the old dial up!!

 

[Jeffrey Noel]

Haha! Great analogy!
I too feel the same way. I have DSL through SWBell and it's much better than dial-up. But I do feel like SWBell is cheatin' us; not as fast as it should be!!!

 

[Jeff_HR]

you'll never go back to a 56Krap

I've had broadband for about 3 yrs. I'd die of boredom if I ever had to go back to dialup.

 

[MikeAlletto]

I went from high speed internet in college (and yes as soon as we got setup it was download everything and anything just because we can), down to a dial up for 2 years out of college and then back to high speed with a cable modem. I can't stand using my parents internet dial up with I visit and I know my dad is just dieing for high speed.

 

[Scott Strang]

I too ran the download test that my ISP (Optimum Online)provides. With my P2 300Mhz 192Mb machine my download rate was similar to yours.
I recently bought a P4 2.4GHz 512Mb machine (schweet) and ran the download test on it. My download speed was around 5.5-6 Mbps !

That's interesting. I have an old P2 333 with 256mb and running w98se. The nic is in a pci slot. I've gotten up to 34 mbps at one time. That had to be a fluke but the normal x-fer seems to be often anywhere from 1.5 to often 6 mbps. My wife's brother moved in with us and I connected him to the isp (cheap router at OFfice Depot $30) and his downloads are often the same. He has a Celeron 366 with 64 mb.

I know; I need a new computer. I'd love to edit video and author DVD's.

 

[Scott Strang]

Oh yeah, one more thing. Caps on throughput and account terminations are the shape of things to come. Check out more of the stuff on dslreports.com and you'll come to the conclusion that ISP's sell broadband with the hope that you will not actually use the bandwidth.

 

[Joe Szott]

Peter -

Wait until you try some online gaming over that broadband, you think you're in heaven now! It is an absolute must these days, I couldn't game online without my broadband access.

-J