The Best Internet Service in PH?

sarahb wrote: Hi Barney --

First see if you can get Verizon internet in your building. I can't in mine (may be the whole area, I'm not sure).

As far as I could figure out, my only option was OptOnline -- and with that, I had to buy their internet AND their cable tv AND their phone. That's pretty pricey when I don't need anything but the internet, so I didn't do it.

Hence I still have dialup. Would be thrilled if someone were to illuminate another option. (Other than stealing someone else's wireless -- sadly, nobody in range.)

You don't have to get the phone service. You can get cable and internet only (I do). I don't know if you can get the internet service without the cable TV service, though.

Yep--to second that--I just got Optimum Online this week via Cablevision without having cable TV or phone. You have to call them to set it up and it's 29.95 for 6 months, 44.95 thereafter. But other than dial-up that seemed like the only option, since DSL isn't avaiable on our block, and perhaps therefore not elsewhere in PH.

(Of course, Verizon and Earthlink each claimed they could get me DSL, originally, and signed me up. Verizon reimbursed me, but Earthlink charged me for a couple months without providing any service, and I had to hassle them about it to reverse the charges. So no DSL.)

Subject: Re: The Best Internet Service in PH?

Barnable wrote: I am searching for internet service (cable or DSL) for my new apartment and would appreciate some suggestions based on your experience. You know, dont do Verizon because BLANK or definitely try Vonage because BLANK—you get me. I would be grateful for any two cents from the peanut gallery. Thanks.

I have both Optonline cable (mine) and DSL (employer's). Verizon said DSL was impossible where I was in PH. And although they were lying, the way they behaved as the intermediary owning the copper (or lack thereof) and trying to prevent the third party broadband wholesaler supplying my retail ISP from getting access, they may as well have been right. Legal and contractual obligations don't mean much when Verizon can get what it wants by being perpetually incompetant. Very long story, but I had to deal with three companies for about five months to get the DSL in, with multiple orders and dozens of visits. Think Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil'. And in the end I have a nice extra DSL line on fresh copper right where I wanted it the way I wanted it at 6.0/768. It became something of a personal quest to achieve the impossible, and it would never ever have gotten done if it were me paying or I didn't have the cable as a backup.

The cable was installed fairly promptly, is approximately 2.2/2.2, and has been rock solid apart from one recent storm where it went out for a short period, as did the DSL. The DSL speed fluctuates more, has also gone down once or twice for a day or two after serious weather, but is generally pretty reliable too. Using a small ISP for the DSL means there's super customer service with smart people on the other end of the phone and I can see their internal tracking database for queries. I can customize with whatever special services I want... at a premium.

If you are an ordinary home customer not a business, are paying for it yourself, and have no special needs nor running services, you'd be nuts to go with anything other than Optonline round here.

Oh and a special thankyou to all the people living nearby with open wireless networks who don't change factory defaults -- you helped bridge the gap too while waiting for cable while waiting for DSL.

if youre net addict like me. have two board band lines . get either cable or dsl and a cell phone base board band. that would work on lap top.

Subject: Re: The Best Internet Service in PH?

WhyFi wrote:
Surprisingly, they (Optonline) are charging the same ~60 bucks for internet and voice for the store.

That's jolly decent of them (assuming they've even noticed you're small business). But are you running your own webserver etc. over that cable, or just using it for regular businessy stuff?

Go with Optima. I haven't had too many major problems except some isp issues when I changed from their cable box to a router. And, like everyone else their customer service sucks at promptness. However, their high speed lines seem to be open regularly. More so than Time Warner, certainly faster and a better connection than Verizon. Don't bother with sattelie. They charge an arm and a leg. Their upload speed sucks as well.

Subject: Re: The Best Internet Service in PH?

WhyFi wrote: [quote=doctorj]That's jolly decent of them (assuming they've even noticed you're small business). But are you running your own webserver etc. over that cable, or just using it for regular businessy stuff?

They know that it's a business. No server, the site is hosted elsewhere. Just regular business stuff... email, fax, message boards, etc...

Right. Looking at a couple of providers, I think that's generally the case, that if you're not using services beyond what a home user would, you pay a similar or the same price. Don't mind me -- it's years since the crash but I still have trouble remembering that there are other forms of business out there that aren't dotcoms :oops:

I have ADSL 1.5/384 with a static IP from Speakeasy (no phone) for $65 a month.

As I understand it, Speakeasy relies locally on Covad to manage the physical connections, which are owned by Verizon, so installation meant coordinating with all three companies. Verizon gave me an 8-5pm window to wait for them to come out and test the line into my building, and stood me up twice, because they could care less about their competitors' customers. If you get DSL locally with anyone except Verizon, Verizon will likely stand in the way of a quick and painless installation.

Why does anyone with a cell phone need a land line? In my mind, the only reason to have a landline is security, and for continued service during a blackout. The only way you're going to get that is with old-fashioned regular telephone service like from Verizon or one of their competitors, and a non-cordless old fashioned plugs-into-the-wall phone like everyone used to have 25 years ago. VOIP is not secure and won't work in a blackout. Why bother? Just increase the minutes on your cell phone and ditch the extra bill.

Carnivore wrote: Why does anyone with a cell phone need a land line? In my mind, the only reason to have a landline is security, and for continued service during a blackout. The only way you're going to get that is with old-fashioned regular telephone service like from Verizon or one of their competitors, and a non-cordless old fashioned plugs-into-the-wall phone like everyone used to have 25 years ago. VOIP is not secure and won't work in a blackout. Why bother? Just increase the minutes on your cell phone and ditch the extra bill.

I thought the same thing until I tried it. Sometimes I would get reception with my cell phone in the house sometimes not. Also when talking to someone on the phone for a while my battery will die (if not fully charged when I started) and there are warnings all over my cell phone ac adapter which specifically says do not use phone while charging. After 9/11 and the last blackout, when the cell phones went down and the cordless phone was not working, the only phone I could use was my old fashioned wall phone (you know the one with the 20 foot phone cord attached to the receiver ). I pay for just basic service wtih Verizon and my bill is about $27.00-$35.00 per month.

stacey wrote: I thought the same thing until I tried it. Sometimes I would get reception with my cell phone in the house sometimes not. Also when talking to someone on the phone for a while my battery will die (if not fully charged when I started) and there are warnings all over my cell phone ac adapter which specifically says do not use phone while charging. After 9/11 and the last blackout, when the cell phones went down and the cordless phone was not working, the only phone I could use was my old fashioned wall phone (you know the one with the 20 foot phone cord attached to the receiver ). I pay for just basic service wtih Verizon and my bill is about $27.00-$35.00 per month.

Good point. It really depends on how much you use your phone and how good your cell service is within your home. I just think that a lot of people who are getting this basic service don't even have one of those old Ma Bell wall phones.

If there's a blackout, can I come over and make a few calls?

Carnivore wrote: [quote=stacey]I thought the same thing until I tried it. Sometimes I would get reception with my cell phone in the house sometimes not. Also when talking to someone on the phone for a while my battery will die (if not fully charged when I started) and there are warnings all over my cell phone ac adapter which specifically says do not use phone while charging. After 9/11 and the last blackout, when the cell phones went down and the cordless phone was not working, the only phone I could use was my old fashioned wall phone (you know the one with the 20 foot phone cord attached to the receiver ). I pay for just basic service wtih Verizon and my bill is about $27.00-$35.00 per month.

Good point. It really depends on how much you use your phone and how good your cell service is within your home. I just think that a lot of people who are getting this basic service don't even have one of those old Ma Bell wall phones.

If there's a blackout, can I come over and make a few calls?

For you of course! But hey dont laugh - Jay has actually thought about getting a generator for our house in case we have a blackout during a Yankee away game.

it looks kind of tiny, like for midgets. (go ahead, bash me for making jokes about midgets)

do we know the dimensions on the red phone?

qtrain wrote: I have ADSL 1.5/384 with a static IP from Speakeasy (no phone) for $65 a month.

As I understand it, Speakeasy relies locally on Covad to manage the physical connections, which are owned by Verizon, so installation meant coordinating with all three companies. Verizon gave me an 8-5pm window to wait for them to come out and test the line into my building, and stood me up twice, because they could care less about their competitors' customers. If you get DSL locally with anyone except Verizon, Verizon will likely stand in the way of a quick and painless installation.

Exactly. And I thought I might be the only one (though I did set a record for length of install). Love Speakeasy, hate Verizon, and ended up getting to know the Covad techs pretty well (several are refugees from Verizon by the way). If there's ever a next time I'll know my 'loop' from my 'dmark' and be able call a 'hard down' when I see too many 'deebees'.