Cheap highspeed internet in atlanta area? recs? (tax, live)

[atlcharm]

does anyone have any recommendations?

[atlantagreg30127]

There aren't a lot of choices, really. You have wireless/satellite offerings which cost a decent amount, cable (with horrible customer service), and AT&T broadband, for the most part.

You can get AT&T's "DSL Lite" for as little as $19.95 a month, but I seem to remember Clark Howard saying on TV once that they did have a $12.95 or $14.95 a month plan that they don't advertise, but if you ASK for it, they "sometimes" admit they have it. FastAccess® DSL Internet Service and here's the story Clark did two years ago, but I'm not sure if it's still valid or not: http://clarkhoward.com/liveweb/shown...7/06/26/12359/

I have the 6.0 extreme from AT&T and (knock on wood) service is pretty reliable, though when you have to call customer service you do get a frustrating hold time sometimes and wind up talking to someone who speaks English as their 2nd (or 3rd) language.

[neil0311]

If you don't have a local exchange phone number with ATT, then you can get their "dry loop" DSL Direct 768K for $19.95. Other than looking at another DSL carrier that provides service over ATT's lines, you won't find much else from ATT.

Comcast also has a $19.95 HSI promotion for their 8Mbps tier, but the price goes up after a year.

http://www.comcast.com/Shop/Buyflow/...opHSI&lpos=Nav

Clear now has WiMax now for most of the Atlanta metro and you can get their $20 "Basic" package @ 768Kbps but requires a 2 year contract.

https://www.clear.com/shop/home_services.php

[BobKovacs]

Define "cheap" and "highspeed". We have Windstream DSL- I believe it's $39.95, and it's faster than you're likely to ever need. In two years we've only lost service 2 or 3 times, and each time it's only been for a few hours, tops.

[cityrover]

i never managed to get in touch with windstream so i went with comcast. im paying something like 35+ tax for 12/6 after the last increase in speed. but i think they raised the prices since i signed up but mine hasn't been touched yet

[samiwas1]

I have Comcast for cable and internet. My internet is $46.19 including modem rental.

For a while, I was seeing Speedtest.net speeds of 20Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, but it seems like ever since I got a new router and moved my setup that I'm seeing closer to 8Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up. I don't know if it's my end or Comcast's end that has slowed down. Hmmmm..

And people always complain about their customer service, but in the 3.5 years I've lived here and had Comcast, I've lost internet only a handful of times (always in the dead of night when they might be doing system work) and I don't think I've had to call them a single time. Of course, I'm not the one who calls 3.4 seconds after my net/cable goes out, either.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

For a while, I was seeing Speedtest.net speeds of 20Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, but it seems like ever since I got a new router and moved my setup that I'm seeing closer to 8Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up. I don't know if it's my end or Comcast's end that has slowed down. Hmmmm..

If you're using wireless (WiFi) then it could be where the router is located and the signal strength or new encryption type. Test with a cable wired directly to the router. 802.11g or 802.11a will top out around 22 Mbps (54Mbps half duplex minus encryption and setup overhead) but will step down when the signal is bad or interference is present.

802.11b is only 11Mbps at best, so you could be stepping down to 802.11b speeds (and you were getting g speeds before) and only getting around 8Mbps. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone or microwave oven, it could be interference. Wire in, run a speed test, and see if you get any different.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by neil0311

If you're using wireless (WiFi) then it could be where the router is located and the signal strength or new encryption type. Test with a cable wired directly to the router. 802.11g or 802.11a will top out around 22 Mbps (54Mbps half duplex minus encryption and setup overhead) but will step down when the signal is bad or interference is present.

802.11b is only 11Mbps at best, so you could be stepping down to 802.11b speeds (and you were getting g speeds before) and only getting around 8Mbps. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone or microwave oven, it could be interference. Wire in, run a speed test, and see if you get any different.

Yeah I thought it was because my office is now two floors above where the router is (used to have the router in my office). But I tried the computer that sits right next to the router, and it, too, is getting 8Mbps. It's a brand new Time Capsule 802.11n router, so there should be no problems. I haven't had time to troubleshoot though. May wait till the wife is out of town so she doesn't kill me for the net constantly going out!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Yeah I thought it was because my office is now two floors above where the router is (used to have the router in my office). But I tried the computer that sits right next to the router, and it, too, is getting 8Mbps. It's a brand new Time Capsule 802.11n router, so there should be no problems. I haven't had time to troubleshoot though. May wait till the wife is out of town so she doesn't kill me for the net constantly going out!

802.11n requires a NIC that supports it and since the protocol is only in the draft stages, it's best to get a card from the same mfg as the router, either on 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz. If you're network is set to "mixed" then clients can also backwardly connect with either 802.11g or a. If you have a laptop or can use the computer located near the router, test the connection speed with a wired connection directly to the router.

[bizmoma]

yes. Clear is here in Atlanta now. We are authorized dealers. Contact me so we can get you started. 770.774.7304