[mythtv-users] Nasty shock with Comcast Chicago

[Brian Wood]

On Feb 13, 2006, at 7:24 PM, Brad Fuller wrote:

> Brian Wood wrote:
>> On Feb 13, 2006, at 5:19 AM, JDeGraw wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Here in South Bend, Indiana I have basic extended and still get all
>>> the
>>> analog channels. Must be just a Chicago rollout as you say. But
>>> probably
>>> due to happen then in South Bend also soon.
>>>
>>> Although I cannot offer any help, Im supprised you got thru to  
>>> actual
>>> managers at the help-less desk. I find them inept at best in
>>> anything I
>>> need from them.
>>>
>>> I would go satellite but then I dont know where to get my internet
>>> connection from. DSL is out of range for me here. That pretty much
>>> leaves me with dialup only. Unless someone else knows of an answer.
>>> Seems every morning around 6am or so the internet goes down here
>>> until I
>>> reset my cable modem. Otherwise it just sits and resets forever.
>>>
>>>
>> The only option other than Cable Modem if you can't get DSL would be
>> DirectWay, which is a satellite-delivered internet service from
>> DirectTV.
>>
>> Unfortunately it's apparently not a very good option. Due to speed- 
>> of-
>> light limitations there is a significant latency problem. If you are
>> just doing an ftp transfer, for example, from a single server, it's
>> not too bad, but if you're trying to load a web page with 10-20 DNS
>> lookups, the latency for each lookup adds up to significant delays.
>>
>> Also, according to Consumer Reports, they have the worst customer
>> satisfaction record on the planet, but they *are* an option.
>>
>> Of course you could always get a T1 line installed, you can usually
>> get them for around $800/month these days. I find it amusing that a
>> lot of folks are "too far away" for DSL, but somehow close enough for
>> even T3 service if they are willing to pay :-)
>>
> I was paying $355/mo for partial T1 from Speakeasy.
> The nice thing about T1 is that it's solid, duplex and up 99% of  
> the time. And, when it goes down, it's down for maybe 2 minutes. At  
> least, here in SF Bay area.
> I was too far away for DSL -- -yes, I really was I tried it with 3  
> companies. T1 was my only option.

$355/mo for fractional T1 is reasonable. The so-called "frame-relay"  
was probably an option for you as well, sometimes delivered on a 56k  
line although it can be delivered on a T. In fact F/R and frac. T are  
really just about the same thing, but tariffed differently.

I was an early adopter of residential ISDN (It Still Does Nothing),  
which would give me nominal 128K if I used both channels, but the  
phone company insisted on charging by the minute, unless I wanted to  
pay $400/mo. for unlimited service. It was still a lot better than  
the modems that were my only reasonable-cost option at that time  
(1994 or so). Anybody want a Motorola Bitsurfr cheap?

I don't think ISDN is used much for internet these days, though it is  
used a lot for high-quality audio transport for radio stations etc.

Anyway, we're getting way OT here, so I'll shut up.