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DSL service -- warning, very frustrated person herein — Brooklynian

DSL service -- warning, very frustrated person herein

queencallipygos
queencallipygos
edited November -1 in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy
Right.

It's a long, long story that I'll spare you, but because of that story, I'm looking into getting a DSL account for the first time ever. I have been using dialup up to this point.

I've gotten a Dell, and I've learned that my Dell computer will probably not work with a particular kind of Verizon routers. But -- AT&T shows that it has DSL service available for my number, and I already have AT&T on my phone anyway.

But for some reason I cannot find a single person in Clinton Hill who has AT&T DSL service, to tell me whether it's any good. so --

1). Is there anyone out there who has AT&T DSL that can tell me whether it sucks, or whether I'd be okay?

2). If not, what would you recommend? Is there a way to use Verizon and say "but, please do NOT send me this kind of router"?

Help. I've been trying to fix this problem for two months and I've had it up to HERE.

ETA: I do know cable would be a faster connection than DSL, but I'm so used to Dialup I wouldn't notice the difference. And I'd rather avoid cable, because I'm in a place where we're under Time Warner and we have enough problems with their cable as it is.

Also -- one of the big reasons I'd like to avoid Verizon DSL is because I'd rather not have Verizon for my phone service; I prefer AT&T. Does that make a difference?

Finally, I've been asking a lot of people "do you know how AT&T service is in Clinton Hill" and all I've gotten is shrugs. If someone could just tell me "the reason that that's the response you've gotten is that there's a problem with AT&T in this area," I'd be REALLY grateful, because at least that'd be SOME answer why I've just been getting blank looks.

Comments

  • the new guy
    the new guy
    At least here in Bed-Stuy, we went with Cable vision for our TV and internet. After taxes and everything, with the most basic TV package it was $85 ... I think the internet accounted for half that bill. Maybe not the cheapest out there, but we certainly have found it very reliable. Plus, most of those places that claim to be just $19.99 are either terrible dial-up service or loaded with hidden fees and taxes.
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    the new guy wrote: At least here in Bed-Stuy, we went with Cable vision for our TV and internet. After taxes and everything, with the most basic TV package it was $85 ... I think the internet accounted for half that bill. Maybe not the cheapest out there, but we certainly have found it very reliable. Plus, most of those places that claim to be just $19.99 are either terrible dial-up service or loaded with hidden fees and taxes.
    We have an existing cable account that I can't do anything with right now, as it's not mine. DSL really is my only option.
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    We have verizon DSL, bundled with the phone service I think we pay $60 a month. I don't think it's going to make a difference if you use AT&T or Verizon, it's the same physical phone line. I'm also a little dubious about the router not working with a Dell, they're all the same, and if nothing else works you can use a wireless connection to the router. We have a mixed mac/pc/palm/axim/roku environment and everything works fine. Oh and DSL is ok, faster than dail-up, but my socks don't catch fire
  • kevin_on_putnam
    kevin_on_putnam
    ooops above was me, forgot to login
  • kevin_on_putnam
    kevin_on_putnam
    ...and (I forgot) my wife uses a Dell laptop, she has no problems
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    Kevin_on_Putnam wrote: ...and (I forgot) my wife uses a Dell laptop, she has no problems
    I've looked into this a little more -- it's not all Dell and all Verizon, it is the newer Dell wireless cards conflicting with a specific make and model of router. I did a search online for "Dell Westrell conflict", "Westrell" being the make of the router she has, and sure enough, there were a bunch of people with her specific model router writing in to various online fora and asking, "my Dell can't connect to my Verizon account, what gives?" and someone else coming in and saying, "oh, that particular router doesn't work with Dell." So they weren't totally talking out their butts.

    Now, we could just solve this by my roommate getting a new router or updating the old one. But the complication is, she's moving in a few months anyway, and taking that router with her. So her fixing the router would be a temporary solution, and I'd still have to get an account of my own anyway; so rather than have her fix the router and me connect to her account for now and then scrambling to get DSL later, we figured (and I agree most heartily) that me just getting my own DSL right now and being done with it would be better.

    I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that AT&T just plain isn't available in my area -- I found a "Broadband tool" on CNET that lets you type in a phone number and it tells you what services you can get in that area. Verizon showed up; AT&T didn't. The other DSL options were Earthlink, which would be convenient as that's what I already have and I wouldn't have to change my email address; but it'd be twice the cost. Earthlink cable is also available, but a friend of mine told me that I should avoid Earthlink cable in the name of all that is good and holy.

    I'm slowly accepting I may have to go with Verizon anyway; now if I could just confirm that I won't have to switch my PHONE service to Verizon in the process, and that I can specify "please do not give me a Westrell Router," then I think I'm okay.
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    I tried to get AT&T DSL when Time Warner Cable refused to get their act together to wire my apartment (yes, just MY apartment - my neighbors all had cable!) for cable TV and internet service. AT&T DSL's phone-service was initially very good, but when I asked a technician to come and hook up my phone to facilitate DSL, they simply couldn;t get their acts together to do it. I tried to arrange an appointment about four times, but they either forgot or entered the request into the computer incorrectly, and so on. In the end, I told them to just forget about it: if they were really interested in having me as a customer, they wouldn't have messed up four times! They seemed quite unpeturbed. I finally went with Verizon for phone service, and two months later, Time Warner Cable finally got their act together after daily nagging from me.
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    Nelly, that kind of thing is exactly what I need to hear -- thank you.

    See, I was asking a lot of people "how is AT&T DSL?" and they were telling me things like "just get cable" or "use Vonage" or "get a Mac". It was like I was in a restaurant and asked the waiter, "So, I want to get the chocolate torte, but I'm allergic to nuts, does that have nuts in it?" and instead of answering, the waiter said "I know the fruit mousse is tasty" or "it depends on the size of the plate" or "I know the number of poison control" or things like that. No one was coming out and saying "yes, the chocolate torte has nuts, so you shouldn't order it."

    So -- thank you for telling me the chocolate torte had nuts! :-)
  • kevin_on_putnam
    kevin_on_putnam
    umm....anyway, you can always just connect your laptop via the ethernet port, don't have to worry about wireless conflicts that way....
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    Kevin_on_Putnam wrote: umm....anyway, you can always just connect your laptop via the ethernet port, don't have to worry about wireless conflicts that way....
    And here's where the complication with that comes in --

    ...Ethernet port? What's that? :oops:

    (Not that I'm saying I don't have one; rather, I'm saying I wouldn't know what an ethernet port was if it bit me in the butt.)
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    Read the documentation that came with your computer.

    There is usually a quick start card that indicates what is what? An ethernet port looks like a phone jack only bigger, it's an RJ45C and only the large connector of a ethernet jack will fit.
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    Oh, okay. ...That sort of defeats the purpose of having a wireless card if I have to use a cable to connect to my roommate's modem, though, no?

    Fortunately -- I have a lead on a couple DSL services, and in the mean time I can pick up a signal when I'm in my room, at least; so there is at least a plan in place and I'm a lot clearer on what to do.
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    Your lack of ability to connect via wireless has nothing to do with who is providing your DSL service. It has everything to do with the wireless router you're using and your or someone elses ability to set it up correctly.
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    Nelly, that kind of thing is exactly what I need to hear -- thank you.

    See, I was asking a lot of people "how is AT&T DSL?" and they were telling me things like "just get cable" or "use Vonage" or "get a Mac". It was like I was in a restaurant and asked the waiter, "So, I want to get the chocolate torte, but I'm allergic to nuts, does that have nuts in it?" and instead of answering, the waiter said "I know the fruit mousse is tasty" or "it depends on the size of the plate" or "I know the number of poison control" or things like that. No one was coming out and saying "yes, the chocolate torte has nuts, so you shouldn't order it."

    So -- thank you for telling me the chocolate torte had nuts!
    You're welcome! I must say, my AT&T experience made me feel like I was going nuts, and not the chocolate torte you mentioned! But I wasn't.

    The good news is, is that if you've just moved to Clinton Hill (like me), you have no intention of leaving any time soon, and won't have to endure DSL connection sagas repeatedly. It's a one-off frustration. Hang in there!
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    Anonymous wrote: Your lack of ability to connect via wireless has nothing to do with who is providing your DSL service. It has everything to do with the wireless router you're using and your or someone elses ability to set it up correctly.
    Well, I left out the backstory, but in a nutshell: you're partly right.

    But in my case, my inability to connect via wireless is related to a number of factors:

    1. First, it was because my old computer was actually so old it was unable to communicate with any wireless card at all.

    2. Then, the first replacement I got was a refurbished machine that was accidentally sold as "new," and after spending two weeks of tearing my hair out and finally hiring a computer repair person to come check it out, we determined that it had a fault in the motherboard that was causing it to short out any modem that was connected to it (including the USB modem that the repair person brought to test it; for which I had to reimburse her).

    3. Finally, this second replacement computer's inability to connect to my roommate's signal is due to the fact that the particular brand and model of wireless modem she uses has a known communications conflict with my particular brand of computer.

    As she is moving in two months and I wouldn't be able to use her signal any more anyway, it makes sense for me to get my own DSL line rather than stealing her signal or using dialup.

    ...but that was the long story I was trying to spare y'all.
  • j.b.
    j.b.
    Hmm, it doesn't sound plausible that anything with the motherboard would inhibit the use of a USB device, wireless or no. I might buy that the PCMCIA slot on your laptop is fried, or there's something 'off' with the drivers or the OS, but as far as the mobo is concerned USB is USB whether it's a mouse or a modem. How old are we talking about?

    If you're talking about integrated wireless in the laptop, I suppose it's possible there's a conflict between a particular router and a wireless chip. But you'd first try to uninstall and reinstall the chip driver. Next step would be to disable the internal wireless chip in hardware manager, and try another USB wireless device. Last would be to get a linksys wireless router (you don't -need- to use the router they give you). Everything works with Linksys.

    your cable situation is immobile because it's a building-wide feed, or you're splitting it with another apartment? Or it's a 3rd roommate that likes the quaintness of dialup? :)
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    j.b. wrote: Hmm, it doesn't sound plausible that anything with the motherboard would inhibit the use of a USB device, wireless or no. I might buy that the PCMCIA slot on your laptop is fried, or there's something 'off' with the drivers or the OS, but as far as the mobo is concerned USB is USB whether it's a mouse or a modem. How old are we talking about?
    That's the computer I sent back to the online store. That's not the one that's giving me the problem now.

    your cable situation is immobile because it's a building-wide feed, or you're splitting it with another apartment? Or it's a 3rd roommate that likes the quaintness of dialup? :)
    ...I don't understand what you mean by my cable situation being "immoble."
  • j.b.
    j.b.
    You said "We have an existing cable account that I can't do anything with right now, as it's not mine." Is it because your building has an account for all tenants? I guess I'm just asking because I really like our Time Warner service, and I understand that site-accounts are a real pain in the ass.

    They've given us a few problems over the years, but nothing out of the ordinary - definitely nothing that would make me want to switch to DSL...
  • guvna
    guvna
    j.b. wrote: You said "We have an existing cable account that I can't do anything with right now, as it's not mine." Is it because your building has an account for all tenants? I guess I'm just asking because I really like our Time Warner service, and I understand that site-accounts are a real pain in the ass.

    They've given us a few problems over the years, but nothing out of the ordinary - definitely nothing that would make me want to switch to DSL...
    Me too. I have TWC because my building has it, but I have had practically no problems at all. Their broadband has been faultless too.
  • queencallipygos
    queencallipygos
    j.b. wrote: You said "We have an existing cable account that I can't do anything with right now, as it's not mine." Is it because your building has an account for all tenants? I guess I'm just asking because I really like our Time Warner service, and I understand that site-accounts are a real pain in the ass.
    Ohhhh, I see.

    I meant that the cable account is in my roommate's name, and TW has fubared our cable account so much that even though she's moving out in a few months, she is seriously considering switching over to a satellite Dish just for a few months. (One of the many problems we've had with them: we found out that the guy who installed the cable ran the cable out of our apartment, across the front of the building, and instead of connecting it to the big main cable switchboard thingy that serves all the people in our building, they stretched it across the front of our building to connect it to the switchboard cable box on the building next door, so we can't even have the account serviced because doing so would require us to schedule appointments around the schedules of neighbors whom we don't know because they don't even live in our building.) With things that screwed up with just the TV, I'm really not confident in also trusting the Internet to them.

    I've also been warned against TW cable by a friend in Park Slope who has it and has told me that FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T GET IT IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHOICE. I don't need to do anything that DSL wouldn't be able to handle, and my techie neighbor (the guy does things like try to reprogram his Nintendo system to work on Linux just to see if he can) uses DSL and says it works fine, so I'm going with that over a cable modem.
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